Yamaha has updated their flagship superbike, the R1, for 2014. The 2014 Yamaha R1 doesn’t get much different although an all new model is set for debut next year which is rumoured to get a 3-cylinder engine. The updated Yamaha R1 uses the same high performance 998cc, in-line 4 engine which uses 16 titanium intake vales. The motorcycle thrusts out an impressive 182.1 PS of power at 12,500 RPM and 115.5 Nm of torque at 10,000 RPM. The Yamaha R1 is the first bike to use a crossplane crankshaft and uses a 6-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch.
So what is new in the 2014 Yamaha R1? Nothing actually. Yamaha continues to play around with colours, something they do with all their motorcycles, right from the R15 to their flagship R1. The three colours on offer are Matte Grey, Rapid Red and Team Yamaha Blue/White. The dual tone colour is priced at an extra $200 (Rs. 12,500/-). The Yamaha R1 retains the same price as beforeand the motorcycle is priced at $14,290 (Rs. 8.96 lakhs). Yamaha offers the R1 in India for double the price as the MotoGP inspired machine is brought in via the CBU route.
The Yamaha R1 comes with fully adjustable suspension and 7-stage traction control system. It uses dual 310 mm disc with radial mounted forged 6-piston callipers at the front and 220 mm disc with single piston calliper at the rear. The front tyre is 120 mm wide while the rear is 190 mm wide. With the Europeans churning out some mean machines, the R1’s legacy has been challenged again and again. This update is a stop-gap method till the all new Yamaha R1 arrives next year to snatch back its leadership position as the undisputed king of the litre class segment from the BMW S1000RR.
