It has only been on the market for two years, but it is not inconceivable that Yamaha will give the R7 a major update. Yamaha has applied for two patents for the cooling system, which suggests that the parallel twin will get more punch.
You don’t have to tell Yamaha that the Supersport is on the rise again: since the launch of the R7, they have not been available at the Yamaha dealer. And that is not surprising, the bike has the looks of the R1, which in turn is derived from the M1 MotoGP machine, but with performance that you can still use on the street.
Because no matter how much the one-litre (plus) supersport guns appeal to the imagination, with good decency you can’t actually use them on the street anymore. Too much power, too sporty suspension, too extreme. And what’s more fun: driving slowly with a fast engine, or driving quickly with a slow engine?
In addition to being a wonderful toy for experienced cyclists to enjoy – which can be used to exhaust every last horsepower – they are also super accessible bicycles for the new generation of motorcyclists, who cannot afford 30,000 euros for a Superbike and even if they could, they would not be allowed to ride it due to the limitations of the A2 driving license.
Yamaha is not the only brand that has seen the light in this regard. Aprilia was already ahead of the Japanese with the RS 660, while Suzuki and Triumph entered the arena this year with the GSX-8R and the Daytona 660. And strictly speaking, Kawasaki had the scoop with the Ninja 650, although that engine was more widely used by Team Green. If a tour sport is a super sport, it has been created.
The rise of Supersport 2.0. has already led to new racing classes in several countries, including the Womens Cup, which will be held for the first time this year with the R7 in WorldSBK. Dorna Sports also intends to replace the current Supersport 300 World Championship with the two-cylinder Supersports (and the small triple Triumph).
By giving the R7 a major update, Yamaha would like to seriously get involved in the new racing and street class. However, with a top power of 73 hp, the R7 is currently losing out to the Suzuki, Aprilia and Triumph, so it is not at all inconceivable that an R7 with more punch is in the pipeline.
Moreover, it makes much more sense for manufacturers to invest in models that sell like hotcakes, instead of models that, although they appeal to the imagination, are barely sold.
To get more power from the twin, good cooling is essential, and Yamaha has applied for two patents for the R7 in that area. This concerns a new design of the radiator, with different versions of the fan cover and a new side panel with larger openings to remove the warm air.
With an updated R7, Yamaha could well have a good basic machine in the successor to the current World Championship Supersport 300. In addition, there has been talk for some time about an R9, which should replace the current R6 in the World Supersport Championship.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.