I DEF agree with this. I think the bike should come "ready to go", or at least closer to it, right out of the box. I can understand the other "usual" changes such as exhaust and whatever, but they KNOW most of us are using these bikes as "street use", yet they geared it WAY too high in my opinion. Who knows. Good thing they are soo damn sexy, or I think Yamaha would have been in alot of trouble.

 

My opinion is, what is good for normal street riding is what the stock setup is all about. If you feel you need a little more bottom end or make it more track worthy it's not a very costly change.

 

I agree. Gearing depends on your use and personal preference. Quite a few people like the stock gearing, but if you don't, it is pretty cheap and easy to change.

 

Gearing has been almost the same since the R1's inception. Just different how the motor makes power from 04 up.

 

0 to 100 in 6 seconds that's really really "GO" to me! :fact

 

0 to 100 in 6 seconds that's really really "GO" to me! :fact

They did that in '98.

 

:dundun:

 

:dundun:

 

lol

 

Because Yamaha builds the bike for the race track first, and then as a secondary effort they add lights and mirrors. By changing the gearing you're making it more fit your needs.

 

probably also to help protect those with less brain cells

 

C'mon, stop giving william a hard time about this, you all know what he's talking about.

The earlier R1's were better set up for street riding "out of the box".

It's not just the gearing, it's also (or more importantly) the stroke of the motor. Those two together made the earlier R1's tremendously more streetable (pre 04).

IMO, Since these bikes are sold to the public primarily as street bikes, they are STREET BIKES FIRST and should be set up and sold as such (from the factory).

If you want to race them, then YOU can set them up as such. NOT the other way around.

(this, and that "upside down looking" swing arm are why I don't own a 04 & up R1)

 

C'mon, stop giving william a hard time, you all know what he's talking about.
The earlier R1's were better set up for street riding "out of the box".

It's not just the gearing, it's also (or more importantly) the stroke of the motor. Those two together made the R1 a tremendously streetable bike
.
The MOST streetable R1's are pre 04.

IMO, Since these bikes are sold to the public primarily as street bikes, they are STREET bikes first and should be set up and sold as such.

If you want to race them, then you can set them up as such. NOT the other way around.

(this, and that "upside looking" swing arm are why I don't own a 04 up R1)

But if they change the engine to accomodate your street needs they'd get destroyed on the race track. The bikes are set up for the street because of the rules for racing. Plus if you look at Yamaha's demographics more R1 owners take their bike to the track than other bikes.

 

OK this is what i know, might be just Australia, but sounds like its in the US too, they gear them so tall to pass emission and noise regulations, because at set speed in X gear (not sure what the speed or gear is) they get sound and emission readings and pass it, but by making it taller it drops those few hundred RPM's that are much needed to pass it!
In Aus as soon as you give the R1 a tune up its no longer legal and if checked you will fail!! thats BS!! but thats revenue raising for you...

 

The gearing changed in 2004...

 

Not enough to feel it. Swapped some teeth around on the sprockets, but if you look at primary and secondary numbers there is very little change in reality. Your talking about 1/2 tooth on the rear sprocket difference at most.

 

yamaha designs the bike for the track. if you can spend 10+ grand on a bike you can spend $40 on a fu*kin sprocket. c'mon guys.

 

IMO, it is an attempt to detune the bike so that idiots would have less of a chance of hurting themselves.

It's a known that these bikes are faster than all hell and capable of more than what most riders could ever throw at it.

Kind of a half hearted attempt.

If you want more from the bike but don't have the brain power or common sense to make the small changes then maybe you should really rethink what your needs really are.

 

I love the stock set up.

 

I don't think there is anything wrong with the stock gearing. Yamaha designed this bike to get around the race track as fast as possible. Pinning the throttle and having the front wheel raise straight up in the air is not the fastest way to accelerate out of a corner. Yamaha knows keeping the front wheel down and the bike moving forward is the quickest way to the next corner. Hence the bike's gearing, swing arm design, etc. If you want a wheelie machine change the sprockets, no big deal.

 

I agree, I like the stock gearing. It works well for city driving and in the wet. I think it's a much safer setup. If you feel the need for speed you just get the tacho up between 7-10 K and she goes like a bullet.

It's impossible to keep everyone happy, some riders prefer the low end torque, others the high end torque. So buy the bike and establish your needs and then change it, it is so cheap and easy to do.

In city driving I run stock gearing, on a certain track I run +2 rear others I run - 1 in front. Feel the beast and establish you power requirements and then change the gears accordingly. Yamaha establishes a tested baseline, the rest is up to you as an individual :fact

:fork Ride Safe :fork

 

Does suzuk/Kawi run different gearing? I know when me and some bud's had 600's we would compare and at every gear our rpm's were the same. That was my 636 vs. his R6

 

The r1 was built to race not take you to the grocery store

 

Stock gearing is great for the bigger picture. Stock sprocket sizes put enough power to the ground to be competitive with other stock bikes. Stock sprockets also keep the front end on the ground and don't initially put enough power to the ground to get a newer rider in trouble (unless you really try). Think of a novice street rider on stock sprockets vs. your bike with -2 + 2. Stock gearing is fairly mellow, all things considered (yes, they are all rockets on wheels and you can kill yourself on anything), but a bike with lower sprockets puts more power to the ground faster. Also, that taller gearing gives better gas mileage, and since everybody wants to keep close to everybody else - it only makes sense in the magazine reviews.

$40 for a new countershaft and the problem is solved.