I bought one
"The NECin Birmingham is when my love affair started with the PR7.I had been considering a mid-capacity single for the Trans European Trail and for trips to Morocco. I was considering the big players like the Husqvarna 701 or the recent Yamaha Tenen§700 or KTM 790R options, but the AJPjust felt right the minute Isat on it. Standing in an off-road position on the pegs and the overall feel of the bike was perfect, and this was without the engine running!
"Everyone I spoke to at the show all said it was the bike that they were most impressed with, and with the price tag and decent equipment specifications (particularly 17-litre fuel tank and overall bike weight) I was sold. I knew I'd made the right decision when two weeks after picking up the PR7 I was riding it in Morocco between the Atlas Mountains and the sand dunes of Merzouga. For me it's a great bike, nine out of 10 at least." JohnSmall
over distance. really is an exciting engine, designed originally to compete in Dakar, with Zongshen the company Norton had gone into partnership with to build the engines for the Atlas.
Engine performance is one thing, but it must be mated to a chassis that also shines. Again, this really surprises. The bike feels tight and compact, beautifully damped and telepathic to steer. You've got lovely wide bars, with a seating position that brings your body weight over the bars to give a slightly aggressive stance. It carries an amazing amount of pace along A- and B-roads, with sharp braking from the ByBrebrakes - an Indian subdivision of Brembo whilst grip and ride quality from the knobbly Michelin Anakee Wild tyres is no trouble at all. The tyres suit the package well, and all in all this is a very invigorating bike on the road. Whereas a Ducati or Triumph
The onefor a spinout onthe weekend...and maybea bit beyond
single cylinder, liquid-cooled four stroke
Power:43bhp
Torque:43.4Nm (32 ft-lb)
you getting a face full of puddle water when you go in too hard. The only other niggle is the routing of the header pipe, twisting in front of the bash plate, meaning that it's going to be the first thing to take a wallop if you cross any rocky terrain. It shows the challenge of developing a compact machine, especially in this age of catalytic convertors, charcoal filters and expansion tanks.
Ignoring the niggles, of which they are only that, the Caballero is a peach, with the DNA of the original 50cc Caballero rippling right through it, and a genuine sense of excitement about everything the bike is capable of. In some ways it sits in a difficult spot. The name perhaps doesn't have much resonance amongst younger riders, but it's younger riders who would arguably enjoy the new Caballero the most.
IfI were to buy one, I wouldn't use it for big distances, not with that 12-litre tank, instead taking it on longer mixed surface day rides, or chucking a bag on the back and heading to the Peak District for some camping. Of all the bikes in this overview, it was the Fantic that was the most thrilling to ride and the one that I was least inclined to give back at the end. The Caballero is the bike Yamaha could, should, and probably never will build as a modern incarnation of the XTS00. Instead they gave us the SCR950, and I rest my case with that.
- established 1962