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Gallery: A close-up look at the Pata Yamaha R1 World Superbike

Up close and personal with the fully equipped R1 superbike that the factory Pata Yamaha team will use in World Superbike

By Kent Kunitsugu

January 22, 2016

Yamaha returns to the World Superbike Championship in 2016 with the Pata Yamaha team and a brace of factory-prepped R1s.Photography courtesy of Yamaha Racing

Yamaha recently held its world racing press launch where it introduced its factory World Championship racing teams in Barcelona, Spain. Included in that presentation was the new Pata Yamaha World Superbike Championship team, marking the Yamaha factory's return to the production-based series. Staffed by Paul Denning's Crescent Racing squad (who used to handle Suzuki's WSBK effort), the team's riders—former WSBK champion Sylvain Guintoli and former British Superbike champion Alex Lowes—will be contesting the series on Yamaha's latest generation R1. Although the rules have become stricter with regards to engine modifications in World Superbike, there's still a lot of leeway when it comes to electronics and suspension. And the new factory R1s definitely didn't hold back in those departments...

So feast your eyes on this collection of bike porn as we take you up close and personal with the factory Yamaha R1 superbike...

With extra space at a premium on a modern sportbike, the part of the Marelli CAN-Bus access panel had to be installed behind the cylinder bank on the left side. GB Racing case protector shields the left crankcase cover, with the Avio Race load cell for the quickshifter sitting atop the shift linkage shaft.Photo courtesy of Yamaha Racing

With standalone electronics still permitted in World Superbike, the factory Pata Yamaha R1 makes full use of the latest Magneti Marelli system, with the usual array of handlebar-mounted buttons to change everything from engine mapping to launch control.Photo courtesy of Yamaha Racing

Note the captured rear axle setup that deletes the axle nut and allows much quicker rear wheel swaps. Note also the titanium rear wheel stand....Photo courtesy of Yamaha Racing

Vaunted exhaust manufacturer Akrapovic supplied its latest Evolution Line racing unit, while Öhlins supplied its latest TTX-GP rear shock for the factory Yamaha. The captured rear axle/brake caliper setup is more visible in this shot.Photo courtesy of Yamaha Racing

Öhlins' latest superbike racing fork is paired with Brembo's latest nickel-plated aluminum monoblock calipers and 330mm discs. Note the unique disc float attachments that no longer use "buttons".Photo courtesy of Yamaha Racing

Nicely machined footpegs on fully adjustable mounts ensure the rider's feet have a firm grip. Blue line on the Öhlins shock is for the remote hydraulic preload adjuster.Photo courtesy of Yamaha Racing