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Which year R1 is your favorite?

  • 98-99

    Votes: 12 10.0%
  • 00-01

    Votes: 7 5.8%
  • 02-03

    Votes: 13 10.8%
  • 04-06

    Votes: 37 30.8%
  • 07-08

    Votes: 33 27.5%
  • None....I don't like the R1 :)

    Votes: 4 3.3%
  • 2009

    Votes: 14 11.7%

Yamaha R1 Forum

41K views 62 replies 27 participants last post by  Greenj! 
#1 ·
This is the home of the Yamaha R1 Sport Bike!

1998 R1 - The beast
1999 R1 - The next beast
2000 R1 - A few more goodies and better suspension
2001 R1 - A couple small tweaks
2002 R1 - Rocket Science applied - Fuel Injection and new design
2003 R1 - A couple minor adjustments and the "Flame Paint" :lol
2004 R1 - All new design... Lower bottom end, much better top end, still lacking midrange
2005 R1 - A couple minor adjustments
2006 R1 - Nothing new
2007 R1 - The best R1 ever, new design, new motor, fly by wire.... The beast has risen again.
2008 R1 - A couple small tweaks
2009 R1 - What's next?????
 
#4 ·
Hard to say the 07 is not the best when you haven't owned it. :poke

The other years where all awesome for their time, just like the CBR 900RR was a bad ass bike in 1993, but doesn't hold a candle to the new litre bikes.

I agree the 07 is currently the best R1 built to date and in 09 that model will most likely be the best unless something goes drastically wrong. :lol


Ride safe.
 
#6 ·
Hard to say the 07 is not the best when you haven't owned it. :poke

The other years where all awesome for their time, just like the CBR 900RR was a bad ass bike in 1993, but doesn't hold a candle to the new litre bikes.

I agree the 07 is currently the best R1 built to date and in 09 that model will most likely be the best unless something goes drastically wrong. :lol


Ride safe.
All depends on what your definition of "best" is. :mrgreen

Of course I'm biased...just like you are. :lmao However, my definition of 'best' is what impact the bike made on the motorcycling community. Performance and numbers-wise, the 07 is better than the 98 in every way, hands down. But, think of what effect the 1998 R1 had on the sportbike community worldwide. There was nothing that could touch it, and it WAS the genesis of literbike class. Same goes for the 93 CBR-900. Neither can touch modern bikes, but their impact on motorcycling is unmistakable.

You wouldn't have an 07 if it wasn't for the 98 :rofl ;)

And BTW...you don't have to OWN an 07 to RIDE and evaluate one. I've ridden both....and I still like the power delivery on my 98/01 better. It may not have the top-end HP, but the low-end grunt makes canyon riding a lot more fun. Of course, I'm running the flatslides, so that might have a little something to do with it. :lol
 
#5 ·
I agree with you R1Master... the new bikes are insane... I went for a ride today with my brother, he has not been on a bike since the yzf1000 he had way back when... He is still smiling and it was 8 hours ago... :lmao

Anyway the bike is insane and EVERY time I ride it I can't believe how badass it is :fact

Mark as far as impressing the world with a bike yes the 98 out did just about every bike to date with it's advancement in power and design but compared to where they are today it's nothing to write home about. :)
 
#7 ·
Mark as far as impressing the world with a bike yes the 98 out did just about every bike to date with it's advancement in power and design but compared to where they are today it's nothing to write home about. :)
Oh no...I totally agree with you both. :thumbup

We just have different opinions of what 'best' means.

You ever watch the Military Channel? They have a show that covers the "Top Ten" aircraft, ships, helicopters, etc. Their definition of 'best' is the same one I use....the impact a particular aircraft had on the aviation community. In that sense, you'd have to put the 98 near the top.

I don't mean any offense to you guys....just trying to explain my thinking. Of course, I've been trying to do that with the wife for years now, and it still hasn't worked :lmao
 
#9 ·
It all depends on what review you read as there all different and bias towards who is in their pocket at the time :fact

If you want to compare straight numbers you can but to me that doesn't mean jack... :lol To me it's more about the total package... Just like a good women... just because she has the biggest boobs doens't mean I would marry her :)
 
#12 ·
I'd go with the '98 being the best too actually. It invented the class really, the whole concept of "hey, why do we have to only use the big motors in the big stable chassis, why can't we stuff it in a 600 sized chassis and make a real gp-esque roadracer, but for the street?"

good stuff.

and to be honest, the '04 goes down as the worst year in my book, LOL. "I've got an idea, lets make the thousand engine that is the whole point of the class act like a 600."

the '07-'08 is sure throwin down against the competition tho, which is something that the R1 hasn't done in some time.
 
#15 ·
This is the home of the Yamaha R1 Sport Bike!

1998 R1 - The beast
1999 R1 - The next beast
2000 R1 - A few more goodies and better suspension
2001 R1 - A couple small tweaks
2002 R1 - Rocket Science applied - Fuel Injection and new design
2003 R1 - A couple minor adjustments and the "Flame Paint" :lol
2004 R1 - All new design... Lower bottom end, much better top end, still lacking midrange
2005 R1 - A couple minor adjustments
2006 R1 - Nothing new
05 GSXR 750 - The best bike ever:fact!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2008 R1 - A couple small tweaks
2009 R1 - What's next?????

I like that list :lol
 
#18 ·
Missed a few things also...


'06 was also the 50'th anniversary colors wasn't it?

As to the '04 having more lower end, I disagree. Everyone I've talked to who has owned an 04-06 as well as a previous year model says that the 04-06 improved on the top end, but the low end was gone. In order to even come close to the previous year models, they had to severely regear what the '98-03 had in stock form.

For me, I prefer the lines of the 02/03 better than any others.
 
#22 ·
2004 R1 - All new design... Lower bottom end, much better top end, still lacking midrange
This is the part Rhett. Can't say I've heard this as most people I've talked to have stated that the 04 low gears were too tall and it had no bottom end.

I like to compare the 02-03 to sushi....

Definitely an acquired taste. :D

The spaceship look of the tail section never really did anything for me. It's a good looking bike, but the 04 blew it away. And, since I replaced all my R1 bodywork with R7, you can tell how much I liked the 98-01 bodywork...:lmao
I was referring to lower (less) bottom end, I should have worded that better.. lol

Personally, I liked the 02/03 body style immediately. The next closest would be the 98-01, but the lines are too soft and round IMO. Couldn't stand the 04-06 looks at all, and the 07-08 looks are a little better than the 04-06years.

The R7 looks okay, but not my preference.

It's all in what you like. :thumbup
 
#23 ·
This is the part Rhett. Can't say I've heard this as most people I've talked to have stated that the 04 low gears were too tall and it had no bottom end.



Personally, I liked the 02/03 body style immediately. The next closest would be the 98-01, but the lines are too soft and round IMO. Couldn't stand the 04-06 looks at all, and the 07-08 looks are a little better than the 04-06years.

The R7 looks okay, but not my preference.

It's all in what you like. :thumbup
:yes all comes down to personall preference, i personally dont like the look of the 07 and 08, i think the beak, and the fairings look kinda funny, i love the 98-01 alot actually but my fav is 04-06 :mrgreen
 
#26 ·
00-01 was the most fun to ride imho. Always felt like I was riding a monster that was about to turn on me... great engine! great fun!
When they went to EFI the engines sorta lost their edge alittle (feel-wise I'm talking).

07-08 looks the best in my opinion, although I *always* stop to perve on the 00-01s, have real soft spot for them after I lost my old one. :(


Edit: Actually, the 02-03 in Red&White looked bad ass!


Fuggit, I love them all! :fact Might have to go buy one of each now... ;)
 
#28 ·
00-01 was the most fun to ride imho. Always felt like I was riding a monster that was about to turn on me... great engine! great fun!
When they went to EFI the engines sorta lost their edge alittle (feel-wise I'm talking).

07-08 looks the best in my opinion, although I *always* stop to perve on the 00-01s, have real soft spot for them after I lost my old one. :(


Edit: Actually, the 02-03 in Red&White looked bad ass!


Fuggit, I love them all! :fact Might have to go buy one of each now... ;)
I loved my 00 as well.. and still miss it... but the buzz at 7000 rpm's is what I don't miss, that drove me nuts and was a common problem for those bikes.

But the low end was awesome for around town... and made the bike feel like more then it was... :)
 
#33 ·
It's a no brainer... the 07-08 is the best bike period... :lmao


There was another reason for this thread but it was nice to see it turn into a good discussion too... :lol

Now if you want to talk about the bike that made the biggest improvement or the largest shock to the sport bike world, then it's the first year (98) hands down.
 
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