After being unveiled at motorcycle shows towards the end of 2014, the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 is now beginning to be shared with the motorcycle press before arriving in showrooms.
To build interest for the all-new Yamaha, the factory has released a couple of official videos. One is a look at the design process behind the bike, which you’ll probably all skip in favour of watching the onboard lap of the Sugo circuit in Japan.
The new Yamaha R1 has a 998cc engine like the models before it, but inside the motor everything is pretty much new including a modified bore and stroke for more top-end performance, aluminium pistons, and offset cylinders. The exhaust is mainly made from titanium, and the six-speed gearbox has been revamped.
You also get MotoGP-inspired looks on a new twin-spar aluminium frame with a slightly shorter wheelbase and a smaller fuel tank. In return, the new R1 is claimed to be 15 pounds lighter, with 10-spoke magnesium wheels saving two pounds on the aluminium versions they replace.
And in addition to the comprehensive electronic gubbins to give you traction control, slide, lift (wheelie) launch and braking on the LCD monitor, you can also pay a little extra to monitor your performance on your smartphone (It’s standard on the uprated M version of the new R1)
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