Akrapovic Super Sport Line Open Exhaust - Yamaha YZF 1000 R Thunderace

Advantages: Quick, Fast, exciting to ride and stylish.. as well as Japanese and reliable!
Disadvantages: Twitchy front end on earlier models, needs stearing damper.

...I own a 1999 Yamaha YZF-R1 (1000cc) in V&M custom race colours (Red/Yellow flames and sponsors). I bought the bike just short of two years ago for approx £4,000 from a dealer. The bike had only done 4,500 dry miles (genuine as a good friend knows the previous owner) and the bike was/is in mint condition. It had been pampered, the previous owner is pretty well off and used this custom painted R1 as a show off machine more than anything, so straight away I knew I was on to a good deal as a lot of R1's have been thrashed and trashed since they are such a nutters tool! This model of R1 is not fuel injected but carbs, however my father does have the 06 fuel injected model and after a week or so standing in the garage and even after cold weather both bikes start first time, no hassle be it carbs or fuel injection! The insurance can... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Wonderfully refined sportsbike, Looks ace, great comfort for a sportsbike
Disadvantages: Desirability, likelihood of theft, high insurance group

..."Don't try to be clever with it, that's what the guy on the Gixxer did, he tried to be clever and now it's in a right old state. This one's brand new and immaculate, and we'd like it back in this condition" I am in the motorcycle shop picking up a hire bike for the weekend. The bike that I had originally booked out, a Suzuki GSX-R1000 K5, is apparently no longer roadworthy, so I've been offered an R1 instead. I'm OK with that. I was hankering after a go on the king of 1000cc sportsbikes, but sometimes you've just gotta go with the flow. In any case didn't Wills just buy an R1? Well, if it's good enough for the second in line to the throne, it's good enough for me. Having just been told there's a £750 damage excess, I'm starting to feel a bit nervous, that I'll do a repeat performance of gixxer boy, and put myself £750 in the red... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Its light, it goes, it stops, it looks great and it scores an A+ in all these categories!!
Disadvantages: Its total race position, so if you want to do a lot of miles, you're gonna get wrist ache, and they dont like to go slow either!!

...My first encounter with the Yamaha was back in 2001, when i took one out for a test ride from our local shop. It was V registered, red and awesomely fast. Unfortunately it was also £6000, so i was totally outpriced and went off home with my tail between my legs and a persistant niggle in the back of my brain telling me to sell those kidneys and get that bike! I bought a cheap 1984 GPz900r and ran it till it died then went on to a 1996 ZX9R. it was lovely, incredibly fast but very heavy and difficult for me to move around. The R6 never left my system and found the hankering was getting too much to bear so after re MOT-ing my zx9r having only done 250 miles on it since the previous one i decided that now was definitely the time for change. Off i went down the bike shop, and there it was. The most fantastic blue (thats the most important... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful