David Gower
09-19-2009, 10:37 AM
In 1998 Yamaha turned the world of superbikes on its head with the YZF-R1. It was the lightest and fastest production sportsbike to ever grace our roads. The litre machine roared onto the 1998 scene with lS0PS and 180kg, to cries of: 'That's far too monstrous to manage!' Of course, those numbers are peanuts nowadays. Take last year's bike. The 2008 R1 got 180PS wrapped in a claimed 177kg dry weight chassis. It was capable of 168kmph in first gear, did nought to sixty in less than three seconds and it could lap a grand prix circuit within 10 per cent of the fastest MotoGP times. Oh, and I clocked a genuine 199.3kmph on a bog standard 2007 R1 fresh out of the showroom. But forget all of that. Eleven years after the first ever R1 hit the scene, Yamaha's done it again, revolutionising the litre bike class with the all-new R1 that's unlike any other motorcycle on our roads.
It's at Brands Hatch race circuit that I get my first chance to ride the R1 Sit on the R1 blindfolded, fire it up and blip the throttle and you'd bet your mortgage that it's a V-twin. The sound, the feel, the vibes are all so unmistakably twin-cylinder, and the sensation continues as you get going at low revs. But pick up speed to hit the midrange and suddenly, you'd swear it's a triple. There's still so much torque, but with an engine that revs more freely than a twin. And so you become convinced that power will tail off as you climb higher up the rev range, just as it would on a twin or a triple. Instead, it turns magically into the screaming inline four-cylinder you always expected the R1 to be. Talk about best of all worlds!
The R1 gives a superb connection from the throttle to the seat of the pants all the way to the rear tyre. You can feel the tyre dig in, giving you confidence to get the power down early and hard. The engine is so tractable you can use first gear or sixth gear around Brands Hatch's tight Druids corner and still make good progress, an invaluable trait for the roads. There is no other bike like it.
5289
The secret to Yamaha's unique power characteristics is the engine's crossplane crankshaft with its irregular firing intervals. Yamaha has been using this system in MotoGP champ Valentino Rossi's M1 since 2004, with the difference that the crank spins backwards on Rossi's bike. But it's the first time this kind of system has been used on a production motorcycle. The crossplane crank has its pins set at 90°, instead of at 180° on a more traditional engine. And with none of the four pistons hitting top or bottom dead centre at the same time, the crank's inertial torque is non-existent. This means the crank spins smoothly rather than in little jerks, and this smoothness is passed on to the rear tyre. The rider is left with that excellent connection that lets her (or him!) lay down more power sooner out of corners. It's no surprise the new R1 has been winning so many races in this year's World Superbike Championship (WSB), with the help of course of the world's coolest rider, Ben Spies. The WSB teams have also noted how the smoother delivery has been responsible for improved tyre life. This is an invaluable advantage during those long hard races. And think of the savings for you and me on the roads what with today's exorbitant tyre prices.
Engine braking is also greatly reduced on the R1 compared to a regular 1000cc inline-four cylinder machine. This is coupled with the best production slipper clutch I've ever experienced that must be on its way to putting aftermarket slipper clutch manufacturers such as $igma out'ofbusiness. The radial brakes have an instant bite and progressiveness, and you need them to be this good because you run into corners much faster than you'd expect with so little ,engine braking. Meanwhile the state-of-the-art suspension is adjustable every which way, and ready to race once you've firmed up the standard settings with a tweak of the adjusters. Or you could keep a soft set up to soak up beautifully those potholed roads ...
Physically, Yamaha's R1 feels like a 600 supers port machine, not a big 1000cc. Climb on board and the mass disappears; the bike's a dream to fling round a tight racetrack. Handling is sharp and precise, it goes where you
want it and holds a perfect line.
It's at Brands Hatch race circuit that I get my first chance to ride the R1 Sit on the R1 blindfolded, fire it up and blip the throttle and you'd bet your mortgage that it's a V-twin. The sound, the feel, the vibes are all so unmistakably twin-cylinder, and the sensation continues as you get going at low revs. But pick up speed to hit the midrange and suddenly, you'd swear it's a triple. There's still so much torque, but with an engine that revs more freely than a twin. And so you become convinced that power will tail off as you climb higher up the rev range, just as it would on a twin or a triple. Instead, it turns magically into the screaming inline four-cylinder you always expected the R1 to be. Talk about best of all worlds!
The R1 gives a superb connection from the throttle to the seat of the pants all the way to the rear tyre. You can feel the tyre dig in, giving you confidence to get the power down early and hard. The engine is so tractable you can use first gear or sixth gear around Brands Hatch's tight Druids corner and still make good progress, an invaluable trait for the roads. There is no other bike like it.
5289
The secret to Yamaha's unique power characteristics is the engine's crossplane crankshaft with its irregular firing intervals. Yamaha has been using this system in MotoGP champ Valentino Rossi's M1 since 2004, with the difference that the crank spins backwards on Rossi's bike. But it's the first time this kind of system has been used on a production motorcycle. The crossplane crank has its pins set at 90°, instead of at 180° on a more traditional engine. And with none of the four pistons hitting top or bottom dead centre at the same time, the crank's inertial torque is non-existent. This means the crank spins smoothly rather than in little jerks, and this smoothness is passed on to the rear tyre. The rider is left with that excellent connection that lets her (or him!) lay down more power sooner out of corners. It's no surprise the new R1 has been winning so many races in this year's World Superbike Championship (WSB), with the help of course of the world's coolest rider, Ben Spies. The WSB teams have also noted how the smoother delivery has been responsible for improved tyre life. This is an invaluable advantage during those long hard races. And think of the savings for you and me on the roads what with today's exorbitant tyre prices.
Engine braking is also greatly reduced on the R1 compared to a regular 1000cc inline-four cylinder machine. This is coupled with the best production slipper clutch I've ever experienced that must be on its way to putting aftermarket slipper clutch manufacturers such as $igma out'ofbusiness. The radial brakes have an instant bite and progressiveness, and you need them to be this good because you run into corners much faster than you'd expect with so little ,engine braking. Meanwhile the state-of-the-art suspension is adjustable every which way, and ready to race once you've firmed up the standard settings with a tweak of the adjusters. Or you could keep a soft set up to soak up beautifully those potholed roads ...
Physically, Yamaha's R1 feels like a 600 supers port machine, not a big 1000cc. Climb on board and the mass disappears; the bike's a dream to fling round a tight racetrack. Handling is sharp and precise, it goes where you
want it and holds a perfect line.