Yamaha Motor India (YMI) will be launching the 1000cc YZF-R1 in India soon. The company will import these ‘super bikes’ making it among first bike makers in the country to import motorbikes over 800cc. Yamaha plans to sell few dozens of YZF R1 initially.
History of R-1
In the 1950’s, when the Japanese economy was booming in the postwar years and the motorcycle was recognized as a very useful, affordable means of transportation, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. was founded as a motorcycle maker with the high-performance, high-quality and design conscious "YA-1" as its first model. Since then, Yamaha Motor has always pursued quality in the areas of cutting-edge technology, innovation and sportiness.
For example, Yamaha launched a new style of motorcycle with the "DT-1", the world’s first full-fledged off-road sports model, the road sports model "RZ250" which established YAMAHA’s image as premier maker of two strokes, the "RZV500R", a true GP racer replica, as well as the "YZFR1", another model born of Yamaha’s dedication to innovative design and no-compromise engineering overturned all the previous conceptions of what a 1000cc supersport bike could be.
As for the large displacement supersports models of the second half of the '90s, each maker introduced new models reflecting the user trends of the bigger markets of Europe or North America, and the main category was the 750cc models that were geared toward the Superbike race scene. The models of the 1000cc or over developed an increasingly "almighty" character with emphasis on high-speed cruising that requires high power, and also ease of use in around-town riding. Then, while searching for the next-generation flagship model to follow the "FZR1000" and the "YZF1000R Thunder Ace" of that time, Yamaha Motor came up with the idea of developing "the best 1000cc supersports model with cornering performance that can exceed that of a 750cc."
The "YZF-R1" development project was soon launched and staff from the product planning division, body development div., engine development div., test div., and design div. went to Europe. As a result of detailed research from each point of view, the vector of this new supersports development project began to focus on "Excitement" as its key word.
There are many kinds of enjoyment in motorcycle riding, such as the joy of slow easy-going cruising or the intense, exhilarate feeling of powerful acceleration. About these many kinds of enjoyment, the first development project leader, Kunihiko Miwa, explains, "I believe that one of the fundamental joys of a supersport bike lies in the feeling of pleasure when you ride a machine aggressively through the curves on winding roads. The kind of excitement we aimed for with the development of YZF-R1 was the pleasure when you consciously control the machine through the cornering process rather than just letting the machine lead you through the curve in the directions your eyes point it. It is the process of banking into a corner after braking, tracing the ideal line you want through the corner and then the throttle work to accelerate and exit the curve."
In order to realize an easy, stable handling, the first objective that the project staff set was decisive reduction of machine weigh. A prototype was made initially based on Yamaha’s 1000cc model of the time, the YZF1000R Thunder Ace, with everything not required for running eliminated. The result was a machine with weight was reduced to about the same 160kg level as a Superbike racer. With this prototype running tests were repeated to work on the handling and the engine characteristics.
Furthermore, the chassis was newly designed as a rearrangement of the dimensions of the YZR500 factory racer. The wheelbase was set at a short 1395mm, and a combination of an aluminum "Deltabox II" frame and a 582mm long rear arm was adopted. As for the engine, a 1000cc in-line 4-cylinder type was chosen to achieve an ideal balance between torque and power. And, in order to satisfy the conditions required for the chassis, a revolutionary layout was adopted in which the three axles of the drive shaft, main shaft and crankshaft formed a triangle. This produced an engine design that was very compact in front-rear length.
In this way, the first YZF-R1 achieved specs that were unheard-of at the time, with a dry weight of 177kg, max. power output of 150 PS and a powerweight ratio of 1.18. It won a following among supersport fans as soon as it was released around the world in 1998 and was followed by a strengthening of 1000cc supersport bike development by other motorcycle makers. This triggered a rapid activation of the market and also a shift in Superbike races from 750cc to 1000cc.
Evolution
