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| Yamaha R1 gets a better gearbox for 2003 |
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Dave Abrahams April 07 2003 at 06:55AM |
Get IOL on your mobile at m.iol.co.za |
Yamaha's litre-class looney bike got a major update in 2002, including the long awaited move to fuel injection, so few changes were expected for this year's edition since. Wrong
there has been detailed improvement in many areas, including one very important one, and the usual cosmetic tweaks.
There's a really angry wail from the air box, completely overpowering the emasculated flatulence from the Nanny State exhaust system, plus some definite high-frequency vibration through the frame and foot pegs, but the force is unstoppable. You can rev on until the shift light comes up at 11750rpm without losing much power and the motor doesn't seem to take any strain at all; even in top gear, the R1 accelerates hard enough to shift your perceptions of time and distance. There's a direct and instantaneous connection between your right hand and the rear wheel; the more wrist twist the harder the seat pushes against your backside in an unforgettable display of sheer muscle that would be vulgar if it weren't so well controlled. The test R1 howled up to its true top speed of 269km/h in a surprisingly short distance, with the motor spinning at 10400rpm and the rider draped over the tank like melted cheese in an attempt to get some protection from the fashionably abbreviated screen.
The clutch, updated last year, deals competently with this industrial strength power and refused to judder or slip, although I noticed that the engagement point became a little unpredictable when it was very warm. This occasionally led to take-offs being a little more flamboyant than intended to the delight of local schoolboys. The six-speed gearbox is, however, where the 2003 R1 shows the greatest improvement over its predecessors. Since the first-generation in 1998, R-series bikes - the R1, R6 or the astonishing R7 superbike homologation special - have shared the same vertically stacked gearbox that makes the motor so amazingly compact but which places the shift mechanism right at the top about as far as you can get it from the source of its lubrication and still have it in the casings. All R-series motorcycles share a well-deserved reputation for gritty, notchy gearshifts as a function of the design; riders have put up with it because of the forward weight bias (and improved handling) conferred by the ultra-short motor. Now for the first time there's an R1 with a gearbox for which I don't have to look for excuses. It's not world-class, but it's acceptable; the action is short and fairly light, upshifts with or without the clutch are positive at any revs and, although notchy and noisy, it never misses a shift in either direction. That this has been achieved at the expense of excessive lash between the cogs themselves matters not a jot; the only time its apparent is when going slowly in traffic when it combines with a little "slamming door" effect from the fuel-injection system to make progress a bit jerky. You'll need an educated right hand if you want to look cool at car park speeds in front of the guys. The effect is minimised once the motor is spinning, although it's wise to turn the power on just a little before you get to the apex of a fast corner to avoid unsettling the chassis in the transition period. Nevertheless, this is the best transmission I've tried on an R-series Yamaha and the R1's only significant weak point has been effectively dealt with. The brakes, Sumitomo's very clever one-piece, four-pot calipers on 298mm discs as before, are no longer state-of-the-art and don't seem to have the vicious bite of the latest tackle from Tokico and Nissin but they provide powerful, well-modulated retardation. The rear brake seems to have gained some power since last year. I was able to use it to set the bike up for fast corners and it was reassuringly predictable in the wet (yes, Cyril, I rode the R1 in rain but very gently). The chassis is impressively stable, considering that it packs 112kW into a wheelbase of only 1395mm; the front suspension is solidly planted, giving accurate and precise steering, while the rear refuses to step out even on poor surfaces although it will if you feed it too much power out of a slow corner. The bike turns in like a GP machine but holds its line as if on rails, giving the owner vast confidence in its roadholding. It's safe and controllable on the open road at speeds that most bikes can't even reach and therein lies its principal danger; this bike can get you in over your head. The R1 is so powerful, so competent is its chassis package, that it will have you cruising at speeds you wouldn't normally dream of. Few street riders will approach the limits of its performance envelope and if you ride one every day you'll need to develop some self-discipline if only to preserve your driving licence. The body panels are the same as the 2002 edition; the plastics are still thin and somewhat flimsy, although the stability of the belly pan has been improved by mounting it directly to the back of the gearbox. The belly pan is now black, as is the hugger, rather than body colour, while the extensive white patches on the bike's midsection have been omitted. Most of the bike is now the metallic royal blue that has become a Yamaha trademark, with appropriately restrained graphics in silver and white; it's a considerable improvement. Rear ride height has been slightly reduced so that people of average height can at least get both feet on the ground at the same time although the low handlebars still induce a bit of wrist discomfort when riding in traffic. You put up with that simply for the precise control you get when the bike is being ridden the way it was intended. The R1's only ergonomic failing is that the high-mounted clutch cover gets very hot on a long ride; it's positioned directly inboard of the rider's right knee and can become uncomfortable for those with longer legs. The pillion accommodation, as always on heavy-duty sports machinery, is intended for petite, slim and supple passengers only. The lights, switchgear and instruments are unchanged, which is good because they're among the best in the business, particularly the LED tail light which is almost impossible to ignore. The twin headlights that give the R1 its "mean face" also work superbly, giving a wide spread of light on dipped beam and deep penetration on high beam for safe riding on unlit roads at night. The R1 since its launch has been one of the top litre-class sports machines, marred only by its poor gearshift, and that's been addressed on the 2003 model it's not the best in the business but it's now acceptable. Along with Suzuki's GSX-R1000 and the Honda CBR954RR FireBlade it's one of the world's great performance bikes, frighteningly quick and utterly competent. Is it the best? Ride all three before you decide; you may prefer Honda's Blade or the Suzi Gixer but for me Yamaha's R is still No.1. Price: R133 995 Click here to use IOL Motoring's repayments calculator. SPECIFICATIONS Motor: Liquid-cooled four-stroke transverse four. Capacity: 998cc. Bore x stroke: 74 x 58mm. Valvegear: DOHC with five overhead valves per cylinder. Compression ratio: 11.8:1. Power: 111.8kW at 10 500rpm. Torque: 105Nm at 8 500rpm. Induction: Mikuni electronic fuel injection. Ignition: TCI digital. Starting: Electric. Clutch: Hydraulically actuated multi-plate wet clutch. Transmission: Six-speed constant-mesh gearbox with chain final drive. Suspension: 43mm inverted cartridge forks, adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping at front, monoshock adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping at rear. Brakes: Twin 298mm semi-floating discs with Sumitomo one-piece four pot opposed piston callipers at front, 220mm disc with twin-pot opposed piston calliper at rear. Tyres: Front: 120/70 - ZR17 tubeless. Rear: 190/50 - ZR17 tubeless. Wheelbase: 1395mm. Seat height: 810mm. Dry weight: 174kg. Fuel capacity: 17 litres Price: R133 995 Click here to use IOL Motoring's repayments calculator.
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