Yamaha R1 World GP 60th Anniversary 2022 — Specifications

It has been 60 years since Yamaha entered Grand Prix racing. A long time. During which the Iwata badge has won 500 victories in this discipline. How many people remember the color scheme of the RD 56, the bike that brought Phil Read to a world title? Virtually the entire R family. Four models will bear the red and white colors intimately linked to Yamaha’s racing history in 2022.

The R1 best defends this heritage. It is the most powerful, the most technically refined, it brings happiness to many competitors… and it is simply a heck of a machine. With the special “Speed Block” color scheme, it presents its tributes to the 60s and 70s. A period when this combination of colors was the identity of the manufacturer on the circuits. Small details complete this livery. This year’s R1 features matte gold rims, a yellow “number plate” face, and a badge on the tank mentioning the anniversary it represents.

Ten years ago, the R1 had already celebrated decades of GP racing. This sexagenarian version is an opportunity to note the technological gap established between the two representatives. Nearly 20 horsepower separate them, the latest generation spitting out 200 horsepower at 13,500 rpm. The older one did not have ABS but traction control and three injection maps. Since then, electronics have been strengthened by a 6-axis inertial unit, ABS, and traction control sensitive to angle, an up & down shifter, engine braking management, several Riding Modes, a slide control, a launch assistant, a (small) color TFT screen, a wheelie control, magnesium rims, and a style close to that of the M1 MotoGP bike.

Yamaha associates this livery and the 2022 special series with great names. Read, Ivy, Saarinen, Agostini, Roberts, Lawson, Rainey, Lorenzo, Rossi, Quartararo – and so many actors who found glory on the circuits. Names engraved in history, an R1 envious of their stories.

Credit for information and images: Yamaha