Ultimate Weapon?
ULTIMATE WEAPON?
—PRESS INTROS '02—
YAMAHA YZF-R1
Up close and sensual with the redone R1
Don Canet
BARCELONA, Spain— The coastal route running from Tossa de Mar to Sant Feliu de Guixols in eastern Spain ravels 365 breathtakingly tight-knit turns into 16 miles. Carved into stone cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean, the immaculately surfaced road is accented by mid-corner bridges and a tunnel. Imagine the location of a James Bond chase scene and you get the picture. I experienced this road at a recent press launch held near Barcelona, where journalists spent a day on the track and another on the street aboard Yamaha’s newly revised YZF-R1 sportbike.
Sure, a liter-class machine may not be the obvious choice for dicing up an endless succession of tight curves. When pressed into action, however, the new fuel-injected R1 not only proved extremely sure-footed, nimble and powerful, but also highly manageable along the twisty route. Its broad spread of linear power allowed me to hold second gear throughout the 20minute stint as the 998cc inline-Four worked its midrange magic. Never was there a want for more torque, even when engine revs occasionally dipped below 3000 rpm in the slowest comers. The RI ’s strengthened frame, lightened wheels and upgraded suspension, swingarm and brakes certainly played an active role in our swift and
fluid assault on this particularly technical stretch, but the road provided an even greater testimony to the drivability of the R l’s new engine package.
The transition from carburetors to electronic fuelinjection hasn’t always resulted in the smooth move Yamaha has achieved with its Rl. Recall the abrupt throttle response that hampered Suzuki’s first-generation fuel-injected GSXR750. The Gixxer’s woes have since been solved with Suzuki’s servo-motor-controlled secondary throttlevalve design. Yamaha’s approach is equally clever, while being much simpler. The Rl’s 40mm throttle bodies resemble CV-type carburetors, each having a conventional butterfly throttle valve controlled by the
twistgrip and a vacuumoperated flatslide. Whack the throttle open as quickly as you like, yet the delayed opening of the diaphragmactuated slide maintains proper airflow velocity. The system also damps out any abruptness or glitches at small throttle openings.
Yamaha’s newly revised EXUP-equipped exhaust
system also helps smooth the power delivery. Head pipes-now made of weightsaving titanium-are stacked in pairs atop one another as they enter the EXUP collector, rather than four abreast as with the old setup. The new stainless-steel EXUP body is much lighter and narrower than its predecessor-offering improved cornering clearance-and utilizes a new high-torque servo motor. More compact than its predecessor, the servo has been relocated much closer to the EXUP. It delivers far quicker EXUP response and features a self-calibration routine to ensure proper alignment of the valves.
A bit of on-off-on riderinduced throttle input is inevitable when zipping along an unfamiliar route riddled with blind curves, stone walls and 300 feet of vertical runoff into the sea below. The Rl’s taut drivetrain and predictable throttle response allows a degree of ham-fisted input without unsettling the chassis, but treat her tender and you will be well rewarded. YZF project leader Yoshikazu Koike had stated that “maximized cornering performance” was the primary development target for this third-generation Rl. “Sensual throttle control,” he said, was a key element in reaching this goal.
Claimed peak power gains amount to 3 ponies at the curve’s 10,000-rpm
crest, but of greater significance is the engine’s enhanced over-rev delivery, said to offer some 6 horsepower more than before just shy of the 12,200-rpm rev-limiter. Look to shortened intake tracts and headers for the top-heavy shift in power delivery. The majority of engine internals have remained the same as last year’s bike.
There have been a few minor tweaks, such as the use of a more durable ceramic-composite cylinder coating and a reshaped oil
pan offering increased capacity. A smarter low-oil warning light has replaced the old setup, which tended to cry wolf. The airbox now draws from the front rather than ingesting hotter air residing at the rear of the engine as before. Gearbox action is slightly lighter in feel due to reduced friction between the shift drum and forks, along with a slightly longer shift-lever stroke.
The ride from the Circuit de Catalunya out to the coast offered varied roads. A 30-minute stretch of free way demonstrated the revised fairing and wind-
screen’s improved wind management and reduced helmet buffeting. It also confirmed that the revised riding position-more trackfocused than before-isn’t a strong candidate for sporttouring duty. Leaving the highway behind, we traveled some bumpier roads with fast, flowing curves. Here, superb stability and light, neutral handling came to the fore. Passing through the heart of a few cities provided enough traffic stops to get a sense for the bike’s intown character. My only gripe, and a small one at that, is that the 6-degree reduction in steering lock-due to a change in the angle of the clip-ons-makes tight U-turns a bit more difficult. Of course, on the racetrack the previous day none of this mattered.
The last time I visited the world-class Catalunya circuit, I was aboard a Suzuki Hayabusa, a stark contrast to the bike I rode this time around. At 426 pounds with a full fuel load and a claimed 152 horsepower on tap, the R1 delivers the goods in all areas, with strong acceleration on the straights, serious braking potential and superb steering precision.
With the standard-fitment Dunlop D208 Sportmax II street radiais, cornering grip in the rear was fairly limited. While the tires worked exceptionally well on public roads, slides were far too common on the track to tap the chassis’ true potential. It wasn’t just a case of applying too much throttle, either; there were several instances of the back stepping out while maintaining light and steady power while leaned over in the heart of a comer. The new Deltabox III frame locates the engine 20mm higher to better centralize mass around the rolling axis. It also offers cornering-clearance dividends, should you fit stickier tires.
The limited grip placed added emphasis on Mr. Koike’s promise of promise of “sensual throttle control.” I strove to get the most out of every corner by flirting with subtle rear-end drift without allowing the big breakaway. Picking the bike up as early as possible to get the tire off its shoulder allowed pretty aggressive drives out of comers.
On the flipside, the front never gave me a worry all day. Grip was on par with front brake power and turnin felt nice and linear-even while braking deep into the apex. Rake remains at 24 degrees with a .4-inch increase in trail to 4.1 inches. Weight distribution is now slightly more rearward, but a .6-inch reduction in fork stroke along with firmer spring rates at both ends have reduced chassis pitch across the 54.9-inch wheelbase.
I can’t imagine the YZFR1 giving Suzuki’s GSXR1000 a fit in terms of outright brute strength, but it may be the better choice for real-world street riding. The Yamaha’s changes have also come just in time to fend off the advancements of Honda’s new CBR954RR. For ultra-sportbike fans, Open-class options are truly wide-open this year.
