2015 YAMAHA YZF-R1
LONG-TERM
WRAP-UP
LIVING WITH A MOTOGP REFUGEE
Brian Catterson
Of all the latest sportbikes, the new-generation Yamaha YZF-R1 released in 2015 was the one I was most curious about. While the Japanese manufacturers continued to clean up in MotoGP racing, proving they had the technology, they were seemingly lollygagging behind the highertech production offerings from BMW, Ducati, et al. Then came this Ri—and the even racier RiM—which promised to right that wrong.
Unfortunately my chance to spend time with the Ri came at the expense of Blake Conner. Just as I had inherited Blake’s long-term Triumph Tiger when he broke his leg, I took over his long-term Ri when he left the magazine to return to his native Colorado. The contrast between the Ri and the Tiger couldn’t seem greater, but the two bikes actually have a couple of things in common: They’re both blue and they both sound amazing, the Triumph due to its three-cylinder engine and the Yamaha because of its crossplane crankshaft.
Both growl down low and howl up high, but the bigger four’s basso profundo is so sinister that if you didn’t know better, you’d swear it was a Ducati twin.
It’s also about as comfortable as a Ducati superbike, and while I would like to have installed a set of higher handlebars, Helibars hadn’t gotten around to making any yet. But after a few weeks “assuming the position,” my core strength improved and the riding position wasn’t so hard on my wrists anymore. Except when braking, which you do a lot while riding this MotoGP-derived rocket ship on public roads. Blake and Mark Hoyer both had high praise for the Ri’s racetrack performance, but I stuck to the street (my invitation to the annual “Hack Day” trackday must have gotten lost in the mail) and still greatly enjoyed my time on the bike.
2015 YAMAHA YZF-R1
Total miles 6503 Next service 12,000 mi. Maintenance costs $476 (incl. tires) Repair costs $316 Average fuel mileage 31mpg Price as teated (2016) $16,490
My only real complaint had to do with the suspension. Talk about a harsh ride: Blake remarked that hitting a square-edged bump “felt like running over a two-by-four,” and I couldn’t agree more. So after checking the sag,
I reduced all of the damping adjusters to the minimum and dialed it in from that end of the spectrum. The shock’s low-speed compression damping needed a few turns to keep the back end from squatting under acceleration, but the rest didn’t need much to achieve a supple-yet-controlled street ride. Sporty riders often forget how important it is to keep the tires in contact with the road, and having too much damping just causes the suspension to pack up or down, resulting in a jarring ride.
Speaking of tires, I got ahold of the Ri with around 3,000 miles on the odometer and returned it with just over 6,500. That whole time I ran the same set of Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsas, and while the rear tire was worn down to the cord in the end, that literally happened the day before I was scheduled to return the bike. Thirtyfive-hundred miles is pretty good for racetrack-sticky rubber.
Owing to Blake having re-flashed the ECU with Flash Tune’s hardware and software (ftecu.com), I never experienced the abrupt throttle response that he and Don Canet complained about initially. I ran Power Level 1 the whole time I had the bike, and aside from a lean surge around 4,500 rpm, throttle response was nigh-on perfect. The space-age dash and the tiny thumbwheel take a little time to get accustomed to, but once you do, adjusting the various parameters becomes second nature. On the street I only ever noticed the Traction and Slide Control systems cutting in when I hit sand or gravel. Otherwise, all of the electronic rider aids are transparent—if you didn’t know the Ri had them, you would never guess that it did.
REPORT CARD
Yamaha YZF-R1 feedback from Cycle World readers.
“A 2015 R1 owner here. Daily rider, 17K miles, 12K since transmission was replaced due to recall. Very happy with the bike. Everything I hoped it would be.”
Arik Kadosh Los Angeles, CA
“My 2015 Rapid Red R1 is my second bike. It’s leaps and bounds betterthan my '02 RG. I ride it in mode A, which was super twitchy on/off throttle. I had it about two months then got it re-flashed, cat delete/ exhaust and AIS delete.
Once back together it felt much smoother and more predictable. It’s almost an extension of your body.”
Andrew Robertson Gastonia, NG
“I got one of the first R1 Ms in Australia. It instantly made me a better, more confident rider. It's had
my back on every ride. Stepping up from an ’04 R1, I found the difference between them astonishing. It’s hard to believe that all bikes will eventually be better thantheR1Min10 years because it’s so damn good... So good, in fact, I bought a standard '16 R1 the next year!”
Jim Jam
Melbourne, Australia
“Beyond design (which is a matter of personal taste), in my case I love it: handling, power delivery, ‘easiness,’ it is one of the best bikes I’ve ever ridden. I think the R1 has earned its place among new-generation superbikes-only thing it lacks is downshift without clutch. All these new bikes are fast enough,so the final choice goes to personal taste, but for me, the R1 has that special charm that creates passion.”
Hadi Valle Morice Lausanne, Switzerland
We only had one mechanical issue, which occurred after I got a bad batch of gas at a sketchy-looking service station in the Southern California desert (the one brandname station in the area was closed due to construction). Thirty miles down the road the bike began bucking and surging, and after limping it home I discovered the fuel filter was clogged. Turns out Yamaha doesn’t sell the filter separately—you have to buy the whole pump for $310—but I found a Quantum Fuel Systems replacement filter online ($6, highflowfuel.com). Unfortunately, by that point the damage had been done—the pump had burned up and still needed to be replaced.
Aside from that one glitch, the Yamaha was a joy to live with. Once upon a time I got to ride Valentino Rossi’s YZR-Mi MotoGP racer, and riding this Ri made me feel that same way every day. You can’t put a price on that, but if you had to, $16,490 would seem pretty reasonable.
FROM THE LOGBOOK
DON CANET
I can’t imagine owning this latest R1 and sticking strictly to the street without the occasional track foray. Few bikes offer as much flat-out on-track performance while still possessing a civil side. Credit electronics with menu-based tuning for allowing us to have it all in one machine.
BRIAN
CATTERSON
Man, I’ve gotta say this R1 is crazy! The dash looks like something off the Starship Enterprise, and I don’t know that I'll everfigure out all the electronics. Not a good idea to do that on the fly, either, as this thing tends to fold space and time.
MARKHOYER
We’ve had this long-term bike longerthan most, but the riding experience never stops feeling special. Engine sound and a completely buttoned-down chassis make street riding this sportbike wonderful, and it is currently my favorite trackbike. An all-new Suzuki GSX-R1000 returns, though, and I’m off to ride it next!
