Yamaha YZF-R1: PH2 Review
First track test for the most eagerly awaited bike of 2015 ... it's good too!
When we arrived at Eastern Creek the rain was falling, but after it dried out enough to be deemed safe by the Yamaha staff to unleash us on 200hp bikes we formed up. The instructions were simple enough - follow the lead rider. But here was the problem, I was second in the queue and ahead was Kevin Magee. Yeah, he has a bit of form. Rainey's team mate, serial GP winner and so on. I've not won a GP and what followed was two laps of attempting to man up and keeping Kevin in sight while not binning the bike or holding up the rest of the riders too much. The fact I survived the incident is a hell of a testament to the new R1...
Sophisticated electronics work superbly
Yamaha claim a lot of YZR-M1 influence in the new R1 and it shows. The old R1 felt a bit big and bulbous when you sat on it where this new one immediately feels like a racer. The bars are narrow, the screen tall and sharply angled and aside from the very cool LCD dash, there is a hell of a lot of air and not much else inside that nose cowl - just like a racer. Fire it up and the engine's note has changed; there is still the off-beat crossplane sound, but it now has a slight whine of urgency and a faster pick-up when you blip the throttle. Also, before I rode the bike, a Japanese technician reset a million and one variables and I have to say, he made it look very simple. Shame the track was wet - or was it?
There is a lot to be said for doing your first few laps of a new circuit in the damp as it helps you learn the way while getting a feel for the bike. Despite the R1's power, it also has an extremely impressive electronics package and I was certainly leaning on this due to the conditions. Dropping into downhill wet corners the ABS gave me confidence in the front end to brake hard in a straight line and exiting corners the traction control was also certainly effective. And when the front came up under power the wheelie control (it's not anti-wheelie, it simply controls the rate of the front wheel's acceleration upwards) was also doing its job, albeit with a bit too much keenness. The throttle response was a bit abrupt, but the Japanese chap had it set in quite an aggressive power mode (one of maximum responsiveness) and I didn't want to change anything. Session survived, a bit of dry track was now required to push the pace up. Come on Aussie sun, do your stuff...
200hp and 199kg wet. Feeling brave?
After staring at the clouds and praying for sun, the first afternoon session started with the Yamaha test rider declaring the track now dry and it was game on. Tyre warmers off, we lined up once again and this time the lead rider took off like scalded cat. Another stern talking to inside my helmet and it was knee down at the first corner and riding the R1 far harder than before. Now, where in the wet the chassis felt stiff and a bit uncompromising, it made sense. I'm no racer, but I understand when a chassis wants you to force the bike into bends, compressing the suspension and driving the rubber into the tarmac. The older R1 was a good handling track bike, but ultimately a bit heavy; this new bike could hardly be more different. After the first few tight bends, Eastern Creek opens up into a long uphill fast right that is approached on the brakes down a slope. Here it was a case of throwing the R1 in and trusting the front end, something that Magee ahead did and I just copied. Probably at a slightly slower speed.
On the power again, the traction control giving me the confidence to simply crack it fully open and after a few more bends we were entering a new section of track comprising a series of left/right flicks. Kneedown to kneedown, the R1 felt awesome and required very little effort at all to haul it from side to side. To me it feels more compact than the BMW S1000RR, something that can often get in the way for a gangly person like myself when climbing around the bike. It's been a while since I rode one, but I'd say it feels similar in size to an R6. In fact Yamaha slotted the new R1 motor into an R6 chassis as a test bed so they really must be quite close. Then, just as I was starting to feel like I was riding the bike, Magee's foot was down and he was running wide. I worked out what was happening almost the same instant my visor was hit with a sheet of rain. Back to waiting in the pits then...
R1m tested also - more to follow!
Finally, with the day nearing the end, we got two dry full sessions on the R1. What a bike! A warm track and the R1 allows you to ride to a level that you would never have thought possible. The electronic assists are quite simply amazing and although at first the suspension felt a little stiff, once you increase the pace it all makes sense. This is a bike built to be right at home on track and I honestly don't think I've pushed a bike as hard before. The
crossplane engine doesn't give you the initial rush of acceleration that you get with a conventional in-line four, but its relaxed character makes it very easy to exploit all its power without being intimidated. Do this and it's still bloody fast! The quickshifter works seamlessly and even the dash is crisp and clear. One thing I did notice was that the light that warns you an electronic assist has just saved your bacon is a bit dim, where on the S1000RR it is nice and bright. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing. Good it is less distracting, bad I wasn't 100 per cent sure if any of the assists were assisting! To be honest, while the R1's chassis is outstanding, the main story is the electronics package as it is so effective it encourages you to lean on it. Hit the apex, nail the throttle and hang on.
A new generation of superbike?
Having only ridden about four sessions hard on the R1 (and a further two on the R1M) I feel like I've hardly scratched the surface of what this bike is capable of. The bottom line, however, is that this is a proper effort by Yamaha not some half-arsed response to the S1000RR. It would take a national level racer to accurately split them on track and at the end of the day it would be a fairly pointless exercise for most riders. For a fast group track day rider such as myself, or even a slow group novice, the level of electronic assists on the R1 will make you faster, safer and feel like Rossi. At the end of the day, isn't that what it's all about? Those who have pre-ordered one will be very happy indeed. And yes, the R1M is also pretty special, but more on that later.
YAMAHA YZF-R1
Engine: 998cc inline 4-cyl
Power (hp): 200hp@13,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 82@11,500rpm
Top speed: 186mph (est)
Weight: 199kg (wet)
MPG: 35 (est)
Price: £14,999 (R1M £18,499)
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