Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1172754
2020 YAMAHA YZF -R1 & YZF -R1M R I D E R E V I E W P92 NPX pressurized chamber fork and ERS shock (the first production machine to do so), both fully adjustable via the interface on the dash. Like the base model R1, the R1M's spring rate has been reduced, although it's still heavier than the standard R1 with the new settings at 20 Nm compared to 21 Nm last year. The shock also gets new internal valve settings, and preload in- creased by 4mm for the base setting. Importantly, the gas pres- sure in the fork has been reduced to stop cavitation (the little air bubbles that form after repeated use). This helps maintain more consistent damping and better feedback to the rider. The semi-active system works in conjunction with a new algorithm that uses input from the ECU's various com- ponents including the six-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (Ya- maha was the first to bring this to production back in 2015), brake pressure, throttle posi- tion, power modes and traction and wheelie control to adjust the suspension in real time. Alternatively, you can switch T he 1998 Yamaha YZF-R1 is a true benchmark motorcycle. We knew this immediately upon its release, just like we did the Honda RC30, the Kawasaki Z1 900 and the Honda CB750 before that. That red and white missile is burned into motorcycling's collective subconscious and was the baby of Kunihiko Miwa who wanted to create the ultimate "no-compromise" road motorcycle. Miwa-san's most significant and most long-lasting advancement when creating the first YZF-R1 was to mount the gearbox output shaft above the crankshaft, rather than in a line as per common wisdom. This created the world's first "vertically-stacked gearbox," ensuring an ultra-compact and lightweight engine and setting the blueprint for all other engineers to follow. The offshoot of this meant the chas- sis and wheelbase dimensions could be reduced while using a longer swingarm to aid traction under acceleration. Miwa-san had created a monster. The cylinder head on the first YZF-R1 was nothing flash—Miwa-san still used the five-valve head so dear to Yamaha's heart; carbies took care of fueling as EFI was still four years away; there was no ram air, and electronics? Don't be stupid. This was before the age of traction control, anti- wheelie, ABS and IMU. The only traction control available was in your right hand. The 1998 Yamaha YZF-R1 simply blew the 919cc Honda CBR900RR into the past, and it's no understatement to say this was the first superbike of the modern age. Upside-down forks, carbon muffler for the four-into-one exhaust, garish red and white paint scheme (it also came in blue, but the red and white model is the one everyone wants), plus edgy, futuristic styling that made everything else look instantly outdat- ed—this was and still is a blisteringly brilliant motorcycle. Yamaha claimed about 148 hp and 430 pounds ready to ride for their new missile—staggering numbers in 1998. The game wasn't just changed. It was reinvented. Rennie Scaysbrook T H E O G 22 YEARS ON, WE LOOK AT THE BIKE THAT STARTED IT ALL