It looks like all the Internet moto-speculators were right: Yamaha is about to release a new R7 sportbike.
Just over a week ago, on May 7, we shared a video from Yamaha that seemed to indicate we’d see a new sportbike in the near future. At that time, we speculated the new machine would be called the R7, and that it would be based on the MT-07 naked bike.
Judging from these leaked photos (which originated with the Dutch Nieuwsmotor.nl website), it seems that’s exactly what’s coming. This bike appears to share the same 689 cc liquid-cooled parallel twin that Yamaha uses for the MT-07, the Tracer 700, the XSR700, and the Tenere 700. Parts bin engineering at its best! It also looks like more-or-less the same steel tube frame and generally budget-minded chassis as the MT-07, which will keep prices low. There will be differences between the machines’ components (note the changes to front suspension), but if Yamaha wants this to be an affordable substitute for its recently-canceled R6, then you can’t expect it to have supersport-level running gear.
In case you think this pic is some sort of artful Photoshop scammery, Asphalt & Rubber reports the images seem to have initially leaked from Yamaha’s North American website. An accident, or clever guerilla marketing? Who knows?
Check out Yamaha’s initial teaser for the new R-series motorcycle below. We expect to know more about the machine in the next day or two.
