The slow demise of the supersport segment is a sad thing for us motorcyclists. We are still recovering from the discontinuation of the Triumph Daytona 675 and recently, Yamaha announced that it is going to discontinue the legendary R6 and the 600cc screamer isn’t going to get updated for 2021. This is certainly sad news because when we think about it, the Yamaha R6 is one of the most iconic machines to ever grace our planet. The middleweight sportsbike segment might see another player from the house of Yamaha though.
Watch teaser
The sad departure of the R6 has created a void in Yamaha’s lineup but that could soon be filled by the rumoured R7. Recently, documents filed with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) revealed that Yamaha is working on R7.
And now, Yamaha Europe has released a new teaser video on its YouTube channel that could just be the first hint at the rumoured Yamaha YZF-R7 supersport. The video kickstarts with a bird’s eye view of a racetrack and then later, it turns into a first person view of the rider demolishing the track. The major switch happens when the racetrack disappear, making way for flowy canyon roads hinting that the R7 isn’t going to be as aggressive as the R6. The switch from road to track is important, as manufacturers begin to see this new breed of supersports motorcycles as more than just track riding weapons. Moreover, the teaser video culminates with a soundtrack reverberating which very much sounds like the CP2 engine that resides within the Yamaha MT-07, albeit with obligatory fruity exhaust included!
The new YZF-R7 is likely to be based on MT-07 platform. So it might get the similar frame and same 689cc parallel-twin motor. The bodywork is bound to be different, but we can expect other cycle parts like suspension, brakes and wheels to be borrowed from MT-07. This upcoming YZF-R7 is likely to make around 72.4bhp at 8750rpm and peak torque of 67Nm at 6500rpm. The bike could tip the scale at 184kgs.
It can also be expected that the new R7 will cost a lot less than the R6, once it gets out on the streets. Just like the R6 and other Yamaha motorcycles, we don’t think that it will make it here.