Our engineers live for sportbikes. They're never satisfied and continually push the boundaries of what's possible.

Perfection may not be attainable in this lifetime, if you listen to the philosophers. Our best refutation of that ridiculous argument is the YZF-R1 -- a motorcycle that represents just how close we've come to refining the 20-valve, Deltabox III-framed R1 into the rippingest two-wheeled conveyance ever released on planet Earth. The worldwide media has tripped all over itself heaping praise upon the R1 ever since its introduction, including being named Sport Rider magazine's Bike of the Year not once, but twice.

Our suction-piston fuel injection marries modern fuel injection with vacuum-slide carburetor simplicity to produce the most seamless throttle response in the business. Forty-millimeter throttle bodies keep all 12 intake valves well-nourished all the way to redline. The exhaust head pipes and muffler are titanium, and contain a catalyst as well as our patented EXUP system for a crisp, clean burn.

Our Deltabox III frame embraces the engine as a stressed piece of the frame, making the whole stronger than the sum of its parts. Made up entirely of castings, this breakthrough hunk of metallurgical artwork uses just two welds, unlike the 16 on the frame a generation before. Stacked transmission shafts keep the engine short and allow use of an unusually long swingarm, even within the confines of the class' shortest wheelbase.

Again in 2003, the R1 is the motorcycle against which all other supersport machines are measured.

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