Cycle News

Cycle News Issue 20 May 22

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/985130

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 104 of 141

2018 YAMAHA YZF -R1 AND YZF -R1M FULL TEST P104 take clutchless shifts up and down, a new wheelie control algorithm and a new launch control platform— the latter of which we were not allowed to test during our single day at Utah Motorsports Campus. Those three changes also carry over to the R1M, but the premium superbike is now graced with the next generation of electronic Ohlins, dubbed Smart EC 2.0. Not unlike a certain red Italian superbike that was released a few months ago. Yamaha also upped the game by releasing its ultimate superbike in the YZF-R1M, laden with the first generation Ohlins Smart Electronic Control (EC) suspension. The YZF-R1M, resplendent in carbon fiber and silver paint, was a demon to behold, a bike that when you rode it, you knew you were on something special. Between 2015 and 2017, the R1 and R1M saw no chang- es or improvements to the original platform. That's changed for 2018, with Yamaha finally fitting a quickshifter that can KYB suspension for the R1, but the switches to access the bike's brains are the same across both bikes. We don't mind if you stare at the Yamaha YZF-R1M for hours. We did. Svelte and sexy—just the way we like it.

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Cycle News - Cycle News Issue 20 May 22