Yamaha launches new race-focused R1
2025 will see the lau🔯nch o🅘f a new Yamaha R1, designed specifically for the race track.

A new ♕Yamaha R1 will arrive in 2025, completely focused on the race track.
The new bike, called the Yam𒁃aha R1 Race, will come complete with aerodynamic wings, upgraded KYB suspension, new Brembo brakes, and a new electronic♕s package.
The result for regular track day consumers is a higher performance version of what🧜 was already one of the more approachable high performance sports bikes on the market.
But what will it mean for Yamaha’s racing efforts? It at least confirms that the withdrawal of the R1 as a road-going model from꧟ 2025 — as was revealed by Yamaha earlier this year — will not leave it completely without a racing presence.
However, with the new R1 Race utilising essentially the same base as the current R1, it’s also perhaps not the answer to Yamaha’s current WorldSBK slump — the Japanese brand is without a victory in 2024, despite🐷 having signed Jonathan Rea for this season.
The new bike will use the same 998cc CP4 engine as is used in the current bike, as well as th♏e Deltabox frame design that has been a cornerstone of Yamaha’s performance m꧙odels since 1985.
Since 2022, when Alvaro Bautista dominated WorldSBK largely through an abundance of straight line speed, Yamaha’s absence of outright horsepower compared to some of its rivals has become more apparent, and, with the new bike stil🔴l putting out ‘only’ 197bhp (compared to the 230bhp of the 2025 Panigale V4 in stock specification), it seems likely that the R1’s straight line disadvantage will remain with this new homologation model.
WorldSBK has also published an updated list of homologated motorcycles for WorldSBK, wh🐻ich now includes the updated Yamaha R1.
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Alex joined the team in August of 2024 having covered consumer and racing motorcycle news at Visordown for two 📖years.