The core concept for this new motorcycle and its envisioned characteristics was “Excitement” and development began with the goal of creating the fastest machine on twisties and secondary roads. In the mid-1990s, the idea Yamaha had for its next supersport machine was neither a spacious liter-class model nor a racer replica this bike would be a lightweight, slim, and compact supersport with excellent handling, ridability, and traction. It was from here that 1,000cc supersport bikes branched off to become their own category.įZ750 (1985) The FZ750 in race trim at the Daytona 200 (1985) In Japan, to compete in the new Superbike class that replaced the Formula TT class, the FZ750 evolved into the FZR750R and then YZF750R. The momentum established by the FZ750's success later grew into the racer replica category, ushering in a thrilling period in which full-on racebikes were developed alongside their street-oriented counterparts. The FZ750 was a textbook example of a lightweight, slim, and compact supersport machine and it was highly competitive on the racetrack, taking a fantastic win at the 1986 Daytona 200 just a year after its market debut. This idea of designing the engine and chassis as a single integrated component was called “Genesis” and it is a development ideal that remains part of Yamaha today. The aim of this unique arrangement was to enhance the sense of unity between rider and machine, chiefly by lowering the bike's center of gravity while increasing the load on the front tire to generate clearer front-end feel. The machine's 5-valved DOHC engine with downdraft intake was mounted in the frame with a forward incline toward the front wheel. Rewinding the clock a bit further back to 1985, Yamaha set the motorcycling world alight by developing its first 4-stroke supersport machine: the FZ750. They decided to move away from the trajectory set by the Thunderace and instead build a machine purely emphasizing light weight, slimness, and compactness, as the pursuit of these three elements when building motorcycles had been an unwavering principle at Yamaha Motor since its founding in 1955. Instead of being bound by past projects or the latest trends, the team sought to rethink and redefine from the ground up what a supersport bike should be. Yamaha's flagship entry in the category was the YZF1000R Thunderace, with the YZF600R Thundercat as its smaller sibling in the lineup.Īt the time, a Yamaha development team was working on creating the company's next supersport model. In that sense, these motorcycles and how they were used were closer to today's sport-tourers ample power and space in the saddle were the main criteria riders looked for. Mounting powerful 1,000+ cc engines in equally sizable frames and bodywork, manufacturers competed for big-bike presence on the road and the highest top speed. That idea continues to drive the series today and will in the future as well.įrom the late-1980s through to the '90s, it was the age of the hefty supersport machine. Since its inception, the R-Series has been about tapping into and augmenting a rider's own capabilities and potential you get lost in the fun and thrill of riding at your skill level so much that before you know it, you are already faster than you were before. In the series' history, Yamaha has taken on a number of revolutionary technical challenges as well as bold styling and design challenges. The R-Series has also remained one of the Yamaha brand's most iconic and recognizable creations. The R-Series is the most vivid reflection of Monozukuri based on Yamaha's Jin-Ki Kanno development philosophy, to treat the seductive exhilaration felt when one with the machine as a shared baseline when quantifying and integrating it into a Yamaha's performance. Ever since, the R-Series has constantly evolved and advanced in order to bring the excitement of riding a sportbike to users everywhere, regardless of where they live or what roads they ride. The start of it all was the release of the original YZF-R1 in 1998, the progenitor of the R-DNA that runs throughout the entire series. Every sportbike comprising the R-Series family is designed to offer riding excitement to motorcyclists across the globe. Yamaha's R-Series of motorcycles today is led by the flagship YZF-R1 superbike, with the lineup including the YZF-R7, R3, R25, R15, and R125.
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