2015 YAMAHA YZF-R1 AND YZF-R1M
FIRST RIDE
P46
in conjunction with everything else, with the end
result being a sublime riding experience that a
pre-2015 R1 could only dream of. The way this
thing goes about building revs, roaring up the
range and delivering blazingly strong acceleration
is addictive. The way the chassis steers under
brakes is so confidence inspiring. And the way
the two combine with the Traction, Wheelie and
Slide Control (yes, it's got Slide Control) via the
six-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to fire
you out of corners and on your way to the next
which is coming up very, very fast, is what makes
motorcycling so damn fun.
Mechanically—never mind electronically—this
machine is a cut above what was previously
offered by Yamaha. It's a machine that's been
designed purely with the racetrack in mind,
and its road-going persona has taken a distinct
second place. The "No Compromise" tag, first
coined with the original 1998 Yamaha YZF-R1, is
back. Yamaha has set out to create the ultimate
sportbike—engine performance is focused mainly