FEATURE - Yamaha Racing Team YZF R1 rundown

Words: Yamaha Motor Australia

Photos: YMA and Russell Colvin

Ever since it debuted in 1998, Yamaha’s R1 has been an iconic and flagship model for the brand. The R1 represents Yamaha not only on the road in the sports bike market, but also on racetracks around the world in major championship events.

Designed for performance and to be at the cutting edge of technology, the R1 is still a bike you can use to commute to work daily. It is as versatile as it is fast and continues to be one of the most recognisable models in Yamaha’s line up. In Australia, the R1 has been a major player in the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK), more specifically in the hands of the experienced and knowledgeable Yamaha Racing Team (YRT), led by crew chief Kevin Marshall.

At his Brisbane workshop, Kev transforms the R1 from workday commuter to racetrack weapon, then lets YRT rider Cru Halliday loose as the team pursues the ASBK championship at circuits around the country. But what does Kev and YRT do – and what are they allowed to do under ASBK rules – to achieve that transformation? Getting Comfortable Yamaha offer two versions of the R1 to the public: the base model; and the up spec’d R1M that adds higher performance suspension and an upgraded ECU package. YRT start with the R1M, just like any Yamaha dealer would have on their showroom floor, and get to work on the changes required to make it competitive at ASBK level. As the YRT bike won’t be used on the road, the majority of the ADR gear is stripped, leaving Kev with just the bare essentials to build a race bike. The weight savings here are around 20kg – a substantial figure and certainly noticeable on the racetrack. Aerodynamically, the bike needs to be equipped to handle the high speed and G Forces created by a professional rider, so race-spec fairings are fitted, race footpegs are mounted to give rider comfort and increase ground clearance, and an adjustable race seat is added so the rider can get the bike to his liking.

Changes to the seat and footpegs may seem minor, but they can be crucial in ensuring the rider can handle the R1 through high and low-speed turns. For example, a footpeg lost in a crash or collision can severely compromise a rider’s ability to move body position and control the bike. When it comes to the seat and pegs, Cru has his preferences, but retains the standard Yamaha handlebars and grips. Interestingly, YRT riders have tested or tried different aftermarket bars and grips over the years, but nearly always return to the OEM units.

The Need for Speed No one needs a faster bike than an R1, do they? The answer for you and I is no, but on the racetracks of Australia, YRT can massage the power several ways to give Cru exactly what he’s looking for. There can’t be wholesale changes, though, as the ASBK rulebook dictates only certain components of the motor can be changed. This keeps costs down and ensures a more even playing field. For the most part, the engine’s head, pistons, cams and throttle body must remain standard. The compression can be changed via a gasket but not by adding or removing metal. The cam timing can be altered, but the cams themselves must be OEM. All this means that riders and teams can’t cut loose with the porting tool and can’t go crazy with high comp pistons or lumpy cams - just refine the OEM package and hit the track. In the case of Cru, YRT focus on what he wants and use the following to fine tune the power to his needs.

- A GYTR ECU is used that allows Kev to tune the bike better and gives a broad range of adjustability in the motor.

- The cam timing can be altered and, depending on the circuit, it may well be to reduce power to make the bike more rideable or less aggressive than OEM.

- The final key to power delivery is the gearing. On faster tracks like Phillip Island, where top speeds are in excess of 300km/h down the front straight, a taller gear ratio like 16/43 might be used. On a tighter circuit like Wakefield Park, a larger rear sprocket may be chosen to add some bottom-end grunt when pulling out of turns.

- The team run an Akrapovic exhaust which offers good gains across a wide range of rpm.

Overall, the team estimate these permissible changes result in a significant power gain in Cru’s bike compared to factory specs, with a focus on broad, potent midrange.

The R1M comes standard with a CCU (Communication Control Unit) that allows the team to get data from the bike after each session. This provides vital information and allows the team to make changes from track to track and even session to session, depending on the rider and track conditions.

For a race bike that pumps out over 200hp (150+kW), you would think that some potent rocket fuel is required to drive it, but as per ASBK rules, riders and teams must use readily available pump fuel, so the 98 octane bowser at the servo can often have the YRT truck parked up alongside it.

Chassis and Suspension

The standard Öhlins suspension on the R1M is high quality stuff and a great starting point for any serious racer. Like almost all race teams in ASBK, YRT fine-tune the factory suspension via different valving and spring rates to suit rider requirements. Even in a two-rider team like YRT, riders can be very different in their preferred set ups. Cru and his 2020 team mate Aiden Wagner run similar fork settings, but vary greatly in the rear shock setting.

Dialling in the suspension is a never-ending process and Cru works with the team throughout testing to get the feel and comfort he is after on the track. YRT use the external adjusters to fine tune to conditions, but it’s not uncommon to see Kev re-valving a shock or set of forks between track sessions. Again, it is a matter of listening to the rider’s feedback and making the right changes. As a general guide, racers prefer a firmer set up than how the bike comes out of the crate, as firmer suspension allows riders to push harder in race conditions. They don’t want the front end to collapse under heavy braking, or the rear to wallow on corner exit. It might not feel comfortable picking up the milk and bread, but you aren’t doing 260km/h in the Coles car park, either.

Speaking of brakes, Cru retains the standard OEM rear brake but uses Brembo rotors, pads and master cylinder kit on the front end, matched to a braided Goodrich brake line for extra power and better feel. Racers often complain of brake fade throughout a race, but this combo has eliminated that for Cru, and the stopping power of his bike is alarmingly good.

When it comes to tyres, there’s no control tyre in ASBK like there is in some other racing categories, so several brands are available. YRT choose Pirelli tyres and they’re not alone - last year’s ASBK and Australian Supersport champions also ran Pirellis. Pirelli offer a range of slick compounds to suit track conditions and Cru’s personal preferences. He has two options up front and three variations of rear tyre compound. Again, this can change from track to track and session to session.

The Guru’s View

“The top four things we look at when building a race bike are the aerodynamics, rider comfort, suspension and producing a rideable power delivery,” explains Kev Marshall. “Even in road racing, outright power isn’t the biggest determining factor in a race. Power delivery is more important than the amount a motor produces

“The R1 already performs at such a high level that our job is made so much easier these days. And for someone like Cru who has been on Yamaha for so long, we know what he wants and needs from his suspension, we know where he likes his bars and seat, so for us, it’s just a matter of working with him and the data to fine tune power delivery and what compound Pirelli tyres he wants. “That in itself is almost never ending, as conditions change so much and at the speeds these bikes do, we really need to listen to the rider and study the data to ensure we might the right calls. Then Cru just has to ride the wheels off it when he hits the track. Simple, isn’t it?”

Cru’s Views

The 2020 mi Bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship has been in hiatus since the first round in February. At that round, Cru scored a trio of second-place finishes and was the only rider to get within striking distance of round winner Wayne Maxwell.

After three months without racing, Cru is aching to get back on the track. To keep himself match fit until ASBK returns, he’s been punting a YZ250F around motocross tracks near his home in NSW.

Does riding off road or MX have any benefit to your road racing? Motocross is a huge benefit with keeping fit and a big part of my training. They say it’s the most physically demanding sport and really helps to keep me bike fit. We have a few tracks in the area that are accessible every week and now that restrictions are lifting, I can add it back into my program.

Fitness and endurance are often spoken about in dirt bike racing, but explain fitness levels and the demands on your body in road racing and how it differs. We don’t have the varying and rough conditions in road racing that the MX guys have, but road racing is still very demanding. The bikes are a lot heavier, the speed is higher, so the braking force is a lot stronger. Your upper body gets a workout and we lock the tank with our knees in the corners so upper leg strength is important. If it’s hot, that adds another element to it as well with the gear we wear.

The ASBK field is ultra-competitive now and makes for some great racing. In your career, is the field for 2020 as strong as the championship has been? Yeah, the field is definitely stacked right now. I think at round one we had something like twelve Australian Superbike Championships on the grid (at Phillip Island) with multiple riders that have competed overseas. There’s a lot of competitive bikes and teams this year, so it is definitely the strongest it’s been in a long, long time.

Eight years with YRT and I imagine there is a lot of different machinery you have raced over the time. Does one bike stand out? I’ve raced two different R6’s and four different versions of the R1 if you include the Formula Oz bike I ran in 2012. This 2020 YZF-R1M is by far the best bike I’ve competed on. It’s so much more refined over the previous model and a dream to ride. I’m definitely chomping at the bit to get back out there on it when the championship gets underway again. Last year you were in the championship hunt right up to the final race What’s it going to take to make the final step and bring home an Australian Superbike Championship victory? Consistency. We started the year off so well but fell away a little at the end. Wins will be nice, but if we can pick up from where we left off at Round 1 and keep it going throughout the rest of the year there’s no reason why we can’t bring home the championship. I’ve got a good team and great bike underneath me, so I will be giving it everything I can.

YRT Spec Check - Cru Halliday's YZF-R1M

MOTOR Cylinder head: stock – can only recut valve seats slightly ** Piston: stock ** Cams: stock ** Clutch: stock Throttle body: stock ** ECU: GYTR Spark plugs: NGK racing Exhaust: Akrapovic Air filter: DNA Fuel: PULP 98 ** Gearing: varies track to track Engine covers: GB Lubricant: Yamalube Y4-GP CHASSIS AND SUSPENSION Fork: Stock with Öhlins FKR cartridges ** Shock: Öhlins Steering Damper : Öhlins Handlebars: stock Grips: stock Clamps: stock Chain: RK Fr Brakes: Brembo/Goodridge ** Rr Brakes stock **

Sprockets: GYTR Tyres: Pirelli Seat: Racers Edge Bodywork: Racers Edge Screen: Racers Edge Decals: Caboolture Signs ** rule requirement for ASBK