Yahama is holding back on a radical redesign of its R1 for at least two more years, according to company insiders, so it will still be instantly recognisable.
The biggest change for the 2012 R1 is a new, standard, six-way adjustable traction-control system (TCS). The rest of the bike is largely un changed. The innovative 998cc cross-plane crankshaft inline four-cylinder engine with an uneven firing order and under-seat pipes remains.
Changes include: revised LED front lights and lower faring; a re-mapped ECU for smoother power delivery, a boost to low and mid-range power, a newly shaped exhaust heat-shield and end caps, and a MotoGP-inspired top yoke. The 2012 R1's six-stage traction control works with the help of front and rear wheel speed sensors.
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