Yamaha has finally unveiled the YZF-R1S and put an end to all the speculations as to what that S stood for. It turns out that the suffix is more of an indicator for Street, rather than for Sport, as we suspected. After all, Iwata already had an upper tier for the R1 in the shape of the R1M and adding another "sportier" machine would have been weird.
So the R1S is an R1 superbike with slightly lower specs, a lower redline and some parts that have been replaced with more traditional ones as far as materials go.
However, judging by the specs Yamaha has so far revealed, the lower performance will only be noticed by highly experienced riders and on the track, where they can "let loose". This is good news for customers who are not ready to fork out the full price of an R1, but who are looking for an affordable sport bike with good street performance.
The R1S is $14,990 as opposed to the base R1 that retails for $16,490
Customers can get a full-on Yamaha superbike for $14,990 and thus save around $1,500. Some might say that getting all the goodies on the R1 is well worth the extra cash, especially when getting the bike with a financing program... and be right in saying so.
Still, we guess that Yamaha is trying to win over those customers who would normally be in for a $13,000 bike and who would rightfully be interested in getting near-R1 performance by adding some two grand to their top price.
All in all, the tech spec difference between the R1S and the R1 are not THAT huge. We'd rather say that the R1S is a much more sensible choice for those who would only rarely visit a race track.
R1S replaces the magnesium engine covers and wheels with more casual aluminium parts, while the headers and conrods are no longer made of titanium, but of steel.
This makes the R1S 9 pounds (4 kg) heavier than the R1, but claiming one can feel this in the urban traffic or suburban commuting is just funny. The redline was lowered, Yamaha reports, but no figures were mentioned, so we can only estimate it will produce less power than the R1. Again, one of the things that will only be noticeable along a straight line with the throttle opened fully.
As for the rest, the only thing that some riders may be missing in any scenario is the quickshifter, which is offered as an option for the R1S. The suspensions, frame, brakes and electronics are the same as those on the R1, so we can indeed talk about a strong resemblance in character.
Oh, and the tires have been changed, too. The R1S is shod with Bridgestone S20, a more street-friendly choice than the Battlax RS10 rubber that is stock on the R1, a true race-homologated tire.
The 2016 Yamaha YZF-R1S will be available from February next year in Matte Gray and Intensity White/Raven/Rapid Red. Check back with us in November for Yamaha R1S live photos from EICMA. EU prices expected soon.
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