YZF-R7 vs YZF-R6 Acceleration and Top Speed
Yamaha YZF-R7 vs Yamaha YZF-R6 top speed and acceleration data through the gears accompanied with Dyno curve and thrust curve graphs.
Seeing as the legendary Yamaha YZF-R6 has now been discontinued it wouldn’t be surprising for those that did not know better to assume that the 2021 YZF-R7 is the replacement for the R6.
It kind of is but not as you’d think because both motorcycles are based on very different platforms and targeted at a different demographic.
Seeing as we already have an R7 that was introduced more than 20 years ago and at the time was Yamaha’s flagship homologated World Superbike offering.
It is strange why Yamaha chose the name of that exotic motorcycle for the MT-07 powered entry-level 2021 R7.
Also, many would assume that the new 2021 Yamaha YZF-R7 (numerically) is a step-up from the R6 as the R1 is but it’s not.
I think Yamaha should have named the new R7 something else, maybe perhaps adding an S somewhere in the naming to differentiate it from Haga’s legendary R7
Anyway, the new YZ-R7 is here, so many of you are probably wondering how it stacks up in terms of engine, acceleration and top speed.
R7 test Here
– YZF-R7 – YZF-R6
Yamaha YZF-R7 vs Yamaha YZF-R6 on the Dyno
Both the new YZF-R7 and YZF-R6 are middleweight class motorcycles with similar engine displacements.
The R7 uses the same CP2 engine from the new MT-07 and is a 689 cc Parallel 2-cylinder engine.
We are all familiar with the engine from Yamaha’s iconic YZF-R6 as it ships with one of the highest-revving inline-four engines ever to grace a mass-produced production motorcycle.
Yamaha R6’s 599 ccc engine was the first engine to hit the magic 200 horsepower per litre for any mass-production vehicle.
Perhaps arguably some four-cylinder Japanese 250s from the 90s may have done this before but they were mostly only sold in Japan and only grey imported into other territories.
Despite being similar in capacity, both of these engines could not be more different in terms of their peak power and how they deliver it.
The R6 is extremely high revving and makes its peak power of 110 horsepower at 14900 rpm and peak torque of 43 ft/lb at 11000rpm.
Most Supersport 600s require a lot of rpm to really get moving but the R6 is especially so.
Many competing 600s can drive reasonably well from 6000 rpm and start to pick up strong at 8000-9000 rpm though the R6 you really must keep above 9000 rpm if you want to get anywhere in a hurry.
The YZF-R6 is very peaky indeed even for a 600 Supersport.
The YZF-R6 has always been this way though the very last of the YZF-R6s more so as new emissions regulation really dug in and eroded whatever bottom and midrange it had before.
A de-cat and tune will make a huge difference but as stock, its engine is lacking until you get it screaming, in which case it’s like a missile and accelerates very fast and is one of the fastest 600s that will even stuff up 750s and litre bikes from the 90s.
In contrast, the new 2021 Yamaha YZF-R7 produces only 70 horsepower at the wheels just like the MT-07 which it shares its engine with.
While the R7 is around 40 horsepower down on the Yamaha R6, it betters it for torque producing around 48 ft/lb albeit much lower down the rpm at only 6500 rpm. Which is a great place to have it.
The new Yamaha R7 completely dominates the short-stroke and highly strung R6 all the way up to 9500 rpm. At its peak, the R7 is making more-than 20 horsepower than the R6 at 7000 rpm.
Between 3000 and 4000 rpm the YZF-R7 is making twice the torque of the R6. It’s extremely impressive.
Of course, though once you give the R6 some space and allow it to use its extremely long rev range, its engine soon takes off once we bridge the 9500 rpm point which is actually where you’d change up on the R7, yet the R6 has barely awoken.
Yamaha R6 vs R7 in-gear acceleration
– YZF-R7 – YZF-R6
The Yamaha YZF-R7 uses longer gearing than the R6. There are two main technical reasons for this.
First: the R7 revs much lower than the R6 so needs to have longer gearing so its top speed in each gear is not limited by its low rev ceiling comparatively.
Secondly: the R7 produces much more power and torque lower in the rpm so is not negatively affected by running longer gearing compared to the R6.
First gear is only around 4.5% longer than the R6’s first gear so they are very similar.
But if you compare the thrust the R7 produces, it actually provides more in terms of peak thrust/acceleration than the R6 despite being 40 horsepower down.
Also, anywhere in first gear below 45 mph, the YZF-R7 destroys the YZF-R6 in terms of acceleration with the R7 offering instant wheelie-inducing acceleration.
The YZF-R6 on the other hand takes a little while to spool up, but when it does at around 50 mph (in first gear) it really takes off and the wheel wants to lift in a hurry.
It’s at 50 mph where the R7 would be hooking second gear while the R6 is still screaming in first gear.
Testament the YZF-R7’s grunt you can see that second gear actually matches the R6’s first gear thrust/acceleration all the way to around 40 mph where then the YZF-R6 finally takes off and actually lays down some thrust..
Same again if we compare the YZF-R7s third gear with the R6’s second gear. Very similar up to around 50 mph.
Yamaha R7 vs R6 Speeds in each gear at 5000 rpm
Speed at 5000 rpm | YZF-R7 | YZF-R6 |
Speed 1st Gear | 25.6 mph | 24.5 mph |
Speed 2nd Gear | 34.3 mph | 31.6 mph |
Speed 3rd Gear | 44.7 mph | 38 mph |
Speed 4th Gear | 56.1 mph | 43.8 mph |
Speed 5th Gear | 66.9 mph | 49.2 mph |
Speed 6th Gear | 75.7 mph | 55 mph |
What this means is that the YZF-R7 can run a gear higher than the R6 below 60 mph so is easygoing and more flexible.
In terms of roll-on acceleration from below 90 mph if in the same gear and the R6 is below 9000 rpm, the R7 has it beat though they offer similar drive in fifth and sixth below that speed.
Of course, it does not matter what gear they you are in on the R7 because if the R6 has its rpm at anywhere above 9000rpm it will gap the R7 easily.
The R7’s key strengths would be on slow sub-50 mph corners such as very twisty roads with hairpins or very low-speed corners where it can provide good/better drive from first or second gear.
The R6 would be stuck in first and would only drive harder above 50 mph and would be less accelerative than the R7 below that speed unless slipping the clutch.
This advantage the R7 has would be very short-lived though, as once out of the corner if the straight was long enough the R6 would quickly claw back its initial disadvantage powering from the corner and catch and pass the R7.
In most real-world situations, the R6 engine provides it 100% with very little effort. You do not have to jump down a gear to get the drive.
The R6 must be in the right gear or with the rpm showing above 9000 rpm for it to move with any real enthusiasm.
Hypothetically, if two riders are cruising at 45 mph in third gear on both motorcycles The R7 is easily going to get the initial jump on the R6.
Yamaha R6 vs R7 Acceleration and top speed
– YZF-R7 – YZF-R6
In an outright acceleration dash, it’s a foregone conclusion that the R6 is significantly faster than the R7. Sorry to dash your hopes if you were rooting for the R7
Though from a dig they are very similar with the difference really coming down to skill.
To 30 mph though the R7 has the R6 beaten by a few tenths as will not bog like the R6 will if you do not have enough revs from a good throttle and clutch control hand.
As seen in the thrust curve the R7 produces more peak thrust in first gear so one would assume that it would accelerate faster.
If both motorcycles could put all their thrust to the ground without flipping the R7 would be a fair bit faster to 40 mph than its one-tenth of a second advantage would suggest.
But as both motorcycles are happy to lift the wheel on launch their peak thrust like all powerful motorcycles has to be converted into forward motion progressively with a good clutch and throttle control.
With the above in mind the 0-60 mph times for both motorcycles is very similar. The R7 manages 0-60 mph in only 3.27 seconds with the R6 taking the win at only 3.19 seconds from 0-60 mph.
The R6 is quicker to 60 mph despite having less thrust in first gear as the R6 produces a greater average thrust over a wider speed range.
This is because the R6’s first gear can hit more than 75 mph versus the R7’s which tops out at around 50 mph. So, the R6 can easily hit 60 mph in first gear.
The R7, while it produces more thrust in first must hook second gear at around 50 mph at which point it’s making much less thrust than the R6 as the R6 is still powering through first and laying down significantly more thrust.
It’s at the 60 mph point where the R6 starts to get comfortable very quickly and easily drives away from the R7 with a 0-100 mph for the R6 arriving in only 6.08.
An ET it just about can hit right at the rpm limiter in second gear but would normally require third gear.
The Yamaha R7 on the other hand, despite having longer gearing requires more gear changes to hit 0-100mph which it does in 7.88 seconds but needs three gear changes.
Amazingly if all the stars align the R7 can dip into the 11s on the quarter mile with a great time of 11.64 seconds at 116 mph.
This is really close to the optimum with a lightweight rider. Most of you would be smashing low to mid 12s if you are average weight and if you know what you are doing.
The R6 on the other hand can dip into the tens at 10.89 seconds with a terminal speed of 133 mph.
This kind of time would beat some late 90s 900s and 750s. Very impressive. Most decent riders would be doing low to mid-elevens.
When the R7 crosses the quarter mile the R6 is around 55 metres ahead and pulling connivingly away whereas the Yamaha R6 will easily power past 140 mph and onto a top speed of 161.3 mph.
The R7 is pretty much done after 130 mph but with a good tuck and some good conditions, you’ll see 139 mph top speed which is not hanging about for an entry-level sports bike.
Pretty much though the R7 works best under 110 mph but will happily pull to an indicated 120-125 mph with the remainder on offer only coming to the most committed.
The R6 is easily faster and especially so above 100 mph. But at legal speed despite being 40 horsepower down the R7 really does punch above its weight and can spank the R6 if it’s sleeping or gear for gear.
Speed | Yamaha YZF-R7 | Yamaha YZF-R6 |
0-10 mph | 0.34 | 0.52 |
0-20 mph | 0.96 | 1.04 |
0-30 mph | 1.48 | 1.57 |
0-40 mph | 2.00 | 2.1 |
0-50 mph | 2.54 | 2.64 |
0-60 mph | 3.27 | 3.19 |
0-70 mph | 4.10 | 3.73 |
0-80 mph | 5.07 | 4.44 |
0-90 mph | 6.35 | 5.15 |
0-100 mph | 7.88 | 6.08 |
0-110 mph | 10.00 | 7.08 |
0-120 mph | 12.80 | 8.45 |
0-130 mph | 18.26 | 10.04 |
0-140 mph | N/A | 12.53 |
0-150 mph | N/A | 16.12 |
0-160 mph | N/A | 32.92 |
60-130 mph | 14.72 | 6.86 |
100-150 mph | N/A | 10.04 |
SS/QM | 11.64@116mph | 10.89/133 mph |
SS/KM | 22.40 @132.5 mph | 19.92/154 mph |
SS/Mile | 32.48 @134mph | 28.46/159 mph |
Top Speed | 139 mph | 161.3 mph |