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By James Keen -
New bikes
23 June 2009 15:49
See this Yamaha R1 spin both its wheels up on paddock stands to demonstrate its two-wheel drive system. You’ll be able to see more footage next week and read all about it in the 1 July issue of MCN, when we take it out of the hanger and ride it to its limit at a secret Ohlins track test.
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Video: Two-wheel drive Yamaha R1 teaser
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iiii says
Sniff..
I miss my '99 R1...
16 July 2009 13:48
Pyaksays
WOW I Can't Wait 4 It!!
I truly think this is going to be a Stunning addition to ANY Bikers riding when its p*ss*ng down with rain and you leaned over in the corners. No your front wheel won't be off the ground pawing the air then, but the added traction to the front, in conjunction with traction control and 4th Gen ABS is going to be GREAT (IMHO).
I've been riding on and off road for 33 years since the age of 9 and I will personally sell all my possesions and maybe rent my gorgeous missus out to get 1 of these (If u read this Darling I'm ONLY Joking).
The thought of a tracjday in the rain, when you can REALLY hammer it leant over is going to be another world to us older guys. Then there's the dreaded diesel on roundabouts, manhole covers in the damp.
The list is endless. Yes on a sunny dry day it might seem that its NOT necessary, but some of us LIKE to ride in the wet, it sorts the men out from the boys.
P
30 June 2009 00:01
strongjd says
Pointless?
I can see this making sense on an off roader (ref: KTM have a system), using the system on loose bround has it's benefits but also hides, or negates, the negative aspects of the system which would be apparent on the road.
1. Under max acceleration the front wheel is pawing the air anyway.
2. You only need one wheel to break traction to end up in a mess. So having the front provide drive when you've lost the back (and vice-versa) seems more a liability than a help
3. Front tyre is sized to give the best grip it can muster mid corner. Trying to drive through it as well (as any front wheel drive car dirver will tell you) will result in under steer or front wheel wash out. To remedy this you caould fit a wider front wheel. But I dont suppose a 180 section on the front will help handling.
4. This must add extra weight and unessecary complexity,
In short, to make this work on the road you would need a state of the art traction control and drive management system and I doubt the end benefits will offset the cost. I doubt you would sell many either way because motorcyclists are quite conservative at the end of the day (Remember the Yam GTS1000). If it was winning on track then I suppose people might take it serioulsy and buy it for the street cred rather than any serious need for it.
29 June 2009 09:51
Boultsays
also - the power will be split 2 ways - thus you will not be asking so much of the tyres - traction maintained.
27 June 2009 18:04
PingCrosby says
Off my trolley
Aaaah I think I've got a spare bypass valve in the shed from my last operation, if I connect this to the Di-centenial corruption co-ordinator in the heart of my mams shopping trolley will this work? ( PS..its NOT a diesel).
24 June 2009 20:02
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