LAST CORNER

It is the end of the road for one of the most iconic nameplates in motorcycling history 

- BENJAMIN GRACIAS

The stringent EU5+ emission norms in Europe marks the end of the line for the Yamaha YZF-R1 as the Japanese bikemaker has decided to pull the plug on the road-going models of the R1 and R1M. Yamaha however will continue to offer the litre-class superbike in Europe in track-only trim, just like it did with the R6. 

Besides the ever-tightening emission norms, Yamaha seems to have shifted focus from the litreclass superbike segment to the ones below it - just like Suzuki. And while it helped shape the litreclass segment, the current R1 models have been consistently outperformed by its European rivals. While the R1 was discontinued in India a while back, we did get our share of this iconic motorcycle and it did help shape the motorcycle scene in India - and the world as well.