The Yamaha R7 and the MT-09 have been spotted in a commercial on the bike maker’s India website and social media profile. Along with the rest of Yamaha India’s portfolio, the R7 and MT-09 are seen with Indian number plates in the teaser, fuelling speculation that the supersport and street naked could be launched here in the coming months.
In fact, we had reported exclusively that Yamaha is considering bringing small batches of the R7 and even the MT-07 to India. In the interview, Eishin Chihana, Yamaha India chairperson said, “Big bikes like the R7, we are trying to bring in some batches. Not big quantities, but enough to satisfy our top-range customers. If we can import within this year, we can avoid the OBD-2 regulations.”
While the MT-07 and R7 are both Euro-5 (BS6) compliant, the Indian government has mandated that all vehicles sold after April 1, 2023, must feature OBD-2 on-board diagnostic technology. This is one year earlier than Europe’s OBD-2 mandate, which is scheduled for 2024.
The Yamaha R7 has a 689cc, twin-cylinder engine that makes 73.4hp and 67Nm. If and when launched, it will go up against bikes like the Kawasaki Ninja 650.
The MT-09, on the other hand, will face competition from the Triumph Street Triple R and the Kawasaki Z900. The MT-09 received some updates last year, including a bump in cubic capacity to 890cc, with the three-cylinder unit now making 117hp and 93Nm. The bike is also 3kg lighter than the previous bike and features revised styling.
Both the Yamaha R7 and MT-09 are expected to be brought to India via the CBU route, which will have a significant impact on the pricing.
Let us know what you think would be the price you'd pay for the R7 and the MT-09.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
