Re: All New Yamaha R1
Well, Yamaha only claims a 3 lb weight loss, and NO ram airbox. Seems as though they spent too much effort in styling/graphics and tail lights, and not enough in performance aimed at the GSXR1000 target. At least the subframe finally is a bolt-on like it should have been since day one. Why didn't they make beating the Suzuki's performance a priority? And they better have addressed the R1's well known less-than-stellar reliability reputation (gearbox, clutch, leaks, cracking hubs,etc).
Seems as though the open superbike class world order stays as it was, especially since Honda's redesigned CBR954 seems at this point to have come up short again. That's typical Honda though- they always have their own engineering philosophy and stick to it even in the face of clear superiority from competing products (engineered flex chassis, smaller engine capacity open class, 16" front wheels, etc.).