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Is Yamaha R1S the Next Limited Edition Superbike?

Yamaha delivered a thorough update to its flagship superbike and the R1 introduced a massive set of changes to the liter-class game. Even though the competition is still very strong, the other manufacturers know that the bar has just been raised, and the R1 is a bike to look up to, at least from a technological point of view.
2015 Yamaha R1M 1 photo
Photo: Yamaha
The R1 has been accompanied by the R1M, a sportier version equipped with even more gadgets and ready to take on serious track action. While it looks like the R1M is more or less sold out already, it's the mysterious R1S trademark which still feels intriguing.

Filed with the USPTO in January 2014 and published for opposition in early April the same year, the R1S trademark deals with "motorcycles, scooters, three-wheeled scooters and structural parts for all the aforesaid goods," but Iwata is dead-silent about it.

Another racer based on the R1?

Some voices claimed that R1S is the American version of the R1M, most likely because the trademark was filled for the US only, and not the EU. In a way, such a supposition could make some sense, as Yamaha is currently using different names for certain models in the US, with the FZ vs. MT being probably the most recognizable.

However, the R1M name was thoroughly used all around the world in both advertisement and corporate communication, so Yamaha adding a new name for the R1M, dedicated to the US, seems a bit improbable.

Other suppositions see Yamaha surfacing a new, S-suffixed R1 trim. Whether this is true or just wishful thinking, we might find out soon. If Iwata is indeed planning a new R1 derivative, we can expect that it will use the current momentum the new generation of bike has, instead of waiting the echoes of the two new releases to fade away slowly.

And if the R1S, if real, will be a street or track bike, is anyone's guess. Taking into consideration early R1 sketches that showed a single-sided arm, a "luxury sport" limited edition version of the R1 is also a credible perspective.

Honestly, this is our bet, too, if we were to put some money on this.
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