Motorcycle specifications YamahaYZF-R1 1000 2004 Beyond the sublime

sSTTOOPP!!! Stop everything! Drop everything you're doing and take 2 minutes to admire the imprint Yamaha will leave on history. With the new R1, everything has been turned upside down, references shattered, numbers staggering, and beauty fatal. - 180 hp - to tow 172 kg! now there's madness. A 1-liter engine developing as much power as the ZX-12R (the most powerful machine until 2004) to tow a machine almost as light as an SVS 650. Today, Yam presents an all-new R1 - the plastic is close to that of 2002, but everything else is new. Aaahh, this beauty! The great features of the bike that reminded us of the MV-Agusta F4 remain, but the aggressiveness underlines them: the forced air intakes and the subtle R1-R6 look give a wickedly beautiful face. The rear end is sumptuous, with its new LED taillight, and the titanium pots under the seat complete this delightful cocktail. The new, reinforced aluminum die-cast swingarm is inverted (as on the Suzuki TLR), the frame entirely new, as is the new 4-cylinder engine. More compact, it develops 13% more power and revs up to 2,500 rpm. No, I'm not mistaken: it's 2,500 rpm. The Deltabox V frame is narrower, further refining the bike, which loses 2 kilos in the process. The riding position has been revised, as has the passenger's - he really doesn't belong on the folding seat anymore. Like the competition, the brake calipers are radially mounted; we can expect the best from the manufacturer with the tuning forks.

New dashboard with red zone at 13,750 rpm, new wheels, new... new... everything is new and everything is better! A new queen is born!

a stylistic benchmark in the world of Japanese sports bikes, the R1 narrowly missed out on the title of queen of efficiency. This crown, held by the GSX-R 1000, is about to change hands. While the designers seem to have gone to art school to design the bike's dress, the engine-makers have been eating a serious dose of Weetabix every morning. The proof is in the strength of the new mill. Power up to mid-rpm is similar to that of the old version, i.e. copious, but a tone below that of the Suzuki. The latter remains unbeatable in terms of trunk space, but the Yam has the luxury of being more "paunchy" than the CBR 1000 RR and ZX-10R. Then, when it revs up, you enter another dimension. Watts galore, power like a 357 Magnum bullet, and immense pleasure. Sensational, oh yes! But not as sensational as the Kawa. The greens have designed a machine that becomes insane as you approach the red zone; Yam puts out almost as much power, while offering a certain delicacy. The R1 sticks your eyes to the back of your skull, but remains serene. As a result, confidence builds up, and the lap times are achieved without too much fighting. On the racetrack, the pistarde is no slouch: it blows away the CBR and GSX-R, but fails to beat the furious ZX-10R (source Moto-journal). Good heavens! How could this happen?
It's quite simple. Rossi's new bosses have tried to square the circle. Not only have they created a superb machine, capable of dislodging virtually anything on the track, but they've also made the R1 more user-friendly. Did they mean it?

Well, yes - the bike that used to be considered the most exclusive of all Japanese bikes has put some water in its wine. The handlebars are moved up a little, the steering damper comes as standard... and the bike becomes frighteningly efficient on open roads. Gone are the sticky handlebars of previous generations. Comfort has improved (well, it's still an R1), and wrists suffer less. Granted, the Yam is a little less agile than the Kawa, but the arrival of less disconcerting power limits the risk of a big scare in the corners... especially if you open up like a madman.
Even more beautiful, more powerful, more stable, more comfortable, more sensational... do I need to go on?

Click on the animated image to enlarge - Size: 1.77 Mb

M.B - manufacturer's photos