andrew
01-08-2009, 05:52 AM
YAMAHA'S 2009 RI is the first road -going sportsbike to boast true MotoGP-style engine technology, using the same ideas that have brought the factory success with Valentino Rossi's MI race bike.
Top of the list of a long line of technical and visual changes - which include an all-new engine, new chassis and styling alterations - is a radical modification to the way the RI's motor delivers its power. By using a unique crankshaft layout and firing order - the same principle used in Rossi's MI MotoGP bike - Yamaha say the RI's engine gives the rider a more direct feeling between throttle input and the rear wheel than a standard inline four, which in turn lets him find more grip and gives better traction out of corners.
'It feels sensational. Really different and exciting to ride: says Yamaha's European test rider Mark Vrind, who was involved in the RI'S development in Japan. 'You get a completely linear feeling between the throttle and acceleration, so you can open it up sooner in the corner. It also sounds totally different - deeper and richer than the high-pitched scream of a normal inline four.'
The new engine - at 998cc it's the same size as before, but uses bigger bores and a shoner stroke - is said to make I79bhp, two up on last year's claimed 177bhp (which was I67bhp at the wheel, so expect a genuine 170 from the new bike). But Yamaha are keen to point out the new engine isn't about more power, but finding a way to let the rider use it. 'Yes the new bike is quicker than the old one: says project leader Toyoshi Nishida, 'but it depends on the rider. We didn't focus on maximum horsepower, we focused on torque character and delivery. Any extra power is a side-effect of our work.'
572
Elsewhere in the engine the RI keeps Yamaha's hitech fly-by-wire throttle and variable intake trumpet length technology (both of which were introduced to the previous RI to help control its power output). But now, like Suzuki's GSX-R power mode switch, Yamaha offer three levels of engine response: standard, spons and a soft delivery for use in tricky conditions. The selected mode is displayed on a new set of clocks, alongside a gear position indicator.
The RI's chassis is a development of previous models. A lighter, stronger version of Yamaha's aluminium Deltabox frame gets new Kayaba forks (with compression adjustment in one leg and rebound in the other), a new shock with innovative dropped down linkage, new swingarm, new six-pot radial brakes and a speed-sensitive steering damper (as per the GSX-R1ooo and Fireblade), which increases damping force as speed increases. Steering geometry and weight is the same as the old bike, but the engine is moved forward in the frame for more front end grip. Other new features include adjustable footpegs and twin projector headlights, which use a solenoidoperated shade to switch between high and low beam.
The 2009 RI will be available in three colours; black/grey, blue and white, and a white ve'rsion with a red frame. Bikes will be in showrooms from Febtuary and although price has yet to be set.
Top of the list of a long line of technical and visual changes - which include an all-new engine, new chassis and styling alterations - is a radical modification to the way the RI's motor delivers its power. By using a unique crankshaft layout and firing order - the same principle used in Rossi's MI MotoGP bike - Yamaha say the RI's engine gives the rider a more direct feeling between throttle input and the rear wheel than a standard inline four, which in turn lets him find more grip and gives better traction out of corners.
'It feels sensational. Really different and exciting to ride: says Yamaha's European test rider Mark Vrind, who was involved in the RI'S development in Japan. 'You get a completely linear feeling between the throttle and acceleration, so you can open it up sooner in the corner. It also sounds totally different - deeper and richer than the high-pitched scream of a normal inline four.'
The new engine - at 998cc it's the same size as before, but uses bigger bores and a shoner stroke - is said to make I79bhp, two up on last year's claimed 177bhp (which was I67bhp at the wheel, so expect a genuine 170 from the new bike). But Yamaha are keen to point out the new engine isn't about more power, but finding a way to let the rider use it. 'Yes the new bike is quicker than the old one: says project leader Toyoshi Nishida, 'but it depends on the rider. We didn't focus on maximum horsepower, we focused on torque character and delivery. Any extra power is a side-effect of our work.'
572
Elsewhere in the engine the RI keeps Yamaha's hitech fly-by-wire throttle and variable intake trumpet length technology (both of which were introduced to the previous RI to help control its power output). But now, like Suzuki's GSX-R power mode switch, Yamaha offer three levels of engine response: standard, spons and a soft delivery for use in tricky conditions. The selected mode is displayed on a new set of clocks, alongside a gear position indicator.
The RI's chassis is a development of previous models. A lighter, stronger version of Yamaha's aluminium Deltabox frame gets new Kayaba forks (with compression adjustment in one leg and rebound in the other), a new shock with innovative dropped down linkage, new swingarm, new six-pot radial brakes and a speed-sensitive steering damper (as per the GSX-R1ooo and Fireblade), which increases damping force as speed increases. Steering geometry and weight is the same as the old bike, but the engine is moved forward in the frame for more front end grip. Other new features include adjustable footpegs and twin projector headlights, which use a solenoidoperated shade to switch between high and low beam.
The 2009 RI will be available in three colours; black/grey, blue and white, and a white ve'rsion with a red frame. Bikes will be in showrooms from Febtuary and although price has yet to be set.