Craw-Daddy!
Craw-Daddy!
Jamie James creates the best tuner-special we’ve ever ridden. Available at your local Yamaha dealer.
DON CANET
WHAT HARDCORE sportbike enthusiast hasn't fantasized about owning a factory Superbike as his personal street ride? Ignore the cost factor and the cold reality remains that these purpose-built performance machines would prove highly impractical and downright brutal as daily transportation. Heck, the older I get the more I’ve come to appreciate every last ounce of comfort and convenience a stone-stock sportbike has to offer. I’ve even grown shy of some bikes with only the slightest performance modifications.
CYCLE WORLD TEST
Arriving at a successful formula for improving the real-world performance of today’s highly refined sportbikes is seldom as simple as the bolt-on solutions the ads for many aftermarket products might suggest. It stands to reason that the more parts thrown into the mix, the greater the potential for upsetting the balance manufacturers work so hard to obtain.
When the Jamie James Productions Yamaha YZF-R1 arrived at Cycle World's doorstep to undergo a full road test, I kept my expectations in check. I didn’t really see how a bike bearing the 1989 AMA Superbike champion’s signature-a racer given the nickname “Ragin’ Cajun”-could offer much civility. Having raced with James back in the day-well, having been passed (or lapped) by the fearless man from Baton Rouge, Louisiana-I’ve had a close look at him riding the wheels right off a factory Superbike. It’s only natural to be wary of what his idea of a sportbike optimized for the street would be like to ride.
Perhaps I wasn’t considering Jamie’s extensive Supersport racing background, in which he racked up a pair of AMA national titles and numerous Suzuki GSX-R Cup wins. Nor was I aware that right out of his driveway are some of the finest sport-riding roads in the country.
All that experience has been put to very good use. The performance and level of refinement of the JJP Series 2 YZF-R1 absolutely blew our socks off! Simply put, it is one of the finest, best-balanced sportbikes CW has ever sampled.
At the tail end of his Superbike career, James relocated to Ashville, North Carolina, to try to break into the NASCAR scene. He raced stockcars for a season, but soon realized a sizable budget is required to be successful even in the lower divisions. James returned to what he knows best: bikes. Inspired by auto-racing legend Carroll Shelby, whose Cobras and modified Mustangs were sold through Ford dealerships, James thought there was room for a similar program in the motorcycle industry.
JJP was formed, allowing Jamie to put his years of racing knowledge to work in developing a cohesive performance package for Yamaha’s flagship YZF-R1. Rather than simply sell parts or kits, JJP fills a niche with complete machines. The process requires that an interested customer purchase a new YZF-R1 from a participating Yamaha dealer. The dealer then ships the bike directly to JJP and receives a completed bike back in three weeks for delivery to the customer.
It’s a natural post-racing venture for a man who was very hands-on with setup on the bikes he rode throughout his professional career. Even now, James keeps active as a riding instructor for the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School and works as a suspension and chassis consultant for Ôhlins, helping riders sort out their bikes’ handling at AMA nationals.
A perennial fan favorite during his days as a factory rider, James is remembered as being one of the most down-to-earth and approachable stars in the paddock. I was reminded of this when he and his right-hand man,
Doug Crawford, came along during our performance testing of the YZF. Having Jamie looking over your shoulder is nothing like a girlfriend’s mom tagging along on a prom date. Quite the opposite, actually, as the Southern gentleman’s relaxed nature gave me an appreciable sense for the personable quality that he extends to his customers-it’s not unknown for Jamie to deliver a completed bike in person! It comes as no surprise that Yamaha gave the JJP project a green light.
While it’s never easy for a new company in a competitive marketplace, James is off to a good start. His business has established a track record, so to speak, having sold 10 first-generation bikes based on the 2002 YZF-R1. Keeping with current R1 progression, JJP has taken its Series 2 package a few steps farther. What hasn’t changed is James’ heartfelt philosophy of making performance gains without sacrificing reliability.
“I believe you should be able to get on one in Louisiana and ride it wide open to California if you want to,” says James. “That’s the kind of bike I would like to be known for building.”
With his name and reputation on the line, parts selection hasn’t been taken lightly. “It’s a collaboration of people and friends I’ve met over the years who are very good at what they do,” says James, adding that he’ll maintain these working relationships as his company continues to grow and undertake future projects.
Viewed from a distance, the Series 2 bike may appear understated, even ordinary, just an orange-painted Rl.
Move in closer and your eyes are immediately drawn to the BST carbon-fiber wheels. The hoops scream high-tech and suggest there is something very special about this machine. Black woven accents are sprinkled all over the bike in a visually balanced fashion, with the c-f tank panels, front fender and rear subfender/chainguard sourced from Lockhart Phillips. Wheel sizes remain standard at 6.0 x 17-inch rear/3.5 x 17-inch front, wearing street-compound Michelin Pilot Power radiais. With the beautifully crafted billet-aluminum axle spacers, and brake and sprocket adapters installed, the setup yields a 7.5-pound weight savings over stock. It may not sound like much, but there is no better place to shave weight-the reduction in gyroscopic inertia alone is worth the effort, resulting in notably lightened steering response. Besides, any reduction of unsprung weight is sure to improve suspension action.
Speaking of which.. .an Ôhlins Road and Track fork graces the front and has JJP-reworked internals with a higherflow Superbike-spec piston and valve stack. Compression and rebound damping, along with spring preload, can be adjusted to suit the type of riding at hand. The Öhlins shock supporting the rear expands tunability with adjustable highand low-speed compression damping, variable ride height and a convenient hydraulic preload adjuster.
Tucked out of harm’s way in front of the steering head is a cross-mounted Öhlins steering damper, the same unit found on many Superbikes, allowing on-the-fly adjustments with the turn of a knob. An item James is particularly proud of is the black-anodized billet-aluminum top triple-clamp. Designed by JJP, the clamp is more rigid than stock and beefier where it wraps around the fork legs. Unlike the stock clip-ons, the JJP handlebars are integrated into the clamp, easing the task of sliding the fork up or down to adjust ride height. While bar position is multi-adjustable for height, as well as downward and rearward sweep angles, this clever feature is pretty much lost on the Rl. “The only drawback on this particular bike is that there isn’t much room for variance,” James points out, though he plans to develop an upper-fairing bracket that will provide additional clearance. We found the slightly flatter-than-stock bar angle very natural and wouldn’t be compelled to change a thing.
For aesthetics, the stock lower clamp gets treated to a black powdercoat finish. Steering geometry is not altered. “I like the stock offset,” says James. “It’s right in line with the steering and stability character I’m looking for and I didn’t see any reason for changing it, especially with street tires.”
Stopping is a JJP specialty, and brake hardware accounts for a large portion of the Rl ’s expense. Up front, there’s an exotic AP Racing system featuring a trick dual-bore master cylinder. The assembly offers unparalleled peace of mind by isolating the left-side caliper from the right to eliminate the possibility of total brake failure should there be a loss of system pressure to one of the calipers.
“I like the setup because I’ve had friends who have had bad accidents because of brake failure, whether it was a problem with a line or pads. If any of that occurs with this one, you still have brakes,” James notes.
The master cylinder also features adjustable leverage ratio and lever position, a nice touch. Goodridge steel-braided lines flow fluid to AP two-piece, four-piston radial-mount calipers that put the squeeze on 320mm floating rotors.
A stock-diameter Braking wave rotor is used out back along with the standard caliper and master cylinder. A valve spring is installed on the rear brake master cylinder-a racing trick that reduces brake pedal sensitivity. GP Tech’s finely crafted Valter Moto black-anodized aluminum rearsets can be positioned up, down, forward or back to suit the rider’s preference. The passenger pegs and brackets are stock items with a black powdercoat treatment.
Engine mods are surprisingly few but quite effective as proven by the 162 rear-wheel horsepower the bike churned out on the CW dyno, 10 more than our ’05 testbike. Cylinder head work is carried out by NASCAR man Robert Reeves, who cleans up the ports and blends the combustion chambers for improved flow and flame travel.
A racing valve job is performed with a radius valve-seat cutter. Due to the removal of combustion chamber material, a thinner Yamaha racing kit head gasket is used to bring the compression ratio back to stock and the cams are degreed to standard timing specifications. Royal Purple Synthetic Race Oil is added, a lubricant James swears by.
An Akrapovic Evo titanium racing exhaust with carbonfiber canisters compliments the package. Because the 4-into1 -into-2 system eliminates the stock EXUP valve, a Samanna Systems X-up servo replacement plugged into the wiring harness fools the ECU and keeps the engine-warning light on the dash from illuminating. A Dynojet Power Commander remaps the fuel-injection to suit the changes. A Bazzaz Performance Design quick-shifter is used for seamless upshifts under power-just pin the throttle and activate the lever, no clutch needed. An STM slipper clutch replaces the stock basket, eliminating rear-wheel chatter during downshifts.
James worked with artist and friend Jeff Gunlach in creating the bike’s crawfish-inspired graphics. Russell’s Paint and Body in Black Mountain, North Carolina, handles JJP’s painting, and does an immaculate job inside and out. When the bike is viewed in direct sunlight, a shadow effect is visible along the edges and curves of the bodywork. “If you’ve ever eaten a bowl of crawfish, they’re kind of different colors of orange around the edges,” James explains. “Ya know, the real good ones are just about this color.” The stencil-painted logos and lettering are done in a chameleon color that changes tint when viewed from different angles and are undetectable to the touch under six coats of clear.
Looking at the JJP Series 2 is entertaining enough, but riding it is a supernatural experience, truly otherworldly. Everything works in perfect harmony. A sense of refinement is felt from the moment you engage the clutch and ease away from a stop with very few revs required. The bike is an absolute pleasure to ride in town, its engine running incredibly cleanly with no hitches in throttle response or even the slightest burble during a steady-state cruise. The speed-shifter works surprisingly well when short-shifting under very moderate acceleration, and can make anyone feel like a Pro snicking up through the gears under load.
No detectable dips exist in the engine’s power delivery, just a hit at 8000 rpm that sends the front wheel skyward at full throttle in the lower gears. Chassis stability is exceptional, instilling a level of confidence that encourages a rider to tap the power reserves. It is, however, the light steering response that stands out the most, the bike feeling more like a sharply dialed-in middleweight than the liter-class weapon it is. The front brake is single-finger strong and demands a delicate touch, but for late-braking devotees, this is works kit.
All this talk of pleasant manners and refinement may have you questioning this bike’s raw performance value.
After all, catalogs are full of hop-ups going for well under the $25 large a JJP Series 2 treatment tacks onto the price of a new Rl. But don’t underestimate the intangible value of a complete, cohesively built unit bristling with quality components and dialed-in by one of America’s best riders. Already 2006 is shaping up as the Year of the Sportbike, but the new models will have to go some way to erase the vivid memory I have of clicking through the gears on this crawfish-orange Rl.
JJP YAMAHAYF-R1
$38,900
EDITORS" NOTES
IF ONLY I HAD $39 THOU LYING AROUND to drop on a bike, I might be phoning Jamie James back for something more than a quote for this test. First, though, I’d have to convince my wife what a bargain the JJP Series 2 R1 represents.
Perhaps she’d take into consideration all the time and money I’d save going this route, the thousands of dollars that would normally be wasted through trial and error of my own? Honey, purchasing a reliable, turnkey performance bike will allow for much more quality time that can be spent with you and the kids.
I’d play the passenger seat card, too, but she’s been around the block and already sat on a few too many sportbikes I’ve ridden home from the office.
Of course, what she doesn’t need to know is that this bike is simply too good to not see plenty of track days. I’d better pad the budget to cover tires...and start convincing my wife that the kids can put themselves through college if they start saving right now in first grade. -Don Canet, Road Test Editor
KILLER COLOR, MONSTER MOTOR, MAGIC suspension, a 9.76 in the quarter and freakin’ crawdad claws! If I hadn’t been in Spain roosting around Circuit de Catalunya on Yamaha’s own special Ohlins-suspended RI, I might have been jealous I missed the track day on Jamie’s bike.
But as good (and relatively cheap) as the ’06 RI LE is, the JJP takes it all a step farther. How so? The effortlessness with which this bike does everything is positively unreal. The engine’s extra sizzle makes it feel like flywheel was added, so strongly does it pull off the bottom. Add brick-wall brakes, and just a light stroke on the lever adjusts your speed with the greatest of ease. But the single greatest change is those carbon-fiber wheels. The steering is so quick, so light and so sure, it makes every other bike I’ve ridden since feel like a full-boat tourer-even 600s! Is the JJP R1 pricey? Absolutely. Is it worth every penny? Same answer. -Mark Hoyer, Feature Editor
IT’S ABUNDANTLY CLEAR FROM ROAD Test Editor Don Canet’s review of the Jamie James Productions YZF-R1 that this hotted-up Yamaha outperforms a stocker in all of the areas that are of vital importance to sportbike nutcases. Whether your interests lie in weekend canyon-carving or track-day running, the Ragin’ Cajun has put together a real dream machine. Justifying the $39K asking price is up to you.
Great, but how well does JJ’s R1 perform at the tasks for which it wasn’t intended, such as commuting to and from your favorite backroad? To find out, I spent part of a Saturday morning bopping around town-short-shifting up and down city streets, idling through parking lots and cooling my heels at stoplights. The bike behaves every bit as well as a showroom stocker. Temperamental trailer queen? Not this R1. -Matthew Miles, Managing Editor
