Two months ago, government documents indicated Yamaha was planning to introduce a new, more affordable R1. Now, we know what that bike will look like.
Visually, the R1S isn’t that different from the existing R1 street model; in some markets, they will even share at least one paint scheme. Visible differences will be aluminum wheels, not magnesium (keeps cost down). Some magnesium engine casings have also been replaced with aluminum, and the exhaust header is made of steel. Also, the bike will come with street-focused Bridgestone S20 tires, not the S10 tires found on the R1.
Even most of those changes will be hard to spot as a bike flies by at triple digit speeds, and they’re hardly big news. Internally, however, there are some key changes. The titanium con rods have been replaced by steel units, lowering the bike’s redline. Yamaha also re-designed the valvetrain, presumably as a result of the engine changes.
The revised engine means the bike makes less peak horsepower than the R1, but for now, Yamaha is playing cagey on the exact numbers.
All the added lower-cost materials mean the R1S is about 6 kg heavier than its street counterpart, at 205 kg compared to 199 kg. However, Canadian MSRP for the new R1S is $16,699, as opposed to $18,999 for the standard model. And, for that price, you’ll also get almost the entire electronics package; Yamaha hasn’t included the quick shifter (it’s available as an option), but traction control, etc., are all there.
You can find more details on the new R1S here.
GALLERY
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I’m admittedly a little shocked at how expensive these have gotten. The changes probably won’t be noticed by most people. What I’d like to see is versions available without all the parts you are going to replace anyway when you convert it to a race bike.
Yamaha R1S torque is on their website…