The R1 is Dead? Absolutely Not! The future of Yamaha motorcycles

Just one year into his tenure as President of Yamaha Motor Europe, Olivier Prévost discusses the challenges of a mature market, the pressure for innovation, and Yamaha's response to shifting rider expectations. In this candid interview with Poky (1000PS), Prévost explains why the legendary R1 isn't gone for good, why Y-AMT could redefine accessibility, and how customer feedback—not engineering ego—will shape Yamaha's next chapter.

Poky, 1000PS: You started as President of Yamaha Motor Europe in 2024. What are your top priorities to strengthen Yamaha's position in the European market?

Olivier Prévost: Thats right, I started in January 2024. The European motorcycle market is mature, with no growth. Many new players are entering, trying to take a slice of a fixed-size cake. My goal is to protect Yamaha's presence through four pillars: the product line-up, our market share, our dealer network — which we must keep strong as partners — and the Yamaha brand itself. Seventy years of heritage give us the experience and credibility to keep European riders satisfied.

Poky: So it's important to have a flagship model people can relate to. Is it about performance, technology, or emotion?

Prévost: A flagship can take many forms—a supersport bike, a grand tourer, or an adventure machine. The point is to showcase Yamaha's innovation. Many new manufacturers can only compete up to 700 cc because they lack the tech. Yamaha has it, and we must demonstrate it through flagship models.

Poky: There's currently no street-legal R1 planned for 2026. Will it return?

Prévost: I can't give a direct answer, but we are not giving up. The R1 represents part of Yamaha's identity, and we won't abandon that.

Poky: Fans talk about a Ténéré 900 based on the CP3 engine. Is that realistic?

Prévost: We listen carefully to our customers. Many loyal Ténéré 700 riders want to step up, and today we don't offer that option. We're feeding this feedback to Japan. I can't confirm it, but we can't ignore it. We're not here to build engineers' dreams—we're here to build riders' dreams.

Poky: The new Tracer 7 GT with Y-AMT shows Yamaha's approach to semi-automatic shifting. Will it expand further?

Prévost: Yes. Our vision is to make Y-AMT a mass-market feature. Some riders will always prefer a clutch—and that's fine—but others find motorcycles intimidating. Y-AMT makes riding easier and more accessible. We want it across categories and displacements. No limitations.

Poky: Yamaha showed the PROTO BEV and H₂ Buddy Porter concepts. Which path do you believe fits Europe best?

Prévost: It's still uncertain. The market largely prefers combustion engines. Electric makes sense for urban mobility, but demand for electric motorcycles remains small. We're exploring several paths—electric, hydrogen combustion, hybrid—and even use hydrogen in marine engines. There won't be one single solution; leisure bikes might use hydrogen or alternative fuels, while city commuters go electric.

Poky: What's the optimal model-cycle duration for Yamaha today?

Prévost: It depends on the segment. Racing models like YZ and TMAX update roughly every two years. For mass-market models, four years feels right. It aligns with regulatory cycles—Euro 7 and the next expected stage around 2029. So yes, about four years seems the right rhythm.

Poky: Yamaha confirmed a new V4 engine for MotoGP 2026. How will that affect street bikes?

Prévost: Racing serves multiple missions—winning, building image, and developing technology for production. We must first prove the V4's performance in racing. Once we've done that, we can evaluate how to bring it to production. That's how racing feeds the road.

Poky: If we meet again next year, which bikes or innovations will define Yamaha's success?

Prévost: Within three years we'll launch more than ten completely new models—not facelifts or replacements, but additions to the lineup. When we meet again, I expect several of them to be on display.

Poky: Thank you very much.

Prévost: Thank you.