Yamaha R1 Superbike
There were two reasons to visit Rijeka Hippodrome this time. For the first time, Berto Kamlek installed this piece of asphalt, which is popular among Slovenian motorcyclists. Wayne Rainey, I'm sorry, but another superbike race in good weather and your 15-year record will go down in history. 1.28, 7 is a time set by Berto Kamlek, currently our fastest rider in the Superbike World Championship (he won a point at Magny Cours last year) and a three-time champion of the Alpe-Adria championship and the national national championship. Berto modestly admits that by 1.28:6, which is Rainey's record time, he misses little. Only one good race, as only the best time in a race is considered an official record.
Another reason was his Yamaha R1 superbike, which he races so successfully.
Yes, we had the exceptional opportunity to sit down and ride a real Yamaha R1 superbike capable of 196bhp. at the rear wheel (measured in Akrapovic), which means 210 to 220 hp. on the crankshaft, and its weight does not exceed 165 kilograms established by the rules of superbike racing!
It is not easy to trust a journalist to drive such a unique racing car, which, after all, costs a lot of money. But Bert, as his colleagues call him, once again proved his courage and calmly explained to me, explaining the last driving instructions: “Ride the first few laps more slowly to get to know the bike, then press the gas as much as you want. . “His calmness as I sat on the high seat of a 15 million tolar motorcycle touched me. The guy has nerves of steel!
A green light at a traffic light at the entrance to the racetrack signaled that the show could begin. The numbness as you embark on an unknown adventure quickly passed. Yamaha and I caught up with us through half a circle, and from the "hole" the four-cylinder engine began to sing in full voice from the only exhaust of Akrapovich. High-seat racing seats and pedals have also gradually gained in importance and justified the discomfort of sitting on a motorcycle. The faster he moved, the less effort he had to invest in the trip, and everything was in the right place in an instant.
That this was a racing car that had nothing to do with a production motorcycle became clear with every gas change or slight braking. There is no half-heartedness in this! The Yamaha is difficult to control during a "slow" ride, when accelerating from too low revs, it squeaks with disgust and does not inspire any confidence, and the suspension seems quite stiff.
A completely different face appears when you drive into a corner fast enough and with the right mix of tenderness and aggression. When the engine spins in the mid-range, the squeak is no longer audible, and everything turns into stunningly fast movement on the race track above the grave, which suddenly takes on a completely different look. Any of you who are reading this and have already ridden this racetrack know that experiencing a circuit with different bikes can be completely different. On thousands the planes look shorter, and on six hundred it looks childish to wipe the corners.
But the R1 opens up a new dimension for superbikes. Dunlop racing tires (Berto rides on 16-inch tires like a superbike race) provide exceptional traction, and with premium Öhlins suspension instill insane total confidence in Yamaha's reliability on full slopes. The curves of the race track became like a beautiful snow-covered slope on which I enjoyed "carving", and the thought of losing traction on the slope receded, and my senses were free to follow.
On this bike it has been confirmed that races are won on corners, on this R1 Bertha reigns supreme! But exploring this new dimension doesn't end there. With my helmet glued to the fuel tank and tightly closed behind the aerodynamic armor, I accelerated at full throttle and in a split second, when the red warning light next to the tachometer came on, I swung down with one short movement of my left leg. (i.e. transfer above). He pulled me forward with such determination that it took my breath away. When the R1 accelerates at full throttle, it rises slightly towards the rear wheel and the flats become very short.
But so that no one understands the flaws, the R1 is not at all a nervous "beast" that will go crazy when it scares all 196 "horses" in the engine. Engine power increases surprisingly continuously along one long, clearly increasing, steady curve as the tachometer hand rises to 16.000, which marks the end of the gauge. Thus, the engine responds instantly to acceleration and allows the driver to focus all his thoughts and energy on the ideal driving line. On this side, the production R1 is more difficult to handle, which requires more precision and knowledge from the rider if he wants to cut seconds.
Since it all seemed awful, when the next turn approached faster, I, of course, braked at full strength at first. Oh, what a shame! The Nissin racing brakes gripped with such force that I braked too fast, too far before the corner. In the circles that I left to the end, I realized so slowly how far I could go. Of course, given the brake in my head, which did not allow me to calm down all the time. "Not in the sand, not in the fence, you are sitting on 70.000 euros, just not on the floor ..."
If I broke this pearl, which was invested with an inestimable amount of work and knowledge of the racer and mechanics (about 15 percent of the components are serial, the rest are handmade), I would never forgive myself.
If regarding the Honda CBR 600 RR racing car that I tested a few months ago, I can say that this is a real toy that I would not want to stop driving, I admit that I am much more tired with this Yamaha. The bike is incredibly good, but it takes the same rider to show what it can do. This is the only way to achieve records and victories.
Well, in the end, the smile didn't want to leave my face at all. Even after I wiped the milk around my mouth with my sleeve. Sometimes we students also have a happy day!
Petr Kavchich
Photo: Aleš Pavletič.
