Yamaha R1 and R1M UK prices announced

Yamaha has finally released the price of its latest two supersport motorcycles, the R1 and the R1 for the UK market. The new R1 has been priced at £14,999 (Rs 14.62 lakh) whereas the track-only R1M will set you back by £18,499 (Rs 18 lakh).

Unveiled at the 2014 EICMA show, the R1 and the R1M attracted quite a lot people at the Yamaha pavilion. The reason being the new R1 is a quantum leap over its predecessor when it comes to looks, styling and mechanicals.  The Yamaha R1 is powered by a new lightweight inline-four cylinder 998cc engine that produces 200bhp without the use of ram air induction and a peak torque of 112.4Nm. This new engine is almost four kgs lighter than the older one. 

The new Yamaha R1 rides on the KYB fully-adjustable suspension at both the front and rear. Braking power comes from 320mm discs with 4-piston radial calipers at the front and 220mm at the rear. The ABS system on the new R1 includes a Unified Braking System (UBS), which lightly activates the rear brake when the front brake is applied harshly. Yamaha claims the UBS system works with information from the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMIU) to help dictate how much rear brake is applied, based on the lean angle and available traction. 

This Japanese machine is loaded with traction control, slide control, launch and wheelie-lift control. The bright TFT display looks really nice and displays lots of information. The major difference between the R1 and the R1M comes from the electronics and suspension. Engine is almost the same but the R1M is loaded with carbon bodywork, which makes its exclusive and limited.

We are expecting the new Yamaha R1 to make its way to the Indian shores, sometime early next year. However, don’t expect it to come cheap. The Japanese manufacturer will easily ask few lakhs more than the current R1, maybe slightly more than the Kawasaki Ninja ZX10R which is sold at Rs 15.7 lakh (ex-showroom Pune).