Since this bike isn't especially well known in the United States, a bit of history might be in order.  By 1996 Yamaha knew that they needed a liter-class bike that was more focused towards the sporting end of the motorcycle spectrum.  Although the FZR1000 was a favorite with Yamaha fans, it was getting a bit long in the tooth.   The basic FZR design was nearly a decade old, tracing its roots back to 1987.   Newer designs from other manufacturers were lighter, faster and sharper handling.   The FZR just wasn't the sales leader Yamaha needed.  Clearly, something had to be done. 

By late 1995, Yamaha had begun work on the R1, but they still needed a liter bike here and now.  The answer was as quick and simple as a bit of parts bin engineering.   The five-valve Genesis motor in the FZR1000 motor was widely regarded as one of the best in the business.  It was reliable, user-friendly and delivered about 130 horsepower in stock form.  Where the FZR suffered was its long wheelbase and slow handling.  On the other hand, Yamaha had the Superbike-spec YZF750 frame.  The YZF was just what they needed -- shorter and quicker steering.  Wouldn't it be nice if they could shoehorn a FZR1000 engine into a YZF750 frame?  As race tuners and a few brave individuals had already found out, the 1000 would fit between the YZF frame rails.  Voile!  The YZF1000 was born.  

Yamaha unveiled the new YZF1000, or Thunderace as it was known, at the Paris motorcycle show in October 1995.  It was released throughout Europe as a 1996 model.  By the time the YZF1000 had made the trip across the Pacific to the United States in 1997, the Thunderace name was dropped (perhaps due the British press redubbing it the "ThunderArse") but everything else remained the same. 

But fame, in the United States at least, is fleeting.  With the introduction of the R1 in 1998, Yamaha so thoroughly revolutionized the open class sport bike that the YZF was considered a dinosaur.  Although Motorcyclist delared the YZF the Worlds Best Sportbike in October 1997, it was not imported in 1998. 

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I no longer have a Thunderace, so these pages are updated as I have time.  They are an ongoing work in progress and reflect my own personal thoughts.  If you have any questions or comments, please drop me a line.

This page last updated: January 23, 2000