YAMAHA
YZF-R1
Yamaha YZF-R1
- Manufacturer
- YAMAHA
- Model
- YZF-R1
- Year
- 1998
- Type
- Supersport
- Origin
- Japan
01 — Overview
A 1998 supersport developed around the concept of "unsurpassed excitement" on winding roads. It paired a light, compact liquid-cooled 998 cm³ DOHC five-valve inline four with a Deltabox II frame. Specifications listed are for the overseas-market model.
- MAKER
- YAMAHA
- PRODUCTION
- 1998
- ERA
- 1990s
- CATEGORY
- Supersport
02 — Historical Context
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
According to Yamaha, the R1 opened a new era in the supersport category by moving away from the 750 cc engines then standard for racing machines.
1990s — Replicas matured, naked bikes rose, and a new idea of the lightweight superbike took shape.
03 — Engine
ENGINE
Inline Four
Four cylinders across the frame. Smooth and free-revving, it became emblematic of Japanese large-capacity motorcycles. Intake, compression, power, exhaust — the cycle behind today's combustion motorcycles.General description of the layout
| Engine layout | Inline Four[1] |
|---|---|
| Cycle | Four-stroke[1] |
| Displacement | 998 cc[1] |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled[1] |
| Valvetrain | DOHC, 5-valve[1] |
| Max. power (export (overseas market model)) | 110.3 kW / 10,000 rpm[1] |
| Max. power (export (overseas market model)) | 150 PS / 10,000 rpm[1] |
| Max. torque (export (overseas market model)) | 108.3 N·m / 8,500 rpm[1] |
| Max. torque (export (overseas market model)) | 11 kgf·m / 8,500 rpm[1] |
04 — Chassis / Frame
CHASSIS / FRAME
| Frame | Deltabox II[1] |
|---|
05 — Specifications
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Every figure is sourced. Unverified values are not published.
| Production | 1998[1] |
|---|---|
| Engine layout | Inline Four[1] |
| Cycle | Four-stroke[1] |
| Displacement | 998 cc[1] |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled[1] |
| Valvetrain | DOHC, 5-valve[1] |
| Max. power (export (overseas market model)) | 110.3 kW / 10,000 rpm[1] |
| Max. power (export (overseas market model)) | 150 PS / 10,000 rpm[1] |
| Max. torque (export (overseas market model)) | 108.3 N·m / 8,500 rpm[1] |
| Max. torque (export (overseas market model)) | 11 kgf·m / 8,500 rpm[1] |
| Frame | Deltabox II[1] |
Figures are shown per market: export (overseas market model)
06 — Generations
GENERATION HISTORY
First generation (1998)1998–
Generations, model years and market variants (Model → Generation → Variant) are added as they are verified.
07 — Cultural Context
CULTURAL CONTEXT
08 — Gallery
GALLERY
RELATED MOTORCYCLES
09
10 — Sources
SOURCES
- [1]1998 YZF-R1 - Communication Plaza CollectionYamaha Motor Co., Ltd. · museum · accessed 2026-09-26
- [2]Yamaha Motor History - Product History (Motorcycles / Commuter Vehicles)Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. · manufacturer · accessed 2026-09-26
11 — Image Credits
PHOTO CREDITS
- Creator
- Rainmaker47
- License
- CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Rainmaker47, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons