2004 Yamaha YZF-R1 reviews

This is NOT a beginner bike. Fortunately, I am NOT a beginner. With 5500Mi on the dial I can tell you this bike is fast, beatuiful, reliable and willing to take any demand you make and ask for more. Carves turns like it is on rails, awesome stock binders, but S/S lines make a HUGE difference. Ohlins full suspension makes it track-worthy and takes the dive out of the front end. Pilot Pros stick to the road much better than the stock Dunlops and will fall into a corner fast and controllably. HyperPro damper adds a new level of front end stability, can't shale it, literally. 520 chain conversion with a -1/+2 will make the bottom end of 1st gear something to respect. Graves exhaust (loud enough to drown out your screaming), PC3 w/ignition module, Velocity stacks will bring RWHP to the 150 range. Cooks the arse a bit on a super hot day, but good leathers negate that issue. Redline will bring your coolant temps down while sitting in slow traffic. This bike deserves to be ridden hard and can out perform even the most advanced riders demands. Respect the power however or it will bite you fast and hard. Front is light over 6500RPM and is bound to be skyward anywhere above 8000RPM, although you will still feel in control when it happens. at 13000RPM it is like the best and scariest nightmare you have ever had... forcing you to dream about doing it again... after you change your shorts. Streetable if you don't mind a pile of tickets even though you are tying hard to obey the laws, born for the track - where is shines the most, and where it belongs. Can't wipe the smile off my face when I put it in the garage. 45mpg when nice to it, 20 when running it like it wants to be ridden. Show less

Now have about 8,000 miles on my R1 and I am convinced it is the World's Most Perfect Bike. It is smooth and fast in any gear. This bike is for experienced riders only. When pushing through the corners you have to let the bike come upright before you roll up on the throttle. If you do not and bang the throttle open it will spin up the rear and high-side you in a split second. It eats tires... but it is a sheer adrenaline rush to drive. Show less

After being a Kawasaki fan my whole life (and owning nothing but Kawasaki), I am very pleased that my local Kawasaki dealer salesman had a bad day, and I in turn, went to the Yamaha dealer "just to look". After recently purchasing a new 2004 R1, I can't ever see myself going back. Not only is the bike the best litre ever built, its service is top notch. Way to go, Yamaha! This machine is not for the novice. It is years above ANY beginner, I'm dissapointed to see that there is still a dealer out there that would sell this bike to anybody without years of experience. Its power alone would put a childish grin on any well seasoned rider. As for the "beginner", I'm scared. When these guys screw up, the rest of us seasoned riders pay the price. Show less

Being my first bike I didn't know what to expect and really don't have a bike to compare it to but this bike has been a real adrenaline rush. Comfort and performance are top notch. It doesn't take a whole lot of effort to get this bike movin'. You swear it had a life of its own. Seeing that I only have 130 miles of the 1000 miles it takes to throughly break the engine in, it will be awhile before I can really test this bike out. I'll follow-up in the future when I hit the 1000+ mile mark. Show less

This bike has been designed, tested, and reviewed thoroughly and the results are awesome. I have enjoyed the bike's performance and asthetics with pride. The only down fall is that the seat angle is steep which causes some discomfort to the crotch, however, the performance and power surely outway the downfall. Show less

The R1 is a true sports bike. Adrenaline rushing handling, heart punding acceleration, this bike is just too X-TREME. This bike is not for beginners so be aware first timers out there. Show less

I purchased my new R-1 on Aug 29th, 2004 and I must say that it is a wonderful bike to own. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to ride it as much as I desire, because of all the rain we have received in the past month. I can tell you this much, this bike is everything and then some. I'm a tall guy and the R-1's ergonomics are just right for me. I haven't tapped the full potential of this bike yet, but I feel that it is endless. The bike does get hot, especially in the summer when it's 90 plus outside. But do not let this be a deterent. I get so many compliments on this bike and the great part about it is that it is such a difficult bike to get your hands on. The stock exhaust system on this bike sounds better than some aftermarket slip-ons. I went with the red and black colors and it is nice. Hopefully, in the next few months I can give you guys another reveiw. I'm hoping to take it to the mountains this month and see how it performs. Show less

So I traded the limited edition '03 for the new '04, cherry red, the true color. Totally a different bike. Balance and stability is far superior, transmission is smoother, and gearing is fine. I know there are complaints about the tall 1st gear, but I see no issue with it. Bike sounds great, nice growl... as far as looks, my friend saw it and described it as a Japanese cartoon. Yamaha set the bar, along with Ducati. Show less

This bike is awesome! BUT I would not recommend this bike for the street. It is damn uncomfortable idle and in traffic (below 30 Mph) and the under seat pipes look cool but roast your bum in summer. On the track however (above 100+ Mph), is a different story, very stable, great brakes, great mid range and top end. Corner entry speeds are insane on this bike, feels like a 600cc. Overall, I do not ride this bike on the street, I have ridden it on the street but it was meant for the track, so it is purely a track bike now. Please be SAFE!! Show less

The R1 is like a cadillac (smoothness), porsche (speed)and BMW(handling)all in one. It's a great bike and fun to ride. I recommend it for anyone willing to buy a bike. I have the silver/gray just because everyone chooses the blue, and I'm glad I did. Show less