• The R1 has chain drive and six gears.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  The Yamaha YZF-R1, or simply the R1, is a sportsbike with 998cc of engine displacement. The R1 was introduced in 1998 and is still being produced as of 2010. It was the first production sportsbike to fit a one-liter engine to a 600cc chassis. Previously a bigger engine had been matched with a bigger chassis. The 2003 version of the R1 can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in three seconds flat.
  
  

Engine

• The 2003 R1 has a 998cc (or 60.9-cubic-inch) engine with four cylinders arranged in a line. The bike is four-stroke, which means the pistons take four strokes to complete an engine cycle.
  
  The bore and stroke of the engine are 2.9 inches by 2.3 inches, and the compression ratio is 11.8:1. Bore is the diameter of the engine cylinder opening, and stroke is the total distance the piston travels up and down. Compression ratio is the ratio of the volume between the piston and the cylinder head before and after a compression stroke.
  
  The R1 engine produces 152 horsepower and 77.4 pound-feet of torque. Torque is the turning force operating on the drive system that turns the wheels.
  
  

Transmission, Suspension and Brakes

• The R1 has a chain final drive system with six manual gears. The front suspension has inverted forks that are adjustable for a harder or softer ride, and the rear suspension is a single shock that is adjustable for a comfortable ride.
  
  The front brake of the R1 is a dual disc 11.7 inches in diameter with four piston calipers. The rear brakes is a single disc 8.7 inches in diameter with two piston calipers. A disc brake is a fixed metal disc with pads that push against it when the brake is applied to create friction and slow the wheel. The piston calipers operate the pad by hydraulic pressure from a compressed cylinder.
  
  

Dimensions

• The R1 is 80.3 inches long, 27.8 inches wide and 43.5 inches high. The bike has a wheelbase of 54.9 inches and a seat height of 32.3 inches. The fuel tank holds 4.5 gallons of gasoline, and the bike weighs 383.6 pounds. The front tires are size 120/70-17, and the rear tires are 190/50-17.