It is a very good looking bike that has been doing this to its admirers since it was introduced in 1998, when it knocked Honda's ground-breaking CBR900RR, a.k.a. the Fireblade, from the top of the most desirable bike to own list.
Since then, Honda has introduced the 929, and revised it into the current 954 model, Kawasaki has breathed new life into the '02 ZX-9R and Suzuki has crushed the competition with its GSX-R1000 two years running, mainly by virtue of its King Kong motor.
Yamaha needed to do something to keep its liter bike in the thick of things. But what to do? More horsepower? Better handling? Lighter weight? How about a little of all three?
The engine is quite a presence with this motorcycle. It makes strong power everywhere. Pulling away from a stoplight, it only needs the slightest turn of the throttle to get you moving ahead of traffic. Driving out of a corner at 3000 rpm or 8000, it pulls equally smooth and equally hard, as there does not seem to be any discernable power band. It just keeps building more power with the increasing rpms. Using the six-speed transmission is a positive, precise experience. I never once missed a shift. The lever throw feels a touch heavy and long, but has a roller-bearing feel to its movement, smooth and polished. Pull at the clutch lever is a little stiff, but it doesn't compare to the Gold's Gym - like pull required on a Ducati. That said about the transmission, the motor virtually takes gear selection out of the thought process. For any given corner, it seems you have the choice of any one of three gears. Just turn the throttle, whatever gear, whatever rpm, the motor will do the rest efficiently, and as forcefully as you want. "As you want."
Those last three words are firmly entrenched in the R1 project leader's Yoshikazu Koike's design goal. Rider control, harmony between rider and machine. This was partially accomplished with the introduction of fuel injection.
Turn on the ignition key, watch the instruments cycle through their assigned operations and hear the fuel pump pressurize the injectors. Thumb the starter and the bike sounds like a Lexus on start up, a very healthy Lexus. Immediately, the bike is ready to ride away.
A ride height adjuster would be a nice addition to a sport bike of this caliber, and would be effectively used to raise the rear in an effort to speed steering a bit and get a little more weight on the front during acceleration. Honda and Kawasaki both have included a ride height adjuster, so why not Yamaha? Stability, I feel would not be jeopardized, and grip at the rear tire should be largely unaffected. Raising the fork tubes in the triple clamps would have the same effect but would also reduce ground clearance, which by the way, is excellent. I never touched anything down. Still, the suspension should satisfy most riders on the street. See below for the suspension setup I used.
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