Model:

YZF-R1.

Years in production:

1998-

Engine type:

Four stroke double overhead-cam five valve in-line four.

Capacity:

998cc.

Bore and stroke:

74 x 58mm.

Compression ratio:

11.6:1.

Power:

152PS @ 10,500rpm.

Transmission:

Six-speed gearbox, chain final drive.

Suspension:

Front: 41mm upside-down telescopic fork. Rear: fully adjustable Bilstein piggyback shock.

Top speed:

172mph.

Dry weight:

177kg.

YAMAHA'S QUANTUM LEAP.

Lighter shorter and more powerful than its rivals the R1 set out to dominate the highly competitive hypersports class. Yamaha had long experience of building quick four stroke fours and in the 1980s, its FZR1000 EXUP had been the bike to beat. However that was in the past, and when Yamaha's team set out to draft a new design, Honda's 900cc Fireblade had ruled the roost for some years. But with the R1's all new, slant-block four cylinder engine giving a class-leading 150bhp (152PS), matted to a new Deltabox chassis, it trumped the Blade brilliantly. Its compact chassis gives the R1 the shortest wheelbase of any over-750cc machine, while the short engine still permits an exceptionally long swingarm, improving rear wheel traction. With Monocross rear suspension and exceptionally long stroke front forks, the superb road holding allows riders to make the most of the power. The R1 has met all of its design briefs and taken the class a quantum leap forward.