2006 Yamaha YZF R1

this is only my second bike,so not nearly as experienced as alot of you other riders! First impression it seemed uncomfortable,hot and weird in th corners.Turned out i had low tire pressure and after proper inflation it cornered like a champ.I also flushed the radiator and used engine ice now it ... runs on average of 15 to 20 degrees cooler.I've owned the bike for about 2 months and have put over 1,200 miles on it,the more i ride the more comfortable it becomes.At first i didn't care for the way the seat plants you against the tank.In my opinion being planted to the tank helps for weight distribution in corners and open throttle straights.To me the appearance of this bike is second to none for 06.With the swingarm extended almost an inch in 06 front end stability under full throttle is better i think.Overall im very pleased with the performance of the bike.Im proud to be an owner of the yzf r1.

Best purchase I've evr made

Now that the weather outside is reaching east coast winter levels, maybe its not so bad, but let me tell you, this is one hot bike - and I'm not talking cool, though it is that too. I saw reviews before buying that warned of the high heat put off by this bike, but never would have guessed the bike ... frame would heat to the point of reddening the insides of your knees despite having thick pants on. I guess it really is all but a race bike so it shouldn't be a surprise.

Anyway, aside from that major irritation, it is mostly everything that it was promised to be - a true superbike. It is a beauty in terms of its style and appearance, has excellent manueverability, is quick off the mark and reaches amazing speeds in mere seconds, and gets compliments all the time. Nevertheless there are just a few other minor beefs buyers should be aware of.

First, the coolant reserve tank has a poor bracket design in that the nut that the bracket bolt goes into is molded into the plastic tank. Bad idea as it takes just one turn too many to strip the housing and find yourself in the market for a new tank.

Another minor issue relates to the angle of the seat. It is just a little too angled toward the gas tank so that after an afternoon of hard riding the crotch of your pants begin to feel like they are permanently molded into your legs.

Finally, there is the issue of the finish on the panels as well as the windshield itself. You must use extreme caution in your choice of cloths to wipe the bike off or you may easily leave hairline cloth scratches that show up clearly in the sun.

The bottom line is that in comparing the bike to its major competitors I still think I would buy it over the others as they all have many of these same issues.

Very nice bike. Bought it brand new in late 2006. Ride it every time I'm back in the country. Every litre bike is close in performance, make your choice based on personal taste and brand loyalty. Don't get caught up in 1/10ths and 1/100ths in magazine test times. Every one of them is more bike ... than most riders can handle. I rate is high in every catagory except comfort. It is a sport bike not a touring bike, if U want comfort buy a slower bike.

I've had many bikes in my lifetime including some heavily modified. My R1 was almost perfect right from Yamaha!

The mods on my R1 are Full Grave Titanium Exhaust, PC111 with custom mapping, Changed the intakes and this bike is FAST!

Here is video link, could not get ... it to load another way.

http://v-man.org/Gallery/videos/MOV00080

just picked it up a month ago miraculously brand new, loving it, power delivery smooth and linear, it is the epitomy of joy on the road

Bike has full Graves exhaust, PCIII and levers.