2020 Yamaha R1 and R1M review | BikeSocial

Hello and welcome to beautiful, sunny Spain. Here we are at Jerez at the MotoGP circuit. My name is Michael Mann, I'm from Bike Social, and I'm here with Yamaha, who have the new 2020 YZF-R1 and R1M. At the 2020 press launch of the R1 and R1M, new from Yamaha. Some of the guys are out on track on the R1M already. And here we have one sitting in pit lane, with its tyre warmers on, ready for a bit of action very soon. Now, we've ridden the R1 this morning, so we've done three track sessions on the standard road bike, and this is the R1M. Main differences are the carbon bodywork throughout, and these new Ohlins suspension, which are incredibly trick. We've been fitted with Bridgestone slicks on the M. We ran some R11s this morning, so they're the sort of very track-focused, yet still treaded tyres. And here we have some R1Ms. The R1 has had quite a few changes, despite it looking very, very similar to the outgoing model. Now, this generation was 2015, updated 2018, and here we are 2020, and it's the first bike in Yamaha's range that is Euro 5 compliant. And the laws around the emissions are incredibly strict. So Yamaha have done a whole host of things in the engine, loads and loads of work, to make sure that it complies with Euro 5, but also doesn't lose any power. And the final output, in terms of peak power, is exactly the same at 200 PS, which is about 197 brake horsepower. Here we go. The rest. Grand Prix circuit. Got some warmth into these tyres and brakes from the Bridgestone R11s. So, and for this famous last corner here at Arete, onto the start-finish straight. Get the bike stood up. Pull gas! here in southern spain that was an indicated 267 kilometers an hour let the gears do the braking as well so new 2020 r1 r1 is turns well turns fast it's a mentally small compared to some a lot of differences there are a lot of similarities too it's such an exciting bike to ride fluttering some might say so yamaha have been working tirelessly to create a sports bike that is a liter that it's got the same amount of power as the outgoing model but it still complies with regulations so this is the first bike certainly the first bike in yamaha's lineup and potentially the first bike out of any manufacturer that complies with those euro 5 regulations which come in at the beginning of 2020 anyway what it means is that they're taking the opportunity with this euro 5 thing to make a motorbike that has got a bit more refinement that's been able to be upgraded from the outgoing model so this is the model we've seen come into the market 2015 is upgraded in 2018 and this is the 2020 version so the big headline is that with all the work they've had to do with the engine and the exhaust system to make it compliant they're still being able to get that same amount of power that the last one had that's 197 horsepower there might be a little increase in torque but the other bits that are different around this one are the styling so the the headlights have changed the intake has changed the aerodynamics have changed the airflow through the body into across the fuel tank has increased efficiency by about five percent so they say new brake pads new steering damper there's new electronic settings as well but yeah so the main talking points really around the head and the engine ride by wire throttle has changed all of those little components all add up to a motorbike that really is it might look very similar to the outgoing model but there's a hell of a lot that's that's been changed for this one and it rides beautifully look the outgoing bike was hardly a badden it's a lovely small nimble little bike that is a tremendous to ride it gives the rider a great amount of feedback on the road and on the track and then over to the r1m the big change here is it's full carbon so you've got the carbon at the back you've got uh differences with the electronics and then the main difference between the two models but also the outgoing r1m and the new r1m are these ellens forks now these are the forks that you can see on the panigale v4r but the big difference here is and this is a bit of an exclusive for yamahas these are electronically controllable so you can change with the menu system on the on the computer there on the dashboard and really so with these two bikes it's the it's those four catalysts that within the exhaust system that's kind of strangled all the power but yamaha have done such a brilliant job at making this motorbike still with the same amount of power as the outgoing bike and i'm sure it will happen very soon you take off the full system and replace it with something like a krapovic system it's going to make a ton of power and it's going to be like the r6 was last year so it comes to the market and everyone's going hang on a minute it's heavier it's more expensive and it'll make enough power but it has to comply with regulations and that's that's what we're looking at here and that's the big story so yeah so while we see the changes in the electronics and we see the changes in things like the brake pads and and the exhaust you know yamaha have got to be praised really because of what they've been able to achieve look on circuit two actually very different motorbikes we were able to ride the r1m with bridgeline slicks and the r11s on the r1 so the big difference between the slicks and the and the suspension it's a totally different bike the way it turns the way in which it holds its line the way in which it's stable in the corner is down primarily to you know suspension uh chassis setup and those uh and those tires as well it gives tremendous amount of feedback it's tremendous confidence too so when you're in here there's plenty of fast corners fast rights fast lefts change your direction very quickly some fast long straights you're into heavy braking zones so if a bike is bad if it's badly set up it has bad brakes you can find it out here i've got to speak fairly and honestly uh the brakes on the r1 and the r1m are not the finest that i've ridden there's a sort of pulsing on the abs setting look when you start comparing these superbikes of today you start splitting heads so is it better than the v4s is it better than the s1000rr fireblaze the zx10s it's almost down to personal preference all lap times and it kind of depends on what you're after look the r1 is 16.799 it's in uh shops in october the r1m here is available through the ordering system online it's 21.999 so yeah so there's a big difference but then you you work out you know the price of these uh olins and it's almost justifiable two cracking little bikes um there's going to be many many happy owners as they have been with r1s over the years they still got that beautiful sound um from that four-cylinder engine uh it's an absolute cracker look go and go and test ride one that'd be my advice and we'll have some more detail and we'll have a lot more reaction and information at bikesocial.co.uk you