LITE FANTASTIC

Tech laden and ergonomically challenged open-class sportsbikes are dead. Sales are in the toilet and now there’s a push, from the manufactures at least, towards lower-capacity sportsbikes that are less extreme and kinder on the bank balance, while still having the sex appeal of a fully faired sportsbike.

Yamaha has had good success with its MT range of nakeds, from the pip-squeak MT-03 through to the mighty MT-10. The MT-09 has become a major sales success story, as has the MT-07. They are all incredibly fun to ride, represent great value for money and perform better than the sum of their parts may suggest. But while they may be great bikes, to my mind there’s always been one thing missing – they’re just not the sexy, and if I’m going to lay down a big wad of cash on a new bike, I want to love it as much standing still as I do when I’m riding it.

Enter the MT-07-based YZF-R7, putting the affordability back into Yamaha’s supersport range and turning a great nakedbike