CARB filings confirm the Yamaha YZF-R7 is making a return – of sorts!
The filings with the California Air Resources Board suggest the new model will be the much-awaited MT-07-engined sports bike
CARB filings uncovered by a US website look to have confirmed that a new Yamaha YZF-R7 is in the works – and closer than we think to completion!
Yamaha MT-07 review
Now, those of a certain age will remember the original YZF-R7, and we are sorry to say that is not the bike we are looking at here. The homologation R7 of old is a mythical machine, built solely to allow Yamaha to win in international racing championships. The YZF-R7 we are referring to today should be much more accessible!
The documents were unearthed by Motorcycle.com, and they confirm that the new bike will initially be arriving in two colour options, Yamaha Blue and Black. It’s also confirmed that the machine will share the MT-07’s 689cc CP2 engine. It’s likely Yamaha will tune the unit differently for the new model as opposed to the naked MT-07, although actually, in standard trim it would be entertaining enough!
CARB stands for California Air Resources Board, and they are, as you can guess, only really interested in one thing, emissions, and noise. To that note, the rest of the filings give very little away as to how the new bike could shape up – but we can dream!
Visordown’s take on how the bike could turn out
An all-new chassis and suspension set up for the bike would be the dream, something like Yamaha created when it released the highly lauded Ténéré 700. Although as we’ve seen with some of the other CP2 platform models like the XSR700, sometimes a completely clean sheet isn’t required to create a successful motorcycle.
Yamaha will be keen to keep the cost of this bike down, making the gap between it and the R1 as large as possible is the key, and should prevent either bike from cannibalising the sales of the other - the main problem with supersports 600s of old. With that in mind, a braced frame (based on that of the MT-07) for added poise and uprated suspension would be nice – I’m sure Yamaha could divert some of the components from the now-deceased R6 over to the new R7 production line, couldn’t they?
With that, the front end could also inherit the more powerful, radially mounted braking setup of the R6. Chuck in some fully adjustable suspension and we think this bike is going to be an absolute hoot to ride!
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
