Cycle World 2015-07

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JULY 2015 C YCLEWORLD.COM

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CYCLEWORLD.COM 5

SINCE 1962

JULY 2015 VOL. 54 NO. 7

TESTS

42. 2015 YAMAHA YZF-R1

Yamaha puts Japan back in contention against its Euro rivals.By Blake Conner

74. LONG-TERM WRAP-UP

We say goodbye to our Yamaha FZ-09, which leaves as a better bike than when it arrived.By Mark Hoyer

FEATURES

56. MOTOCROSS MEMORIES

Ten of our favorite bikes from Tom Whites Early Years of Motocross private museum.By Andrew Bornhop

66. ARCH KRGT-1

Keanu Reeves latest project has nothing to do with film, but billet aluminum is in abundance.By Brian Catterson


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6 CYCLE WORLD JULY 2015

84HRC DOMINANCE

14. FIRST RIDE:

APRILIA RSV4 RF

V-4 Superbike gets more potent.

By Thomas Montano

20. FIRST RIDE:

APRILIA TUONO V4

1100

Big-bore Tuono. By Thomas Montano

22. VICTORY MAGNUM X-1

Sound machine. By Peter Jones

24. BENELLI BN302

Italian/Chinese sporty-bike.

By Bruno dePrato

IGNITION

EVALUATION

DEPARTMENTS

RACE WATCHCOLUMNS

32. SENA 20S

Trick Bluetooth communications system.

By Mark Hoyer

84. POWERED BY HRC

How Hondas racing division dominates.

By Kevin Cameron

12. INTAKE

80. SERVICE

92. SHOWCASE

98. SLIPSTREAM

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER ornm10 facebook.com/cycleworldLIKE US ON FACEBOOK ornm10follow us @CycleWorldMag

10. UP FRONT:

EBR RIP? HOPE NOT

By Mark Hoyer

36. WANDERING EYE:

THE RECENTLY

UNDEAD

By Paul DOrleans

38. TDC:

SOLUTIONS

By Kevin Cameron

Harley-Davidson has a new boss. See our interview with

President & CEO Matt Levatich on cycleworld.com.

ON THE COVER

The potent 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1. Photo by Jeff Allen.

28. YAMAHA 03GEN

CONCEPTS

Wild-looking three-wheel people movers.

By Bruno dePrato

30. GEAR

Five items meant to be appreciated in the dirt.

By Blake Conner

34. RIDE SMART

Train your passenger to go with the flow and youll both enjoy the ride more.

By John L. Stein O N L I N E T H I S M O N T H

PHOTO BY ANDREW WHEELER


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EDITORIAL

EDITORINCHIEF MARK HOYER

EXECUTIVE EDITOR, DIGITAL ANDREW BORNHOP

TECHNICAL EDITOR KEVIN CAMERON

SENIOR EDITOR BLAKE CONNER

ROAD TEST EDITOR DON CANET

ASSOCIATE EDITOR MARK CERNICKY

EDITOR-AT-LARGE PETER EGAN

CUSTOM & STYLE EDITOR PAUL DORLEANS

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS MATTHEW MILES, PAUL DEAN, RYAN DUDEK, ALLAN GIRDLER,

NICK IENATSCH, GARY INMAN, PETER JONES, JOHN L. STEIN, STEVEN L. THOMPSON

EUROPEAN EDITOR BRUNO DEPRATO

WEB PRODUCER ALAN TAKUSHI

MANAGING EDITOR TERRY MASAOKA

COPY EDITOR JESSICA MATTESON

ART

ART DIRECTOR LAURA MILTON

PHOTO AND VIDEO SERVICES

PHOTOGRAPHER JEFF ALLEN

VIDEO PRODUCER SPENSER ROBERT

ASSOCIATE VIDEO PRODUCER STEPHEN POTTER

CONTRIBUTORS

PHOTOGRAPHY BARRY HATHAWAY, DREW RUIZ,

GUY SPANGENBERG, MARK WERNHAM, ANDREW WHEELER

ILLUSTRATION HECTOR CADEMARTORI, JIM HATCH, RYAN INZANA, MORGAN SCHWEITZER

ADVERTISING

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GENERAL COUNSEL JEREMY THOMPSON

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CYCLE WORLD (ISSN 0011-4286, USPS 571-310), JULY 2015, Volume #54, Issue #7 is published monthly by Bonnier Corporation, 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional offices. Copyright 2015 by Bonnier Corp. All rights reserved. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission of Bonnier Corp. Mailing List: We make a portion of our mailing list available to reputable rms. If you would prefer that we dont include your name, please write us at the Harlan, IA address. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cycle World Magazine, PO Box 6364, Harlan, IA 51593 -1864. Subscription rates: US and US possessions $15 for 1 year (12 issues). Canada: $25 & Foreign: $45. International order must be paid in advance and in US funds only. Canada Post Publication agreement #40612608. Canada Return Mail: IMEX Global Solutions, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.

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T H I S

M O N T H S

STAT S

Unfathomably, Erik Buell had to gather his 120-plus workers this past April and tell them to go home. It was

the second time I was at an all-company meeting that ended in tears, a former employee said.

And so closed the doors at Erik Buell Racings East Troy, Wisconsin, factory.

The reborn American sportbike manufacturer had clawed back after Harley-Davidsons 2009 closure of Buell Motorcycles in the same facility EBR occupies today. Initial funding for the founding of EBR was procured domestically, alongside Erik Buells own investment, but the biggest boost came when Indias Hero MotoCorp bought 49.2 percent of the company for $25 million in July 2013.

With Heros funding, EBR made exceptional progress on the 1190RX superbike with limited time, resources, and personnel, speeding the bike into production for the 2014 model year. It was followed by the 1190SX naked bike. Forthcoming machines included the AX adventure bike and much more, Erik Buell said by phone after the shutdown. Weve been working on the mainstream stuff, he said. I cant talk about what was coming, but I will say some of it is much different than anybody would have expected. Stuff that is 18 months away from full-volume production that people would go, Holy st! EBR did that?! It was all much higher volume and lower price.

The RX superbike entered a low-volume, highly competitive market. Sales numbers are not known, but the RX was subject to factory incentives of at least $2,000, indicating volume fell short of expectations. An insider said the SX was doing much better. Nonetheless, the initial investment in manufacturing and parts was unable to be recouped by sales.

Buell said he had less than 24 hours notice from his legal team that EBR had to cease operation. He said all were shocked that a second funding deal from Hero did not come through.

EBR entered Chapter 128 protection, a Wisconsin form of bankruptcy protection similar to federal bankruptcy protection. It is described by the Wisconsin Bar Association as being for clients who have more debt than they can handle, wish to repay, and need the help of a structured plan to get back on their feet.

Indicating, as ever, Buell the man is pushing ahead.

The people we had here, what we were doing, it was stunning, Buell said. Im really proud of the engineers and technicians. We were producing incredible stuff in an incredibly short time, with nothing. All the projects we did for Hero, it was just really cool. And at the same time, we designed the RX, the SX, and all the prototypes. Plus producing the bikes, plus running the World Superbike team. Our entire company is much smaller than just Ducatis racing department.

As we discovered in our 1190RX vs. Panigale comparison test last year (July 2014), while the RX wasnt as refined as the Ducati, the base package was fast and great handling, the EBR turning similar lap times at the track and making competitive horsepower.

Where does EBR go from here? Buell said there was quite a bit of interest, and those people were in touch with the law firm in charge of the sale. Unlike the straight liquidation when Harley-Davidson shut down Buell Motorcycles, the Chapter 128 work focused on selling EBR as a functional unit.

Where the business is at this time is infinitely better than where it was with the closing of Buell, he said. Then, I really had nothing except a dream to go forward. Now I have a production line, several models, more in the hopper, prototype models, and a lot of stuff preparing for the next five years. We could start production again in a day.

Its hard to lay odds against Erik Buell.

RIP, EBR?

U P F R O N T E D I T O R S L E T T E R

MARK HOYEREDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ERIK BUELL RACING SHUTS DOWN BUT LOOKS AHEAD

HORSEPOWER/TORQUE PRODUCED

BY THE 2014 EBR 1190RX

167/ 7 7

16 1/87

CAREER PODIUM FINISHES BY VALENTINO ROSSI (AS OF MAY 3, 2015)

HORSEPOWER/TORQUE PRODUCED

BY THE ALL-NEW YAMAHA YZF-R1

200


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It took unprecedented rider input and thousands of test rides. But now, the feeling

that comes from being in the saddle is so strong that, if it wasnt for the Reflex

Linked Brakes with ABS, you might not ever be able to stop. Project RUSHMORE and the

next Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Built by all of us. For all of us. H-D.com/RUSHMORE.

The Road King

2015 H-D. Harley-Davidson, Twin Cam 103, and the Bar and Shield logo are among the trademarks of H-D U.S.A., LLC.


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IT WAS REAL ornm10 MOVING DESIGNS ornm10 SIDECARISTS UNITE

KICKSTART THE CONVERSATION

Comments? Suggestions? Criticisms?

Write us at [email protected].

MR. EKUANIts impossible to cover the lifes work of someone like Kenji Ekuan in a brief article, but Kevin Cameron did a fine job in the space available (May). Mr. Ekuan happened to be in New York during the Guggenheims The Art of the Motorcycle, and his staff asked me to give him a tour. He had no idea what was in the exhibition, so when we reached his Yamaha RD350 he was thrilled to see we had selected it as being one of the most significant designs ever produced. When we later reached his V-Max and he saw we had selected a second of his designs as well, tears came to his eyes. A decade later I gave a talk at GK Design in

I enjoyed the Visions of Freedom test of the Scramblers in the May issue. It states that the images used are evocative of times and feelings that may or may not have actually existed. They most assuredly did exist. See photothats me, circa 1969, airborne on my 1965 Norton Atlas Scrambler. I spent many enjoyable and memorable days on that bike riding along the power lines or in the woods in New Jersey. Picking between the two bikes in the article raises an interesting dilemma. The Triumph looks so much like the bikes of the good old days, but the 393-pound dry weight of the Ducati sounds sweet!

BILL OSMOLSKI

CYCLEWORLD.COM

Tokyo and the by-then-retired designer spent an hour over tea at his apartment showing me countless examples of his work in many areas of industrial design. The world of motorcycle design has lost a remarkable figure.

CHARLES FALCO

CYCLEWORLD.COM

Falco was co-curator of the 1998 The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition.

I chose a Ducati Multistrada over the KTM Adventure; while I was more comfortable on the latter, the former appealed to my soul. The KTM is utilitarian ugly; the Ducati is sexy

sporty. Both are great machines, so Im not left wanting.

Thats why it was such a pleasure to read something contextually educational in Kevin Camerons homage to Kenji-san. I was grateful to learn that the 61 Kikkoman bottle was designed by the same mind that birthed the 85 V-Maxindustrial design is not well understood by Americans (obviously), and the concise article does much to advance the awareness of its importance in all manufactured objects we interact with every day. This article not only increases the cultural value of your publication, it sends out real, though currently immeasurable ripples, that will impact minds and in a real wayadvancing the understanding of how form (aesthetics) can follow function and thereby fosters a slightly more beautiful world.

RADAMES PERA

SAN DIEGO, CA

You are ready to leave the monastery, Grasshopper!

TALES OF THE ODDIt is one of my joys in life to have my wife, a longtime and enthusiastic pillion rider, and son beside me as we motor around at 45 mph in complete bliss with our family Ural. Its an amazing feeling to share my lifelong passion and love of motorcycling with my most beloved. As the saying goes, if one has to explain, understanding is not possible; the sidecar brings them into my motorcycling world. They get it, and now they get me a little better as well. And its fun as hell too!

ERICH LIERMANN

SCOTTSDALE, AZ


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WHEN YOU DONT KNOW WHAT TO SAY,

STAND UP.When someone you love is diagnosed with cancer, you have the power to help. There are many ways

you can stand up and show that you care.THEY TALK, YOU LISTEN. One of the most

helpful and important things you can do is

listenwithout judgment and resisting the urge

to give advice.

DONT ASK, DO TELL. Instead of waiting to

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loved ones diagnosis and treatment. When

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people tend to drift away. Be someone to count

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Cancer Treatment Centers of America is a proud supporter of Stand Up To Cancer, DQLQLWLDWLYHGHVLJQHGWRDFFHOHUDWHJURXQGEUHDNLQJFDQFHUUHVHDUFKIRUWKHEHQHWRIWKHSDWLHQW

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Pamela CromwellCancer Survivor

Dr. Maurie Markman, MDMedical Oncologist


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IgnitionTHE RIDE STARTS HERE

APRILIA TUONO V4 1100 RR ornm10 VICTORY MAGNUM X-1 ornm10 BENELLI BN302 ornm10 TIPS FOR RIDING WITH A PASSENGER

14 CYCLE WORLD JULY 2015WorldMags.netWorldMags.net

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CYCLEWORLD.COM 15PHOTOGRAPHY BY Roberto Graziani

brakes, and sticky Pirelli Supercorsa SP

race-compound tires.

The chassis of the RSV4 has always

been its strongest asset, but I had

forgotten about the very smooth nature

of the V-4, which has also made this

Aprilia one of the easiest superbikes

to ride fast. Eventually though, the

euphoria was over and I was giving

it enough throttle to get the back end

to start squatting on corner exits.

The Aprilia mechanics added some

compression and took some rebound out

of the hlins shock.

With the chassis to my liking, it was

time to investigate Aprilias latest version

of its race-developed APRC (Aprilia

Performance Ride Control) system. APRC

integrates the full ride-by-wire, multi-

map, electronic-engine management

2016 APRILIA RSV4 RFThe little brand with a huge rsum builds its next contender By Thomas Montano

C W F I R S T R I D E

MANUFACTURER

TITLES:

Won in the

World Superbike

Championship

since the RSV4s

debut in 2009.4BY THE NU

MB

ER

S

Since Aprilia introduced

its RSV4 in 2009, the

little company from

Noale, Italy, has won

four manufacturer and

three rider titles in World

Superbike competition.

The RSV4 has been a great

platform, and the 2016 RF top-of-the-line

version represents another crucial step

in ongoing development.

For 2016, the RSV4 comes in two

designationsthe RR and the limited-

edition RF that we rode, of which only

500 will be made. The new V-4-powered

superbike is not that dissimilar to the

previous model, but it does have some

very important changes, which were

made to comply (and exploit) this years

World Superbike rules.

near Rimini, Italy, which has

a nice combination of

slow, medium, and fast

corners, plus there are a

few difficult direction

changes combined with

heavy trail braking. Early

in the day, I ran it in way

too deep exploring the

braking zones. But every

time I was able to reel it

back in, thanks to the

RSV4s excellent front-

end feel, great Brembo

WORLD TITLES: Earned by Aprilia, with 20

in 125cc Grand Prix, 18 in 250 Grand Prix,

seven in Superbike, seven in supermoto,

and two in trials. Add to that 294 wins in

Grand Prix competition.

f i f t y - fo u r

ornm11

INSPIRATION:

World Superbike success

informs Aprilia RSV4

developmentpower

up, weight down, better

electronics.


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Scan QR code to view Cortechs Jacket Feature Video. Cortech is a registered trademark of Helmet House. Helmet House, Inc. 2015. Always maintain, inspect and wearprotective motorcycle riding gear. No gear can offer complete protection from all situations. Obey all speed and safety laws. Riding and alcohol or other drugs dont mix.

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V4-MP

system, which has three new engine

map settings: S (Sport), T (Track), and

R (Race). The corresponding engine-

braking maps are new, as well, with

engine-braking reduced at 6,000 rpm

and beyond.

The engine itself has been

substantially updated with a new

crankshaft, new Pankl connecting

rods, and a new cylinder head that

now features forged camshafts with

titanium exhaust valves joining

the Ti intake valves. A new airbox,

variable-length-intake funnels, and

revised exhaust help the engine

breathe.

According to Aprilia, the new

engine-mapping system has been

revised for smoother, less aggressive

power delivery. The motor puts

out a claimed 201 hp (16 more than

the previous model), and, yes, the

throttle response is quite good, with

power delivery linear throughout

the rev range. Never once did I feel

a hesitation or lack of grunt. There

isnt a big hit of power anywhere; it

just keeps pulling until the end of

the rev range.

F I R S T R I D E I G N I T I O N

I headed out for my third session

with the traction control set on

3, wheelie control on 1, and in the

R map (the most aggressive). The

revised slipper clutch and updated

engine-braking mapping worked

well together. I found that the RSV4

likes to wag its tail ever so slightly

but stays in line just enough to let

you get into the corner as late as

possible. Even with the front end

buried on the brakes, you can still get

the bike turned and finish the corner.

For the final session, my

technician decided to lower the

front end by 5mm, to combat the

squatting, which turned out to

be the fix I was looking for. The

bike felt more composed on the

exits without losing any of its

front-end feel. With this new bike,

Aprilias engineers were looking

for improved stability, while not

sacrificing any of the agility for

which the RSV4 chassis is known. I

believe they met their goal.

Aprilia has done its homework

and upped its game. The chassis

as a whole felt excellent and the

drivability of the new engine is

smooth, precise, and powerful. The

RSV4 remains a serious contender for

top honors on the street, and, as this

seasons World Superbike Series has

shown, is still quite effective on the

racetrack too.

One cool

accessory

that deserves

mention is the

V4-Multimedia

Platform

(V4-MP), which

allows you

to link your

smartphone to

the RSV4. It can

display real-

time telemetry

and allows you

to change the

settings of the

APRC controls

from your

phone, making

V4-MP a great

way to enhance

your riding expe-

rience. On track,

your phones

GPS can tell the

bike exactly

where you are,

which allows you

to see what the

bike is doing in

every corner and

even make

ATC/AWC

suggestions to

improve your lap

times. You can

even fine-tune

the ATC and AWC

corner by corner

by selecting

from a growing

list of prepro-

grammed race

circuits around

the world.

ENGINE T YPE

DOHC V-4DISPL ACEMENT

999.6ccFUEL C APACIT Y

4.9 gal.SE AT HEIGHT

33.0 in.CL AIMED DRY WEIGHT

397 lb.PRICE

$21,999

2016 APRILIA RSV4 RF

CYCLEWORLD.COM 17WorldMags.netWorldMags.net

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I G N I T I O N F I R S T R I D E

I found myself wondering why I felt the need to pass several cars at once while enjoying a nice motorcycle outing in the countryside. I should have been perfectly happy sitting back and taking in the sights, but, no,

I was stricken with the need to explore the massive amounts of power available at the twist of the right grip. I just couldnt resist.

I was in Italy, flogging the new 2016 Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 RR on some great back roads. The bike shares the same high-performance chassis as the RSV4 superbike and has been equipped with the latest version of Aprilias Performance Ride Control (APRC) suite. The key difference between the $14,599 RR and the $16,299 Factory is the use of hlins suspension on the latter.

As soon as I hit the road I knew I was in for a good time. The new 1,077cc engine

has excellent low-end torque that blends into an awesome top-end. Aprilia claims that maximum power has increased from 170 to 175 hp, with as much as 20 extra ponies found in the midrange. In Sport mode, the engine was smooth and controllable, and the bike behaved nicely at slower street speeds too. As I got higher in the mountains, the pace increased. I was impressed with how well the Sachs damper units front and rear worked to keep the Tuono in line. Suspension compliance on the bumpy, uneven, and slippery roads was quite good. The new front fairing is more aerodynamic and, when combined with the lower seat, provided good wind protection.

The 2016 Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 RR is an impressive bike that manages to combine the capabilities of a modern superbike in a package thats comfortable and practical in everyday riding and commuting.

2016 APRILIA TUONO V4 1100 RRMore V-4 is a good thing By Thomas Montano


2016 APRILIA TUONO V4 1100 RR

PRICE: $14,599

ENGINE: DOHC V-4

DISPLACEMENT:

1077cc

SEAT HEIGHT:

32.5 in.

FUEL CAPACITY:

4.9 gal.

CLAIMED DRY

WEIGHT: 406 lb.

SPECS


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Race across 15 different tracks, in 4 competitive gamemodes.

Ride on 12 different bikes & ATVs and choose from 16 diverse characters.

/DIRTRIDERTHEGAME

The Dirt Rider Game is affiliated with Dirt Rider Magazine. Visit dirtrider.com

Scan the QR code with yoursmartphone or tabletto instantly be taken

to the Facebook page!


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L


oud what saves lives? What? I cant hear you. Ive got 10 speakers blasting 200 watts of sound at me from each end of the Victory Magnum X-1 sound machine. Im the meat center in a music sandwich. Huh?

We tested the magnum X-1 during Daytona Bike Week,


which isnt a quiet place to begin with. We made it less quiet.

What? Yes, it is Spirit in the Sky but as performed by The Upsidedown.

The Magnum X-1 is a showroom-available

modified Magnum, beefed up with custom black billet

wheels, featuring a 21-incher up front, black bodywork with detailed red pinstriping, an LED headlight claimed to be 74 percent brighter than the one on the Cross Country, and a music-maker boom box of serious note. The speakers also look great, matched in style and color to the bike, three in each side location up front and two atop each bag.

The 21-inch front wheel doesnt much hinder steering, and the front suspension provided a surprisingly nice ride, with the rear as good as usual for Victory, which is pretty good for a bike with this profile. Parking-lot crawls required a bit more steering management than typical, but thats likely due to inner-ear issues of the rider.

After plugging in your personal music source inside the right-hand bag, operation of the Magnum X-1s music system is pretty straightforward, with the controls hanging off the left handlebar. Selecting modes, then tunes, is nearly intuitive, if you arrive with some motorcycle-music history, but when starting at the beginning of your playlist you can only scroll alphabetically from A, which might not impress Zappa fans.

That aside, finding and

Big bagger sound from Victorys rolling jukebox By Peter Jones


2016 VICTORY MAGNUM X-1

selecting a playlist, and then a particular song, is easy. Plus, the up-and-down volume buttons are nicely responsive, without lag. Of course, the system also features an auto-volume thats synchronized to the speed of the bike. Were not sure if its presets can be altered or not, which would be a good feature because it increases in volume a bit too much too quickly or it ends up being too soft at a stop. We couldnt find a desired compromise.

These days, booming-bagger competition is a new sport, particularly at bike rallies. The traffic-light cacophony at times at Daytona was intense, between ratcheted-up rock and roll and opened-up exhaust systems. Cranking on 200 watts is a good way to win the battle, but a solution without permanent hearing damage is a lonesome highway.

Possibly the best thing about the Magnum X-1s serious stereo system is the ability to use it with the bike parked, sans the sounds of wind, pipes, road noise, and so forth. When parked, the sound of this boom box on wheels is clear, with high fidelity for P-Funkadelic, psychedelic, or whatever -delic you select to serenade your beach-blanket bingo party. Just please dont play the same song by Steppenwolf all day long. Rock on.

2016 VICTORY MAGNUM X-1

ENGINE T YPE

SOHC V-twin, 4 va lves/cy l .DISPL ACEMENT

1731ccFUEL C APACIT Y

5.8 gal .SE AT HEIGHT

25.7 in .CL AIMED DRY WEIGHT

761 lb .PRICE

$24,499


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Always there to help you save. Now thats Progressive.1-800-PROGRESSIVE | PROGRESSIVE.COM

Progressive Casualty Ins. Co. & af liates. Do not attempt.


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In Italy, the new Benelli BN302 costs less than a Vespa Sprint 125 3V. Thats because Benelli is part of QianJiang, a huge Chinese motorcycle group that wants this new bike to sell well in the Far East, where low price and excellent

durability are hugely important.The Pesaro, Italy-based technical

team led by Chief Project Engineer Stefano Michelotti came up with the BN302 formula, which is based around a 300cc parallel twin derived from the BN600s four-cylinder powerplant. It has the same 65.0 x 45.2mm bore and stroke, and it breathes through 37mm throttle bodies. This new 360-degree twin

delivers a claimed 38 hp at 10,000 rpm, and 20.2 pound-feet of peak torque at 9,000 rpm. The Kawasaki Ninja 300, for comparison, puts out a claimed 39 hp at 11,000 rpm and 20.6 pound-feet of torque at 10,000 rpm.

Because this Benelli is meant for the rough roads and tough-duty cycles of the Asian markets, the 408-pound BN302 is fitted with a strong trellis frame made from thick mild-steel tubing. A tubular over-under swingarm looks similarly stout.

On the road, the BN302 feels compact and surprisingly light. Good ergonomics and excellent weight distribution help, as does friendly a seat height of only 31.3 inches. The

engine is remarkably smooth, and a huge silencer produces an exhaust note not unlike that of a four-cylinder. Delphi engine management delivers strong and stumble-free response from below 3,000 rpm, and it supports the engine all the way past 11,000 rpm.

I rode the sturdy little Benelli on the twisty back roads of San Marino, where the BN302s acceleration and pick-up performance exceeded my expectations. The rear suspension, however, was too harsh. My suggestion: Replace the current rear shock with one from Sachs. Lastly, look for Benelli to reappear in the US market by the end of 2015, possibly with the new BN302.


New Chinese-built twin is heavy but remarkably refined By Bruno dePrato


BENELLI BN302

BENELLI BN302

ENGINE T YPE

Liquid-cooled DOHC para l le l twinDISPL ACEMENT

300ccFUEL C APACIT Y

4.2 gal .SE AT HEIGHT

31 .3 in .CL AIMED DRY WEIGHT

408 lb .EST. PRICE

$ 4300


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2015 BMW Motorrad USA, a division of BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name and logo are registered trademarks.

The entire world awaits, and youre done sitting still. The K 1600 GTL. Luxury, power, technology nothing has been compromised. Life is a feast. Savor every bite.

Find out more at bmwmotorcycles.com.

DESSERT

PARKED OUTSIDE? MAKE LIFE A RIDE.


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The UltimateRiding Machine

BMW MotorradUSA

bmwmotorcycles.com


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I G N I T I O N N E W S

ornm10 Yamaha continues to probe the unique possibilities that the

Leaning Multi Wheel front suspension of the Tricity scooter

might offer. Under the code name GEN, Yamaha has created

a generation of concept vehicles that explore new solutions

for individual mobility, all created in a way that reects the

companys Rened Dynamism design philosophy.

Bruno dePrato

Personal people movers

ornm26 Proof that standard bikes

never go out of style but do

get renamed (nakeds, any-

one?), our main story touted

at cover center featured a list

of 10 great fairingless bikes.

A couple of high points (in

price and cool factor) were

the $4,298 Honda CB-1 399cc

inline-four and $4,198 Hawk

650 GT V-twin. Price kept

the bikes from ever being big

sellers, as they headed up

against the $4,599 Suzuki

VX800 and $3,699 Yamaha

Radian. The conclusion after

riding all 10 bikes? Every rider

picked a different machine,

so we said to read the story

and pick your own.

ornm26 Very red, very expensive

and very, very good, read the

subhead for the 1990 Honda

VFR750F test. A check for

$6,998 got you a bike with

fantastic, broad power (with

100-hp peak), and a stellar-

handling chassis that deliv-

ered some of the style and

music of the RC30 superbike

for the everyday rider.

ornm26 Wayne All the Way told

the story of Wayne Raineys

USGP win that year, as four

riders left the circuit with in-

juries. Its early in the year,

Rainey said, and everyone

thinks they are going to be

the world champion. Kevin

Schwantz was ready for

racing, even if his motorcycle

may not have been. Said

Schwantz: Suzuki didnt do

too much to the bike: They

thought it (last years bike)

was good enough. But it was

good enough only because

I rode it so hard. Vintage

Schwantz, who set a track

record in the race before

crashing in turn 11.

Mark Hoyer

JULY 1990

ornm10 The 03GEN-x is a burlier multi-terrain

version, fitted with

wire-spoke wheels,

knobby tires, and

petal-style rotors on

the front disc brakes.

ornm09 Yamahas 03GEN-f is the future racing

concept featuring a

streamlined body,

17-inch sport wheels,

and radial tires.

YAMAHAS THREE-WHEELED CONCEPTS


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Phot

o Cr

edit:

Kev

in L

ynch

Stan

d Up

To

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er is

a p

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Tony GoldwynStand Up To Cancer Ambassador

Twenty years ago, my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. She had very few places to turn, and lost a dif cult struggle.

Today, we are on the brink of real breakthroughs in lung cancer research and there are signi cantly improved treatment options.

And yet, more than 30% of all lung cancer patients still dont

know about the therapies, specialists, and clinical trials

available to them.

Lung cancer is a formidable foe, but we are nding new

ways to ght it. Please visit SU2C.org/LungCancer for

questions to ask your health care professional and to learn about options that

may be right for you.

MY MOM DIDNT HAVE MANY OPTIONS. TODAYS LUNG CANCER PATIENTS DO.

SU2C.org/LungCancer


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1 2 3 4 5

DONT SINK IT

Do you ever get that

sinking feeling when

you park your motor-

cycle on a soft surface

such as sand, dirt, or

grass? End it for good

with the Cycle Saver

Pad ($15), a at plastic

puck to tuck under your

kickstand when you park

on any soft surface.

Stow it in your pack or

in your back pocket; the

standard safety lanyard

is designed to attach to

your belt.

ornm26 cyclesaverpad.com

LIGHT HEADED

Looking for an ultra-

lightweight helmet for

off-road riding? The

brand-new Kali Shiva

($500) ts the bill. The

company, better known

in bicycle circles, has de-

veloped a DOT-approved,

1,050-gram (2.3-pound)

helmet that uses a car-

bon-ber shell into which

the EPS liner is injected.

Kali says the Shiva is 30

percent smaller than a

typical MX lid.

ornm26 (888) 776-5254

kaliprotectives.com

IS THE AC ON?

If you ride off-road or

motocross in summer,

you know that anything

to help keep you cool is

essential. Malcolm Smith

Racings new Max Air

pants ($119.95) do their

part by having vented

poly-mesh panels, and

the accompanying jersey

($34.95) which has

microcuffs and a stretch

Lycra collaris made of

a micromesh with excel-

lent airow.

ornm26 (951) 340-3301

msracing.com

I G N I T I O N G E A R

ELECTRIC SHOCK

Many bikes can benet

from better suspension,

even the 2013 and newer

BMW F800GS with ESA.

Touratech has created

the Plug & Travel ESA

Upgrade ($1,695) GS

shock. Touratech says

this high-performance

damper integrates with

the stock computer.

Besides superior damp-

ing, it is completely

serviceable and fully

compatible with ESA.

ornm26 (800) 491-2926

touratech-usa.com

RAMP IT UP

If youve ever had your

ramp slip off the tailgate

while loading a bike, you

know how damaging it

can be to you and your

vehicles. Shark Kages

24 x 92-inch ramp

($299) attaches to your

tailgate via a mounted

plate, creating a stable

loading platform. The

aluminum ramp, with a

750-pound capacity, can

also function as a bed

extender or workbench.

ornm26 (702) 982-1400

sharkkage.com

OFF-ROAD AIDSN E W I D E A S

CW APPROVED

1

Five items to improve your dirt experience By Blake Conner

2

3

45


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nin

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into

the

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/rid

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NDSOAR?

WHY SIT AND STEER.. .


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32 CYCLE WORLD JULY 2015 PHOTO BY JEFF ALLEN

I G N I T I O N E V A L U A T I O N

SENA 20S

sena.com

PRICE: $299

UPS

+ Good sound quality/volume+ Headphone jack output, aux. input+ Still like the big knob

DOWNS

Voice commands work only okay More features, more study required to master Shaking your unit with other riders is weird

Theres a lot going on with the Sena 20S Bluetooth headset, but somehow The Knob, which I got to know well on the previous-flagship SMH10, makes it

all easier to interact with.Still, this Bluetooth 4.0, eight-

way-intercom-capable, two-device-connecting communicator takes a fair bit of use to master.

or GPS instruction. Sound quality and sheer volume without distortion are true highlights of this unit. Even the FM radio, which has 10 presets, sounded great, though signal reception wasnt stellar.

Ambient Mode is activated by a dedicated button on the bottom of the mount. A double click stops other audio and brings in the sounds around you. Great for when somebody asks you a question at a stop.

Hello, Sena voice commands worked okay, but mostly we defaulted to accessing Siri on an iPhone 5 and using buttons to control the 20S itself.

There is eight-way intercom capability and range (up to 1.2 miles) is improved by the flip-up antenna. Shake-to-pair with two 20S units worked great. Pairing with more users takes more work, and sound quality seemed to diminish.

We tried manipulating the many, many settings available using the jog-wheel and buttons but gave up and went back to the excellent smartphone app to alter settings. Firmware can be updated online, a big plus for running improvements. There is also an in-app user guide to complement the thorough printed manual. We referred to them often.

Sticking with the basic features like two-person intercom, phone calls, music, and navigation, the 20S works well and has great audio quality.

We said the 20S takes a fair bit to master. Lets amend that to say we think it does because we havent mastered it yet. But keeping it simple and talking or rocking, we dig the Sena 20S.

The unit pairs with two devices so its possible to run two phones or a phone and GPS. Pairing was simple and connecting after that nearly instant. But we found it impossible to get music to play from two connected phones, the 20S accepting music only from the primary. Settings allow for music to drop in volumeinstead of shutting off completelyfor incoming calls

SENA 20SC W E VA LUAT I O N

Cracking the code on Senas new flagship By Mark Hoyer


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34 CYCLE WORLD JULY 2015 ILLUSTRATION BY Morgan Schweitzer

DONT ROCK THE BOATHow to help your BFF be a better passenger By John L. Stein

T WO - U P T R A I N I N G

I G N I T I O N R I D E S M A R T

Anyone whos ever ridden with an untrained passenger knows that their weaving and bobbing on the back of your bike isnt just annoyingit

can be dangerous. Thats because the 100- to 200-pound hunk o burning love youve got riding pillion is what engineers call a live loadmass that can move about at random, upsetting the balance of your bike while trying to peer around you or, worse, naively leaning outward during a turn. It doesnt help that the load is up high and way at the backexactly the opposite of the coveted mass centralization that bike builders have been so zealously pursuing for years.

Car drivers arent subject to these challenges for three reasons: (1) The passengers mass is essentially in

or simply using the backrest, do it consistently.

2) Lean on me. Riding nice and close helps centralize rider and passenger mass. The goal is to ride as one, with the passenger neither frantically clinging nor lazily slouching on the rear seat. Ride like the BFFs you are.

3) Follow my lead. Nobody ever won Dancing with the Stars out of sync with their partner. Instruct your passenger to mimic your moves on the bike in real time. Encourage them to read the road ahead.

4) Dont do nothin sudden. As the ships captain, the rider should make nice, smooth control inputs and alert your passenger to upcoming maneuvers with a brief word, a nod of the head, or a nudge of the arm or leg.

the center of the vehicle; (2) belted in place and with a door beside them, passengers cant weave around much; and (3) in a 4,500-pound car, a 150-pound passenger only adds 3 percent to the total weight, whereas on a 450-pound bike, that same passenger is 30 percent additional weight. This means that when moving from a car to a bike, the same passenger becomes the equivalent of the tail wagging the dog. And the larger the tail, the more it wags the dog.

Here are four strategies for keeping ride night with your sweetie right side up.

1) How to hold on. Passengers should find a way to hold on securely, without limiting the riders ability to control the bike. Whether thats grasping the riders waist or grab bars


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I G N I T I O N W A N D E R I N G E Y E

ZOMBIE CYCLESTHEYRE FOR REAL BY PAUL DORLEANS

BY T H E N U M B E R S

THE RECENTLY UNDEAD

MOTORCYCLE BRANDS REVIVED

SINCE 2010

CURRENT MOTORCYCLE

MANUFACTURERS WORLDWIDE

180

Shakespeare asked, Whats in a name? But in business, an established brand with emotional resonance is pure gold. It takes

time to build a good reputation, so instead, would-be manufacturers have gone name-shopping in the graveyard. Theyre busting up the crypts of old motorcycle companies, ones we buried decades ago with cries of lamentation and tales of better days. The new grave robbers are suit-wearing copyright lawyers with shovels in hand, but they dont want bonestheyre negotiating fees to legally chisel business names from the family crypt. Once in hand, theyre pasted onto a brand-new machine, which bears no family resemblance for the simple reason they arent family at all. Theyre zombies and clones.

Dead motorcycle brands sleep under our soilthousands of them since the late 1890s, from every corner of the world. Most are gone and forgotten, but a few potent namesIndian, Vincent, Cyclonehave seen miserable, limping attempts at resurrection. Cyclone was the most technically advanced American motorcycle of the early 20th century, an OHC V-twin 70 years before the V-Rod. After Cyclone died in 1916, a series of new owners gave it CPR (Cash Promoting Resuscitation), but it never made it off the slab. Im sure well see another Cyclone soon Zombies arent easy to kill. Its the same with power-packed names like Crocker and Vincent, but the corpse of Indian has been fluffed and powdered more than any other.

Its important to distinguish Zombies from Clones. A Clone is a reproduction of a specific model, long after the factory closed. The practice began in the 1980s, when demand for new Norton Manx and Matchless G50 parts reached the point of whole-motorcycle production. Most racing clones are distinctively marked and present no real issue to collectors

or historians. It sucks when theyre passed off as genuine. Most commonly cloned are American boardtrack racers like Harley-Davidson and Indian eight-valves, and nowadays these replicas are seen in greater numbers than ever appeared on racetracks.

Dont assume clone equals cheap though; repro Guzzi V-8s, early four-cylinder Italian GP racers, and Brough Superior SS100s will set you back six figures. Theyre replicated by passionate enthusiasts who long for the past, though their devotion reminds me of Joyce McKinney, the Mormon in chains rapist who cloned her dog in Korea. But theyve revived some really cool bikes with a rabid post-mortem demand. These (nec)romantic flame-bearers just want to keep the old names alive, sometimes by cloning and more recently by zombification.

A Zombie is a dead motorcycle brand thats been revived by an unrelated business, with a tombstone rubbing glued on the gas tank. Zombies carry no DNA from the original brand and typically feature a hypothetical update of the original machines lines, inspired by ghostly whispers. Sometimes it workswitness BMWs spirit-capture of the Austin Mini. Most zombies dont survive long in the real world. The majority remain boutique or bespoke machinesthe undead in fancy fineryor prototypes that elicit genuine horror. Lately, zombies have starred in transparently cynical attempts to cash in on a fine old name, by hiding terrifically ugly bikes under junkie-chic supermodels. The goal is selling gear, not gears: Apparel is the real business. Even so, name-robbing cant harm old reputations, and the zombies and clones roaming our streets are just another facet of the bizarro world of contemporary motorcycling. Ask any teenager; the Undead can be fun and sexy, even if theyre Frankenbikes.

12+

RIP2,000+

DEFUNCT MOTORCYCLE

BRANDS SINCE 1895


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ITS IN THE DETAILS.

You know every inch of your bike. Not just the

engine size, or the color code of the paint. Its the

special details that only you know about. Like the

way the exhaust opens up just right at 3,200rpm.

Or that scuff on the footpeg you picked up while

riding through Deals Gap.

Its the details that make your bike unique, and

no one knows this more than GEICO. With

GEICO Motorcycle insurance, youll get coverage

VSHFLFWR\RXUELNHDQGDWHDPRISHRSOHZKRORYH

motorcycles as much as you do.

When it comes to insurance, its the little things

that make a big difference. Trust the details to

GEICO Motorcycle.

Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. Motorcycle coverage is underwritten by GEICO Indemnity Company. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees

Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. 2015 GEICO.

MotorcycleJHLFRFRP__/RFDO2IFH


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I G N I T I O N T D C

SOMETIMES ITS BETTER TO BE PRACTICAL THAN PERFECTBY KEVIN CAMERON

SOLUTIONS

Its fascinating to see the common

technologies that run through all

machines. Yet quite often, specific

solutions have more to do with how

much time or money can be spent on

them. Harley, in the original Evolution

engine, chose to retain the heads and

barrels with long studs rather than to

provide the cylinder with a base flange,

bolt that to the crankcase, and then bolt the

head to the top of the barrel. Velocette, in

developing its 350cc KTT racing single, had

cylinder base flange breakages as a result

of the very high compression ratios some

customers were using with alcohol fuel.

Instead of switching to long, slender studs

as Harley would in the future, Velocette

just made its cylinders base flange thicker.

A thicker flange doesnt always work. Ive

seen more than one such thick flange, still

bolted to the crankcase of a souped-up

Norton Commando but with the cylinders

and head somehow missing.

When in the 1930s the aircraft radial piston engine became an element in national military planning, such modest solutions werent even considered. Instead, cylinders were made from seamless steel tubing, heated red-hot in furnaces, and then placed in a special forge called an upsetter that squeezed the material into forming a bolting flange. Forged bolting flanges could be both light and reliably strong.

These three solutions to the same basic problem are not good, better, best. Each one was appropriate to the resources available to its manufacturer. Velocette, always a small company, just made the base flange thicker because that could be done without expensively changing the basic design. Harley-Davidson, able to afford to retool its entire top end, could choose its long-stud solution. The special quality of long studs is their lengthwise stretchiness, which can maintain the clamp load required to make the head gaskets seal, even though both head and barrel are aluminum, and

so expand considerably at operating temperature. Only a major industry, backed by government clout, could afford to forge cylinders with integral bolting flanges.

Crankshafts for certain large marine engines were shrink-fitted together out of separate elements, just as Honda assembled the cranks for its 18,000-rpm six-cylinder 250 racer of 1967. In the first case, the motivation might have been that the factory was not tooled to produce and machine such huge one-piece crankshafts. We can imagine building houses in a giant 3-D printer, but since my builder has no such machine, I have a house fabricated from individual studs, joists, and rafters.

Hondas problem was different. In 1960s motorcycle design, rolling bearings were still believed to offer lower friction than the plain bearings that autos had by then almost universally adopted. To avoid the problems of trying to make and run split-and-bolted roller con-rods (chain saw companies were doing it successfully with fracture-split rods but at much lower horsepower per cubic inch), Honda chose one-piece rods and a crank press-fitted together from separate elements. Because press-fits have limited grip, Honda took power from the center of the sixs crank and then made crankpins three and four large enough that their press-fits could transmit the power from cylinders one and two, and five and six, without slippage, and then it made crankpins two and five slightly smaller and finally crankpins one and six smaller yet.

The same problem was tackled in aviation. Was it nobler in the mind to have a one-piece crankshaft and two-piece, bolted-together master connecting rods? Or to somehow fasten together a multi-piece crank to have the luxury of super-strong one-piece rods? So engines were built both ways. The 14-cylinder radials that powered WWII

-341

1 2 , 57 1

TEMPERATURE, IN FAHRENHEIT, OF THE

LIQUID NITROGEN USED TO IMMERSE THE YAMAHA R1S CONNECTING RODS BEFORE

THE FRACTURE-SPLIT PROCESS BEGINS

FROM 1940 TO 1953, CHANCE-VOUGHT BUILT

THIS MANY F4U CORSAIRS. (THE HONDURAN

AIR FORCE USED THE PLANE UNTIL 1979!)

BY T H E N U M B E R S

THE YEAR HARLEYS AIR-COOLED 45-DEGREE

EVO ENGINE MADE ITS DEBUT

1984


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GROOVE TO MORE THAN THE RIDE.

Breathtaking scenery, the open road and your favorite music. Thats perfection. And thats why the rough and rugged

zumo 590LM premium GPS motorcycle navigator includes an MP3 player and works with iPod and Pandora1 for

music control right on its display. Enjoy tunes, plus spoken directions and hands-free phone control via a Bluetooth

-enabled helmet or headset2. Navigate your route with a 5 dual-orientation touchscreen that is glove-friendly and

sunlight-readable. zumo 590LM is tough enough to withstand brutal elements and harsh weather conditions3.

Garmin.com/zumo

1Visit Garmin.com/zumo for compatibility and availability 2Requires Bluetooth-compatible helmet, headset or smartphone. Sold separately 3For details visit Garmin.com/waterrating

The Bluetooth word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Garmin is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of respective owners. iPhone and iPod are trademarks of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Pandora, the Pandora logo, and the Pandora trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of Pandora Media, Inc. Used with permission.

2015 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries The Way of zumozumo 590LM

{ Smooth sounds even in the most rugged conditions. }


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I G N I T I O N T D C

YAMAHAS METAL-

LURGISTS FOUND

WAYS TO FRACTURE-SPLIT THE TITANIUM ROD CAP FROM A

ONE-PIECE ROD

FORGING. THE

RESULTING COMPLEX MATING

SURFACES ALIGNED THE CAP

TO THE ROD PERFECTLY.

B-24 bombers had split-and-bolted rods and one-piece cranks, but the 18-cylinder engines in P-47s, F4Us, and postwar DC-6 airliners had multi-piece cranks and one-piece rods.

Ultimately it can come down to engineering over design. If you tool to build your engine one way, then have problems, it could take too long to back out, redesign, and retool to do it the other way. Several aircraft engine designs, in fact, were canceled because they were taking too long to reach reliability. So you look for ways to make your design choice work. The biggest problem was keeping the separate, bolted-in-place cap of a two-piece rod from moving around relative to the rod itself. Such movement pinched the big master rod bearing, compromising its function.

Yet recently we saw that Yamaha, in the titanium rods of its new YZF-R1 sportbike, had to

tackle this very same problemhow to keep a separate rod cap from moving relative to the rod. Such solutions as dowel pins, serrations, and machined steps have been used but they add cost in extra setups, tooling, and machining steps. This stuff has to sell at a competitive price, and that means we cant slow the whole production line while elderly master machinists perform miracles of craftsmanship. So Yamahas metallurgists found ways to fracture-split the titanium rod cap from a one-piece rod forging. The resulting complex mating surfaces, as irregular as they are, aligned the cap to the rod perfectlyno chance of the cap sliding into misalignment. Those surfaces are produced by fracture, in a tiny fraction of a second.

Earlier, I referred to the springiness of long studs being useful in maintaining clamp load as parts expand and contract

in heating and cooling. The reverse is also truethe shorter you make a bolt or stud, the less springy stretch range it has, so the more difficult it is to keep tight. With a short stud, it doesnt take too much vibration or stress to unload what tension it has, making the nut vulnerable to unscrewing. The wonderfully strong steel base flanges of aircraft radials were fastened to the crankcase with short studs, and the unloading problem required that each be secured with a springy patent locknut called a Palnut.

We cant make everything in a mechanism perfect. To hit the market before it moves on to somebody elses product, you have limited time to plan and tool. Theres no time for risky experiments, no time to do it over, so you call upon detail engineering to make your choices work. You hope.

Rizoma USA Inc. | 90212 Beverly Hills | Tel. 877.749.6621 | [email protected] | www.rizoma.com

Open your world to new emotions.


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www.KLIM

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CW TEST 2015 YAMAHA YZF- R1

2015 YAMAHA YZF-R1


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CYCLEWORLD.COM 43

W E P U T Y A M A H A S

L A T E S T L I T E R - C L A S S M I S S I L E

T H R O U G H T H E T E S T I N G W R I N G E R

B y B l a k e C o n n e r P h o t o g r a p h y b y Je ff A l l e n


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CW TEST 2015 YAM AHA YZF- R1

Yamaha is back. After riding the latest R1 at Sydney Motorsports Park in Australia last February (CW May), we walked away amazed, but we also left with a huge list of unanswered

questions. Racetrack press introductions allow a motorcycle to be tested near its limits, exploring aspects of performance that are virtually impossible to sample on public roads. But therein lies the problem: Racetracks dont do a good job of indicating how motorcycles work in the real world of traffic, commuting, imperfect pavement, and speed limits.

So before we even stepped off the plane on our return from that track sortie Down Under, wed already requested a standard YZF-R1 from Yamahas press fleet. Like many readers, whose comments weve read in social media and on cycleworld.com, we also had a host of questions to answer, such as: Are the former bikes fueling issues solved? How does it stack up to the BMW S1000RR? Are the electronics really revolutionary?

Re c a p

Before we put answers to these queries, lets back up and recap the major changes. For starters, the 998cc crossplane-concept inline-four is essentially all new and weighs 8.8 pounds less than the engine it replaces. Titanium fracture-split connecting rods are 60 percent lighter than their steel counterparts; the cylinder head now has finger-follower valve actuation (permitting increased lift), larger-diameter intake and exhaust valves, and revised cam timing; cylinder bore

has increased to 79.0mm (up from 78.0), while stroke now measures 50.9 (was 52.2); compression has been bumped to 13.0:1 (from 12.7). Thanks to the new valve gear, lighter rods, and shorter stroke, redline has been raised from 13,750 rpm on the previous model to 14,500 on the 2015.

Allowing the rider to control the increased power output is Yamahas proprietary six-axis inertial-measurement unit (IMU), which measures pitch, roll, yaw, and acceleration fore and aft, up and down,

YRC MULTIFUNCTION

METER: The R1s

full-color TFT dash is

amazing and intuitive,

but a little practice on

the simulator found at

yamahamotorsports.com

is helpful. The dash can be

displayed in either Street-

or Track-oriented modes.

Track features a lot less

info, with the lap timer,

gear indicator, engine

temp, and tachometer

prominently displayed.

BUSY HANDS: Your left hand has more to do than just activate turn indica-

tors, honk at people, and flash your high beam at slower traffic. The Mode

button lets you scroll across the bottom of the dash between PWR, TCS, and

SCS on the fly, but you can only change PWR settings on closed throttle. Our

biggest gripe is that you cant switch among the four customizable Modes

(which include settings within for PWR, TCS, SCS, LCS, QSS, LIF) on the fly.

(See sidebar on page 52 for full explanation of rider aids.)


WorldMags.net

CYCLEWORLD.COM 45

and side to side. It then feeds all of this data to the Yamaha Ride Control processor that meters Power Delivery, Traction Control, Slide Control, Lift Control, Launch Control, and the Quick Shifter. Settings are controlled via an all-new and excellent TFT display interface (see page 52 for detailed descriptions).

The chassis was completely updated, as well. An all-new aluminum Deltabox frame with magnesium subframe contributed to lowering the R1s weight dramatically (we measured a 34-pound reduction for the bike, sans fuel).

Wheelbase has been reduced by 0.39 inch, all-new suspension (manually adjustable KYB on the standard model tested here) is included, it has new brakes with ABS and the Unified Braking System (UBS, with linked functionality), and it has 10-spoke cast-magnesium wheels.

O n T h e D y n o

The very first thing we did with our fresh new R1 was roll it up onto the Cycle World Dynojet dyno to find out if it was in the same league with class-leaders BMW and Ducati. Our best pull with the stone-stock bike was a competitive 167.4 rear-wheel horsepower at 12,270 rpm, with 77.0 pound-feet of peak torque at 8,810 rpm.

We also ran it on the dyno with the accessory Circuit ECU, which not only unlocks restrictions put in place for US sound emissions but also eliminates the top-speed limiter and applies a far more aggressive track algorithm for the ABS brake system, including unlinking the UBS feature. Thus unhindered, our R1 registered a 172.8 hp/76.6 pound-feet run, which puts it squarely in the hunt against BMW (see comparison sidebar, page 51), with a virtually identical power-to-weight ratio. Oh, and P.S.: The Circuit ECU shuts down the headlight/taillight to discourage running it on the street.

O n T h e R o a d

For some, these numbers mean a lot for post-ride bragging rights, but the reality is that exercising every last horsepower at the peak end of the scale has little to do with the overall riding experience on the street. Controllability is the new frontier, and electronic management is the means to mastering that frontier.

Over the course of a month, we had the chance to hit the road and answer the questions that we set out to address (look for the R1M in an upcoming comparison test).

MENU: All of the bikes electronics settings are accessed via the

Menu thumbwheel on the right control pod. Learn the long-push or

short-push button-pressing code to avoid frustration. When on the

home screen, the wheel also scrolls bike info: Odo, Trip-1, Trip-2, Fuel

Consumed, Fuel AVG, CRNT Fuel (average), engine temp, and air temp.

CLICKERS: Besides the fact that

the new KYB fork on the standard

R1 works wonderfully, we love the

convenience of all of the adjusters

residing atop the caps. Compression

damping has 28 clicks of adjustment,

while rebound has 25, and preload

allows 15 turns for 15mm of range.


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Track emphasis for this motorcycle is clear in almost every aspect of its design. A by-product of this is the racier seating position with 5mm lower clip-ons, but 10mm more room between the seat and pegs and a longer reach to the bars to help get the rider tucked in behind the taller windscreen and over the lower tank. The seat itself is much wider, flatter, and 0.75-inch taller than on the previous model. This allows the rider to easily move around on the bike when riding at a fast pace. Some bikes you just hop on and click right into position, Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer said. The

R1 is that sportbike for me. Bars, seat, footpegs, control feel all felt completely natural for me and beautifully placed.

Once in motion, the engine really stands out. This may be the smoothest liter-class motor on the market today, Road Test Editor Don Canet said. Its liquid quality is equally pleasant in town or ridden at a steady 75 miles per hour freeway pace and beyond.

More importantly, its also exciting. The step in power feels like the engine is being unleashed, Hoyer added. Its usually fun, and it makes you feel like youre riding some weird time-travel update of a TZ750 two-stroke. As Canet pointed out after dynoing the bike, the engine picks up 50 horsepower in 2,000 revs through the midrange, which alternately makes me smile or catches me by surprise. The R1 absolutely discourages passiveness.

That said, the quality of fueling in everyday riding was excellent. Clean fuel mapping, abundant low-range torque, and superb clutch feel made for easy

THE STEP IN POWER

FEELS LIKE THE ENGINE

IS BEING UNLEASHED


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departures from a stop despite the very tall low-gear ratio, Canet said. And by far the easiest way to achieve this level of fueling refinement is to select Power 2 (of four) from the menu, which reduces peak power by around 7 hp and peak torque by 5 pound-feet, while mellowing out overall delivery. The instant-on eagerness of Power 1 is a useful tool in aggressive riding, but day-to-day grinds are better in

the softer modes.Another sign that the big YZF likes to

be ridden aggressively: The quickshift seems to have a bit too much delay to produce seamless upshifts under moderate acceleration; I found a slight dip of clutch on part-throttle shifts produced excellent results, Canet offered. And this is despite two available settings. Under harder acceleration, the

delay was better timed and upshifts were quick and clean.

If we sound impressed with the engine, we are. But the inline-fours ace in the hole is Yamahas electronics package. Of all the systems weve sampled from BMW, Ducati, Aprilia, Kawasaki, and even KTM on its 1290 Super Adventure and Super Duke R, the R1s suite is the most transparent

ITS WHAT'S INSIDE: Controlling the 15mm shorter swingarm is a fully adjustable KYB shock with provisions for high-

and low-speed compression and rebound damping and a 5 percent increase in spring rate. Residing behind the clutch

cover is a new slipper clutch with an assist feature; it uses 10 friction plates (up from nine) and only three springs for

lighter feel at the lever. A new exhaust has titanium headpipes, a stainless-steel mid-ship muffler, and Ti canister.

Updated front brake calipers are four-pot, radial-mount units from Advics, with larger 320mm rotors.

THE INLINE-FOURS ACE IN

THE HOLE IS YAMAHAS

ELECTRONICS PACKAGE.

SUPERBIKE REGULATIONS worldwide have adopted stock piston rules, and the new US

series, MotoAmerica, has such a rule. Its purpose is to eliminate the advantage top teams

had in being able to custom-machine pistons to optimize engine combustion chambers.

The goal of such work is to achieve torque-boosting high compression while creating

squish areas, providing working clearance between pistons and valves, and moving air-fuel

mixture closer to the single central spark plug. The overall result is faster combustion, leav-

ing less time for its intense heat to flow into surrounding chamber surfaces. The heat saved

becomes added pressure to drive the piston, rather than a loss to the cooling system.

Stock engines have not been built this way because of the danger of tolerance stack-

up. If statistics give a certain cylinder a con-rod thats a bit long, a cylinder a tiny bit short,

and a wristpin a smidge lower than normal in the piston, the piston could hit the head or

valves at high revs. We think Yamaha did a study that showed that the expense of control-

ling these dimensions on the production line was an affordable performance boost.

Whatever is different about the 2015 R1 is working in both Superbike and the close-

to-production Superstock classes, which now run together in MotoAmerica events.

Superstock Yamahas are finishing high up among the Superbikes. Before the first race,

US Superbike champion Josh Hayes said the 2015 stocker was as fast as last years race

engines. That requires something special. Kevin Cameron

HOLD THAT SPEC The new YZF-R1 wears a beautiful crown


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in operation. Using excellent coding and multiple means to control power output, including fuel, throttle-butterfly angle, and ignition retard, Yamaha has made interventions incredibly hard to detect and therefore amazingly smooth and nonintrusive. As a matter of fact, for intervention to become noticeable on a grippy mountain road, we had to toggle TC to a very conservative setting, while the SCS (slide control) was all but impossible to feel at a street pace. Wheelie control provides the same sensation, until you shut it off completely, at which point you realize how much it is doing to tame wheelies.

Given the breadth and excellence of rider-aid function on the R1, the omission of electronic engine-braking control is surprising. The combination of the high compression ratio and light flywheel delivers a lot of compression braking off throttle, and a slightly stiff throttle-return spring accentuates

this feeling. EBC would be a welcome complement to the slipper clutch.

Toggling to PWR, TCS, or SCS displayed on the lower dash highlights the selected parameter with a white background indicating adjustment is allowed or black background if not. Altering PWR requires closed throttle, while changes to TCS or SCS require near zero cornering lean. This can result in the status flashing between white/black while riding. I found this an unnecessary distraction. Canet said. What really baffles me, however, is not having the allowance to switch between Mode presets on the fly, yet the system allows on-the-fly changes to TCS, PWR, and SCS individually within a chosen mode.

Minor complaints with what is otherwise the best rider-aid package. And while the electronics do a great job of providing the rider with the confidence to ride aggressively, the chassis backs this

up with supreme composure. I found steering very solid and true with an unflappable sense of midcorner stability, Canet said. Side-to-side transitions at medium-to-high speed do require asserted input into the low clip-on bars.

Our standard model, equipped with the manually adjustable KYB suspension, was pretty stiff as delivered, which was just fine on one 400-plus-mile day of twisty mountain roads. The bike was rock solid, never even dreamed about wallowing, provided excellent feel, and communicated grip exceptionally well. Hitting frost heaves perpendicular to the direction of travel, however, felt like running over a 2x4 lying on the road. That said, one of the nice features of the new fork is that all the adjusters (including spring preload) sit atop the caps, allowing easy access. For street duty, we eventually took a significant amount of rebound out of the fork for improved ride quality, but the


WorldMags.net

CYCLEWORLD.COM 51

Being the first

new-for-2015

liter-class sport

bike to undergo Cycle World performance

testing, we were

curious to learn

how the latest

YZF-R1 stacks up

against not only

its peers but the

previous-gener-

ation R1 as well.

It will be another

month before we

can assemble all

class-of-15 con-

tenders together

for a heads-up

comparison.

However, the

following chart

depicts the most

recent test data

available from

our test archive.

Stay tuned for

the outcome

of our upcom-

ing superbike

shootout, as

class hierarchy is

likely to shuffle

as a result of

back-to-back

testing under

common climatic

conditions.

Don Canet

YZF-R1BY THE NUMBERS

2015 YAMAHA YZF-R1 129 ft.

2012 YAMAHA YZF-R1 125 ft.

2013 APRILIA RSV4 R APRC 123 ft.

2013 BMW S1000RR 125 ft.

2014 DUCATI PANIGALE 117 ft.

2013 HONDA CBR1000RR SP 121 ft.

2012 KAWASAKI ZX-10R 123 ft.

2012 SUZUKI GSX-R1000 124 ft.

115 120 125 130

2012 YAMAHA YZF-R1

2013 APRILIA RSV4 R APRC

2013 BMW S1000RR

2014 DUCATI PANIGALE

2013 HONDA CBR1000RR SP

2012 SUZUKI GSX-R1000

2015 YAMAHA YZF-R1 2.6 sec.

2012 YAMAHA YZF-R1 3.0 sec.

2013 APRILIA RSV4 R APRC 2.7 sec.

2013 BMW S1000RR 2.6 sec.

2014 DUCATI PANIGALE 2.6 sec.

2013 HONDA CBR1000RR SP 2.6 sec.

2012 KAWASAKI ZX-10R 2.9 sec.

2012 SUZUKI GSX-R1000 2.8 sec.

2.0 2.5 3.0

0

60

MP

H

2015 YAMAHA YZF-R1 9.83 sec. @ 149.91 mph

2012 YAMAHA YZF-R1 10.21 sec. @ 140.73 mph

2013 APRILIA RSV4 R APRC 10.06 sec. @ 143.30 mph

2013 BMW S1000RR 9.80 sec. @ 148.89 mph

2014 DUCATI PANIGALE 9.84 sec. @ 145.68 mph

2013 HONDA CBR1000RR SP 9.83 sec. @ 143.75 mph

2012 KAWASAKI ZX-10R 10.50 sec. @ 145.67 mph

2012 SUZUKI GSX-R1000 9.92 sec. @ 145.88 mph

9 10 11

1/

4 M

ILE

2015 YAMAHA YZF-R1 167.4 hp @ 12,270 rpm

2012 YAMAHA YZF-R1 148.4 hp @ 11,590 rpm

2013 APRILIA RSV4 R APRC 155.5 hp @ 12,040 rpm

2013 BMW S1000RR 179.0 hp @ 13,100 rpm

2014 DUCATI PANIGALE 167.1 hp @ 10,900 rpm

2013 HONDA CBR1000RR SP 152.4 hp @ 10,435 rpm

2012 KAWASAKI ZX-10R 160.0 hp @ 11,650 rpm

2012 SUZUKI GSX-R1000 159.8 hp @ 11,500 rpm

140 150 180160 170

HO

RS

EP

OW

ER

2015 YAMAHA YZF-R1 77.0 lb.-ft. @ 8810 rpm

2012 YAMAHA YZF-R1 75.0 lb.-ft. @ 10,215 rpm

2013 APRILIA RSV4 R APRC 79.9 lb.-ft. @ 9940 rpm

2013 BMW S1000RR 77.2 lb.-ft. @ 10,600 rpm

2014 DUCATI PANIGALE 85.0 lb.-ft. @ 8490 rpm

2013 HONDA CBR1000RR SP 78.4 lb.-ft. @ 9870 rpm

2012 KAWASAKI ZX-10R 73.4 lb.-ft. @ 11,060 rpm

2012 SUZUKI GSX-R1000 77.3 lb.-ft. @ 9890 rpm

70 80 90

TO

RQ

UE

2015 YAMAHA YZF-R1 182 mph

2012 YAMAHA YZF-R1 171 mph

2013 APRILIA RSV4 R APRC 176 mph

2013 BMW S1000RR 185 mph

2014 DUCATI PANIGALE 173 mph

2013 HONDA CBR1000RR SP 175 mph

2012 KAWASAKI ZX-10R 177 mph

2012 SUZUKI GSX-R1000 178 mph

180 185 190175170

TO

P S

PE

ED

B

RA

KIN

G,

60

0

DRY WEIGHT

2012 YAMAHA

YZF-R1

448 lb.

2013

APRILIA

RSV4 R

APRC

446 lb.

2013 BMW

S1000RR

435 lb.

2012

SUZUKI

GSX-R1000

423 lb.

2013

HONDA

CBR1000RR

SP

422 lb.

2012

KAWASAKI

ZX-10R

417 lb.

2015

YAMAHA

YZF-R1

414 lb.

2014

DUCATI

PANIGALE

405 lb.

2012 KAWASAKI ZX-10R


WorldMags.net



R1s suspension is definitely valved and sprung stiffly.

If we never looked at the hard data, we might be inclined to say that the R1s new brakes are right on par with the competition, but they dont have that aggressive bite like the Ducati Panigales huge Brembos (which stops 12 feet shorter from 600 mph). As a matter of fact, of the bikes compared on page 51, the 2015 Yamaha has the longest stopping distance from 60 mph. To be fair, this is more likely due to the R1s ABS software and not the braking hardware. We expect a pronounced improvement when we brake test the bike with the Circuit ECU installed, since it has a more aggressive ABS tune.

For most of us mortals, ABS on the street is a welcome safety net, but in testing under controlled circumstances, Canets best braking distances are typically achieved with ABS off. And his best acceleration runs on the R1 were achieved with rider aids turned off completely.

As a package, the R1 is class leading. The composure level is astronomically high with this motorcycle, Hoyer concludes. The R1 is perfectly happy dawdling along being short-shifted at 4,000 rpm. But when you let the engine scream and use real intent with control and bar movements, you feel this Matrix-type sensation of moving faster than time, like being able to pull bullets out of

the air with your hand.What Yamaha has done better than

any other manufacturer thus far is to keep the electronic intervention in the background and let the rider just focus on staying between the lines. The user interface is intuitive, the chassis predictable and stable, and the build quality is of the highest order. Add to this what Hoyer called the, rip-and-tear soulful shred of that crossplane engines newfound power, and you have the bike to beat in 2015.

A Japanese company has finally allowed its MotoGP racing program to formulate the DNA for its flagship streetbike. At $16,490, the new R1 is a hell of a buy.

Sometimes it pays to sit on the sidelines, watch the

competition, learn from their methods and mistakes,

and then pounce with a better mousetrap. Just ask

Mark Zuckerberg. That is exactly what Yamaha has

done with its electronic aids. Yes, it was late to the

electronic revolution, but it is Yamaha that appears to

be currently at the top. Here is a quick look at the R1s

electronic rider aids and what specifically they do.

ornm42 MODE: Four settings that incorporate all of the other

rider aids, all of which can be customized in each.

ornm42 PWR: Four available power settings. On the Cycle World

Dynojet dyno, PWR 1 delivered a 167.4-hp run, while PWR

2 made around 7 hp less, PWR 3 anoth

Cycle World 2015-07

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Transcript of Cycle World 2015-07