Yamaha YZF-R1 Sport Bike Reviews on Cycle Insider (10)
Avg. Rating

Well it was at the time (new) the mostess.I traded a clean 1994 VFR 750 Honda. As for this motorcycle,I have never been anything but "awestruck" by this piece. Think it and it does it! It will teach you technique!,by commanding respect. I have owned both 4 cyl. GP replicas(RG&RD 500's).This is everything and more than those ever hoped to be,--sorry Lance.Beside its astounding performance--it has to be the most uncomfortable SOB ever invented. But that is design by function which it does in spades! Heli bars made it merely uncomfortable but better than stock. Factory mirrors are a joke. I made a barend mirror out of a bicycle unit,and it is 100% better in functon and looks. A machinist friend made "block offs" for my mirror mounting points. So mine really looks "racer".I also changed to a 180 section rear tire(190 is standard I think) and that truly makes this beast feel like a 600! I highly recomend this change for "sport" riders.I really liked it much better after that change. Only true complaint I can think of is,it sure seems as though the headbearing constantly requires attention.The lack of cruising comfort was fully anticipated, so I don't deduct for that. Just merely stateing(over-stateing?) the obvious.

I've had my R1 for 1 year,only the other day did i get a chance to ride a 600 ... big difference.Respect an R1,it's not for the faint hearted.2nd gear wheelies are no problem,it's on the speed at which you are doing them.Best Bike I've owned.

The 1999 R1 is really close to perfection. Power is available all over the dial and the delivery is very smooth. On the road, this is one of the easiest bikes to ride quickly on. However, on the track, her evil side is revealed. The fat midrange which is wonderful on the street tends to make her "push" on corner exits. This can be remedied to a point by raising the forks in the triple clamps (rear ride-height adjustablility should be standard fare). She also has a tendancy to tank-slap which can be remedied with the addition of a steering damper (which should be a stock item...on Ohlins unit works great). I still feel this bike is the closest thing yet to a GP bike with lights...combining lively handling with explosive power. Add a little more power, cut a little more weight, include ride height adjustablility, and put a quality steering damper on as stock, and she would be 5 star bike for sure. As it stands, I can only rate her at 4.6 Stars !!

Previous to the R1 I was the very proud owner of a 94 Ducati 916 Strada Biposto, this was a top bike because of one thing, the word "Ducati" on the bike. As much as i hate to idmitt it the r1 is better than the ducati

I told everyone before when I did a review of the 2000 R1 that I would eventually have one. Well, I found an excellent deal on a '98 R1 (red/white) and jumped on the chance to buy it. I tricked it out a little, including a full M4 system/rejetted, which put it's rear wheel output at 144.5 bhp. The 2nd day I had it, I rod a longer wheelie than I have in all my riding years (15!!) I took it to Arkansas and rode with a friend who has the new GSX-R1000. Although his bike was fast, the R1 would not be denied. We were in sync the whole trip. Unfortunately, I have to sell my baby because of a car accident, but WILL be purchasing the 2002 model (anticipating big changes) as soon as my wife graduates from Pharmacy school.

I just picked up my 99 R1 about 2 weeks ago with 5,000 miles on it. First let me say it is definitely all that and then some! I have to say though, mine spent over a week in the shop trying to work out some issue with the clutch and/or transmission because the shifting was horrible. Yes, I've heard it's not that good to start with but missing 3rd gear twice in a row just riding around town didn't seem right. Using a quality oil helps the shifting but I still have a big problem with clutch chatter at low speeds. The bike isn't as intimidating as you think it'd be. I had an F3 before for about a year and got some good experience on it so I was hesitant at first. You get used to it. The handling feels weird cause it's really quick but it clings to the curves like thighs to a leather chair on a hot august day! and though it is a wheelie monster, I only weigh 140 pounds and it has not come up on my by accident yet. it does require smooth throttle control. btw, it's unfomfortable as hell (for me at least) and the mirrors are totally useless. I wish I could have this as just my track bike but I can't so I think I'm gonna trade it back in on something more practical. It is overall a SWEET bike though.

Very weary of buying a first year model, back in the spring of '98 I bit the bullet and got my deposit in early on Yamaha's masterpiece. What a machine! I have added a dark windscreen, a Eurotail undertail treatment, a carbon fiber tank protector and a D & D carbon fiber slip-on. Despite attempts by Suzuki, Honda & Kawasaki to best the R1 my bike still gets all kinds of looks and questions. Suzuki's new GSX-R series are going to be awesome and are great looking bikes but word has it Yamaha has plans for ram air and fuel injection for the R1 in the near future. Change to semi-synthetic oil and the gearbox is smooth as silk ( the best shifting bike I've owned ) and Yamaha took care of a few glitches under warranty...the clutch basket was replaced even though few problems were reported, the sidestand switch bolts where replaced and finally brand new brake pads were installed ( free ) by the dealer ( had 10,000 miles on the odometer ) so that saved having to buy new pads probably @ 15,000 miles. The new pads are even better that the original pads. Although some manufacturer will come up with a bike that specs better than my '98 R1, who needs it? The only problem with this machine is...it is very hard to pull it into the garage after another spirited ride! I would buy another Yamaha in a heart beat...now maybe my wife's Ninja 500 could be traded in on a YZF-R6.

I purchased a 1999 R-1 new in early 2000. It was still in a crate when I got it. I have logged approximately 6000 miles on it despite the wicked seasons in the Midwest. I can not begin to express how much fun it is to ride this thing. It flat out rails around apexes, and blasts out of the corners at insane speeds. I have been riding for nearly 10 years, and this is the one bike where I can grind my knee into the ground and walk away from each ride with a really silly grin. My rear tire is still perfectly round, although I am approaching my wear markers on the right and left sides, and the edges are all blistered. I run rings around my friends on their 929's and TL-R's. I've achieved better lap times than my other buddies on modified R-6's and GSX-R 750's. I feel like I am Nori Haga when I ride this thing at the track. The only down sides are trying to keep the front end down, and having to park it during the winter.

This is the first bike I have ever felt like I could not outgrow. The power to weight ratio is what makes it legendary and it should. The bike's weaknesses are the same, its light weight also makes it a little loose on hard corners and allows the frontend to get light off the line. An adjustment of the rear spring fixes this, but isn't this wheelie bike fun! How nice it is to ride a bike that everyone knows and respects. It never ceases to amaze me or those watching my taillights!

Unbelievably exhiliarating to ride. An extension of one's self. I covered over 20000km in less than a year and near all of it was orgasmic. The down side was a gearbox that was notchy from new and only deteriorated to a stage of jumping out of second and finaly needed replacing. Other small problems arose such as oil lights that came on for no reason etc. I now search for a bike that can handle a little hard riding from time to time.