A new classification on a list of FIM-approved competition bikes has fueled rumors that a new Yamaha R1 will hit the market in 2023, but the data isn’t as conclusive as it may seem at first glance.
The FIM produced a list on June 15 titled “Competition Vehicles (Motocross/Dual Purpose) – All Manufacturers,” in which a Yamaha YZF1000W was listed as a 998cc, 2023 model year road race bike. For several reasons, including the fact that it is not a motocross or dual-purpose bike, the fact that it is included on that list is puzzling. The motorcycle, if anything, was on the incorrect list. As a result of this misstep, the FIM quickly withdrew the list off their website, replacing it with an older version that did not include the YZF1000W.
The YZF1000W is not a common motorcycle model. Yamaha’s current road range includes the YZF-R1, which is referred to as the YZF1000, and the YZF-R1M, which is referred to as the YZF1000D. In the United States, you won’t find any YZF1000Ws.
The name isn’t original, though. The YZF1000W may be purchased right now in Japan. It has, in reality, been on the market for a long time. The “YZF-R1 Race Base” is intended only for usage on the track and is marketed at racing organizations. The YZF1000W lacks the standard R1’s fender, headlights, running lights, mirrors, pillion seats, and passenger pegs. Since teams will inevitably repaint or, more likely, completely replace the bodywork with racing bodywork, it is black and features no graphics. Yamaha’s promotional image for the YZF1000W (pictured) isn’t entirely accurate because it includes extras like lights and mirrors that aren’t present on the actual bike.
Because the YZF1000W Race Base lacks any road-going equipment, it is roughly $800 cheaper, before tax, than a showroom R1 in Japan, and buyers also receive a race-only ECU and wiring harness, designed solely for circuit use.
Although the 2023 YZF1000W was removed from its original FIM listing, it is still included in another document posted to the FIM website. And now it has found a more appropriate home on the “List of Imported Competition Specific Models,” alongside the YZF600W, Yamaha’s Race Base version of the YZF-R6.
The document’s reference to the vehicle identification number (VIN) JYACN07C indicates that the bike was built for racing. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of a modern, street-legal R1 begins with the letters JYARN65. The letters “JYA” designate a motorcycle made in Japan by Yamaha, “R” indicates a sport bike, “N” indicates a displacement of 751 to 1,000 cc, and “65′′ is the sequential project number of the current R1 (hence the “RN65′′ moniker; the RN49 and RN32 designations indicate previous generations of the R1).
In the case of the Race Base model, the VIN similarly begins with JYA, but it is followed by “C” for competition, “N” for 751cc–1,000cc, and the project number “07,” indicating that this is the seventh iteration of a competition-only model to be built in this capacity class.
The FIM’s listing of the YZF1000W for 2023 is intriguing, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the production version of the 2023 R1 will look very different from the present version. When a new or revised street model is released, the Race Base version usually arrives after the showroom version. However, in the past, the R1 Race Base has been unveiled in Japan in September prior to production, with order books opening at the same time.
The current “RN65′′ R1 was introduced for the 2020 model year, the “RN49′′ was available from 2017 to 2019, and the “RN32′′ was available from 2015 to 2016. Even while the YZF1000W’s FIM records indicate an upgrade is expected in 2023, this is not conclusive evidence.