A brand new Yamaha R1 will arrive in 2025, fully centered on the race observe.
The brand new bike, referred to as the Yamaha R1 Race, will come full with aerodynamic wings, upgraded KYB suspension, new Brembo brakes, and a brand new electronics bundle.
The outcome for normal observe day shoppers is the next efficiency model of what was already one of many extra approachable excessive efficiency sports activities bikes in the marketplace.
However what’s going to it imply for Yamaha’s racing efforts? It a minimum of confirms that the withdrawal of the R1 as a road-going mannequin from 2025 — as was revealed by Yamaha earlier this 12 months — won’t depart it fully with no racing presence.
Nonetheless, with the brand new R1 Race utilising basically the identical base as the present R1, it’s additionally maybe not the reply to Yamaha’s present WorldSBK hunch — the Japanese model is with no victory in 2024, regardless of having signed Jonathan Rea for this season.
The brand new bike will use the identical 998cc CP4 engine as is used within the present bike, in addition to the Deltabox body design that has been a cornerstone of Yamaha’s efficiency fashions since 1985.
Since 2022, when Alvaro Bautista dominated WorldSBK largely by means of an abundance of straight line pace, Yamaha’s absence of outright horsepower in comparison with a few of its rivals has change into extra obvious, and, with the brand new bike nonetheless placing out ‘solely’ 197bhp (in comparison with the 230bhp of the 2025 Panigale V4 in inventory specification), it appears possible that the R1’s straight line drawback will stay with this new homologation mannequin.
WorldSBK has additionally printed an up to date checklist of homologated bikes for WorldSBK, which now consists of the up to date Yamaha R1.
