Bought a new Yamaha R1?

The new crossplane Yamaha R1 sportsbike has blitzed MCN track and road tests, but many riders, including our test team, report that it takes time to ‘get’ its unique power delivery.

• Video: 2009 Yamaha R1 first impressions

Now the first batch of bikes is on the street, we’d like to know what you think. “The power’s deceptive because it’s almost a twin,” says MCN road tester Michael Neeves. 

“It doesn’t feel as fast as it really is. If you ride it like a normal inline four you can easily try to rev it too much and not get anywhere.

“That’s what takes time to figure out.” If you or a friend have a showroom-fresh R1 on the road, let us know how you’re adapting to it by posting a comment below.