VOL. 52 ISSUE 8 FEBRUARY 24, 2015 P49
stage Launch Control (LCS),
three different levels for your
quickshifter (QSS), four-stage
Lift (wheelie) control (LIF) and my
personal favorite, the four-stage
Slide Control System (SCS). And,
if you've got the R1M, access to
the top notch Öhlins electronic
suspension. Got all that? Did I
mention you can change the R1M
by your phone?
All of these parameters are
changeable on the fly via the
mode button on the left handle-
bar (bar the suspension, which
is done via the roll switch on the
right), however, I chose to stop
for many of my adjustments because the signals
at the base of the dash can be a little hard to
make out at times, especially if you're moving and
have to focus on the road. What's that about men
only being able to do one thing
at a time?
Thumb that starter and the
R1 barks to life. Even with the
standard exhaust that now exits
near your right leg the rumble
is much louder than before,
settling to a smooth, menacing
idle just over 1200 rpm. Blipping
the throttle reveals some of the
engineer's secrets—this engine
has been seriously lightened,
the revs rise and fall almost like
a YZ450F, and the ride-by-wire
throttle has a lovely direct feel-
ing to it. It's all so refined. And
this is all before you've even
made it onto the track!
You only have to go around one decent corner
to know this bike shares almost nothing with its
predecessor. The revs pick up fast—really fast—al-
The "standard" R1 is still full of bells and whistles.
"IT'S NOT LIKE SOME
OTHER LITER BIKES
THAT FEEL LIKE THEY
WANT TO RIP YOUR
ARMS OUT FROM
SHEER GRUNT; THE
R1 FEELS MORE USER
FRIENDLY, BUT STILL
WITH A SENSE OF
REAL URGENCY."
