Yamaha R1M & YZF500

 

Yamaha YZF R1M

There are superbikes and there are superbikes. For those for whom a 200bhp, 300km/h + superbike is not quite fast (or expensive) enough, the manufacturers have hit upon the idea of offering a higher-spec version that might not have any more power but has pretty much more of everything else, including a heavier price tag.

Honda have the Fireblade SP, BMW the HP4 Race, Ducati the Superleggera and, now, Yamaha has the R1M, which is, in essence, as close to a MotoGP replica for the road as you can get. Yamaha have taken the standard R1, which is already an astonishing superbike and given it electronic suspension, more advanced electronics controlling the traction control, wheelie control, cornering ABS and so on.

It is a technical tour de force and elevates the art of speed to new heights. By contrast, the YZF500 is a screaming 500cc 2-stroke and, in its way, was the race replica of thirty years ago, possibly being closer to its racing cousin than the R1M is due to the lack of any electronics whatsoever, which is ironic because if any bikes needed electronics to rein in the performance, it was the era of two-stroke-engined bikes with their peaky power delivery.

So, these race bikes for the road are rare, expensive and brilliant at what they do. Whether they are any better than their lesser brethren is open to debate; any bike is only as fast as the person riding it.