Yamaha’s 20th anniversary R1 arrives, with a knitted Niken!
New 20th Anniversary edition costs £35,000
‘With just 20 available, they’re likely sold out’
It’s now 20 years since Yamaha released the first R1; a model that redefined sportsbikes and set litre bikes on the path they’re still following to this day. Even back in 1998 it had a claimed 140bhp and weighed just 190kg. More amazing still was the chassis, which, thanks to the revolutionary stacked gearbox, was light, stiff and had a wheelbase of just 1385mm (20mm shorter than the Blade of the time). It is this model that Yamaha are celebrating with this new ‘GYTR Special Edition’. Although based on the standard R1, the GYTR (which stands for Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing) is a very special, hand-built, ultralimited edition track special slathered in exotic parts. Just 20 will be built by Yamaha’s race team rather than on the regular production line, and all are marked out by a modernised version of the original R1 paint scheme.
Each also comes with a full race electronics package, Öhlins FGRT 219 front forks, TTX36 GP rear shock, full titanium Akrapovič Evolution 2 exhaust system plus axle and crankcase protectors from Giles Tooling. And if all that’s not enough there’s also the option of having specially-selected third party race parts fitted by Yamahaendorsed engineers who’ll ensure each is assembled correctly and will help with chassis set-up. In addition, each owner will be invited to a Yamaha Racing Experience later this year where they’ll get a dedicated set-up session. The bad news is, they cost £35,000 and they will soon sell out.