The R1S will come in two colors, the exclusive Intensity White/Raven/Rapid Red you see here and the Matte Grey color, which is shared with the standard R1.
Yamaha has confirmed the long suspected rumors of a third edition of the all-conquering YZF-R1 that was heavily revised last year with the addition of the YZF-R1S to the line-up, available next February for an MSRP of $14,990.
The new machine is aimed mainly at the budget-conscious street rider who doesn’t need the exotic race-spec materials that adorn the R1 and top-of-the-line R1M, but still wants a slice of the crossplane crank cake.
You’ll still get the electronics package of the R1 and R1M, but will have to pay for the Quick Shift system.
R1S riders will get the Six-Axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) of its two siblings and have the option of fitting the Quick Shift system, but miss out on a few crucial items. Essentially, Yamaha has replaced items like the titanium connecting rods, exhaust headers and valve springs with steel items (you still get the titanium muffler), lowering the peak power and rpm of a machine that, in R1 and R1M spec at least, is capable of around 165hp at the wheel in stock trim. Yamaha hasn’t specified the overall power and torque of the R1S, but you can see for yourself on the Yamaha-supplied graph below it’s almost bang-on with its higher spec brethren until the rpm starts to get really high.
No official power and torque numbers from Yamaha, just this graph that shows the R1S has plenty of poke in the engine department.
In keeping with the reduced cost aspect of the R1S, the new machine loses the magnesium oil pan, right side engine cover and wheels of the R1 and R1M, gaining aluminum items instead. Those aluminum wheels are now wrapped in Bridgestone Hypersport S20 rubber, designed for longer road miles rather than overall grip.
Overall the new R1S is claimed to tip the scales at 448lb – 5lb more than the R1M and 9lb more than the standard R1.
Has Yamaha pulled a masterstroke with a third YZF-R1, or are they shooting themselves in the foot with a machine $1500 less than the standard R1? Given the choice, which R1 would you buy and why?
The second we get our hands on a test unit, we’ll let you know how it performs.