2024 Yamaha YZF-R7 Preview

Yamaha leaves the YZF-R7 sportbike unchanged for 2024, which comes as no surprise considering it debuted as a 2022 model. It will be priced at $9,199, which is the same MSRP as last year’s edition, a nice change considering the mark-ups we’ve seen on other models like the YZF-R1 and R1M.

Editor’s note: We’ve ridden the YZF-R7 during the 2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 Review, 2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 MC Commute Review, and 2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 Track Review articles and videos with nearly 45 minutes of commentary describing the ins and outs of this product while riding on the street and racetrack.

The R7 was brought to market as the kinder, gentler midsize sportbike. It took the place of the YZF-R6, which became too niche as the midsize, high-performance (and racy) four-cylinder sportbike market continued to contract. Although to be fair, Honda’s reversing this trend with the announcement of its 2024 Honda CBR600RR (for European consumption, for now).

The R7 uses a mill borrowed from the popular MT-07, a 689cc parallel twin that is markedly more docile and user-friendly than the R6′s inline-four. We rode the machine soon after its debut and found it more akin to the R3, offering a muted though enjoyable riding experience. The slim design contributed to making the machine feel lithe and nimble on track, with a cockpit that was comfortable and clearly intended for a broader riding audience.

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Fully adjustable front suspension and spring preload and rebound damping at the rear give riders some customizability for different ride conditions, and we found the kit to be more than adequate for most folks. Styling is on point too, with the R7 looking right at home with its larger and more powerful siblings.

Other features of note include the assist and slipper clutch as well as the optional quickshifter upgrade Yamaha has made available for the platform. Brembo braking hardware provides better-than-average braking as well.

For riders who want sportbike styling with energetic-yet-approachable power, the R7 is hard to beat.