We ride Rossi's bike

MCN road tester Trevor Franklin has just stepped off Valentino Rossi’s world championship winning Yamaha M1 and called in to share his amazement at just how unbelievably good the bike is.

Franklin got the chance to ride Carlos Checa’s M1 in 2003 but Rossi’s bike is like riding a totally new machine.

“The 2004 M1 is completely different to last years bike with everything from the chassis to the engine changing,” said Franklin. “It now steers in to turns predictably where before it’s small footprint left it with very little feel.

“Yamaha has achieved what everyone thought was impossible. In the space of a year they have produced a bike that has taken them to the championship win – and it has still got lots more to come.

“Apart from the big bang engine firing-order that the M1 now runs, the single thing that has made the most difference to the bike is the traction control, which has totally transformed the bike in to a nimble machine that any racer would love to ride.

“The anti engine braking system is so much more refined, providing the bike with even less engine breaking than you would find on a normal bike.

“There is absolutely no comparison between riding the M1 and a road going R1. These bikes are in a different league altogether, the only thing they share in common is the Yamaha name. This is a premier league bike and I just feel so privileged to be able to ride it.”

Read Franklin’s full report and see details of Rossi’s 2005 M1 in next week’s all new MCN, out November 10.