Yamaha YZF-R7 is one of the most unique superbikes from a decade ago when it was launched. It was one of the last Japanese homologation specials and Yamaha sold only 500 units in 1999. In this post, I will be discussing today’s Yamaha R7 and its top speed. So, let’s dive into the main topic of our discussion:-
The latest Yamaha YZF-R7 is powered by a 689cc, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke engine generating 73.4 PS of maximum power at 8,750 rpm and 77 Nm of peak torque at 6,500 rpm. Yamaha R7 can reach and maintain a top speed of 232 km/h (144 mph). And with stock gearing, the Yamaha R7 speed can reach up to 261 km/h (162.2 mph).
Talking about the Yamaha R7’s acceleration rate, it’s a little close to Yamaha MT07 as both have the same engine. But because of the R7 aerodynamic sporty chassis, it’s a bit faster than MT07.
According to motostatz.com, “The Yamaha YZF-R7 can hit 0-60 mph in 3.27 seconds. But when I ride the bike myself, it took me a little extra second for 0-60 acceleration. It took me 4s to reach 0-60 mph / 0-100 kmph.
The one thing we should understand is the top speed always differ. With stock power, the Yamaha R7 gives top speeds between 130 mph to 144 mph. So, I gave you an estimate of the average speed you will get with the Yamaha R7.
Is Yamaha R7 slower than Yamaha R6?
Yamaha R7 has got a little history behind it, as we discussed above; R7 was first launched in 1999 with as little as 500 units with the main motive of used in racing.
According to Wikipedia, When Yamaha R7 (or Yamaha OW-2) was originally launched in 1999 with limited units, it was powered by 749cc liquid-cooled engine producing 79 kW (106 hp). The top speed of the Yamaha R7 with this configuration was 262 km/h (163 mph).
The Yamaha R7 in 1999 was definitely built for racing also Super Streetbikes magazine ranked the bike eighth in the list of the 10 most exotic bikes ever.
So, as we are comparing the Yamaha R7 with R6 we will talk about the latest lineups of the models. To compare the speed of both brothers of the legendary R-series we will first have to know the engine specs of both.
Let’s start with the R6,
The brand new Yamaha R6 is powered by a 599cc liquid-cooled DOHC inline 4-cylinder that generated 118.4 HP @14,599 rpm of power and 61.75 Nm @10500 rpm of torque. And, the top speed of the Yamaha R6 is 262 kmph (163 mph).
And our latest Yamaha YZF-R7 is powered by a 689cc, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke engine generating 73.4 PS of maximum power @8,750 rpm and 77 Nm of peak torque @6,500 rpm. Yamaha R7 can reach and maintain a top speed of 232 km/h (144 mph).
So, according to the above data, we can safely say that Yamaha R7 is a bit slower than its predecessor Yamaha YZF R6.
I know it’s a bit disappointing thing as we expect that the succeeding lineups must be more advanced than the previous one.
But Yamaha R7 seems to be the exception of this series and I think R7 is meant to fill the gap and has other purposes (more on this later).
The R7 uses the same engine that comes straight out from the most popular MT-07. If we compare then the R6 engine comes with 4 cylinders and makes about 115 BHP and R7 uses a twin-cylinder makes 71.4 BHP.
So, the question arises in every rider’s mind why Yamaha is giving less power and two less cylinders to the R7?
Well, the reason is the massive sale decline in the supersport class motorcycles over the last 20 years. That’s the reason Yamaha has changed its direction a little bit.
They are recreating the supersport class. As we were discussing above that the Yamaha R7 is meant to fulfill the gap but what gap are we talking about here?
We all know that the Yamaha R6 is no longer available as a new bike to buy because it doesn’t comply with the euro 5 emission regulation. So, it’s not legal to use it on roads anyway.
So, that is where the R7 comes into the role; Yamaha has built this for three reasons:-
- To encourage more people, especially younger riders into the super-sport class
- Yamaha built the R7 to bridge the gap between the R3 and R1.
- The third is to encourage racing with this newly built Yamaha R7
Here below, I have attached an image that shows all the technical and physical differences between Yamaha R7 and R6:-
Conclusion
The Yamaha R7 is the best bike at the price segment of $8,999. And talking about its top speed, “The Yamaha R7 can reach a maximum of 232 km/h (144 mph). We also discussed that the top speed can vary but overall if we see from the perspective of using the Yamaha R7 for daily use, it is the best.
Also, we compared the Yamaha R7 with the R6, and the final verdict is the R6 models are discontinued so the most rider doesn’t have this bike at the moment. Thanks for reading the article. Ride safe!!
