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Weapons of Class Destruction

146 0505 Liter 07 Z

Test Notes Yamaha YZF-R1
Strong, quick-revving engine
Agile, narrow chassis
Best brakes in a superb class
Slightly soft spring rates
Radiates a lot of engine heat
Needs a bit more midrange
A bit more torque and stiffer springs and the outcome might be different
It was a bit surprising to find some of our testers ranked the Yamaha at the back end of the group in the canyons. Although nearly everyone enjoyed the R1's superb chassis feel during hard cornering, as well as its excellent brakes (the best in this test, and all the bikes in this comparo have outstanding brakes) and fairly supple suspension action, a few were put off by the engine's need for more rpm to get the same thrust as the others, especially when approaching the flat spot in the powerband at 7500 rpm. Get caught anywhere near that spot on the tach when the throttles are opened and the Yamaha definitely loses ground to the others.

Suggested Suspension Settings
Yamaha YZF-R1
FRONT: Preload: 4 lines showing. Rebound damping: 11 clicks out from full stiff. Compression damping: 12 clicks out from full stiff. Ride height: Set fork tubes flush with triple clamp.
REAR: Preload: Position 7 from full soft. Rebound damping: 26 clicks out from full stiff. Compression damping: 9 clicks out from full stiff.
There's no getting past the Honda's excess heft in comparison to the others. Even though it's only about 20 pounds heavier, it feels like much more when you're really flinging the bike through tight switchbacks or braking hard from high speeds for a slow second-gear corner. And yet some of our testers were willing to overlook that fault because the CBR's rock-solid chassis and well-chosen damping/spring rates instill enough confidence in corners to fully utilize the engine. Like its 600cc sibling, the big CBR's user-friendly nature quickly endears itself to all who ride it.


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