2015 Yamaha Yzf-R1
2015 YAMAHA YZF-R1
CW TEST
WE PUT YAMAHA'S LATEST LITER-CLASS MISSILE THROUGH THE TESTING WRINGER
Blake Conner
Yamaha is back. After riding the latest R1 at Sydney Motorsports Park in Australia last February (CW May), we walked away amazed, but we also left with a huge list of unanswered questions. Racetrack press introductions allow a motorcycle to be tested near its limits, exploring aspects of performance that are virtually impossible to sample on public roads. But therein lies the problem: Racetracks don’t do a good job of indicating how motorcycles work in the real world of traffic, commuting, imperfect pavement, and speed limits.
So before we even stepped off the plane on our return from that track sortie Down Under, we’d already requested a standard YZF-Ri from Yamaha’s press fleet. Like many readers, whose comments we’ve read in social media and on cycleworld.com, we also had a host of questions to answer, such as: Are the former bike’s fueling issues solved? How does it stack up to the BMW SioooRR?Are the electronics really revolutionary?
Recap
Before we put answers to these queries, let’s back up and recap the major changes. For starters, the 998CC crossplane-concept inline-four is essentially all new and weighs 8.8 pounds less than the engine it replaces. Titanium fracture-split connecting rods are 60 percent lighter than their steel counterparts; the cylinder head now has finger-follower valve actuation (permitting increased lift), largerdiameter intake and exhaust valves, and revised cam timing; cylinder bore
has increased to 79.0mm (up from 78.0), while stroke now measures 50.9 (was 52.2); compression has been bumped to 13.0:1 (from 12.7). Thanks to the new valve gear, lighter rods, and shorter stroke, redline has been raised from 13,750 rpm on the previous model to 14,500 on the 2015.
Allowing the rider to control the increased power output is Yamaha’s proprietary six-axis inertial-measurement unit (IMU), which measures pitch, roll, yaw, and acceleration fore and aft, up and down, and side to side. It then feeds all of this data to the Yamaha Ride Control processor that meters Power Delivery, Traction Control, Slide Control, Lift Control, Launch Control, and the Quick Shifter. Settings are controlled via an allnew and excellent TFT display interface (see page 52 for detailed descriptions).
The chassis was completely updated, as well. An all-new aluminum Deltabox frame with magnesium subframe contributed to lowering the Ri’s weight dramatically (we measured a 34-pound reduction for the bike, sans fuel).
Wheelbase has been reduced by 0.39 inch, all-new suspension (manually adjustable KYB on the standard model tested here) is included, it has new brakes with ABS and the Unified Braking System (UBS, with linked functionality), and it has 10-spoke castmagnesium wheels.
On The Dyno
The very first thing we did with our fresh new Ri was roll it up onto the Cycle World Dynojet dyno to find out if it was in the same league with class-leaders BMW and Ducati. Our best pull with the stone-stock bike was a competitive 167.4 rear-wheel horsepower at 12,270 rpm, with 77.0 pound-feet of peak torque at 8,810 rpm.
We also ran it on the dyno with the accessory Circuit ECU, which not only unlocks restrictions put in place for US sound emissions but also eliminates the top-speed limiter and applies a far more aggressive track algorithm for the ABS brake system, including unlinking the UBS feature. Thus unhindered, our Ri registered a 172.8 hp/76.6 pound-feet run, which puts it squarely in the hunt against BMW (see comparison sidebar, page 51), with a virtually identical powerto-weight ratio. Oh, and P.S.: The Circuit ECU shuts down the headlight/taillight to discourage running it on the street.
On The Road
For some, these numbers mean a lot for post-ride bragging rights, but the reality is that exercising every last horsepower at the peak end of the scale has little to do with the overall riding experience on the street. Controllability is the new frontier, and electronic management is the means to mastering that frontier.
Over the course of a month, we had the chance to hit the road and answer the questions that we set out to address (look for the RiM in an upcoming comparison test).
THE STEP IN POWER FEELS LIKE THE ENGINE IS BEING UNLEASHED...
Track emphasis for this motorcycle is clear in almost every aspect of its design. A by-product of this is the racier seating position with 5mm lower clip-ons, but 10mm more room between the seat and pegs and a longer reach to the bars to help get the rider tucked in behind the taller windscreen and over the lower tank. The seat itself is much wider, flatter, and 0.75-inch taller than on the previous model. This allows the rider to easily move around on the bike when riding at a fast pace. “Some bikes you just hop on and click right into position,” Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer said. “The
Ri is that sportbike for me. Bars, seat, footpegs, control feel all felt completely natural for me and beautifully placed.” Once in motion, the engine really stands out. “This may be the smoothest liter-class motor on the market today,” Road Test Editor Don Canet said. “Its liquid quality is equally pleasant in town or ridden at a steady 75 miles per hour freeway pace and beyond.”
More importantly, it’s also exciting. “The step in power feels like the engine is being unleashed,” Hoyer added. “It’s usually fun, and it makes you feel like you’re riding some weird time-travel update of a TZ750 two-stroke. As Canet pointed out after dynoing the bike, the engine picks up 50 horsepower in 2,000 revs through the midrange, which alternately makes me smile or catches me by surprise. The Ri absolutely discourages passiveness.”
That said, the quality of fueling in everyday riding was excellent. “Clean fuel mapping, abundant low-range torque, and superb clutch feel made for easy departures from a stop despite the very tall low-gear ratio,” Canet said. And by far the easiest way to achieve this level of fueling refinement is to select Power 2 (of four) from the menu, which reduces peak power by around 7 hp and peak torque by 5 pound-feet, while mellowing out overall delivery. The instant-on eagerness of Power 1 is a useful tool in aggressive riding, but day-to-day grinds are better in the softer modes.
THE INLINE-FOUR’S ACE IN THE HOLE IS YAMAHA’S ELECTRONICS PACKAGE.
IT'S WHAT'S INSIDE: Controlling the 15mm shorter swingarm is a fully adjustable KYB shock with provisions for highand low-speed compression and rebound damping and a 5 percent increase in spring rate. Residing behind the clutch cover is a new slipper clutch with an assist feature; it uses 10 friction plates (up from nine) and only three springs for lighter feel at the lever. A new exhaust has titanium headpipes, a stainless-steel mid-ship muffler, and Ti canister. Updated front brake calipers are four-pot, radial-mount units from Advies, with larger 320mm rotors.
Another sign that the big YZF likes to be ridden aggressively: “The quickshift seems to have a bit too much delay to produce seamless upshifts under moderate acceleration; I found a slight dip of clutch on part-throttle shifts produced excellent results,” Canet offered. And this is despite two available settings. Under harder acceleration, the
delay was better timed and upshifts were quick and clean.
If we sound impressed with the engine, we are. But the inline-four’s ace in the hole is Yamaha’s electronics package. Of all the systems we’ve sampled from BMW, Ducati, Aprilia, Kawasaki, and even KTM on its 1290 Super Adventure and Super Duke R, the Ri’s suite is the most transparent in operation. Using excellent coding and multiple means to control power output, including fuel, throttle-butterfly angle, and ignition retard, Yamaha has made interventions incredibly hard to detect and therefore amazingly smooth and nonintrusive. As a matter of fact, for intervention to become noticeable on a grippy mountain road, we had to toggle TC to a very conservative setting, while the SCS (slide control) was all but impossible to feel at a street pace. Wheelie control provides the same sensation, until you shut it off completely, at which point you realize how much it is doing to tame wheelies.
Given the breadth and excellence of rider-aid function on the Ri, the omission of electronic engine-braking control is surprising. The combination of the high compression ratio and light flywheel delivers a lot of compression braking off throttle, and a slightly stiff throttle-return spring accentuates this feeling. EBC would be a welcome complement to the slipper clutch.
Toggling to PWR, TCS, or SCS displayed on the lower dash highlights the selected parameter with a white background indicating adjustment is allowed or black background if not. Altering PWR requires closed throttle, while changes to TCS or SCS require near zero cornering lean. This can result in the status flashing between white/black while riding. “I found this an unnecessary distraction.” Canet said. “What really baffles me, however, is not having the allowance to switch between Mode presets on the fly, yet the system allows on-the-fly changes to TCS, PWR, and SCS individually within a chosen mode.”
Minor complaints with what is otherwise the best rider-aid package. And while the electronics do a great job of providing the rider with the confidence to ride aggressively, the chassis backs this
up with supreme composure. “I found steering very solid and true with an unflappable sense of midcorner stability,” Canet said. “Side-to-side transitions at medium-to-high speed do require asserted input into the low clip-on bars.” Our standard model, equipped with the manually adjustable KYB suspension, was pretty stiff as delivered, which was just fine on one 400-plusmile day of twisty mountain roads.
The bike was rock solid, never even dreamed about wallowing, provided excellent feel, and communicated grip exceptionally well. Hitting frost heaves perpendicular to the direction of travel, however, felt like running over a 2x4 lying on the road. That said, one of the nice features of the new fork is that all the adjusters (including spring preload) sit atop the caps, allowing easy access. For street duty, we eventually took a significant amount of rebound out of the fork for improved ride quality, but the Ri’s suspension is definitely valved and sprung stiffly.
MODES AND MEANS OF INTERVENTION
Sometimes it pays to sit on the sidelines, watch the competition, learn from their methods and mistakes, and then pounce with a better mousetrap. Just ask Mark Zuckerberg. That is exactly what Yamaha has done with its electronic aids. Yes, it was late to the electronic revolution, but it is Yamaha that appears to be currently at the top. Here is a quick look at the RTs electronic rider aids and what specifically they do.
© MODE: Four settings that incorporate all of the other rider aids, all of which can be customized in each.
© PWR: Four available power settings. On the Cycle World Dynojet dyno, PWR 1 delivered a 167.4-hp run, while PWR 2 made around 7 hp less, PWR 3 another 3 hp less, and PWR 4 almost a whopping 55 less horsepower than PWR 1. Throttle response is noticeably more aggressive in PWR 1 and gets progressively less so in the lower power settings. © TCS: Yamaha’s traction control system has nine levels of intervention plus Off. Not only does it compare frontand rear-wheel speed, but it takes into account lean angle-and all of the other information that the IMU gathers-to apply appropriate cuts.
© SCS: Yamaha is the first manufacturer to offer slide control on a production motorcycle. This MotoGP technology is possible because of the six-axis IMU, which can detect if the rear end is sliding out of line as opposed to just spinning the rear tire. Three settings and Off are available. Takes into consideration TCS and lean angle.
© LCS: Launch control limits rpm to 10,000 with the throttle wide open for drag, or roadrace starts, allowing the rider to focus on clutch release. Two settings vary how it tames TC/LIF with 1 being the most aggressive, and 2 intervening more, or you can deactivate it.
© QSS: The quickshifter has three settings, including Off, to help optimize the delay for smooth upshifts.
© LIF: Better known as wheelie control, three settings determine the height and therefore power cut to optimize drive at the track or strip. Or switch it off for full 12 o'clock showboating.
If we never looked at the hard data, we might be inclined to say that the RTs new brakes are right on par with the competition, but they don’t have that aggressive bite like the Ducati Panigale’s huge Brembos (which stops 12 feet shorter from 6o-o mph). As a matter of fact, of the bikes compared on page 51, the 2015 Yamaha has the longest stopping distance from 60 mph. To be fair, this is more likely due to the RTs ABS software and not the braking hardware. We expect a pronounced improvement when we brake test the bike with the Circuit ECU installed, since it has a more aggressive ABS tune.
For most of us mortals, ABS on the street is a welcome safety net, but in testing under controlled circumstances, Canet’s best braking distances are typically achieved with ABS off. And his best acceleration runs on the Ri were achieved with rider aids turned off completely.
As a package, the Ri is class leading. “The composure level is astronomically high with this motorcycle,” Hoyer concludes. “The Ri is perfectly happy dawdling along being short-shifted at 4,000 rpm. But when you let the engine scream and use real intent with control and bar movements, you feel this Matrixtype sensation of moving faster than time, like being able to pull bullets out of the air with your hand.”
What Yamaha has done better than any other manufacturer thus far is to keep the electronic intervention in the background and let the rider just focus on staying between the lines. The user interface is intuitive, the chassis predictable and stable, and the build quality is of the highest order. Add to this what Hoyer called the, “rip-and-tear soulful shred of that crossplane engine’s newfound power,” and you have the bike to beat in 2015.
A Japanese company has finally allowed its MotoGP racing program to formulate the DNA for its flagship streetbike. At $16,490, the new Ri is a hell of a buy.
YAMAHA YZF-R1
