Yamaha YZF-R1 LE Yellow Black Design

Yamaha YZF-R1 LE Yellow Black Turing

Yamaha YZF-R1 LE Yellow Black Front Side

Yamaha YZF-R1 LE Yellow Black Side

Yamaha YZF-R1 LE Review

Yamaha YZF-R1 LE Review Right Front

The new YZF-R1 LE sports Valentino Rossi livery as the YZF-M1 MotoGP bike, but comes in a very limited number.

The new 2010 Yamaha YZF-R1LE not only gives much of the technology of the championship, Valentino Rossi, but his look and style of the championship. The R1 is the first ever production motorcycle with a transverse crankshaft. The result? Outrageous torque and raw energy at high speed by providing incredibly smooth power delivery out of corners. While the bold graphic style Fiat Yamaha provides incredibly smooth.

Yamaha YZF-R1 LE Review Side

2010 Yamaha YZF-R1 LE - USA Specifications
* MSRP $ 14,500 (Fiat Yamaha Team Graphics) Available from January 2010

Motor
Type 998cc, liquid-cooled 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve (titanium intake valves)

Diameter x 78.0mm long x 52.2mm

Compression ratio 12.7:1

Delivery fuel fuel injection with YCC-T and YCC-I

Ignition TCI: Transistor Controlled Ignition

Transmission 6-speed w / multi disc clutch shoe

Final Drive # 530 O-ring chain

Chassis
Suspension / Front 43mm inverted fork, fully adjustable, 4.7 in travel

Suspension / Rear Single shock w / Piggyback Reservoir, 4-position adjustable, 4.7 in travel

Brakes / Front Dual 310 mm disc, radial-mount ceiling for six piston calipers

Brakes / rear 220 mm disc, single-piston caliper

Tires / Front 120/70-ZR17

Tires / rear 190/55ZR17

Dimensions
Length 81.5 in

Width 28.1 in

Height 44.5 in

Seat Height 32.8 in

Wheelbase 55.7 in

Rake (forward angle) 24.0 °

Path to 4.0

Fuel capacity 4.8 gallons

Dry Weight 454 pounds

Another
Primary Rate Reduction 65/43 (1.512)

47/17 High Rate Reduction (2765)

Value transmission - 38/15 1st gear (2533)

Value Transmission - 2nd gear 33/16 (2063)

Value transmission - 3rd 37/21 (1762)

Value transmission - 35/23 Fourth Gear (1522)

Value transmission - 5th Gear 30/22 (1364)

1 year warranty (limited factory warranty)

Value transmission - Sixth Gear 33/26 (1269)

2008 BMW HP2 Sport Technology

Another item on the HP2 Sport to identify its racing bias is what BMW calls the "the gearshift assistant." This bit of wordsmith trickery translates into what is a type of ignition interrupt that allows the rider keep the throttle pinned whilst snicking up through the close-ratio six-speed gear-set, as used for several years on the roadracing circuit. BMW says it enables "fast gear changes without having to ease off the gas and operate the clutch," and that "this technology is offered for the first time in a series vehicle."

Here's a peek at the "gear shift

assistant." Us old timers know this as clutch-less upshifting, and have been doing it long before "gear shift assistants" were around. Okay, maybe BMW's system is a little more advanced...

If you intend to race this bike, you'll most likely make the wise move of using a reverse shift pattern, and for just such an application BMW offers (at an additional charge of course), a "suitable replacement pressure sensor" to adapt the quick-shifter to a GP-style race pattern. The forged-aluminum footpegs are adjustable.

A quick scan of the chassis shows fully-adjustable �hlins shocks keeping the rear Paralever and front Telelever in check. What isn't quite as obvious at first glance is just how minimal the frame is. It's really nothing more than a small collection of tubular steel to hang the engine from and to provide a place for the bodywork and fuel tank to bolt to. Lacking a traditional subframe, the Sport utilizes a self-supporting carbon rear structure as a perch for the rider�s hiney.

This hopped-up head sports larger valves than those on the R1200S, and is part of the performance package that is claimed to produce 128 hp and 84.8 ft-lbs of torque.

Braking is handled by radially mounted four-piston monoblock Brembo calipers and Magura brake levers with radial-pump master cylinders attached to the adjustable handlebars. As an option, BMW ABS can be had, the version for this bike coming with a switch to disable it for track time, or any other time for that matter.

The German bike maker claims that the instrument cluster comes "directly from MotoGP sport" offering the usual ton o' data along with a lap timer and "racing relevant data."

Finally, along with all the carbon bodywork, no subframe and a lighter generator, the HP2 Sport rolls on lightweight forged-aluminum wheels to achieve its claimed dry weight of 392 lbs, and a tank-full (90%) weight wet of 439 lbs. That�s a savings of a significant 27 pounds over the standard R1200S.

The HP2 Sport not only draws its lineage from the R1200S, it also received plenty of development time from racing.

So, at this point in time that's about all we know on the latest addition to the HP2 family. Beyond the details that we're not privy to, a couple other things we don't know is if it'll be coming to U.S. shores, and when, exactly, in 2008 it will be available.

One thing we can be certain of, in typical BMW fashion, the HP2 Sport will probably be expensive! Expect a price north of 20 grand.