Owner Review - Yamaha R1 by Vikas #India [with #Pics]

It all started with a dream. When I was in 12th grade, I saw this Yamaha R1 one day in my area and I was overwhelmed by it. I went up to the guy and chatted with him for a while about the bike and clicked a few pics. I came home and updated my Hi5 profile (which I stopped using years ago, and had lost all the passwords), and wrote, “I’ll own this baby one day”. It can be seen even today…

 

It was a 2001 R1, and I had clicked the pic sometime in 2003, I guess. Damn, I was thin that time  ! :)

Present Day: Now coming to 2009. After I picked up the 220 DTSi, one of my good friends told me about this nice R1 on sale in Yamaha showroom, as the owner was picking up the VMAX. I got a good deal on it and bought it the next day. It had done just 1200 kms and was spanking new. In between I could have picked up a gray market bike, but I never wanted to take the risk.

R1 Looks: The bike, it’s just a beauty at any and every angle, it’s just too beautiful. You don’t need to be a good photographer for the pics to come out good. Just shoot the bike, in any angle, and it will still look just great. Some fellas in my building were asking me if I have got my R15 modified :)  . My mum also said it looks like the R15 :)  he he. I said, “Ma, never mind”.

 

When you sit on it, you feel like God. Period. Well that’s at least how I felt. It’s quite comfortable actually, but not in traffic. In traffic you’ll get cooked with the heat.

Performance: The power and acceleration is mindblowing, nothing like what I’ve felt before. Actually after 7k rpm, the exhausts are no longer exhausts, but feel like rocket packs :). They feel as if they cannot support the amount of gases coming out, as if they were gonna tear the exhausts apart. You really have to be careful with your right hand. The day I picked up the bike, I was so full of josh that as soon as I got out of my building lane and came on the main road, I whacked open the throttle and straight away. I had the front tyre in the air. I was overwhelmed and scared at the same moment but somehow had to control my wrists. Also, I have to be careful with mud on the road, had a wheelspin once.

 Handling & Comfort: The bike is actually very light and easy to handle. I never thought a SBK would be this easy to ride. The bike only looks heavy but it isn’t really that heavy. Brakes are good. I never use the rear one though. The front 6 piston calipers do their job very well. Max speed I’ve done with it is 190 on the Mumbai – Ahmedabad highway. Taking a U-turn at times could be a problem though, because of the large turning radius. Pillion comfort isn’t too good. But for a girl it isn’t too bad. All she has to do is hold you tight. ;)

 Lights & Plastic Parts: Lights couldn’t be better. The 2 projectors + 2 halogens are a sight at night. It’s more powerful than some of the cars we have. Sadly the 2010 R1 has only two lights. The fairing plastic quality is extremely poor. Even the R15 fairing is stronger than the r1. I was quite surprised to see such an expensive bike having such bad quality plastic.

 Conclusion: After using the bike for 4 months, unfortunately, I was leaving the country for some time so I decided to sell the bike. Managed to get a decent deal and that’s when I parted with the bike.

Even now as I’m sitting in Singapore writing this article, I dream of riding the R1 back home. Once you ride a SBK, It’s like an addiction. It’s difficult to stay away. Well, few more months from now, hopefully I should be writing another article on another SBK.

Take care and ride safe.  :)

Regards,
Vikas

Source – Bikeadvice

2009 Yamaha Fazer Review, Photos

There are only a handful of bikes in India that can be termed as real 'Tourers', like the Royal Enfields, Karizmas and the Pulsars.

Say Hello to the latest entrant in this department –the New Yamaha Fazer, a more tour-friendly variant of Yamaha's street-fighter 'Lord of the Street' FZ16.

The transformation of a naked hooligan machine to a more relaxed and sophisticated tourer has been done quite smartly on the Fazer. The most striking feature is the beautifully sculpted and aerodynamically designed fairing upfront that holds the twin headlights in place. It's quite interesting to see how adding a well-designed, purpose-built fairing can change the character of the FZ16, externally. Apart from the new fairing upfront, there are the new decals complete with a simpler seat design, visually the rest of the bike remains unchanged from the FZ16.

The most striking change in the new Fazer is the ergonomics and the big-bike feel, courtesy the fairing and the matte-black dash housing the digital console. The handlebars have been raised by a few millimetres letting the rider sit with a much more relaxed and upright posture as compared to the FZ16. The view you get from the saddle is that of a contemporary sport-tourer. The quality of plastics used is world-class and there are no shoddy gaps or ill-fitting fibre panels anywhere on the bike. Yamaha is known for its build quality as well as reliability and the new Fazer once again substantiates this fact.

And then there is the ultra-refined 153cc air-cooled motor serving the FZ range, which feels great on the FZ16 and the FZ-S, but feels out of sync on the Fazer as it remains untouched. A gruntier and taller geared pro-touring setup would have done wonders for the bike. The shorter gearing drastically dampens the Fazer's touring spirit and what you get is a more relaxed FZ, ideal for weekend getaways.

The Fazer is built entirely around the FZ16 chassis and under the skin it retains cycle parts unchanged from the FZ. So handling too remains unchanged, albeit the revised laidback riding posture that puts less stress on the arms making for a more comfortable and less demanding riding experience.

It comes with oodles of feel good factor and draws attention from passers-by just like bears to honey. However, the underpowered motor along with short gearing mess up the touring aspect and the Fazer remains nothing more than an able motorcycle for those pleasurable weekend rides and comfortable city-commuting.

With an on-road price tag of Rs. 80,830 (Pune) The Fazer falls in the price bracket of the Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTSi and the Hero Honda Karizma, Both of which are tried and tested performers. The only place where the Fazer really scores over Pulsar & Karizma is in fuel efficiency department.

Looks of a hardcore tourer coupled with comfortable ergonomics and decent tank range make the Fazer a decent buy for bikers looking for a stylish, manageable and frugal motorcycle to explore the outskirts of their respective cities, but if you are looking for long distance touring, this one isn’t for you (=

[via Zigwheels]

Yamaha Race Kits : Test Overview

 

The air box has been modified for better air flow and this gives the FZ the much needed boost in top end performance without losing the bottom and mid range grunt.

The bike with the kit is much faster than a stock bike.

The stainless steel free flow exhaust works in harmony with the ECU and the high lift camshaft.

[via BikeIndia]