The 2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 is an all-new supersport based on the MT-07 platform. (Photos by Drew Ruiz)

What?s a rider to do if they want a supersport bike, but they don?t have the funds for a true race replica like the Yamaha YZF-R6 ($12,199) or YZF-R1 ($17,399)" Some will buy used, but doing so confidently can be a challenge, and financing may not be an option if buying from a private seller.

Yamaha?s solution is to take a proven platform ? in this case, the MT-07 naked bike ? and adapt it to supersport duty. Then price it within reach at $8,999.

New bodywork, chassis updates, and other changes make 2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 ready for track duty or sport riding.

Since the new middleweight supersport will be part of the R-series family and slot between the YZF-R3 and YZF-R1 (there?s no YZF-R6 for 2021, and the 2022 model has yet to be announced), it?s only natural to call the new bike YZF-R7. Those with a long memory may recall the 1999 YZF-R7 (aka OW-02), a 500-unit race homologation special built to compete in World Superbike. That sort of unobtainium machine is exactly what Yamaha wanted to avoid with the MT-07-based R7.
Behind the full fairing is the tried-and-true 689cc CPS parallel-twin, a versatile engine that powers several Yamaha models.

To create the YZF-R7, Yamaha made key changes to the MT-07 platform, such as new bodywork and revisions to the chassis. The 689cc CP2 parallel-twin, which has a crossplane-style 270-degree crankshaft and an uneven firin...