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2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 LAMS Review | Motorcycle Test

Yamaha's learner legal sportsbike gets put through its paces

Wayne Vickers by Wayne Vickers
March 31, 2022
in LAMS News, LAMS Reviews, Yamaha, Yamaha News, Yamaha Reviews
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2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 LAMS Review

Yamaha R7 Test by Wayne Vickers, Images by RbMotoLens


Admission time – I was positively frothing at the thought of Yamaha putting an R7 into production when I read the announcement headline. And then my shoulders slumped when I realised it wasn’t going to be a fire breathing Nori replica, full fruit, in-line four-cylinder, corner carving beast. Harsh words were said under my breath. I was just as grumpy the day Honda announced their first CBR that wasn’t an in-line four. Sacrilege. But I digress.

The 2022 Yamaha R7 LAMS cuts a fine figure

I’ve been banging on for ages to anyone who’ll listen that mid-sized sports bikes (think 800 cc-ish, 120-150 hp) make the most sense now and I thought Yamaha were going to back me up. Yeah nah. Having said that, I do very much like the direction Yamaha are taking with their engine repurposing and I’m excited to see what else they might do.. *cough* R9 *cough* please.

The R7 actually features the powerplant from the MT-07, the 655 cc LAMS version in the LA

The new R7 is in fact, essentially a fully faired sports bike version of the MT-07 that I tested a while back. I loved that little bike. Nicely balanced, a great honest little tool. Plenty of fun.

This particular bike, is the LAMS version. And while the full fat version punts out around 75 horsepower, this LAMS version see’s that cut by a third to just over 50 horsepower.

Power is limited to 50 hp on the R7 LA as tested to meet Australia’s LAMS regulations

That’s by virtue of a different engine configuration that drops displacement to 655 cc (instead of the 689 cc in the HO version). The big question in my mind, is that while it makes sense to run that learner friendly tune in a version of the naked MT-07 – does it make sense in a fully faired sports bike?

The R7 LA also comes in at $13,999 ride-away, while the full-berries version (the HO) is $14,999 ride-away

The reality is, you’re better off to think of this bike as a big R3 rather than anything resembling an R6 or above. Because performance-wise, it’s not remotely in that ballpark. This is very much entry level stuff. So with expectations clarified – let’s dive a little deeper.

Styling is a strong point on the R7

It certainly got the family looks – No doubt about that. I think it looks pretty ace actually, especially from some angles. Which in some ways make it all the more confusing that it’s not a rocket ship. Because it looks like one.

The theme is very much of a rocket-ship even if performance is more modest

The finish is good, components are solid, it’s well kitted out and is clearly a build level up from the basement-budget R3 mentioned earlier. That’s reflected in a price tag that’s significantly higher. Which in itself is another problem.

Finish quality is also a strong point particularly in comparison to say the R3

Throwing the leg over you are in no doubt that this has a proper sports bike cockpit geometry with the requisite aggressive ride position. Elbows on the knees sort of deal. Proper racey.

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It sure made for a contrast when swapping to and from a Harley Sportster I can tell you… It’s not cramped though. It’s actually quite roomy and has a deceptively long seat allowing you to push your backside back a lot further than you might think.

Ergonomics are full sportsbike with no compromises here

I thought the dash was a little hard to read in terms of contrast, but other than that it was ok. Switch gear was all pretty standard, solid stuff – and when you prod it into life the exhaust note is very socially conscious at idle. On the road at highway speeds you can barely hear it at all. No doubt a slip-on would help that aspect. I thought it was unnecessarily quiet under everyday riding.

Instant impressions when easing the clutch out go something like this: ‘Ooh thats a nice usable clutch and it’s got a decent bottom end, this is going to be nice’. But, that’s where the excitement ends from the engine department unfortunately. Because once off the bottom, the urge doesn’t ramp up, it stays flatter than a shit carters hat.

Torque on the R7 LA is all down low

While it revs out just fine, the torque curve is very much all at the bottom. There’s nothing wrong with fuelling, the throttle feel is quite good actually. But the LAMS config feels like everything above the bottom has been backed right off.

I think personally it would benefit from a tune that moves that torque swell into the mid-range a little more – even if that had to mean the bottom end was a little softer. That might sound counter-intuitive, but it would give the engine a more rewarding mid-range which is where you spend the most of your time.

2022 Yamaha R7 LAMS

That wheelie shot took some doing, but I knew Trev would get grumpy if I didn’t manage it. He’s still not happy about me not getting wheelie shots on the Speed Triple. Which is probably fair enough…

2022 Yamaha R7 LAMS

Handling and brakes-wise is where the R7 comes up trumps though. You can push and push and push in terms of corner speed and lean angle and still it giggles at you as you explore its cornering limits on the road. It feels like it’ll lean over pretty much onto its side before there’d be any grip issues. There’s certainly nothing wrong with the way it turns on the road. Nice and agile while utterly surefooted.

I had to remind myself a few times that I didn’t have sliders on my jeans as I’m used to throwing the knees out in the breeze on sports bikes. It feels quite low overall for a sports bike, possibly due to the relative thin width between the knees. The seat height comes in at 835 mm but feels lower than those numbers suggest.

The brake setup of dual 298 mm rotors and four-pot calipers gets a thumbs up

Nor is there anything wrong with the way it stops for that matter. I didn’t get the chance to do repeated hard stops like you would at a track day, but I doubt you’d ever have an issue on the road. The twin 298 mm Advics four-piston stoppers definitely do the job. Good lever feel too.

ABS comes standard. Though you’re either working really, really hard, or messing something up to get them to kick in… Besides, when a bike is this capable in the corners, you don’t really need to use the brakes much… and when it only has 50 odd horsepower, momentum is crucial!

Handling is also a strong point, and carrying speed is important with just 50 hp

So you have a hot looking, sweet handling bike that’s been a bit hobbled in the grunt department. So how does it stack up? Well, ride away, the R7 LAMS will set you back around 14 grand which is 1,500 bucks more than the equivalent MT-07 LAMS which probably makes sense, but it’s starting to get up there.

If you’re a genuine learner, those fairings are going to look expensive to replace if you factor in the chances of you accidentally dropping it in the car park. That price compares to 15 grand for the full fruit R7, which by comparison starts to look pretty good. Moving the other way, the next rung down is eight and a bit grand for the R3 but that is arguably much less bike. But for a bike that’s likely to be moved on within a year or two, I don’t think it’s a slam dunk.

The R7 does carry a significant premium over the R3, or even the MT-07, for a LAMS machine likely to be upgraded in a few years

I could throw a spanner in the works by comparing it to something like the excellent Triumph Trident for 12-and-a-half which shows that the R7 LAMS has got some stiff competition. Yamaha fans though, might not be looking at the Trident so that might be a moot point. They’re arguably going to be considering the MT-07 LAMS for slightly less, then trade up to the R7 HO. But I remember when I was on my Ls and all I wanted was a race rep… so… grains of salt and all.

Time will tell whether the racer-rep theme proves successful

Further thought – much like the old CBR250RRs, FZR250Rs and the like in their day, these will likely hold their value well and should be mechanically pretty strong. As such they’d likely be a good prospect for the second hand market in a few years time too… so that’s got to be taken into account. Maybe Yamaha are playing the long game here, which would be a pretty smart way to get new blood on the brand now that I think about it that way.

Retaining value should also be a strong point on the R7 LA of course…

Why I like the Yamaha R7 LA:

  • Hot looking, well built entry level sports bike.
  • That steers and stops like you’d expect it to.

I’d like the Yamaha R7 LA more if:

  • Could be a bit cheaper for an entry level bike.
  • Or had a bit more hump – but that’s the HO for you then, non learner version I guess.

2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 LA (LAMS) Specifications

2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 Specifications
Engine typeLiquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC inline twin-cylinder; 4-valves per cylinder
DisplacementLA: 655cc / HO: 689cc
Bore x strokeLA: 78.0 mm x 68.6 mm / HO: 80.0 mm x 68.6 mm
Compression ratio11.5 : 1
Fuel deliveryFuel Injection
Starter systemElectric
Transmission systemConstant mesh six-speed w/ A&S clutch
Final TransmissionChain
FrameHigh tensile steel Deltabox
Front suspensionKYB 41 mm USD forks, preload, rebound and compression adjustable; 130mm travel
Rear suspensionLinked monoshock, preload and rebound adjustable; 130mm travel
Front brakeDual 298 mm rotors, radial four-piston calipers, Brembo radial master-cylinder
Rear brakeSingle 245 mm rotor, Nissin caliper
Wheels10-spoke cast alloy wheels
TyresBridgestone BATTLAX S22, 120/70-17, 180/55-17
Overall length2070 mm
Overall width705 mm
Overall height1160 mm
Caster Angle23.7-degrees
Trail90 mm
Wheelbase1395
Seat height835 mm
Min ground clearance135 mm
Wet weight188 kg
Fuel tank capacity12.8 L
 ColourTeam Yamaha Blue, Performance Black
Warranty24 months
Lights & DashLED lighting, LCD dash
Price – YZF-R7 HO$14,999 Ride-away
Price – YZF-R7 LA. (Tested)$13,999 Ride-away (LAMS)

Wheelies took a bit more effort being a restricted LAMS machine…
The Yamaha R7 runs a Brembo master-cylinder
The standard exhaust system is very quiet and could do with an aftermarket muffler
The narrow seat feels lower than the claimed 835 mm
The shock offers preload and rebound adjustment compared to the fully adjustable forks
Controls are simple with no electronics to muck around with
2022 Yamaha R7 LAMS
2022 Yamaha R7 LAMS
2022 Yamaha R7 LAMS
2022 Yamaha R7 LAMS
2022 Yamaha R7 LAMS lighting is all LED
2022 Yamaha R7 LAMS
As on the MT-07 the exhaust appears to be a one-piece unit, meaning a full exhaust replacement is necessary
2022 Yamaha R7 LAMS
Tags: LAMSYamaha R7Yamaha YZF-R7
Wayne Vickers

Wayne Vickers

Wayne loves all things motorsport, but lives for two wheels. Mountain bikes, dirt bikes, adventure bikes, road bikes, race bikes, the lot. An ex riding coach and road racer wannabe who simultaneously ran out of talent and money. Rides about a million kilometres a year and has been known to enjoy an occasional wheelie.

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