It was the first 1000cc superbike, arriving five years after the seminal Honda CBR900RR, and it further refined a template that defines the class to this day. Long in the tooth is a relative term and the YZF-R1, with its 200 horsepower, flat plane crankshaft engine, and sophisticated electronics is still a formidable weapon on the road or track, despite being compromised along the way by needing to conform to ever-more stringent emissions regulations with no major redesign. It’s still a lot more motorcycle than many can cope with but here’s why you really need one in your garage.
10 The First Yamaha YZF-R1 Learned From the Honda Fireblade
While Honda was the first manufacturer to realize that lighter weight and a stiffer chassis was the path to greater performance, it was blazing a trail that its rivals could only learn from and improve on. Yamaha was the first to react, albeit five years later and its YZF-R1, built on the qualities Honda had developed and improved on them: more displacement, more power, lighter weight, better suspension, and stiffer chassis, they all combined to put Yamaha back on top and started a development war between the major motorcycle manufacturers that is still raging today.
9 The 2023 Yamaha YZF-R1 Has An Incredible Engine
Through its MotoGP program, Yamaha developed its cross-plane crankshaft which radically alters the firing order of the inline four-cylinder engine, giving it more characteristics of a V4 engine. Both Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo - Yamaha’s factory MotoGP riders at the time - had input into the development of the engine which has firing intervals of 270°-180°-90°-180°. This helps the rear tire hook up to the tarmac, improving traction in a more predictable manner. It also gives the engine the most incredible sound, unlike any other four-cylinder engine. 200 horsepower gives a top speed of at least 180mph.
8 The Yamaha YZF-R1 Has Hundreds of Permutations of Electronic Rider Aids
No bike worth its salt today is void of any electronic rider aids at all, but not many have the permutations afforded by those on the Yamaha R1. There are ten traction control settings, four-slide control settings, four wheelie control settings, three quickshifter settings, and three launch control settings. This is in addition to three engine braking settings, four engine power modes, and two ABS modes. You have to have a very sensitive backside to dial everything into your personal preferences but, whatever those preferences are, there is a setting there waiting to be discovered that will unleash the inner Rossi in you.
7 The Yamaha YZF-R1 Finally Has Ride-By-Wire Throttle
The 2020 (and latest) update to the YZF-R1 saw Yamaha finally fit a ride-by-wire throttle, which has allowed the extensive electronics package to come into its own. In 2007, Yamaha went halfway with its patented Chip-Controlled Throttle, which had a cable from the twist grip to a brain with a servo motor connected to it, which actuated the throttle bodies. On today’s model, the ride-by-wire throttle is particularly smooth and gives the feeling of a direct physical connection between the throttle twist grip and the fuel injection bodies. The modern RBW system is one of the elements that helps the current R1 meet Euro5 emissions regulations.
6 The Yamaha YZF-R1 Has KYB Suspension
While Öhlins and Showa suspension components are fitted to many modern motorcycles, the lesser-known KYB is also a major player in this field, and the Yamaha YZF-R1 comes fitted with it (although it has to be pointed out that the R1M gets Öhlins ERS - Electronic Racing Suspension). In reality, there is nothing that the KYB suspension does that is inferior to Öhlins or Showa, which is made obvious by the fact that Yamaha uses it for their flagship sports bike. Feel and confidence are there in spades when pushing hard on your favorite local roads or track.
5 The Yamaha YZF-R1 Brakes Are All You Could Ever Need
As with the suspension, Yamaha eschewed the widely-favored Brembo brand for Nissin calipers and braking systems. The twin 320mm discs up front and 220mm discs at the rear are immensely powerful, with unbelievable control at the lever and fade-free performance, largely due to the revised pad material. Brake lines are already steel braided for extra confidence and braking stability and Bosch ABS is fitted, and as mentioned earlier, there are two ABS settings, BC1 and BC2, with BC2 having more intervention and BC1 being perfect for the track.
4 The Yamaha YZF-R1 Features a TFT Dashboard
If you crave good old-fashioned dials and idiot lights on your motorcycle dashboard, then you’re going to have to opt for an older-generation YZF-R1. The current model has, in line with nearly every other motorcycle on sale now, a full-color TFT dash which is more like looking at a smartphone screen than a dashboard. Of course, this is necessary to navigate through all the menu screens to alter the configuration, but there is no doubt that such dashboards can be over-populated with information, and you have to ask yourself: at warp speed, is it all really necessary, even if you have the time to look at it!
3 The Yamaha YZF-R1 Requires You to Be Flexible
Let’s face it, this is an uncompromised and uncompromising superbike, built with one thing in mind: ultimate performance. To that end, everything is geared around that premise and that includes the riding position, which requires you to fold yourself up into a little ball when sitting on the bike. All the weight is on your wrists, and your legs are bent double which means your knees will start crying for forgiveness after a few laps only, and you still have to have the muscle fitness to move yourself around while still trying to control the insane acceleration and braking forces let alone the cornering forces. You’ll need a week of massages after a track day if you’re not fully riding fit but, boy, will it be worth it!
2 Is The R1M Worth The Extra Premium Of $9,000 Over The Standard R1?
So, the R1M gets all the toys, such as Öhlins semi-active suspension, data logging, and full carbon fiber bodywork (which will be horrendously expensive to repair/replace if you break it) but is it really $9,000 better than the standard R1? If you’re a casual track day attendee and determined to keep your license on the public road, then there really isn’t any point in going for the ‘M’ version. The standard R1 is still an incredible piece of engineering by any standards and its ultimate capabilities will still be way beyond 99-percent of riders. Of course, if bar-room bragging is your thing, then, yes, you need the R1M. Just make sure you can ride it properly and not get beaten by a kid on a 250cc race bike at the track.
1 If You're Not A Fan Of The YZF-R1, The MT-10 From The Same Stable Is A Great Alternative
As we’ve mentioned, the Yamaha YZF-R1 is an uncompromising motorcycle, built with one thing in mind. That’s all well and good, but it’s not much help in the real world or for anyone over the age of 40 who is starting to creak a little in the joints. Happily, if you must have a Yamaha, there is a rather fantastic alternative in the form of the MT-10. It’s got the same engine as the previous generation R1 (still the CP4 cross-plane crankshaft engine), with 165 horsepower, only a few extra pounds of weight, the same chassis, and suspension, but a whole load more real-world practicality and ergonomics that don’t require you to be a contortionist and which are actually more fun to live with, whether at the track or on the open road.
FAQ
Q: Is there a new Yamaha YZF-R1 coming out?
According to a legal document, a new Yamaha YZF-R1 is slated for appearance in 2023
Q: How much horsepower is the Yamaha R1?
The Yamaha YZF-R1's 999cc engine produces 198 horsepower
Q: Is R1 faster than H2?
So, all Japanese motorcycles are limited to 186mph by mutual agreement but the Kawasaki H2 gets to its terminal speed much quicker than the R1.