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2001 Open Class Shoot Out |
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Friday, 08 September 2000 |
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Page 3 of 4
| Yamaha YZF R1 - by Mike Emery |
| Top Speed |
165 mph |
| SAE Horsepower |
132.5 @ 10,000 RPM |
| Torque |
73.7 FT.-Pounds @ 8,900 RPM |
Mike Emery
Brit expatriate and ex-roadracer. Emery also doesn't know how to ride on more than one wheel if the road is straight. We featured his bike in the April issue and he was seen by many at Daytona entertaining the troops hanging out at the sportbike scene. Owns an R1. Is he biased?
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Yamaha has not rested on any laurels with the R1 although they could have, simply because it was that good. Riding the new version reinforced the accolades heaped on this bike. As far as riding position is concerned, I converted my personal R1 to a streetfighter guise in an attempt to make it more civilized on the street and a little more "stunt-able." In retrospect, it's tipped-up riding position feels less of a pain than your typical race
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| rep; you're in the classic race crouch, but there seems to be a little more room to stretch out. I'm 6'1" and, at 39, an old geezer. So it did surprise me that the ergonomics of an unmodified R1 felt so good. Maybe it was the racetrack enviroment/mentality. Maybe not. |
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The only negative comment in any of my notes was the R1's tendency to ground the pegs under serious lean angles. I put in a lot of laps on this bike and I never had a "somebody stop me" moment. Beginner's luck? I think not, this bike rocks!
Do I sit on the fence with the noncommittal, "Buy any of these bikes and you'll be a happy camper blah, blah?" Nope. The R1 is still the finest street and track-day toy available today. Period.
After a whole day of track riding I still wanted to ride the R1 and consequently rode the bike back to my LA hotel. 100 miles in 45-degree weather meant the trip could have been miserable but with a begged Punjabi Times from a gas station attendant stuffed down the front of my ventilated leathers and a trusty R1 we made it in. |
| Yamaha YZF-R1 |
| Engine |
| Type |
998cc, DOHC, 20-valve, liquid-cooled, in-line four-cylinder |
| Bore x Stroke / mm |
74 X 58mm |
| Compression Ratio |
11.8:1 |
| Carburetion |
(4) 40mm Mikuni CV downdraft w/throttle position sensor |
| Transmission |
6-speed |
| Chassis |
| Front Suspension |
Fully adjustable 41mm inverted telescopic fork, 5.3" of travel |
| Rear Suspension |
Fully adjustable single shock, 5.1" of travel |
| Front Brake |
4-piston calipers, dual 298mm discs |
| Rear Brake |
Single-piston caliper, 245mm disc |
| Front Tire |
120/70-ZR17 |
| Rear Tire |
190/50-ZR17 |
| Dimensions |
| Seat Height |
32" |
| Wheelbase |
54.9" |
| Minimum Ground Clearance |
5.5" |
| Fuel Capacity |
4.7 gallons |
| Dry Weight |
385 lbs. |
| MSRP |
$10,299 |
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