Yamaha’s Bringing the MT-07 and R7 To India After All

Yamaha Motor India has confirmed that it is working on bringing the MT-07 and the YZF-R7 to India this year. This move comes as a surprise considering that the Japanese manufacturer has stayed away from the big bike market for quite a while now, and only had the MT-09 on sale here briefly. Interestingly, the MT-09 could make a comeback as well.

However, Eishin Chihana, chairman, Yamaha Motor Group India, is on a mission to change that. In a recent interview with Autocar India, Chihana confirmed that Team Blue will bring in both the motorcycles in small batches this year. This will not only help the brand gauge the customer demand but also avoid the upcoming OBD-2 regulations that will be imposed next year.

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The OBD-2 is the second-generation onboard diagnostics system, something that the Yamaha MT-07 and R7 lack. So, the Japanese manufacturer has to push for a 2022 launch to avoid getting stuck in the OBD-2 norms. Does this mean the Tenere 700 too is headed to India? That, saidly, will not be happening anytime soon, since the ADV is manufactured in France and bringing it here would incur heavy taxes.

Now comes the most important aspect – the pricing. With both the bikes coming as CBU (Completely Built Units), expect the MT-07 to be priced around Rs 9 lakh while the YZF-R7 could set you back by Rs 11 lakh (both prices ex-showroom).

Both the bikes share the same 698cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine producing 73.4PS and 67Nm. While the naked gets basic hardware and electronics, the R7 comes armed to the gills and features fully-adjustable suspension and even an optional quickshifter.

Since both the bikes would be imported, they will attract significant taxes too. So, even though Yamaha getting its mid-displacement motorcycles to India is good news, they may not be as affordable as you’d expect them to be.

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