YZR-M1
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The Yamaha YZR-M1 is an
inline-four A straight-four engine (also referred to as an inline-four engine) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout ( ...
motorcycle specifically developed by
Yamaha Motor Company is a Japanese mobility manufacturer that produces motorcycles, motorboats, outboard motors, and other motorized products. The company was established in the year 1955 upon separation from Nippon Gakki Co., Ltd. (currently Yamaha Corporation) a ...
to race in the current
MotoGP Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the highest class of motorcycle road racing events held on Road racing, road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held sin ...
series. It succeeded the YZR500 by the 2002 season and was originally developed with a engine. Since then, the YZR-M1 has been continuously developed into several iterations through the 990cc, 800cc and 1000cc eras of Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing.


2002–2003

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
was the first season that allowed 990 cc 4-strokes to be raced alongside 500 cc 2-strokes. In a change from their V-4 YZR500, Yamaha designed the YZR-M1 (for "Mission One") with an
inline-4 A straight-four engine (also referred to as an inline-four engine) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout ( ...
engine because it was the format considered to have the best mutual balance with the frame. Yamaha wanted to preserve the superior handling of the YZR500, so the M1's engine was designed to fit in a chassis developed around the basic structure of the YZR500. The M1 used an electronic engine management system that controlled the
engine braking Engine braking occurs when the retarding forces within an internal combustion engine are used to slow down a motor vehicle, as opposed to using additional external braking mechanisms such as friction brakes or magnetic brakes. The term is ofte ...
endemic to four-strokes. The new engine had five valves per cylinder, was fed by
carburetor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor or carburetter) is a device used by a gasoline internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the Ventu ...
s and began with a displacement of 942 cc; in the second half of the season it progressed to the full 990 cc regulation limit. The frame design also evolved during the season, with adjustment of the engine mounting position and change in the fuel tank shape. The M1 was test-ridden and developed by
Max Biaggi Massimiliano "Max" Biaggi (; born 26 June 1971) is an Italian former professional Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who achieved six World Championships. With four 250 cc road race titles and two in Superbike Wor ...
,
John Kocinski John Kocinski (born March 20, 1968, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Little Rock, Arkansas) is a retired Americans, American Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racing, road racer whose successes include winning the 1990 Grand Prix m ...
, Norihiko Fujiwara and Kyoji Namba throughout 2001. It was raced in the 2002 season by Biaggi and
Carlos Checa Carlos Checa Carrera (born 15 October 1972) is a Spanish former professional motorcycle road racer and winner of the 2011 Superbike World Championship. After racing in 500 cc and MotoGP for over a decade, mostly on Honda and Yamaha machine ...
on the factory team, and towards the end of the season M1s were also provided to
Norifumi Abe , or was a Japanese professional motorcycle road racing, road racer. He competed in the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from to . Abe died in a road traffic accident, road traffic ...
,
Olivier Jacque Olivier Jacque (born 29 August 1973 in Villerupt, France) is a French former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Career He was second in the 250cc European Championship in 1994, before moving on to the 250cc World Championship. He ...
and
Shinya Nakano is a retired Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Superbike rider. He is not related to the former Formula One racer Shinji Nakano. Career Early career Nakano was All-Japan 250cc champion in 1998, the highlight of a long career in ...
. Biaggi achieved two wins and placed second in the final standings as did Yamaha in the manufacturers' championship. In
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
, the engine went from carburetion to
fuel injection Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of a fuel injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines. All c ...
, and the engine brake control system was replaced with an Idle Control System that automatically adjusted the throttle valve opening on two of the four cylinders to improve stability and handling during deceleration. M1 riders were Checa,
Alex Barros Alexandre Barros (born October 18, 1970) is a Brazilian people, Brazilian former professional motorcycle road racing, road racer who is a 7-time 500cc/MotoGP race winner and also a race winner in Superbike World Championship. After a long Grand P ...
,
Olivier Jacque Olivier Jacque (born 29 August 1973 in Villerupt, France) is a French former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Career He was second in the 250cc European Championship in 1994, before moving on to the 250cc World Championship. He ...
,
Marco Melandri Marco Melandri (born 7 August 1982) is an Italian people, Italian retired motorcycle road racing, road racer who is a five-time MotoGP, premier class race winner. He is the 2002 Grand Prix motorcycle racing, 250 cc World Champion and runner- ...
,
Shinya Nakano is a retired Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Superbike rider. He is not related to the former Formula One racer Shinji Nakano. Career Early career Nakano was All-Japan 250cc champion in 1998, the highlight of a long career in ...
and
Norifumi Abe , or was a Japanese professional motorcycle road racing, road racer. He competed in the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from to . Abe died in a road traffic accident, road traffic ...
, and there were no wins and Yamaha came in third in the manufacturers' championship.


2004/2005

Valentino Rossi Valentino Rossi ( ; ; born 16 February 1979) is an Italian racing driver, former professional motorcycle road racer and nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. Nicknamed "the Doctor", Rossi is widely considered one of the greate ...
signed a two-year contract with Yamaha, reportedly worth in excess of US$6 million per season, in a move that was described by the press as "biting off more than he could chew". It was widely felt not only by his critics and media pundits but also by many fans, that even he would not be able to bring the struggling YZR-M1 up to the level of the hitherto all-conquering
Honda RC211V The Honda RC211V is a 990 cc (60 cu in) four-stroke race motorcycle from HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) developed in 2001 to replace the two-stroke Honda NSR500. It was developed as a direct result of major changes to the regulations for the Wor ...
. A well-publicised increase in the pace of development of the Honda machine over the winter season fuelled expectation that in the hands of riders of the calibre of
Max Biaggi Massimiliano "Max" Biaggi (; born 26 June 1971) is an Italian former professional Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who achieved six World Championships. With four 250 cc road race titles and two in Superbike Wor ...
and
Sete Gibernau Manuel "Sete" Gibernau Bultó (born 15 December 1972) is a Spanish former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who is a 9-time 500cc/MotoGP race winner and a two-time overall runner-up in and . His racing career spans three different ...
it would have no problem in retaining the World Title for Honda. However, Rossi wasn't the only defection Honda had to contend with; Jeremy Burgess (crew chief for Rossi at Honda) and the majority of his long-established crew were convinced by Rossi to join him at Yamaha. This was a shrewd move and was cited by Rossi in his autobiography as instrumental in providing him with the strong basis necessary for launching an attack on the Championship with the YZR-M1. During 2003/2004 winter testing, Yamaha pulled out all the stops in their collaboration with Rossi and Burgess. Through a systematic regime of innovation and testing, they sought to refine the M1's traditionally strong traits such as good braking and quick handling (which impressed Rossi), and marry them to good balance and transition to power. Yamaha engineers under YZR-M1 project leader Koichi Tsuji experimented with a number of engine modifications in an attempt to fix the power delivery, and finally it was decided to go ahead with a four valve per cylinder head configuration (as opposed to the earlier five-valve head), with a specially refined cylinder firing order. This turned the straight four-cylinder engine from a traditional "screamer", where the power pulses are spaced equally (every 180 crank degrees), into a so-called "long bang" engine where the power pulses are grouped unevenly across the cycle (270-180-90-180). This firing order yields the constant kinetic energy of a V4 engine while maintaining the desirable engine packaging of a traditional inline four-cylinder. These developments significantly improved the torque characteristics of the engine, and coupled with slight changes to the position of the engine in the chassis made the M1 much easier to control at the limit of adhesion while exiting corners. After a frantic winter of development and testing, the team showed the world that they had made a significant step in the right direction, when Rossi and the M1 won the BMW car at the 2004 pre-season IRTA test at Catalunya, by posting the fastest lap of the open session (similar to normal race qualifying). The traditional first race of the season at Suzuka did not occur because of safety considerations and so the 2004 season started at
Welkom Welkom () is a city in the Free State (province), Free State province of South Africa, located about northeast of Bloemfontein, the provincial capital. Welkom is also known as Circle City, City Within A Garden, Mvela and Matjhabeng. The city' ...
in
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
. In a quite remarkable race, Rossi came through to claim the victory, not only silencing his critics but becoming the first man in history to win two GPs back to back with different manufacturers. Rossi went on to claim eight more GP wins on his way to win the 2004 Championship, with a tally of 304 points. Honda riders
Sete Gibernau Manuel "Sete" Gibernau Bultó (born 15 December 1972) is a Spanish former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who is a 9-time 500cc/MotoGP race winner and a two-time overall runner-up in and . His racing career spans three different ...
and
Max Biaggi Massimiliano "Max" Biaggi (; born 26 June 1971) is an Italian former professional Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who achieved six World Championships. With four 250 cc road race titles and two in Superbike Wor ...
took second and third with 257 and 217 points respectively. The 2004 season gave Rossi the opportunity he had sought: to prove that it was his talent rather than just the bike that had won him his championships. In so doing, he also achieved one of the great coups in the history of Motorcycle Racing. The YZR-M1 and Rossi partnership continued to dominate in 2005 when the Championship was won by a massive 147 point margin over Honda rider
Marco Melandri Marco Melandri (born 7 August 1982) is an Italian people, Italian retired motorcycle road racing, road racer who is a five-time MotoGP, premier class race winner. He is the 2002 Grand Prix motorcycle racing, 250 cc World Champion and runner- ...
in second place. The 2005 M1 was hailed by insiders to be a great race bike: Yamaha with input from Rossi had created a race bike to beat the others quite easily. Rossi later said that the 2005 M1 was the greatest bike he had ever ridden.


2006

The 2006 season proved a little more problematic for Yamaha. The M1 suffered from chatter from the very first race of the year. It was a recurring problem for all Yamaha riders in the first third of the season, and was thought to be a function of three major winter season developments: a significant increase in engine power, a new, stiffer, chassis and a new construction of
Michelin Michelin ( , ), in full ("General Company of the Michelin Enterprises P.L.S."), is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes '' région'' of France. It is the second largest t ...
tire with an even stickier compound and revised profile. Because the three developments occurred almost simultaneously, the usual meticulous testing of one development at a time was compromised and it took much of the early season to understand and overcome the problems. This setback for Yamaha and the YZR-M1 was largely responsible for Valentino Rossi's mediocre start to the 2006 season, manifest by poor qualifying performances and a brace of bad luck. At midseason he suffered a wrist injury, which added to his woes. In the final third of a memorable season, the M1's problems were virtually eradicated, and Valentino Rossi turned in a string of performances that almost closed a large points gap on Championship leader
Nicky Hayden Nicholas Patrick Hayden (July 30, 1981 May 22, 2017), nicknamed "The Kentucky Kid", was an American professional motorcycle racer who won the MotoGP World Championship in 2006. Hayden began racing motorcycles at a young age. He began his road ...
aboard the Honda RC211V. It was only in the final race of the season that the M1 and Valentino Rossi were beaten by just five points and Yamaha relinquished the Championship to Honda. Hayden won only two races that season, and later stated that Rossi deserved to be the champion, but luck and DNFs cost him the championship. Valentino Rossi won 5 races in 2006 to Nicky Hayden's 2, a fact that was well played during the offseason.


2007

Regulations again changed for the 2007 season with the capacity of MotoGP machines reduced to 800 cc in an effort by the
FIM FIM may refer to: Organizations and companies * Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the International Motorcycling Federation * Flint Institute of Music, in Michigan, United States * Fox Interactive Media, now News Corp. Digital Media * ...
to reduce the ever-increasing speeds of the 990 cc bikes (capable of well in excess of 210 mph ''(340 km/h)''); therefore the YZR-M1 continued in 800 cc form. In post-2006 and in 2007 pre-season testing, the new 800 cc equipped YZR-M1 (along with other 800 cc MotoGP bikes) was quicker straight out of the box than the 990 cc version of the M1. This was by virtue of later, harder braking, quicker handling, higher corner speeds, and more controllable traction, and as the 2007 season began the 800 cc YZR-M1 was expected to get quicker as its development continued. The chatter that plagued the early 2006 YZR-M1 was eliminated in the switch to 800 cc. The main sponsor for the Official Factory Yamaha Team switched from
Camel A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...
, with their distinctive yellow and blue livery, to that of the Italian motor manufacturer
Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., commonly known as simply Fiat ( , ; ), is an Italian automobile manufacturer. It became a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014 and, in 2021, became a subsidiary of Stellantis through its Italian division, Stellant ...
. The team ran initially in a blue and white colour scheme and hinted at the unusual intention of running a variety of colour schemes throughout the season. Casey Stoner won the 2007 Championship with the factory Ducati.


2008

Rossi won the 2008 Championship, by a record margin and dominated podium finishes all season. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo managed a first-ever Rookie win on the M1 at the Portuguese GP, and had 6 podium finishes.


2012

For the 2012 season, the maximum engine capacity was increased to , with a limit of 4 cylinders and a maximum 81 mm cylinder bore.
Jorge Lorenzo Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero (; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish former professional Grand Prix motorcycle racing, motorcycle racer. He is a five-time World Champion, with three List of 500cc/MotoGP Motorcycle World Champions, MotoGP World Championships ...
won the 2012 Championship, closely followed by
Dani Pedrosa Daniel Pedrosa Ramal (born 29 September 1985) is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle racer who retired from regular competition after the season. He grew up in Castellar del Vallès, a village near Sabadell. He is a ...
.


Specifications


Successes

These results are accurate up to the
2025 French motorcycle Grand Prix The 2025 French motorcycle Grand Prix (officially known as the Michelin Grand Prix of France) was the sixth round of the 2025 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season and the first round of the 2025 MotoE World Championship. All races (except for both ...
. *World Championship titles: **Constructors: 5 (, , , , ) **Riders: 8 ***
Valentino Rossi Valentino Rossi ( ; ; born 16 February 1979) is an Italian racing driver, former professional motorcycle road racer and nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. Nicknamed "the Doctor", Rossi is widely considered one of the greate ...
4 times (, , , ) ***
Jorge Lorenzo Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero (; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish former professional Grand Prix motorcycle racing, motorcycle racer. He is a five-time World Champion, with three List of 500cc/MotoGP Motorcycle World Champions, MotoGP World Championships ...
3 times (, , ) ***
Fabio Quartararo Fabio Alain Quartararo (; born 20 April 1999), nicknamed El Diablo, is a French Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle rider racing in MotoGP for Yamaha Motor Racing, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team. Having won the 2021 MotoGP Wor ...
1 time () **Teams: 7 *** Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha () *** Gauloises Yamaha Team () *** Fiat Yamaha Team (, , ) *** Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (, ) *Races won: 125: :2002: Biaggi 2 (2 in total) :2004: Rossi 9 (9 in total) :2005: Rossi 11 (11 in total) :2006: Rossi 5 (5 in total) :2007: Rossi 4 (4 in total) :2008: Rossi 9, Lorenzo 1 (10 in total) :2009: Rossi 6, Lorenzo 4 (10 in total) :2010: Lorenzo 9, Rossi 2 (11 in total) :2011: Lorenzo 3,
Spies Spies most commonly refers to people who engage in spying, espionage or clandestine operations. Spies or The Spies may also refer to: Arts and media Films * ''Spies'' (1928 film), English title for ''Spione'', a 1928 German film by Fritz Lan ...
1 (4 in total) :2012: Lorenzo 6 (6 in total) :2013: Lorenzo 8, Rossi 1 (9 in total) :2014: Rossi 2, Lorenzo 2 (4 in total) :2015: Lorenzo 7, Rossi 4 (11 in total) :2016: Lorenzo 4, Rossi2 (6 in total) :2017: Viñales 3, Rossi 1 (4 in total) :2018: Viñales 1 (1 in total) :2019: Viñales 2 (2 in total) :2020: Quartararo 3,
Morbidelli Morbidelli was an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded by Giancarlo Morbidelli in Pesaro. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the company was particularly successful in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. The team won the 125 cc world champi ...
3, Viñales 1 (7 in total) :2021: Quartararo 5, Viñales 1 (6 in total) :2022: Quartararo 3 *Poles: 123: :2002: Biaggi 4, Checa 1 (5 in total) :2004: Rossi 5, Checa 1 (6 in total) :2005: Rossi 5 (5 in total) :2006: Rossi 5 (5 in total) :2007: Rossi 4, Edwards 2 (6 in total) :2008: Lorenzo 4, Rossi 2, Edwards 1 (7 in total) :2009: Rossi 7, Lorenzo 5 (12 in total) :2010: Lorenzo 7, Rossi1,
Spies Spies most commonly refers to people who engage in spying, espionage or clandestine operations. Spies or The Spies may also refer to: Arts and media Films * ''Spies'' (1928 film), English title for ''Spione'', a 1928 German film by Fritz Lan ...
1 (9 in total) :2011: Lorenzo 2 (2 in total) :2012: Lorenzo 7 (7 in total) :2013: Lorenzo 4, Crutchlow 2 (6 in total) :2014: Rossi 1, Lorenzo 1 (2 in total) :2015: Lorenzo 5, Rossi 1 (6 in total) :2016: Lorenzo 4, Rossi 3 (7 in total) :2017: Viñales 5, Zarco 2 (7 in total) :2018: Zarco 2, Rossi 1, Viñales 1 (4 in total) :2019: Quartararo 6, Viñales 3 (9 in total) :2020: Quartararo 4, Viñales 3,
Morbidelli Morbidelli was an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded by Giancarlo Morbidelli in Pesaro. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the company was particularly successful in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. The team won the 125 cc world champi ...
2 (9 in total) :2021: Quartararo 5, Viñales 1 (6 in total) :2022: Quartararo 1 (1 in total) :2025: Quartararo 2


Complete MotoGP results

( key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap) Season still in progress.


See also

* Aprilia RS-GP *
Honda RC213V The Honda RC213V is a Japanese motorcycle developed for road racing by Honda Racing Corporation to compete in the MotoGP series from the 2012 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, 2012 season and onwards. Rules for 2012 allowed motorcycles up to in ...
*
Suzuki GSX-RR The Suzuki GSX-RR was a road racing motorcycle developed to race in the MotoGP series. Officially introduced on 30 September 2014 as the Suzuki GSV-R, GSV-R replacement, it was developed by Suzuki since 2012. History Early development (2012–2 ...
*
KTM RC16 The KTM RC16 is a prototype Grand Prix motorcycle racing, grand prix racing motorcycle which was developed to race in the MotoGP series by KTM, starting from the 2017 MotoGP season, 2017 season. History The RC16 made its debut as a wildcard entry ...
*
Ducati Desmosedici The Ducati Desmosedici is a Four-stroke engine, four-stroke V4 engine racing motorcycle made by Ducati for MotoGP racing. The series nomenclature is ''GP'' with the two-digit year appended, such as Desmosedici GP10 for 2010. In 2006 Ducati made a ...
*
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR The Ninja ZX-RR is a race bike from Kawasaki, which raced in the MotoGP world championship until 2009. The bike made its debut towards the end of the 2002 MotoGP season with riders Andrew Pitt (Australia) and Akira Yanagawa (Japan). Racing his ...


Notes


References


External links


The current YZR-M1

Yamaha Explains Use of Carburettors on M1

Yamaha Spills the Beans on YZR-M1 GP Racer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yamaha Yzr-M1 Yamaha motorcycles Grand Prix motorcycles Motorcycles introduced in 2002