The YZF-R1 is Yamaha’s flagship supersport motorcycle which has a few upgrades for 2018 to make it more competitive in the litre-class segment.
The bike sports a sharp design language and LED headlamp unit with DRLs similar to the previous model. However, the new paint schemes and graphics give the YZF-R1 an aggressive look.
It also gets technological upgrades like the revised Quick Shift System that allows clutch-less downshifting and an updated Lift Control System. Apart from these, the bike’s electronic package includes slide control, launch control, anti-wheelie control, unified braking system and banking sensitive traction control.
The bike uses Yamaha’s Deltabox frame which houses the 998cc cross plane four-cylinder motor that produces a whopping 197bhp at 13,500rpm and 112.4Nm of torque at 11,500rpm. This unit is mated to a six-speed transmission and breathes through a titanium exhaust system. The YZF-R1 gets an aluminium tank and magnesium wheels as weight saving measures and weighs 5kg lesser than the outgoing model at 199kg.
The YZF-R1 rides on 43mm inverted front forks and a rear monoshock, sourced from KYB. Both the suspension parts are fully-adjustable.
The new YZF-R1 is available in India in two colours – black and blue. It competes with the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, the Suzuki GSX-R1000, BMW S1000RR and the Honda CBR1000R. It is priced at Rs 20.73 lakhs (ex-showroom).