Yamaha YZF-R1

The first bike to come under scrutiny is the formidable Yamaha YZF-R1 featuring a compact, racy-looking instrument cluster and thoroughbred track-side handling ability that impressed me no end. Traffic allowing, letting loose a few of the bike’s 180 straining ponies to effortlessly nudge the occasional 140kph doesn’t even have the bike working up so much as a sweat. The R1 uses an astonishingly tall gearbox that allows crossing such high speeds in even its first gear. On one occasion, I round a winding left-hand corner at a relatively-sedate 130kph in sixth to realise the other side holds a stretch suitable to finally open up the R1.

The R1 transforms from deceptively docile to ‘all-fangs-bared’ mode. Chomping hard at the bit, it literally tears through the air, engine revs from its liquid-cooled, short-stroke and parallel four-motor frantically howling from 7000rpm upwards, while pulling like a locomotive into the upper throes of its powerband. In no time at all, the rev needle zips past 12,000rpm and it’s time to slam in a quick-gearshift. It’s difficult to focus away from the road now, and the R1 feels like it is barrelling through a funnel with no let up in sight as its wall of power propels us faster. The one time I could steal a glance, the speedo is crossing 250kph and I summon all reserves of courage to keep the throttle wrung just a few more fractions, before easing off and gingerly dabbing the brakes with a finger and light foot as the corner looms larger and too close for comfort.

Clearly, the R1 isn’t a bike designed to roll-down traffic-laden streets. In the looks department too, this bike seems racy and powerful even only standing still. The completely faired-in styling looks gorgeous. However, on the downside, pillions might be rather uncomfortable seated high on the rear of this bike, and searing heat from the engine works its way to a rider’s legs at slow speeds to often prove very uncomfortable. This is definitely a bike purpose built for speed and set to arrive in India within a few months.

Technical Data

Yamaha YZF-R1 (2005)

L/W/H 2065/718/1104mm

Wheelbase 1394mm

Dry weight 172kg

Engine layout Four-cylinders, in-line, liquid-cooled, four stroke, 998cc

Power 180bhp at 12500rpm

Torque 10.9kgm at 10500rpm

Power to weight1046bhp per tonne

Gearbox 6-speed, 1-down, 5-up

Front suspension Telescopic forks

Rear suspension Monoshock, swingarm

Tyre size (f-r) 120/ 70 x 17- 180/ 55 x 17 inches