Yamaha R1 to go 4-valve

The company has stuck by five-valve heads (three inlet and two exhaust) since their introduction on the FZ750 in the late 1980s. That unconventional design was touted as offering a better spread of power, although its was difficult to prove in the face of some very hot four-valve competition.

For next year, the R1 will feature an engine that is completely new along with the inevitable cosmetic revisions. UK Motorcycle News (www.motorcyclenews.com) ran this picture as a preview of the new chap.