Yamaha 700 MT-07 Grand Prix de France 2025 — Specifications

Some motorcycles need no introduction. The MT-07 belongs to that rare breed of machines that redefined an entire category from the moment they launched, and Yamaha knows it. The 689 cc CP2 twin, with its 73 horsepower at 8,750 rpm and 66.7 Nm of torque available from 6,500 rpm, isn't here to impress on paper. It's here to bite asphalt, to respond to the throttle with a directness that is sorely lacking in many of its over-engineered rivals. Up against a Honda CB750 Hornet or a Triumph Trident 660, the Yamaha plays a sharper, more wholehearted tune — deliberately less tame.

The latest evolution has refined the package without betraying the original spirit. The steel tubular diamond frame, paired with forged wheels that reduce unsprung mass, has gained in precision while retaining its character. The 183 kg wet weight remains a benchmark in the category, the 805 mm seat height suits a wide range of rider sizes, and the 41 mm inverted forks up front along with the rear monoshock each offer 130 mm of travel. Add three riding modes, traction control, and a 5-inch TFT screen with smartphone connectivity, and you have a motorcycle that has aged gracefully without becoming stale. It remains A2-compliant in restricted form, which says a great deal about Yamaha's intention: to keep the MT-07 as a serious entry point into the naked bike world, not a gadget for experts.

Yamaha France took things one step further by dressing this solid foundation in a livery kit inspired by the French Grand Prix. The occasion is well chosen: this race saw Zarco take the win and Quartararo claim pole position and the lap record — a page of national glory in the MotoGP calendar. The visual result is striking. The tricolor kit in patriotic tones, laid over the "Ice Storm" colorway, transforms the silhouette into something that looks more like a race-bred machine than a production motorcycle. Installation takes a few hours and also includes a windscreen and its bracket, along with a license plate holder. The transformation is coherent, not merely cosmetic.

What makes the proposition commercially interesting is the pricing effort involved. Between the parts value and labor, having such a kit fitted outside this program would cost significantly more than what Yamaha is asking here. The buyer saves approximately €571 compared to sourcing the pieces individually, for a price premium of just €300 over the base model. The series is limited, which gives it a welcome collector dimension, even if Yamaha has not communicated a precise production figure. Since the kit is offered as an option on the standard, A2, or Y-AMT versions, each rider can choose their preferred level of mechanical involvement without sacrificing the livery.

This GP de France edition clearly targets a discerning audience that wants something different in the parking lot, without giving up the versatility that has made the MT-07 a success for over a decade. It is not perfect: the 14-liter tank demands more frequent fuel stops on long-distance rides, and the riding position remains primarily designed for urban enjoyment and mountain passes rather than motorway cruising at 190 km/h. But that is precisely where its honesty lies. The MT-07 does not pretend to be something it is not. This GP de France version carries that same straightforwardness, wrapped in a tribute to a French victory that well deserved to be etched onto a bodywork.