2 0 2 0 YA M A H A Y Z F - R 1 M
R I D E R E V I E W
P72
2020 YAMAHA
YZF-R1M REVIEW—
WOULD YOU?
Compared to the previous two su-
perbikes I had last year in the Su-
zuki GSX-R1000R, and the Honda
CBR1000RR SP, the Yamaha's
ride position is much racier. The
rider is hunched forward more,
and there's extra weight on your
wrists, especially compared to the
Suzuki. Also, the seat padding is
not as comfortable as the Honda
SP's, so big days in the saddle get
a bit uncomfortable. The Yamaha
just encourages more, shall we
say, speedy behavior than the
other two—the Honda feels like an
armchair compared to the R1M,
while the cheap nature of the
Suzuki's cockpit gives it a feeling
of inferiority.
Just oogling the
Yamaha with a beer
in one's hand can
take up many an
hour. There's so
much stuff to look at,
from the delectable
carbon fiber bodywork with one of
the most Instagram-worthy butts
of all time; to the new face that's
sleeker and deliberately copied
off Maverick and Valentino's M1;
and the way the blue moves from
the magnesium wheels to the
outline of the front number plate,
to the little M on the side of the
fairing. The carbon fiber flows and
glows in the afternoon light—this
machine is pure class.
The Yamaha YZF-R1M turns
heads like a model in Milan, with a
build quality that makes the rather
hefty ticket price of $26,099—
more than a BMW S 1000 RR
M Sport, Kawasaki ZX-10RR or
GSX-R1000, but crucially, less
than a Ducati Panigale V4 S or
Honda CBR1000RR-R SP—abso-
lutely worth it. CN
S P E C I F I C A T I O N S
2020 YAMAHA YZF-R1M
($26,099)
ENGINE: ....................Liquid-cooled inline
4 cylinder DOHC; 16 valves
DISPLACEMENT: ............................ 998cc
BORE X STROKE: ...............79 x 50.9mm
COMPRESSION RATIO: ....................13.0:1
FUEL DELIVERY: .........Fuel injection with
YCC-T and YCC-I
TRANSMISSION: ..........6-speed cassette
CLUTCH: ............ Wet, multiplate, slipper
CHASSIS: ................ Twin-spar aluminum
FRONT SUSPENSION: .................... 43mm
Ohlins Electronic Racing Suspension
NPX fork, fully adjustable; 4.7-in travel
REAR SUSPENSION: .... Ohlins Electronic
Racing Suspension single shock, fully
adjustable; 4.7-in travel
FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL: .................. 4.7 in.
REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL: .................... 4.7 in.
FRONT BRAKE: .. Dual 320mm hydraulic
disc; Brake Control System, ABS
REAR BRAKE: ..Single 220mm hydraulic
disc; Brake Control System, ABS
FRONT TIRE: .................. 120/70 ZR17 in.
REAR TIRE: .................. 200/55 ZR17 in.
WHEELBASE: ................................ 55.3 in.
SEAT HEIGHT: .............................. 33.9 in.
FUEL CAPACITY: ............................4.5 gal
WEIGHT: ...........................450 lbs. (ABS)
COLORS: .............................. Carbon Fiber
You'll need a
long time to test
everything out
here. Thankfully,
Yamaha's
designers have
made everything
somewhat easy to
understand for the
average punter.
Brake performance
on the track has
been criticized by
some testers, but on
the street, we had
no issues.
