Tag Archives: Yamaha R7

Yamaha Patent Shows R9 In The Works

Well, folks, I’m not going to say I didn’t see this one coming…but boy, now the what if’s are really killing me.

Yamaha may be working on an all-new sportbike…and the only Yamaha bike from the MT range that doesn’t yet have a full-fairinged R-equivalent is the MT09. 

We’ve even found some proof – a Yamaha patent pending on EUIpo shows the Japanese manufacturer has applied for a trademark under the name “R9”

a view of the trademark pending from Yamaha that shows an R9 patent

a view of the trademark pending from Yamaha that shows an R9 patent

Let’s look at the details we’ve currently got on the table. 

In a report from CycleWorld, Yamaha filed a number of trademark applications, requesting patents for R1, R2…all the way to R9.

Yamaha also filed for trademarks under the names R15, R20, and R25. 

Neat, but not necessarily unique. 

A fan-based rendering of what could be the Yamaha R9
A fan-based rendering of what could be the Yamaha R9

Apparently, this is a common move for companies wanting to claim naming rights, should the desire to do so itch the proverbial shoulder somewhere down the road. 

Despite the fact that the trademarked patents for R2 R4, R5, R8, and R9 have lain dormant, R2 and R9 were trademarked around the same time as the now-released R7 – giving us some real concrete hopes that the bikes are in the works. 

Think about it. 

For the MT125, Yamaha gave us the R125…and in certain parts of the Eastern Hemisphere, the MT15 got the R15. 

A view of the MT125 and the R125

The MT03 has the gorgeously smooth R3 as a better half (though I’m prejudiced in this sector), as the MT25 has the R25. 

The last two pairs of the ranges sit pretty, with the all-new R7 complementing the MT07, and the R1 lounging in all its torque-y glory alongside the MT10

A view of the Yamaha MT10 and the R1

With the MT09’s 890cc crossplane inline-three engine kicking out a very nice 69 lb-ft of torque, the 417 lbs (189 kg) of the machine motors through the low RPM and mid-range with a good clean pull. 

Cut some of the weight and slap some fairings on it, and bingo – meet the full-fairinged Master of Torque Replica. 

Time will tell as to the intentions of Yamaha.  Until then, Check out these gorgeous pics of the Yamaha R7.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Will this bike rejuvenate the sportsbike market?

What the new R7 could mean for sportsbike sales


Sportsbike sales have been on the wane for a long time now. No longer do riders need to be on a relatively uncomfortable, 170 km/h in first gear sportsbike, to get good power, suspension and brakes.

Now when I was a boy….

20 years ago we favoured Fireblades, GSX-Rs or the like to get great suspension and stoppers. Today’s nakeds run almost sportsbike geometry but combine that with fairly comfortable ergonomics, while adventure bikes now boast more power and torque than yesterday’s superbikes and ride on today’s top shelf suspension and braking systems.

I would also argue that on most twisty public back roads that don’t have perfect billiard table tarmac the likes of today’s GS, Multistrada V4 or KTM 1290 Adventure machines would hand all but the most committed sportsbike riders their arse when conditions are not absolutely perfect.

Pose value versus performance

It also seems that a lot of today’s youth market favour pose value over performance, a bit like the cruiser market has always been.

Or has this always been the case?

I know it certainly never was for me, it was only later in life that I first bought a bike primarily on looks and that was the first model Fireblade SP, but it is not as if that didn’t have enough performance to go with it.

‘Road Safety’

Today’s inane focus on speed as the be all and end all of road safety has led to massive penalties. The risk of your pride and joy being crushed by authorities is a particularly draconian tool in their armoury for their war on speed.

This certainly has an affect on the appeal of pure sportsbikes on the street.

You would think ‘road safety’ would pertain to making our roads safe. To me that would mean better road surfaces and the removal of roadside obstacles that are waiting to kill or maim us if we do end up sliding down the road. But no, instead we get wire rope barriers and ever reducing speed limits. And they call that ‘road safety’…

Has Superbike racing killed the category of motorcycles it originally aimed to promote?

Rising prices have also played their part as manufacturers produce their machines to a recipe dictated by Superbike racing rules. Most Superbike race series limit the modifications allowed on the machines in the aim of achieving some sort of artificial parity in competition.

This has led to higher and higher specification base machines and limited-edition specials that address one or two components inside the engine that the machine requires to be competitive in racing. Components that due to racing rules tuners are not allowed to change when preparing a machine for competition.

Does this mean that Superbike racing has effectively been killing the sales of the sportsbikes it was first introduced to promote?

Does Yamaha have the answer with the new R7

What got me thinking on the state of the sportsbike market was the overnight release of Yamaha’s new R7.

This new R7 is nothing like that limited-edition competition based R7 raced 20 years ago by the likes of Noriyuki Haga and Colin Edwards, when World Superbike rules dictated a capacity limit of 750 cc for four-cylinder motorcycles.

The 1999 Yamaha YZF-R7 was really special but ultimately failed in its quest to conquer World Superbike as the rules of the time favoured twin-cylinder motorcycles. Ducati’s 996 was effectively made for the rules and many would say the rules were written for Ducati. This forced Honda to then produce their own V-Twin and it was Honda that eventually broke the Ducati stranglehold on World Superbike with the twin-cylinder VTR-SP series.

We believe only two or three of the 500 YZF-R7 motorcycles produced made it to Australia and they had a price tag of around $50,000. Add the full race kit and you could easily be spending north of 150k, and this was back in 2000…  Then in 2003 World Superbike rules allowed four-cylinder motorcycles to displace up to 1000 cc, which effectively killed the 750 cc sportsbike overnight. 

The new R7 is nothing like the old R7
2022 Yamaha YZF-R7

The new R7 is not designed to be anything like the original R7.  That bike was designed to conquer the racetrack, the new R7 is designed to conquer the sales charts and put bikes on the road.

Here in December from 14k ride away

To that end Australia will receive two versions of the R7, a learner legal 655 cc model designed specifically to meet Australia’s unique LAMS registration scheme, alongside another R7, dubbed the HO in Australia, that is equipped with the same 689 cc engine that the rest of the world receives.

655 in LAMS or 689 cc in HO guise, parallel twin

This engine is a proven package that has seen duty in the MT-07 and Tenere. In MT-07 guise the 689 cc parallel-twin makes just under 75 horsepower at 9000 rpm and 68 Nm at 6500 rpm. In the 655 cc LAMS configuration it makes 52 horsepower at 8000 rpm and 58 Nm of torque at a low 4000 rpm. No official power figures have yet been released for the new YZF-R7 but we are led to believe they are the same as the current MT-07, which for model year 2021 gained Euro5 certification.  We do know that the R7 will run different gearing and use a slip-assist clutch while a quick-shifter will be an optional accessory.

Around 75 horsepower is expected in HO guise and 52 horsepower in LAMS

It is safe to say that the new YZF-R7 will be a huge winner in the learner segment. It looks great, and that LAMS specification engine punches better than the spec’ sheet suggests. It will be a rewarding ride down a twisty back road I have no doubt.

2022 Yamaha YZF-R7

The R7 should make an ideal and affordable stepping stone up from the hugely successful YZF-R3 and be responsible for many riders continuing their riding in a sports styled package rather than opting for a naked. Which could then keep them on sportsbikes for many years to come, thus my belief that the new R7 could, eventually, help revitalise the entire sportsbike market.

2022 Yamaha YZF-R7

The suspension is not superbike spec’, it doesn’t need to be. The chassis looks capable enough with fully-adjustable KYB inverted forks and preload/rebound adjustable shock.

Fully-adjustable KYB inverted forks

At 188 kg with a full 13-litre fuel tank the R7 should seem spritely enough for plenty of fun and Yamaha claims its flanks are the slimmest in their supersport line-up, including the R3.

2022 Yamaha YZF-R7

Chassis geometry is more sports focussed than anything else this engine has been used in with a more rigid steel frame along with a braced swingarm pivot for more sporting potential.

2022 Yamaha YZF-R7

And of course clip-on bars combine with a sporty riding position and modern TFT instrumentation. Weight bias is 51/49 front to rear.

2022 Yamaha YZF-R7

Stoppers have also been upgraded from the MT-07 with the new R7 being the first Yamaha model to feature a radial Brembo master-cylinder pushing fluid through to the four-piston calipers which clamp 298 mm disc rotors.

2022 Yamaha YZF-R7

Plenty of the promotional images feature bikes at the track with mirrors removed which means Yamaha are really pitching to the sporting angle. Could we see an R7 based race series alongside the likes of the curent R3 Cup that is raced here in Australia?  Racing is in Yamaha Australia’s DNA perhaps more than any other country that Yamaha operates in, thus if it is to happen, one of the most likely places for such a series could be right here.

2022 Yamaha YZF-R7

The new R7 is schedule to arrive in Australia this December and will be priced at $13,999 ride away for the LAMS variant while the full power version will retail for $14,999 ride away.

2022 Yamaha YZF-R7

I think, and hope, it will be a roaring success that potentially revitalises the sportsbike market. Well played Yamaha.

2022 Yamaha YZF-R7

2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 Specifications
Engine type Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC inline twin-cylinder; 4-valves per cylinder
Displacement LA: 655cc / HO: 689cc
Bore x stroke LA: 78.0 mm x 68.6 mm / HO: 80.0 mm x 68.6 mm
Compression ratio 11.5 : 1
Fuel delivery Fuel Injection
Starter system Electric
Transmission system Constant mesh six-speed w/ A&S clutch
Final Transmission Chain
Frame High tensile steel Deltabox
Front suspension KYB 41 mm USD forks, preload, rebound and compression adjustable; 130mm travel
Rear suspension Linked monoshock, preload and rebound adjustable; 130mm travel
Front brake Dual 298 mm rotors, radial four-piston calipers, Brembo radial master-cylinder
Rear brake Single 245 mm rotor, Nissin caliper
Wheels 10-spoke cast alloy wheels
Tyres Bridgestone BATTLAX S22, 120/70-17, 180/55-17
Overall length 2070 mm
Overall width 705 mm
Overall height 1160 mm
Caster Angle 23.7-degrees
Trail 90 mm
Wheelbase 1395
Seat height 835 mm
Min ground clearance 135 mm
Wet weight 188 kg
Fuel tank capacity 12.8 L
 Colour Team Yamaha Blue, Performance Black
Warranty 24 months
Lights & Dash LED lighting, LCD dash
Price – YZF-R7 HO $14,999 Ride-away
Price – YZF-R7 LA $13,999 Ride-away (LAMS)

2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 Image Gallery


Source: MCNews.com.au