The Big test
Milesridden: 1032 Rider: John Westlake Tyrestried: Bridgestone RS11 Fuelused: 23.6gallons Hoursspentfiddlingwith electronics: 7.4
Engine and transmission
Sensible road riding is a tricky business on the R1M. All litre sportsbikes are a stern test of self-control, but the Yamaha’s hollow Motogp-esque moan makes matters worse. Once it starts that ghostly yowl at 5000rpm it’s almost impossible not to let it finish the chorus, by which time you’re in prison. And the bloody thing does an indicated 103mph in first gear for God’s sake.
The power from the cross-plane engine is identical to the base R1’s. Though this might rankle a bit, given that you’re paying £5052 more for the R1M, it’s irrelevant unless you have the space and talent to use more than 197bhp. Even on Bedford Autodrome’s longest straight I never reached the point where holding the throttle wide open was anything other than an eye-widening test of bravery. The anti-wheelie electronics are kept busy in first, second, third and possibly fourth (I didn’t dare look) and I suggest that any rider who gets off an R1M and asks for more top-end power needs their head examining or is Franco Morbidelli.
The off-beat firing order courtesy of the crossplane crank makes it a pleasingly characterful engine too. At start-up it’s got that V-twin-like hesitation – cue millisecond of panic that the battery has gone flat overnight – before settling into a lumpy burble, and even at motorway speeds you can tell you’re not on a turbine-powered Fireblade, ZX-10R or GSX-R1000. The vibes are minimal – barely tingles really – but the R1M still manages to feel gruffer, edgier. And then you open the throttle and it sounds like Rossi’s M1 on the pipe. Intoxicating stuff.
The gearing is a pain in day-to-day life. First gear is so high that pulling away requires yards of clutch slip, revs and concentration. And when the oil is cold, the clutch is grabby and it becomes stupidly easy to stall.
Predictably enough, the gearbox and quickshifter combo works best when the engine is being mercilessly tonked – on track it snaps through ratios at dazzling speed. But the quickshifter software is not programmed for road riding. If you’re burbling behind a car at 50mph, see a potential overtake and try to change down, the lever won’t budge because you’re still on the throttle. The answer is to use that old-fashioned lever thingy on the left hand bar.
Handling and ride
While the engine and gearing is largely incompatible with the British road network (it would be more suitable if the national speed limit was 140mph), the R1M’S suspension is relatively mellow. This is partly because the fork spring rate is lower than the previous generation bike but mostly it’s down to the clever semi-active set-up.
Set the suspension mode to R (for Road) and you get a firm but compliant ride that manages to float over bumps that would have been agony on the previous generation R1. And
‘Once it starts its ghostly yowl at 5000rpm it’s almost impossible not to let it finish the chorus, by which time you’re in prison’
then, when you pile on the brakes, the compression damping instantly gets firmer to prevent uncontrolled dive. Switching to T (for Track) gives you firmer options, with T2 for roadbased tyres and T1 for slicks. There are some manual modes too which keep damping constant, should you believe your judgement is superior to that of the ECU.
Steering is bliss – as light, precise and instinctive as anything I’ve ever ridden. The base R1 is sweet enough, but the R1M’S flyweight magnesium wheels take the steering to another level. It reacts so fast to tiny inputs that it feels like it’s doing what you want before you’re consciously aware that’s what you want. Midcorner adjustments are a matter of looking where you need to be.
The only downside is that it’s very sensitive to poor technique. On track, the moment I got sloppy and started over-gripping the bars or tensing my shoulders, the R1M felt like it was steering through treacle. This is not a motorcycle that welcomes fools or thick winter gloves.
On the road, the brakes are superb, with a velvety initial