Throughout the day, Dane raised the front of the bike 5mm, gave the bike more rear ride height and adjusted the compression, rebound and preload in both the rear shock and front fork. Over the course of a few sessions, the R1's suspension package began to improve. The initial feel that the bike was riding high in the front was removed, turn-in improved and the rear shock no longer pumped - as it had in the morning. By the end of the day, the R1 was better able to hold its line through the middle of the corner and the bike was extremely comfortable to ride.
The R1 was originally very...
The R1 was originally very hard to steer into the corners since the shock and fork were only tuned with baseline settings. Finding a balance between the front and rear suspension allowed for better handling on corner entry and through the middle of the corner.
The Dynojet Quick Shifter...
The Dynojet Quick Shifter seen here provided seamless shifts on the track.
The Marchesini T-spoke wheels,...
The Marchesini T-spoke wheels, which are also available through Yamaha's accessory catalog, save the R1 some weight and give it a race-oriented look. Be wary of the price tag associated with them though.
Possibly the coolest pieces on the TrackDaz Yamaha R1 are the offset triple clamps by Attack Performance. The clamps give the rider the opportunity to completely adjust trail and - in turn - steering and handling capabilities. However, because the bike was fitted with these clamps at the same time as the Öhlins TTX rear shock and 25mm front fork cartridges, there is little hope at distinguishing their absolute effect on the steering and handling in comparision to the effect of the shock and cartridge kit. Had the bike been fitted with one component, ridden, and then fitted with the next, there would be a better chance at understanding what parts make the most difference on the track. What we do know however, is that when all the components are there and the suspension is dialed in, there is a serious amount of potential.
All it takes is one day at the track to see that, although the TrackDaz Yamaha R1 was built more for having fun, it truly is a race-ready machine.
Mixing Business With Pleasure
Off the track, the project R1 is a great promotional tool for TrackDaz and Yamaha. Its amazing looks make it a main attraction at various dealer events, bike nights and motorcycle shows and Coyner even states that "the biggest advantage of the bike is the customer recognition associated with it." In addition, the project R1 is a perfect way to display the distinguished partnership between TrackDaz and Yamaha and an even better way to celebrate TrackDaz's 10 years of providing riders with a safe place to hone their skills. But, the bike is more than just a display piece. Get it on the track, and the Yamaha R1 is full of potential. Mix this track performance with extreme marketing potential and you have a truly unique package perfect for a company looking to reach out to motorcycle enthusiasts.