Yamaha 2007 R1
According to Yamaha the liter-bike crowd
is comprised almost entirely of males (97 percent), are on average 33 years
old, have 13 years riding experience, and ride approximately 7,300 miles per
year. First-time buyers make up less than 10 percent of sportbikes displacing 1000cc.
We could also extrapolate from Yamaha's number crunching that the liter-bike
owner is probably wiser, and not just older. It seems that 1000cc junkies are
"...more focused on commuting, less on touring and slightly more focused
on track riding..." as compared to the industry average. Specifically of
the R1, Yamaha claims that owners get in 13 percent more track time than the
"industry average" and are far more interested in the handling traits
of their motorcycle(s) than they are in adding more power.
So, if the typical big-bore sportbike guy
is in his mid-thirties, likes to take it to the track a little more than his
neighbor after commuting all week so he can sort out the handling on his
heavily-ridden machine, what do you suppose that says about what Yamaha did
with the 2007 R1?
To put us in the know, Yamaha invited a
cadre of journos to the current home of the US MotoGP, Mazda Raceway Laguna
Seca in
Earlier this fall Yamaha revealed what's
behind the all-new R1. This year the bike came with some acronyms, but not
enough to rival say, a BMW touring bike with all the options. We covered the
meat of what this technology does in the September unveiling of the bike, but
it bears covering again in detail.
If you haven't heard, Yamaha made some
pretty big news when they broke a long-standing tradition and did away with
their time-honored five-valve layout. The two remaining titanium intake valves
increased in size to 31mm from three 23.5mm bits, while the two steel exhaust
valves keep their '06 dimensions of 25mm. Valve angles have also changed to
match the new head. The single intake's angle is now 11.5 degrees while the
exhaust is now 12.5 degrees. The 2006 model's two intake side valve angles were
15.75 degrees with the center valve angle - remember it was a five-valve head -
at 8.75 degrees and the exhaust angle was 11 degrees. Speaking of valves, lift
was also raised on both the intake and exhaust cams, from 7.6 to 9.2mm and 7.5
to 8.3mm respectively.
The end result is a cylinder head that
has a greater intake volume thanks in part to a high-lift cam profile, and a
compression ratio that was bumped from 12.4:1 to 12.7:1. This has allegedly
improved combustion efficiency, and power across the low, mid and top ends, and
thanks to a smoother combustion chamber and re-shaped pistons -- specifically
designed with the new head in mind -- the R1's cleaner-burning power plant can
meet stringent 2008 emissions standards. We know how much you worry about
cleaner-burning motorcycles.
Oddly enough, bore and stroke is
unchanged from 77mm by 53.6mm. But in order to deal with the increased power
from the new head, the connecting rods were strengthened by adding more
material in all the right places.
New head aside, the R1's other large
overhaul was in fueling and all that it entails. More big numbers pop up when
we look at the throttle bodies. Though they still have the same 45mm bore, they
no longer use a measly four injector holes, but a whopping 12 holes are
employed to improve atomization. But adding more holes is about as low-tech as
improving the fueling gets. Borrowing from its little brother, the R6, the 2007
R1 now utilizes YCC-T or Yamaha Chip Controlled - Throttle. Some people just
like to call it throttle by wire. Simply put, it's a system comprised of an
accelerator position sensor (APS), throttle position sensor (TPS) and opening
and closing throttle "wires." With the 32-bit Denso ECU calculating
throttle grip position and throttle valve opening every one thousandth of a
second, a tiny motor performs the actual work of opening and closing the throttle.
For those of you paralyzed with fear after watching the Matrix trilogy, the
rider can still close the throttle "mechanically" by wire if
electricity is interrupted.
One more grouping of consonants and a
single vowel make headlines on the '07 R1. YCC-I or Yamaha Chip Controlled -
Intake is Team Blue's fancy name for what they initially called variable intake
length. In the simplest of terms, a small servo motor extends intake snorkels
for low to mid-range power from 65mm to 140mm. Over 10,400 RPM the funnels are
reeled back to 65mm by a servo motor for improved top-end power. This action
takes place in the tiny span of three-tenths of a second, so long as the
throttle valve has been opened past 57.5 at 10,400 RPM. The system isn't so
much "variable" as it is one selecting one length or the other. So just
remember that short funnels are better for top-end power and long funnels are
for low and mid-range power.
It's a stretch, but with the powerful ECU
managing the YCC-T that ultimately adjusts for less-than-perfect rider
judgment, and the YCC-I that enhances power on the fly, this dynamic duo gets
close to what was heretofore unknown to motorcycles en mass: traction control.
True traction control involves the monitoring of rear wheel speed against front
wheel speed, and momentarily reducing power to the rear wheel if sensors
indicate that it's spinning faster than the front. Nevertheless, YCC-T veils,
for lack of a better term, response to the rider's input. BMW looks to have the
bugs worked out of their ASC (Automatic Stability Control) enough to offer it
on 2007 K and R models as an option.
Not quite as impressive as the changes to
the head or fueling, but important nonetheless, are the "stick"
ignition coils, a curved, twin-fan radiator with 13 percent more surface area
for improved cooling, new titanium exhaust system - still in the
twin-under-the-seat variety - and the same slipper clutch found on the 2006 R1
LE. To accommodate the slipper clutch the tranny main shaft was lengthened by
five millimeters. Otherwise, the transmission retains the same ratios as the
'06 R1, no matter how tall they may seem to be.
Carrying this new engine around is the
job of an equally-new frame and swing arm. With a focus on "maximizing
rigidity in cast parts and flex in extruded parts" the frame was
redesigned to improve front-end feel in the corners and improve "rigidity
balance." A cross member was eliminated and a reinforcing rib was added to
the frame. Yamaha claims 50 percent less vertical flex, 24 percent less sideways
flex and 25 percent less torsional flex. The swing arm is also new. The pivot
point has been raised three millimeters in order to increase room for race
tires - or to "minimize chain tension of drive power", whichever
sounds better to you - and the rear arm of the aluminum-truss swingarm is 16mm
longer. The overall focus of the new swinger is improved cornering "turn
in" and greater traction upon acceleration out of the turn. This is
achieved by increasing torsional rigidity by as much as 30 percent while
actually decreasing lateral rigidity a smidgen. In addition to changes to the
frame, Yamaha decreased fork offset from 30mm to 25mm and increased trail from
97mm to 102mm.
The obvious idea here is that you'll get
improved front-end feel and steering response.
Suspension components also receive
upgrades with the new 43mm KYB front end getting larger diameter pistons --
20mm to 24mm -- aluminum damping rods, reduced inner tube-wall thickness and a
stronger axle bracket. The end result is said to be better damping with less
cavitation and lighter weight. The new Soqi rear shock has a revised
progressive damping rate with a high and low-speed compression adjuster, an
increased link lever rate - from eight percent to 14 percent - and a spring
rate that was increased to 11.5 percent. What they want to achieve with the
revised suspenders is a bike that will have better traction out of corners and
a firm feel that's in character with the new frame.
While they were down in the suspension
area, Yamaha figured they should improve the brakes while they were at it. Gone
are the now-classic four pots and in their place you'll find six-piston binders
that crush down on 310mm rotors. The rotors are downsized by roughly 10mm from
last year, but because of where the brake pad will ride in the new calipers,
effective braking area remains the same, so says Team Blue. It's worth noting
that they will use two pads on each side of each caliper. In other words, each
caliper will have two small pads and two slightly larger pads. The objective
here was to create even pad wear since the new caliper is long compared to most
four-piston setups. This resizing and relocating of braking bits apparently
reduces "inertial moment" at the axle, which is said to result in a
lighter feel.
While you're still looking at the bottom
half of the motorcycle you'll find track-ready Pirelli Corsa Diablos connecting
the bike to the tarmac. Pirelli specifically engineered a set of Diablos for
the R1 and they will carry TL Diablo Corsa E designation for the front and TL
Diablo Corsa L for the rear. So remember when you head off to get some new
rubber for your 2007 R1 to not ask for off-the-shelf Diablos. Make sure the
retailer is aware that you need the E and L designation.
With a lot of energy put into redesigning
virtually every aspect of the bike, you might expect the bike to look
dramatically different. Not so much on the all-new R1. The bodywork is improved
in the areas of air-flow management in that it closely resembles the R6's
"tunnels" for better heat transfer, has increased openings for the
ram-air, and the windscreen receives a hop-up by growing 10mm and is fastened
to the bodywork without screws. In the cockpit you can expect to gaze upon a
new "multi-function meter", or tachometer and speedometer as MO likes
to call them. As a final touch, the tail section was redesigned with a new
taillight and the exhaust cans were rotated upward; it's all for aesthetics and
they make no bones about that.
If you find yourself thinking that the
bike looks basically like it has for a number of years now, you'd be right.
Yamaha falls back to their research of R1 owners for justification for keeping
the general look of the bike the same. The fact is - at least according to them
- that many R1 customers didn't go with another brand because they liked the
looks of the R1 so much. Stick with what you know.
The myriad of changes are all fine and
good in terms of keeping up with what the competition is doing, but has the
bike mellowed with age? Most certainly not! In short, this newest R1 leaves
little to complain about, at least in terms of a track environment.
With what seemed like my own private
track day at Laguna Seca, I had hours of time to click off as many
uninterrupted laps as I wanted. This was my first trip to Laguna so my time
assessing the bike was impeded a little by the learning curve I had to wrestle
with while getting to know the track that Nicky Hayden captured two US GP
victories on. By midday I had most of the lines figured out and I was able to
try to sort some of the nuances of one very fast motorcycle.
Anyone who has ridden or currently rides
an R1 will find the fit to be familiar; not much has changed in the ergos
overall. Comparatively speaking, the bike feels a hair bigger than the
GSX-R1000, but nevertheless it is by no means a lumbering oaf. But before I
could start discerning anything about the handling I had to keep myself from
being blinded with ecstasy over the power, or rather how smoothly and quickly
the power comes on. As one of my contemporaries said during a break,
"Linear just doesn't seem to do the bike justice."
The premise behind the YCC-T and YCC-I is
to give the rider a seamless transition through the low, middle and top end.
And that it does, in spades. In practice the YCC-T will compensate for a
ham-fisted rider who wants to slam the throttle open too soon and decide the
best time to give him the boost he thinks he wants. Like coming out of a corner
for example; on a bike with similar power but without the advantage of an ECU and
YCC-T to temper the rider's enthusiasm, the rear tire could spin up quite
easily. Trust me on this one; I speak from experience. Instead, with the R1 I
discovered that wicking up the throttle early on - note that I still tried to
ride with all the smoothness I could muster - only resulted in a constant but
powerful rush of power that effortlessly propelled me to the next turn or shift
point, whichever came first. I encountered what was a barely perceptible soft
spot in acceleration in the neighborhood of 6000 rpm and lasted for about 1000
rpm. One of the more elite journalists felt that there was a flat spot around
7500 rpm that was still haunting the R1 from the 2006 model. Regardless of who
had the more accurate seat-of-the-pants-meter, the reality is that fueling is
very sensitive and responsive across the map without any abruptness or stumble.
I wish I could comment on the YCC-I, but
I can't point to any one time where I noticed its presence. And that's just
what Yamaha wants. Seamless, I say. Seamless! What I can comment on with
respect to acceleration, other than its fluidity, is the frenetic blast of
power that comes on near 13000 rpm. When I was cresting the rise that begins
turn one at the end of the front straight of Laguna whilst trying to reach the
top of third gear at an indicated 135mph, I found myself thinking,
"Getting a kick in the arse that close to redline is akin to flying a
little too close to the sun." Eventually I got over it and learned to
stretch it out a bit over the rise, and I enjoyed every moment of it.
With relatively long straights leading
into turns two and five, these corners proved to be a good place to double up
some work and check out the slipper clutch. I fear that I'm becoming a lazy
rider with the current number of bikes adding back-torque limiting clutches.
It's all too easy to stomp down a couple of times on the shifter and let the
clutch do the work of bringing engine speed in harmony with tarmac velocity.
The R1's slipper clutch may not be the smoothest I've ridden, but then again
I'm sure I'm not the smoothest rider the R1 has lugged around. Carry enough
speed and let the clutch out carelessly, and chances are good that the bike
will fuss and pitch just enough to let you know you need to be smoother next
time. Then again maybe it wasn't all me. Standing along pit row, I could hear
rider after rider approach turn 11 with reckless abandon as the R1's rear tire
chirped and squawked under protest. In the end nobody was worse for the wear,
riders or clutches.
Oops! I nearly forgot to mention the
transmission. You'll forgive me though, as the tranny is literally quite
forgettable. It's so transparent that you don't realize that shifting is an
activity you have to perform to keep going around the track.
If the front end isn't clawing at the sky
- which it does effortlessly in first and second gears - you're probably going
to be doing one of two things: accelerating or braking. I mentioned above how
well-sorted fueling and power are, so that leaves the brakes. They're quite easy
to summarize really. I had enough stopping power on hand that two fingers may
have been overkill in many parts of the course. And they provide enough feel
that initial braking with one finger was a good way to assess just how much
force I was going to need to apply. Finally, at no point did I experience or
hear of another faster, later-braking journalist complain of fade. The new
six-pot binders are well suited to this screamer of a motorcycle. The only
other brakes I've used that felt similar were the Brembos on the '07 Aprilia
Tuono and the binders on
After all the hot-rodding and
gravity-defying braking are over with it's time to set into the turn, look
where you want to go and start getting on the gas. The new frame and lengthened
swing arm make easy work of this. The bike is simply unflappable throughout
cornering. No amount of mid-turn braking or line changing brought it out of
shape. Steering response is light; I could initiate minor direction changes by
simply moving my head in one direction or another. It will be interesting to
ride this machine on the street to see how it responds to transitional forces
in some quick and tight canyon twisties. In the meantime I only had the famed
Corkscrew as the most challenging test of this trait. At no time while flipping
from left to right and dropping into the pit that is the bottom of the top, so
to speak, was the R1 anything other than light and willing.
The great steering and turn-in qualities
are no doubt aided by the trouble-free suspenders. In the early laps I
speculated that rebound and/or preload in the rear may have been too aggressive
for my 165 lbs as I came down the rough patch in the Corkscrew. But as the day
wore on and I churned out lap after lap, I realized that the issue was with
that particularly bumpy section rather than any number of suspension settings
being slightly less than perfect. Rebound, preload, etc. were more than
sufficient for my skill set at every other point on the circuit.
Finally, not to be left out of the
accolades, I must commend Yamaha's choice of the Pirelli Diablo Corsa. Both
warm-up time and grip were superb. But far, far more amazing then their ability
to assist or enhance the handling qualities of the bike was their low wear rate.
After a very long day of constant flogging by very quick journos in 70 degree
temps, every tire that I was able to look at showed little, if any signs of
significant abuse. I'll confidently say that most fast trackday riders could
get, at a minimum, two track days on a set and still be able to enjoy plenty of
street mileage. They are just that good.
With so many changes on tap to make the
2007 R1 such a stellar motorcycle, it's hard to imagine what Yamaha is planning
for the bike's 10 year anniversary in '08. Believe it or not, the mighty R1 is
getting older, but it certainly isn't aging.
Tasmania – leave Sat 3rd March – return Mon 12th March,
2007
The plan is to go for 8 days leaving on a Saturday
and returning the following Labour Day Monday. This was the successful formula
we used in 2003 and 2005. We usually have a couple of cars to carry the luggage,
allowing us to ride unencumbered. The first week in March avoids the school
holidays and has the greatest chance of fine weather and adequate daylight
hours.
The plan is to travel during the day for $228 per
person return. Check out the prices at: http://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au as they
fluctuate a bit. Bike $90 return. Car $138 return. These prices are current as
of 31st October, 2006.
Last time we had 18 people, 15 bikes, 3 cars and
travelled between 2,500 and 3,600 km each, and had fantastic weather for 85% of
the time. Deposit ($228 plus $90 = $318) into Club bank account with YOUR
NAME if you and bike. If car and driver, then (228+138=366). Legging it: $228
I have booked for 8 people. Is your name on the list? This is the last call.