Yamaha R1S - A cheaper R1 for the Street - AIMExpo 2015

Ever fancied an R1 but baulked at the price tag? Maybe you’re simply not into track days, though if not, why not?

Good news, everyone. Yamaha just realized and built a bike just for you.

it’s called the R1S and it’s just an R1 modified for the street. Now, that normally sounds like the kiss of death, but in this case it shouldn’t be because it’s really not that different. The only real difference is that there is no quick shifter on this model (except as an option) and that some of the more exotic metals, are replaced with less exotic ones.

Beyond that, it looks the same, has the same electronics and more or less performs the same - the power curve is pretty much identical until you approach peak power, which is down by around 12%, which roughly speaking means it makes “only” around 175hp based on my wonky math.

The best part? It’s only $14,990 - or $2k less than the base R1. It’s available in stating February in the familiar blue/silver package and an R1S-exclusive red/white/black scheme.