The iconic superbike : Yamaha YZF-R1

[weeksy]

Say what you want about sportsbikes, this thing was a complete game changer in the arms race of the late 90s superbikes

There'd always be a space for one of these in my dream garage.

[Horse]

I was involved in an article for Ride magazine. Me, another independent instructor - an R1 owner soon after they were available - and a copper.

The copper strolled over to the R1, looked at both sides and said "First one I've seen that hasn't been crashed!"

[Trinity765]

I have never owned one but it's one of those bikes that I will always wonder about and possibly buy on a whim sometime.

[weeksy]

I have never owned one but it's one of those bikes that I will always wonder about and possibly buy on a whim sometime.

I'm not sure if i've owned 5 or 6... i think it's 9 if you include later R1s.. but of the early ones i think i'm on 5. They're remarkable machines for sure. One i bought from Couchy i should have kept as it was crazy low miles and completely immaculate. However i didn't have a garage etc at the time so wasn't really an option to keep. Shame.

[Mr. Dazzle]

These came out in 1998 when I was 14, I had a poster of a red/white mark 1.1 version (dunno the proper rev name!) with the slightly thinner mirror stalks on my bedroom wall.

Still torn between which I prefer more out of this and the original gap toothed R6.

My favourite R1 though, having never owned or ridden any, is the 2002 with the simple red/white plain colours.

[Couchy]

The early ones have dated a bit for me, my favourite being the 2002- 5PW model, lovely bike

[Mr. Dazzle]

Was that the one which was fuel injected, but it still had CV slides like a carb?

[weeksy]

NAh, this was the kiddie in terms of looks and indeed in terms of performance too.

2017-08-27_03-35-06 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Although the 07-08 with the slipper clutch added, mmmmmm.

[Asian Boss]

I had a couple of 2000 ones back in 2000. They were quick but I preferred the stable handling of the Ducatis at the time.

If I was going to have another I'd like the 2002/03 one with the letter box tail light. Looking at eBay you can get a nice one for four grand which doesn't seem crazy.

That said if I was going to get a bike like that, I'd get an old VFR800 because I'm a nasty old curmudgeon.

[MingtheMerciless]

I remember nearly throwing the one on the Yamaha stand at the Ally Pally on the floor when I sat on it and lifted it off the side stand (I was used to a ZX7-R!). I only just caught it.......

[Yorick]

I remember in about 2003 I borrowed one from Carnell's and did long report on VD. I remember I quite liked it. But I did get off after about 5 miles to make sure it was the R1 not an R6 as the bottom end was so poor.

[Taipan]

NAh, this was the kiddie in terms of looks and indeed in terms of performance too.

2017-08-27_03-35-06 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Although the 07-08 with the slipper clutch added, mmmmmm.

My comments are pretty irrelevant as Sporsbikes aren't my thing, but the first one in the OP is hideous. That stupid bluey coloured dustbin sized exhaust can kills the whole bike for me. The one above is sooo much better, but always struck me as a Jap rip off of the 916 exhausts, but if i had to look at one in my garden, it'd be that one, but preferably in a streefighter guise!

[fatgit]

Hi
I went on a lads riding trip to Scotland back in 2000ish and at that point the most modern bike I’d ridden was a 97 CBR600.
One of the lads on the trip turned up on an import R1 and on the way back from Skye to Fort William we swapped bikes and the Yam just blew me away.
After a little bit of settling in time I just blasted away and left the whole group behind, which isn’t my normal steady Eddie style.
Saw 285kph on the speedo on a long straight and the handling and drive were just so confidence inspiring.
It’ll always have a place in my heart just because of that one ride.
Having said that the best model for me is the first cross plane crank model in white. The sound is just phenomenal
Cheers
Steve

[Druid]

NAh, this was the kiddie in terms of looks and indeed in terms of performance too.

2017-08-27_03-35-06 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Although the 07-08 with the slipper clutch added, mmmmmm.

I enjoyed mine, but my wrists and knees suffered after about an hour. It was supposed to be one of the more comfortable sportsbikes too.



How I managed to ride it for a year without losing my licence remains a mystery

[KungFooBob]

I've only ever ridden the 2002 one. I had a 98 Blade that I'd thrown a lot of money at and rode them back to back.

They were about comparable. If you'd thrown the money at the R1 it would have been better.

A few year later I rode a K5 GSXR1000... again back to back with my Blade. Now that was a proper proper weapon, miles better than the Blade in every single way (except the thickness of the paint).

[G.P]

First time I rode one was on weeksys trackbike. it was my 2nd ever trackday. I was really impressed with the top wend on it and unimpressed with the bottom end as was used to riding a litre v twin.

[Yorick]

R1 owners seem to have a love affair with them.
I had every model of the GSXR1000 and wouldn't want to have any of them back, coz the new model was always better than the previous one (current one may be an exception)

But R1 owners pine for an older model over a newer version.

We are all different

[weeksy]

R1 owners seem to have a love affair with them.
I had every model of the GSXR1000 and wouldn't want to have any of them back, coz the new model was always better than the previous one (current one may be an exception)

But R1 owners pine for an older model over a newer version.

We are all different

I'd love a 2020 R1, but when I can get 5 of the earlier ones for the same money, then it's crazy buying a new R1.

[Skub]

I've ridden the first couple of early models,back when they were new,plus the later big bang jobbies. They were/are a great tool for the job of going quickly anywhere,but like the Fireblade I admired from afar and never wanted to buy one.

In 1998 the first C model ZX9R was a great bike,but it and everything else was eclipsed my the R1. A landmark machine for sure.

[Mr. Dazzle]

The R1 and Gixer both have longer stroke engines than the ZX9R and Blade - they're all the same bore to within a mm, but the litre bikes make up the difference in stroke which is why they feel loads gruntier than the 900s I guess.

The Yamahas are 5v engines aren't they (are they still?) which probably explains why they've got loads of top end but less bottom.