R U Ready?

If you don't evolve, you die... or something like that. So to stymie the onslaught of time and to tick the Euro5 box, Yamaha's updated its 2020 R1 and R1M.

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Yep, we’re now on to the third iteration of cross-plane R1s and for the second time in the model’s short history, since hitting the market in 2015, we’ve seen the Japanese superbike evolved rather than revolutionized. What’s wrong with that? Arguably, an all-new offering is that little bit sexier, but with the costs and risks involved in entering the market with an unproven product, Yamaha’s approach is far from crazy. But sensible or not, the only thing that matters is whether these latest crotch rockets have got the minerals to fend off the wave of new talent that’s been entering the scene from the likes of BMW, Aprilia, and Ducati. The European contingency has not wasted a moment in the pursuit of big horsepower and big tech, so how has Yamaha set about countering that? Well, if ponies are all you care about, the new R1s might prove as disappointing as a gift-wrapped orange on Christmas Day. Quite simply, the latest iteration CP4 motor makes the same output as the last one (197bhp), despite major advances to its make-up. For 2020, the R1s get a new cylinder head, the cam lobes have been altered, and advanced finger-follower rocker arms have been introduced to help achieve optimum performance. Add to this mix Bosch 10-point injectors, a more efficiently lubed crank and cooler running pistons, and you’ll probably be left wondering why the Yammy’s lacking in whammy? The exhaust is the key answer to that question, being more bunged up than the M25 on a Friday night, compliments of four catalytic converters that strangle the living daylights out of the GP-derived motor. It is what it is and while Yamaha suggested it wasn’t ideal on the models’ launch at Jerez under scorchio Spanish sunshine, they deserve a pat on the back for not letting their standards drop. In fact, in many other areas of the bike, the R1s have been given a sizeable boost.