It actually pays to rev the motor right out to near the rev-limiter in every gear, with the row of shifter lights flashing bright red across the top of the MoTeC dash at exactly 16,200 rpm. There's a big gear indicator on the LCD dash, which also shows your lap time in the middle of the panel, and the bar graph sweep of the tachometer across the top. The vestigial but carefully shaped windscreen gives a surprising amount of protection even to a taller rider flat out in a straight line; but Crutchlow's riding position is quite individual, with the handlebars spread out wide and very flat. This gives better leverage in tight turns or when controlling a slide, and compensates for the fact that the seat pad Crutchlow prefers is positively wafer thin. You actually sit lower than normal, and the fine layer of rubber spread over the surface of the tailpiece gives your leathers some grip that would otherwise be non-existent.
Öhlins internals in the stock...
Öhlins internals in the stock Soqi inverted fork handle front suspension duties, with 310mm Brembo discs clamped by the stock monobloc Sumitomo calipers with YEC kit brake pads bringing everything to a halt.
Beautifully fabricated Bücher...
Beautifully fabricated Bücher radiator and oil cooler bleed off the extra heat generated by the highly tuned engine. Note the nicely constructed fiberglass coolant overflow tank, as well as the carbon fiber case covers.
An Akrapovic exhaust system...
An Akrapovic exhaust system deals with spent combustion gases, with Öhlins' latest Supersport-spec TTX rear shock handling rear wheel control. Note the tire temperature sensors on the swingarm, as well as the lap timer beacon.
It seemed last year when I rode the Yamaha that it preferred wide, sweeping lines-250GP-style-in faster turns, which a wide track like Brno gives plenty of room for. That's how I was riding it to start with; but after my first short five-lap session, I returned to the pits to for an unexpected lesson from Crutchlow. "You're trying to use too much turn speed," said the World Supersport champion. "Because supersport bikes are now getting more power, you have to stand them up as soon as you can out of a turn for less tire wear as well as better grip, so you need to end up riding it more like a superbike. My corner speed on some bends can be [6 mph] slower compared to [Yamaha teammate Fabien] Foret's and [Anthony] West's, and sometimes even than Eugene [Laverty], too, though he also rides his Honda more like a superbike now. But I always get out of the turn faster, and that's the key to quick laps, because it gives you more speed on the straight that comes after, and your tires last better. High corner speeds are okay at keeping up momentum, but often they mess up your speed down the next straight, so brake deeper and get it stood up sooner. Plus there's another thing: I can hear you blipping the throttle on the downchanges for that bend. You don't need to do that, and not just because it's got a slipper clutch. Just brake and change gear with your foot-nothing else-don't even use the clutch. You'll be surprised at what happens!"
Delivering a claimed 145 crankshaft...
Delivering a claimed 145 crankshaft horsepower at 15,400 rpm, the highly tuned R6 engine utilizes Grossewächter camshafts, a slightly higher compression ratio, ported and flowed cylinder head with race kit single valve springs and valves/valve seats reshaped to work with the revised porting. The variable length intake system also has options for trumpet length in 10mm increments from 30mm to 70mm, with the actuation point also adjustable via the MoTeC ECU.
So I headed out on to the track again, and at Brno's first chicane, I did as I was told. Left hand clamped firmly to the handlebar, mentally willing its fingers not to reach for the clutch lever, I lifted my left toe against the shift lever as I braked from fifth for the second-gear left-turn entry-and almost by magic the engine revved up as it hit the lower gear, and again for the next one. Welcome to the wonderful world of automatic throttle blipping, which I've used on MotoGP bikes before, but not on a superbike and never on a supersport bike. I must say I like this feature stored in the MoTeC ECU, because it allows you to take full advantage of the stock slipper clutch fitted to the Yamaha to downshift smoothly and seamlessly without worrying about the throttle or clutch and allow you to fully concentrate on braking and picking a line. Every bike should have one. It took me a while to persuade myself that no mechanical engine damage would result from just slamming downshifts without any clutch or throttle blipping; but any fear of tangling the valves were dismissed by Eschenbacher. "It won't happen-just do it," he insisted. "Cal comes down four gears at a time one after the other for some turns, like the first chicane at Monza, then lets the ECU take care of everything."
The Yamaha really excelled on the brakes, where it was surprisingly stable in spite of the short wheelbase and the extra weight transfer from my additional pounds. Just like a year ago with another rider's settings, the team had the Soqi inverted fork with Öhlins internals dialed in perfectly, with enough compression damping to handle that weight transfer without lifting the back wheel off the ground and swapping the back end entering a turn. There was just enough residual engine braking left to help with final turn-in too. "The brakes are fantastic on this bike," says a satisfied Crutchlow. "Normally I'll leave some braking distance in reserve in qualifying and the morning warm-up, when I don't brake as late as I could. But in the race, if I need to, I'll be able to pass anyone. I tend to brake early, but I don't brake hard; I leave a lot of corner entry speed, and I just brake right deep into the corner. This bike gets the job done on the brakes." The cocktail of twin 310mm Brembo discs with the stock R6 four-piston Sumitomo monobloc calipers is a potent mixture.