Cypress, CA – October 15, 2015 – Along with displaying most of its 2016 model lineup for the first time in public, Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., today unveiled a radical new flat track concept bike at the AIMExpo in Orlando, Florida’s Orange County Convention Center.
Codenamed the “DT-07,” the bike is a one-off creation designed and built by Jeff Palhegyi Design in conjunction with Yamaha’s U.S. race shop. The DT-07 features a special race-tuned FZ-07 twin-cylinder engine with an exhaust system created by Graves Motorsports.
“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. “Babe Demay’s FZ-07 flat track creation has already shown huge potential this season, with Dominic Colindres winning his heat race and also finishing fourth at the most recent AMA Pro Flat Track event. Here in Cypress, we’ve been doing some exploration of our own, and the DT-07 Concept is the result. 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.”
With its one-piece bodywork resplendent in 60th-Anniversary race livery, the DT-07 features a purpose-built frame, swingarm with an adjustable pivot and link system, modified R6 conventional-style forks, an Ohlins rear shock, wheels by Propulsion Labs, and of course, the FZ-07’s compact, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, twin-cylinder engine is the focal point of the machine.
“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.”
For more Yamaha racing news, results, photos, and videos, visit http://www.YamahaMotorsports.com/Racing
All it needs is a headlight, turn signals and a single disc brake up front to complete it.
In the US we get what the marketers want us to buy, not what we want to buy.
There is something about the basic flat tracker that gets me. Even the H-D Street flat tracker concept was eye candy to me (google it). Too bad these are not street bikes. I would love to own the FZ/MT-07 but it needs a makeover.
Me likey flat trackey
Wow, what a trainwreck. Just the exhaust support by itself pretty well craps on everything that someone was trying to do with this design!
I think it’s funny that they seemed to boast about using the FZ tank basis for the tank on this bike. Um. You mean the more out of place element in the styling of this bike?
Love the color scheme. The MT-07 that I rode this spring had that scheme, as did my second Yamaha back in the day.
Next time have a look at the YZ line for styling cues please. Or just make a supermoto version and sell me both of them, with an extra set of supermoto plastics.
Also. Please make any of the road hugging weight that seems to always make its on to street bikes easily removable and replaceable with light weight parts.
“I think it’s funny that they seemed to boast about using the FZ tank basis for the tank on this bike. Um. You mean the more out of place element in the styling of this bike?”
I think it works, personally.
This would be a seriously cool street bike if done properly. Best treatment of the FZ07 so far.
Will not buy, doesn’t have twin discs up front.
It doesn’t have any brakes up front. Flat track race bikes do not.
No beak either!
I think this bike looks great. The tank shape reminds me of my YL1 Twinjet and the rest is pure dirt track. If they can bump that engine up to close to the 750 limit and get 90+ hp out of it then I see great things for it on the track. Babe Demay’s bike is doing really well and it’s still just 689cc.
Looks a lot better than that weird SXV07 thing they announced a while back.
Do you mean the XSR700?
Throw in a front brake set and a headlight, and tell me where to send the check.