Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1381004
P96 RIDE REVIEW I 2022 YAMAHA YZF-R7 Off the brakes and tipping into the many blind crests of AMP, the R7 is so fluid it's a sheer joy to ride. I've said a thousand times that riding a less powerful bike to its limits is more fun than being in the boxing ring with a heavyweight liter bike, and never is this more evident than in the twisty bits. The R7 goes from upright to on its side quicker than you can blink, and it'll change direction almost as fast. With a relatively rangy wheelbase of 55 inches, stability is never in doubt—the motor doesn't re- ally have the power to stress the chassis anyway, and you can wind the gas in super hard without the fear of the chassis kicking sideways and spitting you off. Where this bike will really be a hit on track is when places like the Yamaha Champions School get a fleet of them for their students. This is the perfect machine for teaching the basics of sport bike riding to a new or returning generation, the mix of a soft but compliant chassis setup and what can only be described as the friendliest motor in the middleweight class making for a lovely little track bike. The softness of the front began to be- come a problem when myself, Michael Gil- bert and Josh Hayes really started to push the R7s but up until that point the trade-off in compliance was worth it. Never did the R7 get out of shape—it was simply a great dance partner to have around the undulat- ing Atlanta Motorsports Park. The R7 is a bit like the son of a famous boxer, with neither the anger or single- minded purpose of his father, but still great fun to be with. It's time to forget the naming issues, or the fact the R6 is no longer with us. The R7 is an excellent little bike that will appeal to a far broader reach of riders than the R6 ever could. If that gets people fired up to ride a sport bike, then Yamaha's done its job nicely. CN 2022 YAMAHA YZF-R7 ($8999) ENGINE 4-stroke, inline twin-cylinder VALVETRAIN DOHC, 4-valves per cylinder DISPLACEMENT 689cc BORE X STROKE 80 x 68.6mm COMPRESSION RATIO 11.5:1 FUEL SYSTEM Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection EXHAUST 2-into-1 CLUTCH Wet, multi-plate TRANSMISSION 6-speed FRAME Die-cast steel FRONT SUSPENSION 41mm fork, USD, fully adjustable REAR SUSPENSION Single shock, spring preload, rebound damping adj. FRONT TIRE 120/70 ZR17 in. REAR TIRE 180/55 ZR17 in. FRONT BRAKE Dual 298mm floating discs, 4-piston radial-mount calipers, ABS REAR BRAKE Single 245mm disc, 2-piston sliding caliper, ABS RAKE 23° TRAIL 3.5 in. SEAT HEIGHT 32.9 in. WHEELBASE 54.9 in. WEIGHT (WET, CLAIMED) 414 lbs. FUEL CAPACITY 3.4 gal. COLORS Team Yamaha Blue, Performance Black SPECIFICATIONS