Yamaha’s 2012 R1 will face its Superbike foes with the aid of traction control.

Yamaha hails the R1 traction control system as a direct byproduct of its title-winning MotoGP racing program.

The Yamaha R1 in World GP 50th Anniversary Edition livery rings in at $14,490.

The 998cc Inline Four powering the R1 retains its crossplane crankshaft that first debuted on the 2009 model.

The 2012 Yamaha R1 in Raven colorway has an MSRP of $13,990.

The standard Yamaha blue/white paint scheme on the 2012 R1 will retail for $13,990.

The R1 chassis is unaltered. Spec sheets of the 2012 and 2011 models are identical, from steering geometry to length, width and height dimensions (excepting a nominal 0.1-inch lift in seat height).

Significant R1 updates are all internal, as the “re-styled” headlight cowl appears different from the predecessor only in a bold new graphics sort of way.

Most notable for the 2012 Yamaha Superbike is what hasn’t been changed. No ABS system was introduced, and there has been zero weight reduction.

Yamaha’s R6 Supersport entry goes another year without a major overhaul

The R6 will also be offered up in a World GP 50th Anniversary Edition for $11,390 – the special edition limited to 1500 worldwide.