It was five years after Honda's venerable CBR900RR set the industry on fire with its amazing combination of light weight, big power and smart design that the Yamaha R1 was introduced. And that's when everything changed.
The benchmark that had been set by Honda was so completely annihilated that mutterings of "the best sportbike ever" and "they simply can't get any better than this" were pretty common in both the journalistic circles and at many a tavern around the world. Not only did the R1 handle like a 600, but it also had the looks and power to usher in a new generation of sportbike design principles.
Probably best known for its utterly manic midrange power, the motor pumped out over 130 horsepower yet was still quite tame when it needed to be. It wasn't an esoteric piece of race kit either, but instead a sportbike for the people-and boy did we love it.
The R1 ruled the roost until Suzuki's GSX-R1000 came along several years later, but the original R1 still holds a special place in any heart that was involved in sportbiking during those early years. Many will argue that the early models are more exciting than the refined versions subsequent to 2000, simply due to their raw power delivery and somewhat skittish characteristics.
A handful of owners have given their R1 a full makeover to resemble Yamaha's race special R7 that includes bodywork and upgraded suspension. Otherwise the usual mixture of exhausts and performance bits typically find their way onto an R1. The big Yamaha has a good amount of specialty products developed through its AMA racing endeavors that are also available to the public.
It's remained a track-day enthusiasts' favorite for years and has recently enjoyed popularity amongst the tuner crowd as well. Even an older model is still one hell of a wild ride that, while perhaps not matching up on paper to a modern bike, will certainly give you an equivalent seat of the pants impression.
1998-2001
With an astonishing (for the time) 130 horsepower and an extremely small stature, the R1 rewrote the rules in the high-performance race replica category.
2002-2003
Fuel injection was introduced on the R1 and it was impeccable. Also new that year was the Deltabox III frame that had significantly increased strength and rigidity. Styling was updated and helped keep the R1 looking as modern as ever.
2004-2006
Another full redesign came in 2004 that included new bodywork, under-seat exhausts and radial brakes. The motor enjoyed updates and a significant boost in power and revs.