Corser Tries the Stock Yamaha R1 and R6

Troy Corser recently got the chance to compare the new 2007 YZF-R1 to his own Yamaha Motor Italia WSB bike and was pleasantly surprised by his findings. The two-time World Superbike Champion was attending an exclusive event for a selection of VIP Yamaha guests when he grabbed the opportunity to try the R1 and the R6 for size.

The two-day event took place at the Valencia circuit, which is familiar to Corser as it features on the World Superbike calendar, and gave selected riders from around Europe the opportunity to ride the track with tuition provided for free.

“With the R1 I was really surprised how much power there is on the standard bike; there’s plenty enough there to get the front wheel up in first, second and third without trying!” said Corser. “I was in Valencia to meet some Yamaha competition winners when the chance came up to do some demonstration laps at the circuit so, naturally, I grabbed the chance. I took the R1 out first and was surprised by the strength of the engine; it’s quite something for a stock road bike! I’ve not ridden the standard version before but it felt very comfortable with quite a neutral position. This will make it quite roomy even for the larger rider. The handlebars are higher than on my race bike which I’m sure will make it better for longer distance riding.”

The YZF-R1 first appeared on roads around the world at the end of 1997. Billed as a ‘no compromise’ machine for road riders, the R1 takes a lot of cues from the race machine that Corser is more familiar with. The updated version for 2007 even includes fly-by-wire throttle, a re-designed delta-box frame and sleek new styling amongst other modifications. Corser’s racing version of the R1 features different engine components, exhaust, brakes and suspension but all this is bolted onto a similar chassis to the road-going version. Corser certainly seemed impressed, “I can see why these bikes are so popular.”

Corser’s last ride on a 600cc bike was over fifteen years ago when he raced a Yamaha back in Australia. After a few laps on the R1 Troy then jumped on the latest incarnation of the YZF-R6 to see how much it had changed.

“I can’t believe how much it has changed! It is smaller than the R1 but just as much fun. The power delivery is softer than on the R1 but it revs really high, much higher than the R1, which makes for good amounts of fun on the track or the road,” Corser said after his first ride of the R6. “To be honest the chassis on the R6 feels pretty close to the chassis on my race bike and it handles well. Overall it’s an impressive little package.”

The 2007 YZF-R6, like its big brother, comes packed with racing DNA and includes many of the features found on the R1.