ThinkFast
Live Long
I just picked up a 2024 Yamaha YZF-R7 and got two trackdays on it at Thunder Hill-West before I’d even had it for two weeks. After reading this review on Motorcycles.com which hails the virtues of this amazing bike and the inherited bounty from its R1 big brother, I thought I’d share my thoughts about the bike thus far.
I just bought a 2024 model strictly as a trackday bike. Previous owner put a Yosh full system on it, which sounds great and really seems to have opened up the motor, even without an ECU flash.
Two trackdays in, I’m happy. It feels like a 21st century iteration of the first and second gen SV’s I used to race. no fly-by-wire, no slide/wheelie nannies, no modes.
But it does have a 180 rear tire which gives it a lot more positivity in the traction department than the SV had, a needed add given it has more out-of-the-box horsepower, too. And the slipper clutch - OMG - the stuff of dreams. I added the OEM quickshifter, which after a couple trackdays made me realize I’m going to have to put rearsets on so I can flip to GP shifting and keep the QS working.
The ABS is unobtrusive and the Brembo master on the front brakes give them gobs of stopping power, even with the stock rubber lines. I thought I was going to want to put on braided lines, but so far I’m not feeling the need.
The stock suspension, simple two-way as it is, feels quite plush compared to how I recall my SV, even with a Gixxer front end and Penske 4-way in the back.
Regarding those nannies, the only one so far I’ve felt might be helpful would be anti-wheelie control. There’s a corner apex at the crest of a small rise in T7 at T-Hill West that can produce a power wheelie coming off the apex. Without a steering dampener this is concerning - I have no need for head shake or a big tank slapper, so may need to add a dampener.
All in all I couldn’t be happier with this bike, and I can see it working for me for as long as I want to do trackdays. I’m no longer chasing lap times - all I want to do now is run fast enough in the B group to round up other riders and figure out how to get around them. Fun fun.
I just bought a 2024 model strictly as a trackday bike. Previous owner put a Yosh full system on it, which sounds great and really seems to have opened up the motor, even without an ECU flash.
Two trackdays in, I’m happy. It feels like a 21st century iteration of the first and second gen SV’s I used to race. no fly-by-wire, no slide/wheelie nannies, no modes.
But it does have a 180 rear tire which gives it a lot more positivity in the traction department than the SV had, a needed add given it has more out-of-the-box horsepower, too. And the slipper clutch - OMG - the stuff of dreams. I added the OEM quickshifter, which after a couple trackdays made me realize I’m going to have to put rearsets on so I can flip to GP shifting and keep the QS working.
The ABS is unobtrusive and the Brembo master on the front brakes give them gobs of stopping power, even with the stock rubber lines. I thought I was going to want to put on braided lines, but so far I’m not feeling the need.
The stock suspension, simple two-way as it is, feels quite plush compared to how I recall my SV, even with a Gixxer front end and Penske 4-way in the back.
Regarding those nannies, the only one so far I’ve felt might be helpful would be anti-wheelie control. There’s a corner apex at the crest of a small rise in T7 at T-Hill West that can produce a power wheelie coming off the apex. Without a steering dampener this is concerning - I have no need for head shake or a big tank slapper, so may need to add a dampener.
All in all I couldn’t be happier with this bike, and I can see it working for me for as long as I want to do trackdays. I’m no longer chasing lap times - all I want to do now is run fast enough in the B group to round up other riders and figure out how to get around them. Fun fun.
for your track bike
