Scratching around Road Atlanta’s twelve turns recently, I was doing my best imitation of a mobile chicane. Riding at a NESBA (Northeast Sports Bike Association) track weekend to get some seat time on the new 2009 Yamaha R1, I was in some fast company. Returning to the pits after each session progressively more frustrated with my inability to get the motorcycle round the racetrack at a respectable pace, things weren’t going according to plan. My kids were still excited at Dad’s performance even if I wasn’t, and it wasn’t till a while after looking at their smiling faces it suddenly clicked.

The only problem I was having on the new liter bike from Yamaha was my ego. I just wasn’t able to cope with the bike’s variable engine response map set on full power mode. At least not during my first couple of sessions out on the challenging Georgia circuit. Heading back to the track I set the bike to the “B” mode, which restricts power by 30% at all throttle settings and took off. Peeling seconds off my lap times faster than Brittany Spears losing articles of clothing in a music video, the whole experience was transformed as I got my head down and started to ride. Now the throttle response felt less abrupt in the slower corners, allowing me to progressively get on the gas earlier and smoother. Taking a peep at my speed on the digital speedo at the fastest part of the track, I had quickly picked up some major mph. Now it was reading 181mph, where before it was floundering around 167mph or so. The difference in being able to pick the throttle up early and drive off the corners with more confidence was starkly apparent.

All new for 2009, the biggest news around Yamaha’s latest R1 is the cross plane crankshaft. Giving the motorcycle the most incredible intake roar, I spent the first half of the day thinking there was another rider inches behind me in the slower turns on a noisy V-four. The Yamaha is that evil sounding on and off the throttle. With the cross plane concept being introduced on Valentino Rossi’s M1 in 2004, this is the first time this technology has been used on a production motorcycle. Where a traditional flat plane four cylinder has two pistons up and two down, 180 degrees apart, the new cross plane engine has the pistons all set 90 degrees apart on the crankshaft’s rotation. This is not a big bang engine, as only one piston is being fired at a time, but one that allows much smoother power pulses with its 1,3,2,4 firing order. Apparently, this smoother output is less likely to cause high sides also, and judging by the performance of Mr. Spies this year in World SBK Yamaha has got right. There is also less vibration with the new engine thanks to the use of a counter balancer, even if we are used to the current crop of inline four cylinder bikes and don’t find it unpleasant.

Looking at the spec sheets shows new forged aluminum pistons ride in ceramic composite-plated cylinder liners, and the crankshaft journals are 4mm larger. Heads and valves appear unchanged, the transmission stays the same, and apart from some minor tweaks to the slipper clutch, Yamaha’s engineers have left well alone. Claimed power is around 180 at the crank with the engine spinning 12,500 rpm. This is the not the top of the liter bike class, but presumably the improved traction available with the cross plane crank is going to make up for any small deficit in this area.

Returning for ’09 is Yamaha’s YCC-T chip controlled throttle. This “fly by wire system,” as it was originally touted, is actually what controls the different power settings available. Controlling Yamaha’s YCC-I variable intake system, which has been updated for this year, the intake funnels separate at 9,400 rpm, with the longer funnel being used below this for more torque, and once separated, the shorter intake aiding high rpm horsepower.

Housing the unique power plant, an all-new frame comes with the same rake and trail as last year. What’s changed is the construction of the aluminum Deltabox frame, which uses a mixture of gravity casting, C-F casting, and pressed sheet aluminum. This mixture gives lower lateral and torsional rigidity as well as increased vertical rigidity. The reason for these changes is to give more feedback to the rider with a small increase in side-to-side flex. The swing arm is also new, and there is a 5mm reduction in the bike’s wheelbase. This is made possible by the engine being relocated 8.2mm forward, thanks to a steeper angle, and also puts more weight on the front wheel. Obviously something the engineers felt was needed from feedback gained in their race program.

Riding the beast it feels like a liter bike as soon as you jump in the saddle. Quoted as having a ready to ride weight around 450 pounds, it’s got some girth. Once on the move though this is heavily disguised, and not surprisingly the riding position is pure sport. Handlebars are actually a tad closer to the rider this year, 10mm, with the seat also 8mm closer to add up to a bigger change for the rider. Footpegs have also been moved 10mm forward and are adjustable, with 15mm off upward movement and 3mm rear. Testing purely on the racetrack didn’t give me much chance to think about comfort on the street. I can’t see it being too comfortable for long journeys though, unless you like having your arse in the air and your hands down for extended periods of time.

View forward from flight control is all business with a big analog tachometer dominating the view. This is set in a compact housing that has the digital speed readout in the bottom right, and all the usual warning lights, bells and whistles above. There is also a gear position indicator, and on this big, powerful engine, especially with its deceptive sound characteristics, it was helpful to glance down once in a while to check what gear I was in. The new R1 also comes with a clock and a lap timer, and an indicator to show you what power mode you are in. The bike always defaults to the same map. So if you want more, or less power, you have to make a change.

Out on the track, once I had changed the power settings and gotten comfortable, I was immediately impressed with the way the new R1 works. Stable and balanced at speed, it doesn’t take a Herculean amount of effort to make it turn in to the tight corners. There are no dramatic moments when hard on the brakes either. A situation Road Atlanta gives you a lot of opportunities to try out. Hitting over 180 mph through turn eleven, turn 10A comes up extremely fast as you are barreling down hill towards the large gravel trap. Any deficiencies in the system will make itself known here, and like all aspects of the new 2009 R1, I was the weakest link here as usual.

Scrubbing off massive speed for the tight corner, the new Yamaha still uses the same six piston calipers as last year, but they now bite down on more rigid 310mm rotors. There are some minor tweaks to the radial master cylinder and the lever ratio to give more feel, and strong as the brakes are, they are not abrupt or difficult to modulate. Pure racers might want them sharper for sure, and a call to someone like GP Tech would soon sort this out for those in need.

For my first couple of sessions, even at my snail pace, the street suspension settings were making the bike feel a tad vague. So, with a bunch of Yamaha techs on hand, a few whirls with the screwdriver and a couple of wrenches, a more track focused setting was dialed in. This and backing of the power put an end to the whining and all was bliss out on the Georgia asphalt. Flying under the Suzuki Bridge into the new turn 12, the R1’s manners were being seriously put to the test, and there was much happiness in the saddle. Braking hard and late down the hill, the new inverted Soqi fork works its magic, and I was impressed with the turn in for a bigger, heavier bike. Allowing me to pick up the throttle nice and early, the drive I was getting down the front straight was just plain mad. Whatever you might read about a few pounds here, a couple of less horsepower there, this is still one of the fastest productions bikes you can roll out of a crate and take the track.

For 2009, this new front fork splits compression and rebound damping between the left and right leg, compression on the left and rebound on the right. This is said to minimize cavitation and should allow for more consistent operation. I can’t ride hard enough to overwork it, but the way the fork handles my maximum braking to my best throttle opening on the exit in such a smooth controlled manner, greatly helped me trim seconds from my lap time. In the rear there is a handy hydraulic pre-load adjuster this year to make things easier, and the bottom link MI styled suspension has a more progressive ratio. I don’t think my rear end is educated enough to notice the difference either, but there was certainly no squirming or wallowing under power anywhere on the track. I should also add here that we were testing on the latest race rubber from Dunlop, and while top-level races have not been too happy with them this year, they did a fantastic job for me. These came in the following sizes: 120/70-17 in the front and a 190/55-17 in the rear. Wrapped around the five spoke alloy wheels, the only difference to be found this year is with the slightly higher rear tire profile.

Priced this year at $13,290, the Yamaha is a tad more expensive than its competition, but is certainly not overpriced for the performance it delivers. Coming in a choice of four colors: Blue and white, raven and candy red, cadmium yellow and raven, or pearl white and rapid red, the buying decision is probably going to be more because of brand loyalty than any other decision. It does already come with a serious amount of race parts, and judging by the performance of Josh Hayes and Ben Spies this year the bike is clearly capable of being a winner. From this average hack’s perspective, it is one blindingly fast motorcycle with handling, braking and stopping power that I can’t exploit. Like all Yamaha sport bikes, the engine noise is without a doubt the most exciting of the big fours, and this alone would be a major factor in my purchase decision. It’s just so intoxicating to ride and sounds like no other, you really could think you were riding Vale’s Moto GP bike.