Yamaha are set to bring their expertise in robotics to agriculture via a new partnership with ‘The Yield’.
This isn’t the first innovation from Yamaha in the agricultural space as they have now been producing the Fazer R drone and variants thereof to help farmers and authorites stay on top of weed control in challenging terrain for some time now.
This top-end model of Yamaha’s industrial-use unmanned helicopters sees use in aerial agriculture for pest control, spraying fields with fertiliser and herbicides, etc. It boasts the largest agrichemical payload capacity in its class at 32 L and is capable of spraying 4 hectares of crops without replenishing agrichemicals or refueling.
And of course Australian farmers are already more than familiar with Yamaha’s popular range of legendary AG bikes and side-by-side vehicles that make light work of hard tasks on the land. Thanks to an exciting new partnership, agricultural workers could soon be benefitting from a more high-tech Yamaha – this time powered by robotics.
2020 Yamaha AG125
Possessing a strong vision to transform food and farming practices, Aussie agricultural technology specialists The Yield uses a range of digital technologies – including Internet of Things (IoT), data science, and artificial intelligence (AI) – to power new technology. Their work is designed to solve challenges at farm level and throughout the food chain.
The new development partnership will improve harvest prediction accuracy by gathering growth stage data. It will also optimise spray effectiveness through integrating robotic technologies. Collected weather data and spray guidelines will maximise autonomous spray efficiency and help growers with important on-farm decisions including when to irrigate, feed, plant, protect and harvest.
Announcing the partnership, Yamaha Motor Australia Direction Tom Okamoto said one of Yamaha Motor Corporation’s goals is to provide solutions to challenges faced by society.
Tom Okamoto – Yamaha Motor Australia Direction
“With this in mind, Yamaha set up a group that invests in innovative technology and venture companies, which is the driving force behind the development of Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV). YMA is pleased to be able to assist with logistics to ensure this important initiative is successful.”
Yamaha Motor already has automation solutions in the agricultural field, using robotics technology applications such as agricultural Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV). A planned trial will combine these Yamaha solutions with The Yield’s analytics technologies to further promote business development in the smart agriculture field.
An exciting element of the partnership is a collaboration with Treasury Wine Estates of Australia, one of the world’s leading wine makers. The planned large field data collection will improve harvest prediction accuracy and spray effectiveness.
Through its investments in early-stage innovative technology and venture companies, Yamaha Motor group shows it is not only a manufacturing company, but also a company that can utilise its strengths to provide solutions that meet societal challenges.
Let’s get one thing out of the way first: the new Yamaha YZF-R7 has absolutely nothing to do with the Yamaha YZF-R7. The Yamaha YZF-R7 OW02, I mean.
1999 Yamaha YZF-R7 OW-02
The original R7 (which in my mind should be the only R7) ran for a couple of years at the turn of the century and was so damn sexy and exclusive it is at the very top of bikes I’d like to own despite the fact it won nothing other than a few WorldSBK races. Yet the only thing this 2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 has in common with the OW02 is the name on the seat and the fact it’s made by the same company.
2022 Yamaha YZF-R7
As a student of motorcycle history, I was rather pissed Yamaha called the ’22 R7 the name they did. I felt it was like Ferrari creating a Mazda MX-5 and calling it an F40. But history counts for little these days—it’s not going to bring in the dollars the board so dearly craves—and Yamaha told us the naming of the R7 came after several of the dreaded ‘focus group’ groups said naming a Yamaha sportsbike anything other than a YZF-R-something would be just too damn confusing. Poor souls.
2022 Yamaha YZF-R7
So now we have the 188kg ready-to-ride Yamaha YZF-R7, which comes hot on the heels of the production death of the bike that would smoke it in every conceivable performance test aside from a sub-2000 rpm torque run-to-the-pub in the YZF-R6. Confused? Yeah, me too. Bloody focus groups.
Yamaha’s YZF-R6 is no more but is a sharper scalpel than the new R7
It’s called R7 because this is essentially an MT-07 in sporty garb. The Scaysbrooks are massive fans of the MT range, so much so that my mum, Sue, even bought one and has ridden more miles on it than I’ve done on press bikes in the past 12 months.
689cc CP2 Yamaha parallel twin and a special 655 cc learner legal version for Australia
Under your crown jewels on the R7 sits the same 689 cc parallel twin-cylinder four-stroke CP2 motor mated to a six-speed gearbox and thankfully no adjustable engine maps. Yamaha doesn’t quote horsepower or torque but a rough guess of around 70 hp and 65 Nm would be close to what you can expect from the little twin.
2022 Yamaha YZF-R7
This is probably the most unintimidating motor currently on sale in full sportsbike attire—it picks up revs sedately and smoothly with very few vibrations, offering plenty of torque that continues until 8000-8500 rpm, at which point it tapers off significantly before hitting the 9500 rpm redline.
The CP2 engine also pulls duty in the MT-07, XSR700 and Tenere 700
Yamaha absolutely smashed it when they bought out the CP2 motor back in 2014. It’s a bit like a modern version of the RD350, a motor that can have nuts ridden off it or cruised to the shops just as easily and always come back for more. In many ways, the CP2 makes for the perfect sportbike riding tutoring tool, an engine that any rider of any skill level can get on and enjoy without getting scared or bored by it.
Optional quick-shifter
Our tes-tbike came fitted with the optional quick-shifter for clutchless up-shifts but you still need to go old school and match the revs on the down-shift. It was here some of the more budget aspects of the R7 shone through, as getting a smooth downshift when pushing hard on the track wasn’t always a given. You need to be very deliberate with your shifts when the revs are high, making sure the next cog has been selected before dumping the lever and relying on the slipper clutch (which the MT-07 missed out on) to keep everything from locking up and sending you sideways under brakes.
2022 Yamaha YZF-R7
You’re graced with ADVICS four-piston monobloc front brakes matched to unswitchable ABS on the R7. Although braking power is reasonable enough, the ABS would kick in at a faster rate than I would have hoped when testing at the tight and twisty Atlanta Motorsports Park, and I’m still unsure if the pad material is quite right for pushing hard on the track.
Decent stoppers but some different pads might be in order for serious track use
The brakes do the job of hauling you up from speed, but we have to be picky here, ladies and gentlemen, if I were taking this to the track the brakes would be the first thing I’d upgrade.
2022 Yamaha YZF-R7
The R7 looks suspiciously like the R6 but that’s where the similarities and my comparisons with it will end. In fact, the R7 has more in common with an R3 than anything else. The top of the fairing where you tuck in behind is narrower than the R3, making it the most svelte machine in the Yamaha sportsbike line-up. I’ve got to give the styling department a golf clap—they did a fantastic job of making the R7 look like a racebike straight out of the crate with the LED lights hidden inside and either side of the intake. It makes the R7 look far racier than it really is, which is a nice little boon for the stylists.
2022 Yamaha YZF-R7
The bodywork wraps itself around the same MT-07 steel frame with a few mods like a 5 mm shorter wheelbase, 10 mm less ground clearance, 0.7° steeper steering geometry at 23.7° and 2 mm less trail. The swingarm is the same unit as on the MT, but the rear wheel sits a little further back thanks to a one-tooth smaller rear sprocket that makes the gearing a little taller for racetrack/sporty speeds. Coupled this with a different rear suspension linkage on the R7 and you’ve got a much better set-up ready for the track.
2022 Yamaha YZF-R7
The suspension comes from KYB in the 41 mm fully-adjustable fork and a rear shock that’s pre-load and rebound damping adjustable. Again, it’s mid-level in terms of spec and handles the job of hustling around a racetrack admirably enough, but push the R7 really hard and you’ll start to get a bit of flex from the frame which transfers through the front end. Many of the guys who run modified MT-07’s in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup series have issues with the frame not being stiff enough for hard racetrack use, which is something understandable given the fact the frame comes straight off what is essentially a commuter bike that wasn’t designed to go racing in the first place.
2022 Yamaha YZF-R7
Be that as it may, the R7 is an incredibly nimble motorcycle. That slender CP2 motor and the fact the internals weigh bugger all and thus don’t have a lot of reciprocating mass means the R7 changes direction on a dime. With a relatively rangy wheelbase of 1395 mm, stability is never in doubt—the motor doesn’t really have the power to stress the chassis anyway, and you can wind the gas in super hard without the fear of the chassis kicking sideways and spitting you off.
2022 Yamaha YZF-R7
Helping matters here was our testbike was fitted with the brilliant Bridgestone Battlax Racing R11 tyres, which is the Japanese company’s ultra-stcky production race tyre. The R7 will not come with that rubber at the dealer, but never fear because you will get the more appropriate S22, a tyre I tested in Spain and was pretty blown away by the overall grip and longevity. On a side note, at the 2020 KTM 1290 Super Duke R launch at Portimao the S22’s were standard fitment on that bike, too, and the test-bikes did some 15 sessions in a row without a single front or rear change with a bunch of hack-handed journo’s riding—that was more impressive than when we rode them at the launch…
2022 Yamaha YZF-R7
The R7’s arrival has really highlighted the need for Yamaha to build a bridge between it and the R1, as the performance gap is just too great. Me thinks a 120-ish horsepower YZF-R9 based off the MT-09 would be a rather tasty plate indeed, although I have no idea whether Yamaha is thinking the same thing.
2022 Yamaha YZF-R7
I’ll admit it’s hard not to compare the 2022 R7 to the original R7 or even the R6, because it’s human nature to compare. It gives us a ranking and helps us feel in control, but to categorise the new R7 as anything other than a new direction for Yamaha’s sportsbikes would be unfair.
2022 Yamaha YZF-R7
The R7 has its charms, has its drawbacks, but I’m pleased to see it come to production. It deserves to be here, and will hopefully serve as a platform to bring new riders back into the sportsbike fold, as Trev suggested in his piece on the R7. If they do that, in time Yamaha may have created a bigger legend than even the old OW-02 was.
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, as tested here, will retail for $14,999 ride away.
2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 Specifications
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
The moto culture is rich with a diversity of people from all walks of life, and it leans on some of the strongest industrial backs of the automobile world. Giants like Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha strive to provide improved alternatives to riders that still maintain respect for the tradition of how things have always been done.
But the future of motorcycle culture requires an ever-flowing give-and-take of balance – and who better to push the bill than the newer generation?
Enter Dutch Racing Team, Electric Superbike Twente (EST): a group of university students dedicated to creating sustainable electric superbikes with MotoGP track times.
These kids aren’t playing when it comes to bringing energy-compliant superbikes to the track – and when you’re a student, the sky (and the parents’ wallet) is the limit.
The youth have just revealed the completion of their fourth – yes, fourth – superbike, dubbed the Delta-XE.
If you’re looking for a sneak peek, check out the video reveal at the top of this article – and boy, is she juicy.
Unafraid to build from scratch and ever-adapting to the enclosing restrictions of the motorcycle industry, EST has provided this alternative beauty with a custom PMAC electric motor capable of punching the Delta-XE over 300km/h.
Not only is the motor custom-made, but the battery’s power management system is also hand-tuned to allow the 576 battery cells – 150kw of power, or 200hp – to speak easily to the asphalt.
According to a report from RideApart, the Delta-XE boasts 0-100 km/h in less than three seconds and 0-200km/h in nine seconds.
Lean, mean, and green. I like it.
Further steps for EST would involve entering their bike to events sanctioned by the Electric Road Racing Association.
Looking forward to what this unorthodox – and entirely intriguing – team brings next to the table.
Semiconductor chip shortages have affected almost every automobile and motorcycle production aspect on a global scale.
With the rise of unprecedented times in 2020, parts manufacturers had to make decisions in ordering future parts for future production – a process called ‘just-in-time manufacturing.’
This process increases financial efficiency with companies by predicting the scale of future sales.
The resultant underestimation of the prediction – coupled with companies raging in fierce competition for chips from other industries and the delay caused by the Suez Canal Incident – has caused a crunch and shortage in the chips installed in today’s vehicles and motorcycles.
Many companies have reacted to this shortage by pushing the sales of vehicles and motorcycles that are more popular to cut down on costs and generate revenue.
The average vehicle boasts an installation of 30 to 50 semiconductor chips, with some newer models ranging upwards of 100. There are decidedly fewer in a motorcycle, but Motorcycle manufacturers have also been walloped by the shortage, with giants like Yamaha releasing shortage explanations to the populace.
Here is a link to their video message below:
According to a report from TheGlobeAndMail, the industry needs a solution to this shortage.
“COVID-19 demonstrated vulnerabilities and gaps in global supply chains, so I do believe we should be framing [the chip shortage] as a demand opportunity, not a constraint one,” says Melissa Chee, chief executive officer of VentureLab, a tech incubator based in Markham, Ont. “Do we really want to just be final assembly, or could we rethink the role we play in that final [chip] ecosystem?”
Desperate times call for desperate measures – and with the shortage taking effect globally, now may be the time for the global automotive industry to reduce the lean on international suppliers.
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
Honda, Yamaha, KTM, and Piaggio have all signed a letter of intent to stage a swappable electric battery consortium for EV motorcycles and lighter EV’s.
Together, they will collaborate on batteries that can be swapped amongst each of their EV lineups. This will make it possible to use a universal battery across all models. This initiative will take some time before coming to the streets however the letter of intent is a huge step in the right direction.
From the press release: ‘The aim of the Consortium will, therefore, be to define the standardized technical specifications of the swappable battery system for vehicles belonging to the L-category; mopeds, motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles. By working closely with interested stakeholders and national, European and international standardization bodies, the founding members of the Consortium will be involved in the creation of international technical standards.’
Honda Managing Officer of Motorcycle Operations Noriake Abe said:
“The worldwide electrification effort to reduce CO2 on a global scale is accelerating, especially in Europe. For the widespread adoption of electric motorcycles, problems such as travel distance and charging times need to be addressed, and swappable batteries are a promising solution. Considering customer convenience, standardization of swappable batteries and wide adoption of battery systems is vital, which is why the four-member manufacturers agreed to form the Consortium. Honda views improving the customers’ usage environment as an area to explore cooperation with other manufacturers while bringing better products and services to customers through competition. Honda will work hard on both fronts to be the ‘chosen’ manufacturer for customer mobility.”
Activity on the new consortium will begin in May 2021, while invitations have been extended to other manufactures to join in on the initiative. Once this initiative is live and available to the consumer, it will mean huge benefits for all EV owners. It will mean less time charging and more time traveling – since you will be able to simply swap your battery and go. This concept isn’t anything new but with major players in manufacturing stepping up means it will be a matter of time before it becomes reality.
Yamaha has officially started the process of getting naming rights for their future electric scooter model. Rights have been filed for the name E01 which can effectively be used after May 17th, 2021, on the basis that they have no objections to using the name.
The E01 name will be used for the electric scooter that Yamaha first unveiled at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show.
International Motor Shows like the Tokyo event are often the first place to see brand new concepts and production lines for major players in the Powersports industry. The prospective E01, an electric scooter that Yamaha had on display will inevitably be launched unlike the other scooter (a gas counterpart) they had on display at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show.
Filing for a name is just the tip of the iceberg for Yamaha. They also filed for the design and appearance aesthetics of the electric scooter to thwart anyone planning on copying Yamaha’s innovations. This will also help them for future scooter designs in case they choose to keep a uniform appearance. Similar to Yamaha’s current sportbike models like the YZF-R1 and its smaller counterpart models.
What can you expect from an electric Yamaha Scooter?
According to VisorDown, the E01 will have the same power characteristics as a 125cc gas scooter. It will offer the convenience of recharging at home along with very simple maintenance.
Yamaha has also filed rights for an additional EV scooter named the EC-05, this model will have a removable battery for added convenience. More details to come on these EV’s in the near future.
Yamaha Motor Australia have issued a fifth recall on their learner-approved MT-03 motorcycle (pictured above) and three scooters for a non-compliance issue on the rear reflectors.
The official recall notice issued through the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says it “may not comply with the Australian Design Rules (ADR) 47 for reflection luminosity”.
“If the reflector has insufficient luminosity, affected motorcycles may be less visible to drivers of other vehicles, which could increase the risk of an accident causing injury or death of the rider and/or other road users,” the notice says.
Owners of the 2709 affected MT-03 models plus 573 XMAX 300, 168 NMAX 125 (2015) and 575 NMAX 150 (2017 – 2020) scooters should “immediately” contact a Yamaha dealer to arrange an appointment to have the reflector replaced, free of charge.
Engine vibration transmitted to the fuel tank may cause the spot weld of the bracket to break. If it does, fuel could leak.
Corrosion of the switch electrical terminals may develop due to water contamination, causing a loss of electrical power and engine stalling.
The clutch pressure plate bearing may fail when operated frequently. The oil pump drive gear may break due to excessive stress causing the clutch to fail. The transmission will not shift properly and the engine may seize due to a lack of engine oil supply.
A machining defect in the primary drive and driven meshing gears that could make the bike excessively noisy during acceleration and engine revs increase when shifting through gear ratios.
Even though manufacturers and importers usually contact owners when a recall is issued, the bike may have been sold privately to a rider unknown to the company.
Therefore, Motorbike Writer publishes all motorcycle and scooter recalls as a service to all riders.
If you believe there is an endemic problem with your bike that should be recalled, contact the ACCC on 1300 302 502.
To check whether your motorcycle has been recalled, click on these sites:
Motorcycle Test by Wayne Vickers – Images Rob Mott
I’ve been spending some time on a few of the smaller offerings of late. Having ridden Yamaha’s MT03 (Link) and more recently I was thrown the keys to the tuning fork mob’s latest little jigger, the YZF-R15.
We don’t have the history in Australia with this model, but Yamaha’s third iteration of the ‘R-15’ brings some solid updates over the previous models. It’s clearly intended to give Yamaha dealers something to compete with things like Honda’s CB125. And it’s hard to deny that this has a lot more flair. But can it back it up?
Yamaha YZF-R15
Well, it certainly looks the biz. Clearly some resemblances to its bigger brothers for those more sportily inclined amongst us. Styling wise it cuts a fine figure. Lots of nice touches. A familiar looking Deltabox frame and slightly larger swingarm to house a bigger 140 section rear tyre compared to the old model. Even the tail unit looks like the R1 setup – albeit smaller and with thinner plastics. Probably best to not compare them side by side, but in isolation it’s a pretty bloody good thing. Paint finish is nice too, and I rate the ‘Thunder Grey’ colour scheme – I’ve always had a thing for red, grey, silver or black though. Other than my current Tiger (which is white) and my race bikes – all of my bikes have been either red, grey, silver or black – or a combo of them all. I’ve only just realised that. Maybe I’m too predictable.
2020 Yamaha YZF-R15
The riding position is sporty but not uncomfortable. New riders won’t feel like they’re too far forward on their hands and it will allow them to explore the bike’s potential as they improve their skills. It actually steers surprisingly well for a bike that’s sub 5 grand new! The seat itself isn’t bad either – and the suspension does a decent job of soaking up bumps.
2020 Yamaha YZF-R15
Controls are all quite simple and traditional. Clutch (a slipper!) and brake feel is good, and the box does its job. Single twin caliper disc up front does a reasonable job of pulling things up – and while that might seem light on in terms of power compared to bigger bikes, remember that this thing only weighs a little over 130 kilos.. And isn’t going to be slowing from big speeds. You’ll see the shift light come on in top gear at about 135 km/h if you have a long enough straight. And some assistance from a downhill or tail wind.
2020 Yamaha YZF-R15
The thing that I didn’t really gel with personally is the engine. While it’s new variable valve actuation (VVA – think Honda Vtec, but different) might have seen a 20 per cent increase in power over the previous model with it now churning out 18 horsepower, it comes with a mechanical engine noise that’s not especially pleasant to my ears at least. You could be generous and call it character perhaps? You do sort of get used to it… but it doesn’t feel refined at all. Maybe the exhaust needs to be louder to drown it out 🙂
Yamaha YZF-R15
While the fuelling is also not fabulous – you don’t really notice it all that much at that sort of power level as you generally just smash the throttle open, but it could do with some work – needs saying. Powerwise, well it does ok from a 150 cc single but it’s no race engine. Yamaha have made some updates to improve breathing and output compared to the older model, but it still doesn’t really like going up hills at speed very much – you’ll get used to pedalling the box, which in itself is no bad thing. It is kinda fun keeping the little mill on the boil. Its happy enough to rev.
2020 Yamaha YZF-R15
Handling wise it’s fun enough to punt along. Everything gels together pretty well. You forget how much corner speed you can hold on a bike that weighs around 130 kilos… It certainly teaches you to maintain momentum. It’s actually good fun and a bit of a giggle. Suspension and brakes seem up to it with no obvious weaknesses there.
Yamaha YZF-R15
Nice dash too. Simple. Easy to read. But like a few other bikes I’ve tested lately – no engine temp? Is that a thing now? Apparently you can customise the ‘Hi Buddy’ greeting so it says your name on start up too which is kinda fun. You’d have to mess with your mates bike and change that wouldn’t you..? Surely I’m not the only one that thinks that way 🙂
Apparently this is the number one selling sports bike on the planet. Sure – that’s mostly in markets where they aren’t competing against bigger sportsbikes, but there’ no doubt that Yamaha considered that and the audience that it already has when deciding to bring it in.
2020 Yamaha YZF-R15
It will be interesting to see how the new YZF-R15 sells compared to the YZF-R3, the latter being the slightly bigger brother with a much nicer engine. That price though… less than 5 grand. For a new road bike with a factory warranty? Hard to argue against. Amazing value.
Final word, indulge me for a moment – Once upon a time (30 years ago!) Yamaha built a four cylinder FZR250RR that made 45 hp and revved to 17 thousand rpm or thereabouts. I nearly bought one as my first bike, but ended up with Honda’s gull-arm CBR250RR pocket rocket – and yes it was black and silver with red wheels. What a great little screamer it was too. I put nearly a hundred thousand kays on mine before trading up. Imagine what they could do now if they had a real crack at it… And it’d be a proper YZF-R. I know the market is different now, but still. With an emerging market in places like India for this smaller capacity stuff, is now the time to revisit the past and see just how much performance you can get from a proper 250 or 300 race rep that could sell in numbers? I hope so. Would make a great entry level proddy bike class platform and give KTMs RC390 a rival…
Yamaha YZF-R15
Why I like it:
Pretty amazing value really
Decent controls and handling
Fairly well finished for the money
I’d like it more if:
It had a better engine – that engine noise is not nice
Make it a real YZF-R for our markets, with the focus on performance
Or just bring in the MT15 as your entry level bike
With the new 2021 MT-09 being given a complete front-end redesign among many other updates, Youtuber Yammie Noob took this opportunity to pick up a 2019 MT-09 to be given away on his channel (yes, Papa Yams gives away plenty of motorcycles to his subscribers). Although the MT-09 has seen a full update and two years’ worth of models post-dating this model Yams has, the video is still brand new.
Although many people love to see videos about new bikes, I think Yammie Noob makes good enough content to make this worth sharing. The 2021 MT-09 hasn’t seen a ton of updates beyond visuals, so this video is still a great resource for riders looking to get onto an MT-09 from any year.
Yammie has owned a previous generation FZ-09, yet this 2019 model still packs enough punch to completely surprise him. Yams’ takes a lot of great angles for his talking points about the machine and puts things into layman’s terms for everyday riders; which in my opinion is what makes his videos so great. Although he praises the bike, he still has some great unbiased criticism for this motorcycle making this first impression ride honest and to-the-point.
