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Yamaha YZF-R1 Receives the Famous Red Dot Award for Product Design

The 2016 Red Dot Award for Product Design is the third accolade that goes to Yamaha's new generation superbike, the 2015 YZF-R1. The R1 thus marks a most important moment in Iwata's history, as it brings the fifth consecutive Red Dot award for Yamaha Motor.
Yamaha YZF-R1 pictured in the right half of the photo 1 photo
Photo: Yamaha
As we mentioned, the YZF-R1 also received two other big awards, the Good Design Award 2015 and the iF Design Award 2016. Frankly, we were expecting that its track-only R1M version received this award, because it was a more technologically advanced piece of machinery. Still, seeing the base version of the superbike being crowned is enough recognition for the design prowess of Iwata's crew.

Now, the new-generation R1 that was introduced to the public at EICMA 2014 has stirred up quite a controversy. Of course, the fact that Yamaha's designers strayed from the path they had been following for years was the one element that made the headlines.

The truth is that the new R1 has nothing to do with the previous versions of this model. Truly, a rather bold and even strange apparition, especially when compared to the older models, the 2015 YZF-R1 is a modern machine, following the industry trend.

A bit edgier, and looking more compact that anything Yamaha created before it, the 2015 R1 is a matter of love or hate, with the two headlights also being one of the first modified things that riders notice.

Underneath the fairing, the R1 packs a 200 hp crossplane in-line four engine, equipped with a heap of modern tech. The list includes banking-sensitive Traction Control and Slide Control, a 6-axis IMU with Gyro/G sensors for 3D motion data, Front Lift Control and Launch Control, banking-sensitive Racing ABS/Unified Brake System and many more that make the new YZF-R1 one of the spearheading superbikes of the moment. How the new R1 will fare in international competitions against its tough BMW, Ducati, or Kawasaki rivals after Yamaha sorts out all the small issues with the new model only time will tell.
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