VOL. 52 ISSUE 6 FEBRUARY 10, 2015 P83
actually mounted a bit closer to the front wheel
in the chassis, and Yamaha fitted a magnesium
subframe. The rear shock now had high and low
speed compression damping and the forks had
compression damping in the left leg and rebound
on the right to allow for more precise adjustment.
The bodywork had polarized opinions. Gone
were the sharp, svelte lines of the 2007 model,
replaced by a bulbous back-end and twin projec-
tor headlights that were a bastard to get bug grit
out from (I know, I had a 2011 R1).
Had Yamaha hit a home run? Sorta… Ben
Spies smashed everyone in his only World Super-
bike season to take Yamaha's first and so far last
world title on a Big Banger, as did Leon Camier
in the British Superbike Championship. And Josh
Hayes has proven to be the man in AMA Super-
tronics on the Beemer, the wind was knocked
out of the Big Bang sails pretty quickly. Still, the
YZF-R1 was the best sounding sportbike on the
road (still is in my book).
Yamaha's machine development, indeed that
of the entire Japanese bike industry, took a major
hit with the Global Financial Crisis and as such
the YZF-R1 remained stagnate for three years until
2012, when it was given six-stage traction control
and subtle bodywork tweaks. The traction control
system is quite a good one, easy to use and not
too unobtrusive.
Sad to say, but the first generation of Big Bang
just missed the mark. The promises made by
such a bold leap in engine and chassis structure
just didn't add up to what Yamaha was hoping.
But there's hope.
bike for years on a Big Banger.
But for mere mortals, the excessive bulk from
the cross-plane crank engine made direction
changes a chore and low-down throttle response
was snatchy at best. A well set-up 2009 YZF-R1
can be a dream to ride. A bad one a total night-
mare. The engine produced beautiful drive once
you got it going, but slow speed manners were
less than pleasant. Braking stability is excellent
and so is braking power.
But when BMW rocked up a year later in 2010
and made everyone look stupid with a bike that,
really, was like the original 1998 YZF-R1 reincar-
nated for the 21
st
Century. With a plethora of elec-
The new 2015 Big Bang YZF-R1 is upon us,
rammed with more electronic toys and less
weight. Plus styling that, if it doesn't get you go-
ing, you might want to check your pulse. Yamaha
is not a company that likes finishing second. It's
not used to firms like BMW–who are still quite
new to the modern Superbike game–coming
and stealing its thunder. So you can bet all those
years between 2009 and 2014, where develop-
ment seemed like it'd come to a screeching halt,
will have been spent very wisely indeed.
It's time for a new Yamaha YZF-R1. Let's get
ready for the next chapter in this incredible motor-
cycling story. CN
2009
2015
