1000cc 2009 MCN tests. R1 vs Blade vs Duc vs Kawa vs Gixer

[MentalFacility]

Here is the track test:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfzG902YmjA

All the specific details from that video you can find here.
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/mcn/2009/march/9-15/mar1009-new-look-mcn-march-11-norton-ride/
Just scroll down to the flash magazine viewer, make it full screen and go to page 9.
Blade is an odd one, while being ahead of others everywhere except for corner exit it loses almost 3 seconds per lap to the R1. A lot to do with the traction and confidence i suppose.

Road test:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwAtRLCVhKo

And all the specific details.
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/mcn/2009/march/16-22/mar1709-new-mcn-march-18/


So far it generally goes like this

Track - R1, Kawa, Duc 1198S, Blade, Gixer
Road - R1, Blade, Gix, Kawa, Duc.
Congrats to Yamaha fans, I’m really glad that the new R1 works. It is good that Yamaha leveled up the competition, and came up with something new. Kudos to them.
Worth noting that R1 dynos don’t make much sense. If you read carefully MCN says that in controlled environment blade has better acceleration and roll, but on the track\road new R1 delivers it much better and goes much faster.
New R1 seems to be the shit, ugly as fuck, but probably a good bike. Or maybe Yama is just getting some value for their advertising $.
Some people on US R1 forums say that the dyno needs to be calculated in a different way, more like a Vtween rather than an Inline.
Also the brakes on the thing are the weakest point. Early owners all complain about "on\off" feeling.
So to get R1 to become flawless you’ll need new pipes, brakes and rear fender eliminator.
Surprisingly new Gixer sucks balls. I would expect it to be one of the top dogs, being a redesigned bike, but it seems that it have been choked my all the noise\exhaust regulations.
Now, I’m going through some troubles with my blade (again), and I’m working on my options list. First of all I love my blade when it performs well, and if I didn’t have major problems with its oil consumption I would even bother looking at other bikes in such detail. I’d be happy to get a blade that doesn’t burn oil instead of some other bike, but It might not be happening.
So far it looks like R1 is what I’ll be trying to replace my blade with.
Anyway, hopefully I’ll get a test ride in a few weeks, then Ill tell you my opinion.

[SixPackBack]

One test by MCN??...............come back when BIKE, Superbike and AMCN have tested then you will have a discussion. Check out the scribe riding the GSXR into the corners, hardly leaning and locking the rear-what a muppet!

[MentalFacility]

One test by MCN??...............come back when BIKE, Superbike and AMCN have tested then you will have a discussion. Check out the scribe riding the GSXR into the corners, hardly leaning and locking the rear-what a muppet!

somewhy i knew that u would be happy about what they said about the gixer.

But as title suggests it is only MCN.

[carver]

bring on the MFSC shootout

[SixPackBack]

Dunno what it rides like but this (http://www.ktm.co.nz/bike.php?bike=109&PHPSESSID=d388737f99c5612bbabc78b987199dcf) really floats my boat.

[MentalFacility]

Dunno what it rides like but this (http://www.ktm.co.nz/bike.php?bike=109&PHPSESSID=d388737f99c5612bbabc78b987199dcf) really floats my boat.

Ive read a bit about it.

Apart from a very cool advert, I dont think its that great of a bike.
However it is pretty good for the fist attemp.
They are viby as hell, a bit hard to corner and only by selling your family for slaves youll be able to affort it.

[Deano]

Dunno what it rides like but this (http://www.ktm.co.nz/bike.php?bike=109&PHPSESSID=d388737f99c5612bbabc78b987199dcf) really floats my boat.

Heaps of grunt which doesn't run out of puff as the revs get close to the redline.

Crappy gearbox which is made worse by the stumpy gear lever.

Left a 1098s behind over the Taka's....lol

[saul]

Had a couple of yamahas both burnt oil:spanking: and had weak clutches Dont hold your breath:devil2:

[carver]

Had a couple of yamahas both burnt oil:spanking: and had weak clutches Dont hold your breath:devil2:

what did you have?

[saul]

what did you have?

R1's :devil2:

[carver]

R1's :devil2:

not much good eh.
i should have said hi on the coro run.
i had my k1 GaySeXeR 1000.

ridden the new blade?

[Sollyboy]

just a few point , did all the bikes get bought at random off the showrooms floor or were they supplied by manufacturer and perhaps some are touched a bit after coming off production line eg honda could have gutted exhaust , and R1 has remap injection that dont comply EU regs any more?
also did all riders ride all bikes then scores averaged ?
or did that suzi just suck?

[YellowDog]

All great bikes.

It is really down to personal preference and of course riding ability.

[MentalFacility]

just a few point , did all the bikes get bought at random off the showrooms floor or were they supplied by manufacturer and perhaps some are touched a bit after coming off production line eg honda could have gutted exhaust , and R1 has remap injection that dont comply EU regs any more?
also did all riders ride all bikes then scores averaged ?
or did that suzi just suck?

Probably just stock bikes, but they gave them same rubber, some good one.

On the track all bikes were ridden by one dude, who tried to push each one to the max.

Read the report god damn it.

[saul]

not much good eh.
i should have said hi on the coro run.
i had my k1 GaySeXeR 1000.

ridden the new blade?

Yes that would have been nice:hug:

Not interested in the litre bikes anymore, they really can't deliver any more fun than I get out of the 675:2thumbsup.

[carver]

those guys cant make a film for shit!

[SixPackBack]

Superbike is not echoing MCN?

[slowpoke]

Dunno what it rides like but this (http://www.ktm.co.nz/bike.php?bike=109&PHPSESSID=d388737f99c5612bbabc78b987199dcf) really floats my boat.

After the K6 you'll be disappointed unless you are sitting at the coffee shop sipping your latte or riding past a refelective surface.


Heaps of grunt which doesn't run out of puff as the revs get close to the redline.

Crappy gearbox which is made worse by the stumpy gear lever.

Left a 1098s behind over the Taka's....lol

Seriously mate if you cleaned up a 1098 I'd put it more down to your Cliffhanger skills than the bike. I found it breathless, ponderous and I'd take your 'blade over it anyday except for sitting outside Toppy's admiring the thing. Even then your repsol with that sexy 'zorst runs it close. Did the RC8 have the stock crazy gearing?

Yes that would have been nice:hug:

Not interested in the litre bikes anymore, they really can't deliver any more fun than I get out of the 675:2thumbsup.

Hahahahaha, that's a good one.............oops, you weren't joking were you.....?

[MentalFacility]

Superbike is not echoing MCN?


It seems they were testing in in isolution. When you have all the bikes next to each other that some real comparison can go through.

Good find anyway, Im not a big fan of MCN myself, I'm waiting for motorcycle.com review.

[-df-]

Superbike is not echoing MCN?


ummm, isn't that article on a GSXR only? and not a shot out?

Sure the GSXR sounds nice...but when compared to the others?

:girlfight:

[Maki]

One test by MCN??...............come back when BIKE, Superbike and AMCN have tested then you will have a discussion. Check out the scribe riding the GSXR into the corners, hardly leaning and locking the rear-what a muppet!

Another "muppet" locking the rear and hardly leaning..... (at 1:20 in the vid)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WqR_Pya3pU

:shit:

[SixPackBack]

Another "muppet" locking the rear and hardly leaning..... (at 1:20 in the vid)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WqR_Pya3pU

:shit:

That 'muppet' knows what he is doing for sure-great vid!

[DMNTD]

Those magazine write ups don't hold too much water for me but they can be an interesting perspective. It's down to how they handle on Kiwi roads IMO...try them all.
Have to say that after owning my '09 R1 for a week that I am hugely impressed. The feel, the noise...that power delivery!

[carver]

Those magazine write ups don't hold too much water for me but they can be an interesting perspective. It's down to how they handle on Kiwi roads IMO...try them all.
Have to say that after owning my '09 R1 for a week that I am hugely impressed. The feel, the noise...that power delivery!

you guys got a demo?
can i ride it?

[SixPackBack]

This might burst the bubble!

Independent, same-dyno tests conducted by England's Performance Bikes magazine have shown that the 2009 Yamaha R1 (http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2008/09/2009-yamaha-r1-revealed-with-b.html) makes less power and torque than the 2007 model both outright and in the midrange. The new bike also weighs 4kg (9lbs) more. Progress?

PB found that the 2009 R1 made 156hp and 76lb/ft of torque at the wheel (Yamaha (http://hellforleathermagazine.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=1&tag=Yamaha&limit=20) claims 182bhp and 85lb/ft at the crank). While measured horsepower can differ between dynometers and with variations in elevation and temperature, the same dyno, just days apart, recorded 162hp and 78lb/ft for the 2007 R1. That might not sound like a huge difference, but consider that the only place the new R1 makes more power than the old is below 4,700rpm, where it makes about 5hp more. But in the midrange, at 5,500 and 8,000rpm, the old bike is up 9hp.

Yamaha don't quote an official dry weight for the 2009 R1, preferring instead to quote it wet -- 206kg. While, on the surface, that could appear to be in the spirit of openness, it is, in fact, concealing. Dry weights are just that, no oil, no gas, no radiator fluid, nothing; therefore they're more transparent than wet weights, which can sometimes be quoted as a full tank or a half tank of fuel, with the overall capacity of those tanks not taken into account. While the wet weight is, as a customer, the way you'll find the bike, dry weights make comparisons easier. The 2009 R1 weighs 177kg or 390lbs (dry); the 2007 R1 weighs 173kg or 381lbs (dry).

The new R1 isn't supposed to be all about power though, it's supposed to be the inline-four that, like a V4 or V-Twin, puts traction and ease-of-use first. We never had a problem getting the power down on the old one, in fact finding it, along with the 2005 GSX-R1000, very easy to exploit. Well, as easy-to-exploit as a liter bike gets.

PB goes on to report that the 2009 bike uses a more track-oriented riding position as standard than the 2007, meaning it'll be less comfortable on the road.

Is a 6hp difference, less midrange and slightly more weight worth getting worked up about? In the world of liter bike dominance it could be, in-class sales success has been decided on less. In fact, more prescient questions would be: Has Yamaha done a good enough job selling the crossplane crankshaft (http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2008/09/details-2009-yamaha-r1-crosspl.html) to the public to make up for these deficiencies? In this economy, should you spend $12,390 on the new R1 or save thousands by buying on the slightly faster, better looking previous generation?

[Performance Bikes doesn't bother having a website, so we'll link to a forum its readers have created instead, PB Mag Forum (http://www.pbmagforum.co.uk/)]

[aahsv]

From Motorcycle.com:

"the R1’s brakes demonstrated terrific feedback and were easy to modulate. A ramp-type slipper clutch aided corner entries, allowing quick downshifts without worrying about the rear tire locking up during compression braking. A new gear-position indicator lets a rider keep track of what’s going on in the transmission.

Yamaha has joined the electronic engine-control bandwagon by incorporating a D-mode selector that allows a choice of three engine-response maps. Unlike Suzuki’s DMS, Yamaha’s system does not affect ECU settings - the performance curve of the engine always stays the same, and it’s only alteration is the response from Yamaha’s Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T). The default Standard mode is said to be optimal. The A-mode provides sharper initial throttle response but the same performance as Standard up top. Response from B-mode is 30 percent slower at all throttle settings.

In terms of street use, the R1 now offers a slightly more hospitable riding position. Its handlebars are 10mm closer to the rider, and the seat is placed 8mm forward. Footpegs are situated 10mm forward, and they are now repositionable 15mm up and 3mm rearward. Only truly fast riders will need the pegs in their more aggressive position.

The Verdict

In my decade-plus career in moto-journalism, I’ve had to sift through reams of PR propaganda to discern mostly incremental increases in performance of sportbikes. Lose a few pounds here, add a couple of percent horsepower there. So it was with great delight that I found a palpable shift in technology when testing the new R1 that provides a real-world advancement in engine design.

Believe the PR hype this time around. Yamaha’s new YZF-R1 provides literbike performance in a package that benefits not only racers, but also lesser-skilled street pilots. With the addition of the cross-plane crankshaft engine, it’s safe to say that Yamaha has upped the ante in delivering mega performance in a package that will benefit riders of all types. And it sounds marvelous.

Good on ya, Yamaha! "
:niceone:

[DMNTD]

This might burst the bubble!


No not at all 6PkBk...the way it produces its power more than makes up for it.
VERY easy to ride it fast...a lot easier than say my '07 ZX10 which was dyno'd with 176RWHP.
Zero regrets...and lets face it, it's only the average squid that really cares about the figures

[oldguy]

Believe the PR hype this time around. Yamaha’s new YZF-R1 provides literbike performance in a package that benefits not only racers, but also lesser-skilled street pilots. With the addition of the cross-plane crankshaft engine, it’s safe to say that Yamaha has upped the ante in delivering mega performance in a package that will benefit riders of all types. And it sounds marvelous.

Good on ya, Yamaha! "
:niceone:

Ben Spies if he can only just stay on.

[SixPackBack]

No not at all 6PkBk...the way it produces its power more than makes up for it.
VERY easy to ride it fast...a lot easier than say my '07 ZX10 which was dyno'd with 176RWHP.
Zero regrets...and lets face it, it's only the average squid that really cares about the figures

Wading through the hype from online mags etc confuses those that have yet to ride the new R1. More than one scribe has claimed that in 'full fat' mode the bike has to much power for the road!?........naturally when weighed against actual power figures this makes no sense.

Most of what is written about the R1 [or any other bike] cements my belief that most scribes are THE most unreliable source of information available, and that an opposite view is but a mouse click away.

I look forward to riding the R1 as much as the K9 free from preconceived notions.

[carver]

Wading through the hype from online mags etc confuses those that have yet to ride the new R1. More than one scribe has claimed that in 'full fat' mode the bike has to much power for the road!?........naturally when weighed against actual power figures this makes no sense.

Most of what is written about the R1 [or any other bike] cements my belief that most scribes are THE most unreliable source of information available, and that an opposite view is but a mouse click away.

I look forward to riding the R1 as much as the K9 free from preconceived notions.

no bike has too much power for the road, i remember some scribe saying that about a triumph in the 90's :crazy:
they tend to read into the marketing side too much i think.
but

you can trust any mormon test

[DMNTD]

Wading through the hype from online mags etc confuses those that have yet to ride the new R1. More than one scribe has claimed that in 'full fat' mode the bike has to much power for the road!?........naturally when weighed against actual power figures this makes no sense.

Most of what is written about the R1 [or any other bike] cements my belief that most scribes are THE most unreliable source of information available, and that an opposite view is but a mouse click away.

I look forward to riding the R1 as much as the K9 free from preconceived notions.

Yep...define "too much" eh :devil2:
We have a demo at work or you're more than welcome to have a play with mine :niceone:

[roogazza]

PB magazine, they're the ones who get all stiff over 675 Triumphs. I think you have to pick the eyes out of some of those bike mag tests. G.

[dipshit]

the 2009 R1 made 156hp... ...162hp and 78lb/ft for the 2007 R1.

Oh my! How dreadful! :gob:


:rofl:

[Peter Smith]

PB found that the 2009 R1 made 156hp and 76lb/ft of torque at the wheel

I got an old oil cooled GSXR1100 that make nearly 130hp at the wheel standard,:2thumbsup (except pipes and air filter) and she's 20 years old!!:eek5: (and weights 20kgs more:weep:)

I look forward to riding the new R1 as I have always loved the way the 1098 gets the power to the ground and the R1 sounds awesome!!