‘It feels taut and precise’
Rev2Race are campaigning three R7s, and boss Kev Stephenson (a man with decades of BSB experience on his CV) has also been using his experience of building R7s for other series to co-operate with organisers in developing the regs for the R7. They’re the designated supplier for Yamaha chassis parts in the series, too. And in a moment of wanton generosity, they let me take a spin on their contender.
I expected an experience not unlike a small two-stroke of old, tucked in tight, maintaining rpm and corner speed. The R7 is capable of late braking and high apex speeds, but it’s a surprise to find the hoppedup R7 punches well from the midrange – the team’s riders found riding this way makes for faster lap times than the revvier, corner-speed dependent Aprilias, and is close to the Triumphs, which didn’t have balancing measures for the first test due to the late introduction of the model.
I rode the bike after the first official test, where the Yams had already had peak throttle opening limited to 85%, so the initial punch gently peters out to the 10,500rpm peak, where it’s down by 7bhp. In theory, it won’t matter in-class, as the other bikes will either be pegged back, or permitted the means to match the R7’s turn of speed.
The style it needs will be a great training ground for bigger bikes, which are ‘point and squirt’, too. It feels like a taut, precise racer that only the best riders will fully exploit and begin to learn about getting the most from big bikes, yet it’s also relatively easy to understand, so it’s not going to spook teen riders progressing from the British Talent Cup or Junior Supersport, so a winner in Sportbike will have earned their next ride. I’m hoping to see some great racing, and odds are, there’ll be more than one blue bike at the sharp end…