FIRST LOOK: Yamaha DT-07 Flat Track Concept
| October 15, 2015
Photography Byron Wilson
Yamaha’s race boss Keith McCarty has been having a little fun of late, with Yamaha showing off this awesome FZ-07-based flat track racer at the American International Motorcycle Expo in Orlando, FL.
The DT-07 is only a concept but hints at the sporting future of a machine that’s sold through the roof across the world. Using the FZ-07 ‘Crossplane Concept’ parallel-twin engine, McCarty and his crew fashioned a purpose-built swingarm, frame, modified YZF-R6 conventional-style forks, Öhlins shock, wheels by Propulsion Labs and single piece bodywork to create a rolling tribute to Yamaha’s 60 year legacy of manufacturing and competition, with the bike resplendent in the company’s famous yellow and black Speedblock color scheme.
“When the FZ-07 was first introduced, we knew that the bike’s ‘Crossplane Concept’ parallel-twin engine had outstanding low- to mid-range torque, which is ideal for flat track racing,” commented Keith McCarty, Motorsports Racing Division Manager for Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. “The FZ-07 is a great bike and also a great platform for customization. We wanted to see what we could do with the bike as a flat tracker, and we’re very pleased with the results.”
“One of our specific goals with the DT-07 was to retain some of the FZ-07’s styling cues,” Derek Brooks, Motorcycle Product Planning Manager for Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., added. “I worked with Jeff (Palhegyi) on the design of the bike, and we literally used the FZ-07’s fuel tank cover as the basis for the body mold on the DT-07 Concept. The entire bike was essentially built from scratch, and it is Yamaha’s interpretation of what a dirt tracker designed from the ground up in 2015 should look like.”
Don’t expect to see the DT-07 on sale anytime soon, but it’s always nice to dream, isn’t it?
Rennie Scaysbrook | Road Test Editor
Our newest member of staff is our Road Test Editor Rennie Scaysbrook. A lifetime rider, the Aussie made the trek across the Pacific to live the dream in the U.S. of A.
