Yamaha planning higher-spec YZF-R1?

The idea of multiple trim levels on a single model has been a mainstay of the car industry for decades and has long since found favour with Italian bike firms like Ducati. Now it seems the Japanese are going to follow suit.

This year has seen the launch of the Honda Fireblade SP, priced £3000 higher than the stock machine thanks to engine and suspension upgrades that translate to a tangible improvement in the bike’s performance and handling.

And now we hear Yamaha is planning a similar move with its R1. That rumour is backed up with a set of new trademarks that the firm has applied for in all the major markets where such a machine is likely to be sold.

In Europe, Yamaha has trademarked the names ‘YZF-R1M’ and simple ‘R1M’ while in both American and Australia those monikers have also been joined by “R1S.” The chances are that there will be just one extra model but that English-speaking countries might be offered an ‘R1S’ because ‘R1M’ is uncomfortably similar to ‘rim.’ Ahem.

While ‘S’ has long-since been a letter that defines a sportier version of a machine, ‘M’ isn’t as obvious a choice. The chances are that Yamaha’s use of the letter ‘M’ to mark its high-end R1 will be to tie the bike more closely to the firm’s M1 MotoGP bike, with the useful coincidence that it could also refer to a ‘Movistar’ paint scheme as used on the 2014 works racers?

Looking at the recent past, Yamaha has tended to apply for trademarks on new model names around six to seven months before the bikes bearing them have appeared. The new R1 titles were simultaneously applied for in Europe, America and Australia in January this year, pointing at a reveal in July or August, a little earlier than the big end-of-year motorcycle shows.

While it’s easy to surmise that the new model will be higher-spec than the usual R1, with modifications to the suspension to improve handling and likely upgrades to the engine and electronics package, it’s still not clear whether it will be simply a derivative of the existing R1 or an extra model added alongside a new mass-market R1. We hear that a new R1 is under development, retaining the crossplane four-cylinder engine but with a new chassis and styling, but at the moment it’s not clear whether it will be ready for the 2015 model year. But whether derived from today’s R1 or based on a new version, the R1M/R1S promises to be more exotic than the normal version.

It’s not an entirely new path for Yamaha. Back in 2006 the firm made 1000 examples of the R1 SP, with Marchesini wheels, Ohlins suspension and a slipper clutch, with 500 being sold in Europe and 500 for America (where it was called the R1 LE). The new R1M/R1S isn’t likely to be made in limited numbers, though. Yamaha didn’t bother to trademark the name of the previous SP model, and its decision to do so with the R1M and R1S names suggests they’re likely to be a much more important part of the firm’s range than the previous high-end R1 was.

The trademarks’ timings clearly point at the new R1 being part of the 2015 model range. Previous Yamaha trademark filings have been filed 6 to 10 months prior to the unveiling of the bikes bearing their names, pointing at a launch for the R1M/R1S model sometime between July and November this year; bang in the middle of the ‘launch season’ for the next year’s models.