Yamaha Yzf-R1

Yamaha YZF-R1

RIDING IMPRESSION

Improved traction’s the attraction

DESPITE WHAT SOME people claim, traction control is not the greatest thing since sliced bread. But for riders who love to slice corners, it can be one of the best technologies ever developed. TC has revolutionized the way high-performance motorcycles put their power to the ground; and with its 2012 YZF-R1, Yamaha becomes the second Japanese manufacturer to include it as standard equipment.

Of all the one-liter sportbikes, the inline-Four, 998cc R1 already had one of the most tractable power deliveries. Credit much of that to the bike’s crossplane crankshaft that provides an uneven firing order to help keep the rear tire hooked up during hard acceleration. Now add traction control, and you’ve got a powerful sportbike that can resist spinning its rear tire in corners even in the hands of a ham-fisted rider.

On the R1 ’s left handlebar is a switch allowing the rider to toggle through six levels of traction-control sensitivity or turn the system off. The right handlebar contains a D-mode toggle providing a choice of three settings—A, Standard and B—that alter throttle, fuel and ignition mapping for different levels of throttle response and power delivery. All told, that’s 21 available combinations of electronic management.

On the street, the combination of TC Level 5 or 6 and Standard power mode lets you feel the systems working their magic without the need to ride overly aggressively. The R1 ’s instrumentation includes a yellow indicator light that illuminates whenever TC intervenes, offering a visual cue that power is being trimmed via a combination of ignition retard, fuel cut and throttleby-wire intervention. At the higher TC settings, the light flickers mid-corner before the slightest hint of rear slippage is ever felt.

On the racetrack, we dialed back TC sensitivity to the lowest level, which allowed consistent but controlled degrees of rear-tire slippage. The ability to increment the sensitivity downward helps a rider establish trust in the system and safely initiate corner-exit drives earlier than previously possible.

But the R1 is about more than just traction control. It has a wide, flexible powerband, superb backroad handling that imparts an excellent sense of feedback and stability, and predictable, brick-wall brakes. It also boasts some of the more comfortable ergonomics found on a repli-racer sportbike.

So, with its first foray into the latest chapter of the electronics revolution, the R1 has exceeded expectations. The Yamaha’s TC is on par with the Kawasaki ZX-10R’s excellent system in the quality of its execution but offers more adjustability. And with a $13,990 MSRP for the base color/graphics package, the R1 even matches the Kawi in price. A limited-edition World GP 50th Anniversary model goes for an additional $500.

Seamless TC implementation Unique exhaust note Rad-looking World GP 50th Anniversary Edition available One of the heavier bikes in its class Could use more power to go with the TC, please