VALENTINO Rossi is set to test Yamaha’s new R1 in the next couple of weeks, according to Italian news website Gazzetta.
They say the test could take place between this Sunday’s MotoGP race at Motegi and the following round at Phillip Island on 19 October.
Yamaha recently released a teaser video suggesting a new sportsbike would be unveiled at EICMA show, Milan, on 3 November.
The short clip features sketches of single-sided swingarms, large brake calipers, fully adjustable forks and an emphasis on track riding, suggesting that the bike we’ll see in Milan is a new generation R1.
The 2015 bike is said to use an updated version of the four-cylinder crossplane crank engine found in the current R1, and not a three-cylinder as predicted a couple of years ago.
As well as styling changes, the new R1 is expected to be available in two variations; a racing version rumoured to make 230hp and feature revised traction control and electronic suspension, and a standard version making less power from the ‘CP4’ engine with dual-clutch transmission available.
