The 2021 Yamaha YZF-R7 Takes The Fight To The Aprilia RS 660

The new Japanese supersport fills the void left behind by the iconic YZF-R6

With the global debut of the 2021 YZF-R7, Yamaha finally laid to rest all the rumours and speculations about the successor of the YZF-R6. The stringent emission norms tightening the noose around manufacturers and the shrinking popularity of mid-weight supersport forced the Japanese brand to restrict the inline-four screamer to the racetrack. The 2021 Yamaha YZF-R7 has been priced at USD 8,999 or Rs 6.57 lakh and will hit the showroom June onwards.

Is The 2021 Yamaha R7 Really A Successor To The R6?
The short answer to this is yes. Not only does it replace the iconic track weapon in the brand’s portfolio, but its styling takes inspiration from the outgoing model as well. Well, at least the 12.8-litre fuel tank and sleek tail section do.

The story is slightly different when it comes to the fascia. While the LED DRLs have been retained, the bike comes with a single LED pod headlight sitting right in the middle of the air intake, which seems more like an afterthought.

But when you delve deeper, you realise that the R7 is a completely different motorcycle. The 599cc inline-four engine on the R6 belted out 118PS at 14,500rpm and 61.7Nm at 10,500rpm. The R7, on the other hand, gets a 689cc parallel-twin motor (from the MT-07) and produces 73.4PS at 8,750rpm and 67Nm at 6,500rpm which is the same as the streetfighter sibling. The only change comes in the form of a slip-and-assist clutch. There's also an upshift-only quickshifter as an optional extra.

Even the chassis on the R7 is entirely different from the R6. Instead of the trusty twin-spar chassis from the inline-four screamer, Yamaha chose to equip the new bike with a slightly modified one seen on its streetfighter sibling.

So, Is The 2021 Yamaha R7 Just A Fully-faired MT-07?
Though it may seem like that, there’s a lot ‘neath the skin that makes the R7 distinct from the MT. For starters, the faired motorcycle is equipped with 41mm fully adjustable USD forks ffrom KYB instead of the non-adjustable 41mm telescopic forks seen on the MT-07. The braking equipment, too, is slightly different on both bikes. While the MT-07 gets twin 298mm discs up front with axial calipers, the R7 gets radially-mounted four-pot calipers.

Where Does The R7 Really Stand?
The Yamaha R6 was a racetrack nut’s delight, and it was intended to be. Hence, Team Blue continues to sell it as a track-only machine now. As good as these thoroughbred supersports are out on the track, they do not make for a good street bike. So yes, the 2021 Yamaha R7 may not appeal to hardcore track riders. But it shoud find favour with riders looking for a bike to hone their track-riding skills without compromising on everyday useability. In fact, the ergonomics look sporty enough and so it won’t feel like a sports tourer.

While replacing an all-out track machine with a mild-mannered supersport may not seem like a good decision, the success of the Aprilia RS 660 has forced many manufacturers to revisit stock opinions. In fact, it’s not just Yamaha trying to emulate the Italian brand’s formula. We may soon see a Kawasaki Ninja 700R and even a Triumph Trident 660-based supersport.

Will Yamaha Bring The 2021 R7 To India?
Yamaha India has so far stayed away from bringing its mid-displacement models to India, and this tradition is unlikely to change. While you may not get the Japanese supersport here, you can buy the Aprilia RS 660. However, its speculated price tag might just leave you teary-eyed.