2020 Yamaha YZF-R1 Review

When I recently swung a leg over the new 2020 Yamaha YZF-R1, I couldn't help but remember my very first ride on an R1, when the model first lobbed Down Under in 1998. I'd only recently started my first full-time job as a bike journo, but my memory of that ride – a mid-week run through the Yarra Ranges to Melbourne's east – is as vivid as ever.

Insane acceleration, incredible agility, and brakes with enough initial bite to pop eyeballs from sockets – a new era of Yamaha sportsbikes had begun…

Fast forward to 2020 and multiple generations of Yamaha YZF-R1 later, and the YZF-R1 of today offers even more performance, yet performance that is more accessible thanks to its refinement and sophisticated electronics, including its safety systems. That should make it an even better road bike, and that's exactly what I wanted to find out…

The last major update of the Yamaha YZF-R1 was back in 2015, when the company also unleashed the up-spec YZF-R1M, and so an update was due. And while the 2020 model is more a case of evolution, not revolution, Yamaha has packaged together a fair number of improvements that all add up to a better mousetrap.

The improvements span:
• New YZF-R1M-inspired bodywork, said to improve aerodynamic efficiency by five per cent
• New air intake system and finger-follower rocker arms for the Euro 5 compliant engine
• Improved suspension, thanks to an uprated 43mm KYB inverted fork and revised settings for the rear monoshock
• New ride-by-wire throttle system
• New LED headlights and daytime running lights
• New Engine Brake Management system that allows the rider to choose from three levels of engine braking
• New Brake Control system that allows the rider to choose from two levels of Cornering ABS sensitivity
• Optimised Launch Control system
• Bridgestone Battlax RS11 tyres

The 2020 Yamaha YZF-R1 is available in Icon Blue or Midnight Black for $26,399 ride away. That's a hefty $8450 under the flagship YZF-R1M ($34,849 ride away). In comparison, Honda's CBR1000RR is $22,115 ride away, Kawasaki's ZX-10R is $25,866 ride away, and Suzuki's GSX-R1000R is $23,990 ride away.

Related reading:
Yamaha unveils 2020 YZF-R1 and YZF-R1M
2020 Yamaha YZF-R1 Launch Review
2020 Yamaha MT-10SP Review

The 2020 Yamaha YZF-R1 was launched at a media event at Sydney Motorsport Park last October. By rights, the track is the YZF-R1's native habitat, but unless you can afford one just for track days, you're going to be laying down the kays on public roads.

With that in mind, I spent the best part of two weeks commuting on the Yamaha YZF-R1 in Melbourne traffic, also getting in a few sprints through the hills.

I have to say, with its new bodywork and LED lights, this bike is one menacing bit of gear – part machine, part shark, it's an apex predator on wheels.

The ride position also underlines its aggressive intent. It's a tall seat height, at 855mm, which may dissuade those at the shorter end of the spectrum, and it pitches you forward to those low clip-ons in a typical racer's crouch. It feels like you're under starter's orders, even before you've thumbed the starter…

When you do, the 998cc in-line four-cylinder engine barks into life. The uneven firing order of the crossplane crank engine has a gruff, raspy edge to it that stirs the soul, and even the stock exhaust system sets those Spidey senses a tingling…

And then you realise you can't for the life of you work out the menu system on the TFT display, so you shut the thing down and go hunting for the owner's manual. Okay, it's not the most intuitive menu set-up but once you've got your head around it it's easy enough to use.

For the uninitiated, that little wheel selector on the right-hand bar can also be pushed – either quickly or for a longer period – to affect different actions. But there's a lot going on here, so for all those fans of acronyms out there, time to settle in and get comfy…

So there's a new Accelerator Position Sensor with Grip (APSG) ride-by-wire system featuring Yamaha's Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T). But it's the Yamaha Ride Control (YRC) system, informed by a variety of sensors including an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), where the alphabet soup thickens, with various settings for PWR, TCS, SCS, EBM, LCS, LIF and QSS all on offer.

Let's unpack that. PWR lets you change the throttle mapping; TCS is multi-level traction control; SCS is a slide control system that regulates any rear-wheel slide; EBM is a three-level engine brake setting; LCS is the launch control system; LIF is basically a wheelie control system; and QSS concerns the bi-directional quick-shifter. Unlike on the Yamaha MT-10SP or YZF-R1M, the standard YZF-R1 isn't fitted with ERS – or Öhlins Electronic Racing Suspension – so stick those letters in your pocket and save them for another time.

The TFT display can also be switched between street and track modes, the latter placing the emphasis on a lap timer rather than a speedo.

So, now we're halfway to achieving a PhD in physics and electronics, let's actually get the thing out for a ride…

I must admit, I could feel my licence twitching nervously in my wallet when I first collected the 2020 Yamaha YZF-R1. With 200hp and a claimed wet weight of 201kg, we're talking brain-bending performance with relatively minor throttle input.

But, as I discovered, the YZF-R1 is actually a pretty nifty commuter provided you have the mental discipline to muzzle that devil on your shoulder. It only goes as fast as you twist the throttle, after all.

What's more, selecting the road throttle map makes the power delivery docile enough for trickling around in peak hour traffic. There are four PWR maps to choose from, A through D. They translate roughly as full-on track mode, normal track mode, road, and rain.

The YZF-R1 is a slim thing, and really easy to filter through gridlocked traffic – where the surprisingly generous steering range also helps.

The front brakes have huge stopping power but the initial bite is actually fairly progressive, again making daily commutes a bit less fraught. Certainly they're a far cry from that first R1's front stoppers – I can't think of another production bike since that could match that debut model for sheer ferocity. The rear brake is fairly weak, as you expect of bikes of this ilk.

The ride position does become tiresome, but only after a couple of hours – for most day-to-day commutes it shouldn't prove too bothersome for backs, necks and wrists. But on longer road rides, these middle-aged bones at least were thankful for the modest fuel range of between 200 to 230km, which spelled regular stops at the servo.

To that end, fuel economy hovered between 6.8-7.6lt/100km, not that people typically buy a bike like this for environmental reasons…

No, you buy a bike like Yamaha's YZF-R1 because of its ability to send you hurtling towards the next bend at Warp Factor 10, before hitting those front brakes hard and sling-shotting yourself away from the corner apex – and repeat.

The suspension and chassis deliver a super-responsive ride; a firm one, naturally, but copping the odd hit over bigger bumps and potholes is the price you pay for cornering bliss.

Only a small shove of a clip-on is required to drop the bike on its ear, and quick changes of direction are accomplished with minimal effort. Despite the inherent agility of a package of this weight and steering geometry, the YZF-R1 is also fairly stable – only once, after hitting a decent bump while powering out of a corner, was I thankful for the steering damper, which arrested a mild head shake in short order.

The sheer tenacity with which this bike will devour a winding road is breathtaking – it's a symphony of Newton's laws of physics, the powerful forces at play instantly focussing your attention in the moment. Riding the YZF-R1 sees the usual widescreen view of life contract to the one crystalised point – there's simply no room for diverting your thoughts anywhere else.

It's the ultimate escape, in that respect, and a sensory overload that will send your pulse skyrocketing, every time.

All this furious velocity would be seriously intimidating if it wasn't for the bike's smart electronics. It's some reassurance, having an advanced Cornering ABS and traction control system watching over you, but don't make the mistake of moving up to a bike like this and relying on the electronics to help you 'get up to speed'. The Yamaha YZF-R1 is a serious bit of gear for experienced riders only; this isn't a smart choice for anyone ending their LAMS restriction…

What don't I like about it? For a litre-class superbike, not much. On any bike that will reach the old ton (100mph, or 160km/h) in first gear, the risk of major speeding fines or loss of licence will always be hanging over you. The fuel range is short and the fuel economy isn't great, but you can't criticise a pure sportsbike for that. Pillions? Not if you actually like them. But when viewed through the prism of what a sportsbike should be and what it should do, the 2020 Yamaha YZF-R1 is bang on target.

As a road bike, the 2020 Yamaha YZF-R1 isn't a particularly practical, fuel efficient, or comfortable motorcycle. However, it will take city traffic in its stride, and it can be dialled back from razor-sharp track settings to make it a more palatable proposition for road riding.

Add in the increasingly sophisticated rider assistance systems, and the 2020 Yamaha YZF-R1 offers a level of safety on public roads that was simply unimaginable for riders of that first YZF-R1 back in 1998.

This is a narrow-focus sports scalpel, make no mistake, but for experienced riders with a bit of restraint, it can be an awesome road bike too.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC, forward-inclined 16-valve four-cylinder
Capacity: 998cc
Compression ratio: 13.0:1
Bore x stroke: 79.0mm x 50.9mm
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 200hp (147.1kW) at 13,500rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 112.4Nm at 11,500rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Aluminium Deltabox
Front suspension: 43mm KYB upside-down telescopic forks, fully adjustable
Rear suspension: KYB monoshock, fully adjustable
Front brakes: 320mm discs with radial four-piston calipers
Rear brake: 220mm disc with twin-piston caliper
Wheels: Cast magnesium – front 3.5 x 17, rear 6.0 x 17
Tyres: Bridgestone RS11 – front 120/70-17, rear 190/55-17 (200/55-17)

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 24 degrees
Trail: 102mm
Claimed kerb weight: 201kg
Seat height: 855mm
Wheelbase: 1405mm
Fuel capacity: 17 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $26,399 ride away
Test bikes supplied by: Yamaha Motor Australia
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres