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2020 Yamaha R1


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While sitting at home today somewhat bored there was a knock at my door. My nephew sporting a rather excited grin informed me he had just purchased a new bike and it was sitting in my drive. A very new 2020 Yamaha R1 that he had only picked up that day and he had only put 35 km on the clock. Would I like a ride he asks 🤪 (he often asks silly questions) So on with the kit and away we go. For reference the most powerful bike I had previously ridden was a BMW S1000R (160hp) so this was somewhat of a step up for me from my VFR. As the bike was brand new, on brand new tyres, and we were only riding around town I took it very easy (plus of course it wasn’t my bike)

Never the less the power was simply mind blowing. I didn’t get out of third gear and can’t imagine ever needing sixth gear. The brakes were excellent, the handling seemed good but having only taken it very easy I didn’t get a real idea of what it will be like at speed. (I did give it a few revs in third in a 100kmh zone it hit 150kmh what seemed like instantly, this was on a straight piece of road though). I envy him being young enough to ride this style of bike for any length of time, as much as I enjoyed it my 61 year old body would protest after about 100km I think. We are heading off for a 300km ride tomorrow and no doubt I will get another go. Will take a change of underwear I think. 
 

85015E47-80E7-41EA-8AC1-646B4AD796FA.jpeg

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Very nice looking bike ,the power is so smooth and comes on without effort .

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If you get a chance to ride an MT-10, you should. My buddy has one and it’s a very cool bike to ride. 

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I was mistaken regarding the riding modes, mode 1 is the most powerful, so at least it doesn’t get any crazier..... but yes you are right it is a crazy amount of power for the street. I rode it again today in mode 4 (rain mode) much more civilised. The problem with horsepower is it so addictive....

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14 hours ago, ducnut said:

If you get a chance to ride an MT-10, you should. My buddy has one and it’s a very cool bike to ride. 

 

+1

 

But........

 

 

it still is a stinky i4..  :biggrin:

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7 hours ago, Dutchy said:

 

+1

 

But........

 

 

it still is a stinky i4..  :biggrin:

It sure doesn’t feel like one; it’s more like a slightly coarse V-4. I love that CP4 engine. 

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After riding my nephews new R1 and experiencing first hand just how much power is available with new bikes, it got me thinking about whether a new rider today is in a safer position than a new rider was in say 1979 when I purchased my first motorcycle. 
When I got my licence back in  1979 in Queensland you only had to complete a written test to get your learners and then complete a riding test which in my case consisted of riding a couple of hundred metres up a street through two sets of traffic lights, performing a u turn riding back down the street for about 400 metres, performing another u turn and returning back to the starting point. The testing officer ( a policeman) never even got on a motorcycle, he simply stood on the side of the road and watched you. There was no requirement to complete a certain amount of hours before attempting your practical test.On top of that what licence you got (open or restricted) depended on what size engine the bike you took the test on was. Over a certain size you got an open licence, less than that you got a restricted license. I went straight to an unrestricted licence. My first motorcycle was a Kawasaki Z1R with a claimed power of around 90 to 95hp depending on who you listened to, and a top speed of just over 210 kmh. At the time I was called crazy for getting a 1000cc bike as my first ride. 
Fast forward to 2020 and licensing requirements have got a little tougher. While I am not sure of all the rules I believe that in Queensland at least you have to have held a car licence for one year and then complete a q ride course. You can then only ride a LAMS bike for I believe three years. If this is correct by the time someone legally throws there leg over an R1 they have vastly more experience riding than I was required to have back in 1979. Of course this is the whole point of the current licensing system. 
On top of all this modern bikes have far better brakes, suspension (handling), tyres, electronic aids ABS, TC ect. There is really effective safety equipment in the form of Kevlar jeans, air vest jackets, boots, gloves, helmets, chest,back, elbow and shoulder protectors. It could also be argued that the roads are much better than they were 40 years ago.

So despite the crazy amount of power available on new bikes I can’t help but think that riding is safer than it has ever been. Of course the one thing that has not changed is the person throwing his leg over the bike, at the end of the day he/she has the most impact on there own safety.

I am sure this has all been discussed before somewhere on this forum and I am just stating the obvious, maybe some will disagree. I was tempted to give my nephew the old fart talk and tell him to take it easy, but he isn’t 19 years old, he is married with two young children and has several years riding experience on both dirt and roads. In hindsight I think I was the one who needed that talk back in 1979, but my 19 year old self probably wouldn’t have listened anyway. AB334A9B-78E3-40A1-BBE4-665CEBFBE4A4.thumb.jpeg.be9d84073c76ba3203e7f8446b2221b6.jpeg

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The guy in that photo must have had girls everywhere - handsome young guy, hot mototcycle - isn't youth grand!!

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1 hour ago, Cogswell said:

The guy in that photo must have had girls everywhere - handsome young guy, hot mototcycle - isn't youth grand!!

So what exactly are you trying to achieve...? 🤣🤣

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  • 2 weeks later...
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On 3/28/2020 at 6:54 PM, squirrelbrains said:

nobody needs a bike that fast for street riding !  wretched excess. ☹️

Nobody needs a VFR.  

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Great points about bikes being safer today, and (in some places) more stringent licensing requirements.  But though technology has improved, over here in the US we usually lament that the roads have gotten more dangerous.  Distracted drivers are everywhere, and even with new cars coming with advanced safety features, they won't keep some idiot on his/her cellphone from plowing into you.  Sorry to be negative, but it's true.

 

Anyway, back to the new R1, what a sweet bike!  But like you, I doubt I could ride one for very long.  Maybe 30-60 minutes max.  I looked at a like-new Ducati SuperSport over the winter at a local shop.  Beautiful bike, and the ergonomics aren't too bad.  Just a bit sportier than my 6th gen VFR, but I'm actually looking to get a bike with slightly more relaxed ergos, not less relaxed!  (Plus the insurance premium was quite a bit higher than I pay for my VFR, and I just can't stomach paying 2-3 times as much for a new bike.)

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