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Recall: Yamaha YZF-R1M

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When Öhlins announced that it was recalling certain aftermarket shocks and steering dampers earlier this year, the obvious question was whether it would affect motorcycles that were equipped with the Swedish suspension from the factory, namely the new Ducati 1299 Panigale and the Yamaha YZF-R1M.

While a recall was expected for both machines, so far we only have word from Yamaha USA that the R1M will be recalled to replace the Öhlins shock. The recall only affects 350 units for Yamaha, a figure that likely indicates the total number of R1M motorcycles in the USA.

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The New R1 Would Look Hot in Kenny Roberts Livery

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The 2006 Yamaha YZF-R1 LE livery, which was a yellow, black, and white homage to Kenny Roberts Sr., is perhaps the greatest livery ever to adorn an R1, straight from the Yamaha factory.

Whether you are a loyal subject of King Kenny, or you just enjoy the fetching, yet simple, racing design, the Roberts livery is a treasure to see in any form — but especially so at speed.

Giving us a glimpse as to what the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 would look like with such a limited edition paint scheme, Oberdan Bezzi has once again whet our appetite ahead of a weekend full of riding.

And for you Giacomo Agostini fans, there is something special waiting for you after the jump as well. Enjoy!

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XXX: The 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 World Endurance Race Bike is Pure Sex…with a Headlight

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The long-winded “Yamaha France GMT 94 Michelin Racing” team is ready for FIM Endurance World Championship action this year, especially with the all-new 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 motorcycle.

The new R1 offers state-of-the-art electronics, as well as near-200hp from its crossplane four-cylinder engine, and the French team is looking to capitalize on those improvements in the EWC for 2015.

Yamaha France took the 2014 title in a convincing fashion, so it will be interesting to see what riders David Checa, Kenny Foray, and Mathieu Gines can accomplish with their new toy. We’ve got a bevy of high-resolution photos for you, after the jump.

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2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 — Game On

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As expected, and leaked earlier today, the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 has broken cover at the EICMA show in Milan.

An all new machine from Yamaha, the new YZF-R1 is a giant leap forward from Yamaha, with its eyes squarely on dominating the race track, throughout all racing leagues.

At the core of the new R1 is a new crossplane motor, now dubbed the CP4 engine, which is producing 200hp without ram-air.

The engine features titanium fracture-split con-rods, 10.5 liter airbox, titanium exhaust, and a slipper clutch to boot. For the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 though, the story is really all about the electronics.

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Here are the First Photos of the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1

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The 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 has leaked ahead of its EICMA debut today…with two images of the superbike hitting the interwebs just a few hours ago. The model shows obvious lines from the Yamaha MotoGP bike, the YZR-M1; and is expected to come in two trim levels, one for the street, and the other for racing purposes.

We should know more about the new R1 in a few hours, but until then, we will have to chew on these first photos. Accordingly, we’re not so sure about the headlights, though they look verrrry easy to remove, which might be a salient feature for them, on a homologation special.

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New Yamaha YZF-R1 Confirmed for EICMA

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A new R1 for the 2015 model year has been rumored heavily for almost a year now, and today Yamaha confirmed that we will see a new Yamaha YZF-R1 at the EICMA show. The perhaps isn’t surprising, especially since Yamaha teased us this very info at the INTERMOT show last month.

However, this is the first official confirmation from the tuning fork brand, as well as our first non-spy photo glimpse, of the new liter-bike. All of course to whet our appetite.

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DR Moto – The Ultimate Yamaha R1 Track Bike

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The Yamaha YZF-R1 is a fantastic machine, in just about any iteration you can find. A potent weapon on the track, the R1 might not have all the bells and whistles that are found on European superbikes, but the Japanese liter-bike makes up for it with precision handling, great reliability, and gobs of tractable power.

This is great for two-wheeled enthusiasts, who ride the twisties or at local track days, but Yamaha’s crown jewel poses as a tough mark to beat when someone goes looking for something “more” from the design. DR Moto might have that answer though, for track enthusiasts who want something closer to what they see on Sunday’s race day, without the compromises that come with production/street machines.

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2015 Yamaha R1 Spotted – DCT, 4 Cyl., & 230hp Rumored

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The eagle eyes at the Australian Motorcycle News bring us our first look at the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1, as Iwata’s superbike was caught testing at the Eastern Creek International Speedway.

With the picture, comes the first rumored details of the new R1, with the biggest news being that Yamaha will bring two versions of the machine to market: one street version, and one for race homologation.

From the photo above, both models will heavily take their styling cues from the current YZF-R6, and will also continue to use a four-cylinder crossplane engine configuration — this revelation squashes any notion of a three-cylinder superbike from Iwata.

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2014 Yamaha YZF-R1 Endurance Race Bike by YART

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The Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) might not have had a result at the 2014 Bol d’Or that was commensurate with the team’s ability, but ask anyone in the Endurance World Championship paddock who the top teams are, and YART is surely on their short-list.

Finishing 5th in the 2013 Championship, YART’s first goal is to best its French counterpart, the Yamaha Racing – GMT 94 – Michelin squad. Running similar equipment, the Austrians have been making a strong showing in the French-dominated endurance paddock.

So strong is EWC in France, that Honda Racing Europe finally had to give up its TT Legends team, which was comprised of road racing and TT stars, in favor of an all-French rider lineup of endurance specialists.

Featuring some of the most interesting racing equipment, the Endurance World Championship breeds a special kind of racing motorcycle. Bikes are rolling compromises, setup to provide the widest range of usability and riding style for the two, three, sometimes four riders that have to share the motorcycle during an endurance race.

Reliability is key, where a bulletproof bike with superior fuel economy, can be an advantage over the bike with the most horsepower on the grid. The human-factor is huge too, especially as races like the Bol d’Or carry-on into the night. Mistakes from rider and crew can mean time lost, or worse, the end of a race.

That all being said, here is the Yamaha Austria Racing Team’s 2014 workhorse, in all its go-fast glory.

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Yamaha Trademarks “R1S” & “R1M” at USPTO – “YZF-R1M” Trademarked Abroad – But Why?

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Are new Yamaha YZF-R1 models coming down the pipe? That’s the question being asked after trademark filings in the US and abroad tipped off Yamaha Motor’s intention to use “R1S”, “R1M”, and “YZF-R1M” for motorcycle, scooter, and three-wheeled purposes.

The filings are being taken as hints towards a possible multiple trim levels of the Yamaha YZF-R1 superbike, with the “S” and “M” designations being different spec machines than the current base model.

The “S” nomenclature is a popular one in the two and four-wheeled world, though “M” would certainly be a novel designation, outside of say…BMW — the thought is that the “M” model could be a MotoGP inspired bike, however that is just conjecture at this point.

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2014 Yamaha YZF-R1 Race Blu Debuts at Silverstone

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Love it or hate it, Yamaha’s “Race Blu” livery is back for a bevy for Yamaha’s 2014 models, including the 2014 Yamaha YZF-R1 and 2014 Yamaha YZF-R6. Debuting in Silverstone during the British GP, the special livery is supposedly based off the colors that the factory Yamaha Racing team uses in MotoGP, except for the minor detail that the special color scheme really looks nothing like the livery currently found on Lorenzo or Rossi’s Yamaha YZR-M1 race bikes (expect a livery change in Misano, perhaps?).

That being said, it is an attractive design with its matte black and shiny blue paint, and the Race Blu livery should help sell a few more units for Yamaha, as we have gotten word that the R1 and R6 will go without a refresh for the upcoming model year…again. Last year the Race Blu painted bikes stayed in Europe, and we expect the same for this year as well. Sigh…maybe 2015 will have some surprises in the sport bike category from the tuning fork brand.

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