Are you unhappy about the fact that the new Yamaha R7 and Kawasaki Z650RS are both twins" You’re not alone. The argument is that the ?original? R7 and Z650 were four-cylinder machines, so their modern namesakes ought to be, too. I understand the argument, and to some extent I agree. But I also understand why they are not four-cylinder machines. It?s because manufacturers love the one platform, ten models approach. Because it?s the most cost effective way to have a ?varied? line-up.

What do I mean by ?one platform, ten models?" Take the aforementioned Yamaha R7, which has been built off the MT-07 platform, as has the Tracer 700 and the XSR700. Yamaha will have ploughed a substantial amount of resource into developing the MT-07 platform knowing that the development investment isn?t just for the benefit of one model. To maximise the return on the MT-07 platform, they need to maximise sales, and they maximise sales by adapting the platform to suit a range of different customers.
For a relatively small cost to the manufacturer, they can adapt one platform into sometimes ten models. They?ve got the engine, the electronics and the chassis, all they need to do is tweak the geometry a bit, throw some different bodywork on and give it a new name. Hey presto, a new model, and more sales.

That?s why, from the MT-07 comes the R7, the Tracer 700 and the XSR700. And that?s why from the Z650 comes the Z650RS, the Ninja 650 and the Versys 650. As well as all the...