According to these new patent applications, it appears as though Yamaha semi-auto twins are on the way…
New patent applications from Yamaha show it’s looking at a semi-auto twins to join its line-up, with these images showing the MT-07 and its spin-off models running the system, eliminating the clutch lever and the foot shifter and replacing them with ’bar-mounted shift buttons.
Unlike Honda’s DCT, which has a similar control scheme, the Yamaha setup keeps a completely conventional gearbox and clutch and simply replaces the manual controls with two electronic actuators – one for the clutch and one for the shifter – mounted just above the transmission. It’s all operated via its own electronic control module.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because Yamaha has nearly two decades of experience with such a system, having offered it on the FJR1300 tourer under the ‘YCC-S’ (Yamaha Chip Controlled Shift) name since 2006.
The new patent applications related to the idea show it on the MT-07 and the R7, but that means it would be relatively trivial to fit the system to the Tracer 7, XJR700 and Tenere 700 as well; they all use the same twin-cylinder engine.
As well as showing the semi-auto gear shifter, the patent illustrations hint at an uprated, redesigned version of the MT-07 it’s fitted to. While the drawings might not be 100 percent accurate, they show considerable detail, including an upside-down fork, a new front mudguard, revised air intakes on the tank sides and a different design for the seat.
WORDS: BEN PURVIS