YAMAHA released a teaser video yesterday on its official YouTube channel that could be the first official confirmation of its rumoured R7 sports bike.
New Yamaha MT-09 SP Review 2021
The rumours around the MT-07-derived sports bike have been doing the rounds for sometime now, with further fuel being poured on the coals in the wake of the recent launch of Aprilia’s class-defining RS660.
More weight was added to the rumour of a new, middleweight sports bike from Yamaha when the firm took the bold step of removing its YZF-R6 from sale as a road-going machine. The move would have left a significant void in the line-up for the Iwata factory, and if there is one thing that brands don’t like, it’s a disjointed range that doesn’t allow progression up the ranks.
While the new video doesn’t directly mention the R7 in name or show us a motorcycle of any type, there are a few clues as to the designation of the machine at the heart of the story. For one, it is not strictly a track machine. The video shows a rider-eye-view of a track as they sweep through bends and clip apexes, before at the halfway point switching to the road, and showing twisting mountain road being devoured by a motorcycle.
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.
Secondly, there is the petrol-powered soundtrack that accompanies the video. At first listen it sounds like Yamaha’s legendary R1, although on closer inspection it sounds more like the CP2 engine that resides within the Yamaha MT-07, albeit with obligatory fruity exhaust included!
Yamaha R7 teaser video?
Annoyingly, the clip isn’t a ‘save the date’ type video, instead just advising that more news and probably teaser videos are ‘coming soon’!
Guess we’ll all just have to stay tuned to see if we are right!
