Yamaha introduced the YZF-R1 sport motorcycle in 1998.
The YZF-R1 was developed as a high-performance liter-class machine and quickly became a major name in modern sport-bike history. Its 998 cc inline-four engine and compact chassis helped give it a strong power-to-weight ratio for its era.
Yamaha positioned the R1 above smaller sport motorcycles and used it to challenge established European and Japanese superbikes. The first-generation design featured closely stacked transmission shafts, allowing a relatively short engine and chassis layout.
The model name is often written as YZF-R1 or simply R1. It should not be confused with Yamaha’s YZF-R6, a smaller 600 cc supersport motorcycle introduced later. Yamaha has continued updating the R1 through multiple generations, adding electronic rider aids, revised engines and modern chassis technology.