[RohanDheman]

Originally Posted by no_fear

Krishna has a very good deal going on with you. He enjoys the gains, and you take the pains. Next time, you are in Delhi, come over and ride my 1198SP in 40 degree heat. Will see how long it takes you to say No.

I experienced this hell first hand last week. I was riding Rachit's R1 from Gurgaon to Qutub and it was all fine till we were on the highway. The temp generally hovered between 77-83. Once we hit stop go traffic and the first set of lights, it went to 105 pretty soon and my god I have never experienced heat like this before. I have heard Ducati's are even notorious for their heat management and I don't even want to imagine what the 1198 would be like!

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

Looks like Xaos636 will be planning a trip to Delhi soon then, maybe even I will tag along.

You guys should totally plan that. There is no greater joy than riding with like minded buddies and just discussing bikes for hours together

Originally Posted by no_fear

When I go out for solo rides, these are the things I miss. The opportunity to talk with riders, exchange perspectives, and a sense of camaraderie.

I am hoping that it changes soon and we can ride a lot more together. I think you would enjoy it.

[ToThePoint]

Originally Posted by Rachit.K.Dogra

I was not buying a bike, I was buying a dream.

Congrats Rachit...Many of us dream and more often than not, those remains dreams, you dared to LIVE it!!!

Your R1 looks great and we'll maintained and cared for. Wishing you many happy miles on this one.

Cheers!

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by RohanDheman

I experienced this hell first hand last week. I was riding Rachit's R1 from Gurgaon to Qutub .......I am hoping that it changes soon and we can ride a lot more together. I think you would enjoy it.

I lived in Gurgaon before and commuted to Naraina. It was Dante's 7 layers of hell. The first layer was the traffic before Aerocity, 2nd one was Dhaula Kuan intersection, 3rd was where NH 48 ended and you are greeted with construction that has been going on since 1998, and so forth.

The 1198 and R1 have similar heat issues due to the underseat exhaust. I had a 2003 R1 before and it was much bearable.

Sorry to go on a rant. Took the 1198 to my service guy to swap coolant for engine ice. It was a 2 hr ride back home due to traffic. Seems like everyone is acting that Covid is gone and now is the "right" time to head to malls and restaurants. Never seen such madness. No wonder my doctor friends are all anticipating a 3rd wave.

I am always up for a ride. I occasionally ride with Dr Thareja's group but haven't ridden for past 1 year with them. The other group - bros, hard pass. I rode one time and have no intention of riding with them again.

[tarik.arora]

Congrats for this beautiful machine. I happen to know the previous owner through a very close friend of mine. A thorough gentlemen and a big time bike lover. In fact, this gentleman played a very instrumental role in bringing the R1 to India, through the company route. I am sure, he has kept it well and you wont face any big issue (teething issues are anyways expected).

Congrats again and wishing you miles and miles of happiness.

[narula123]

Congrats on finding a great bike to scratch that dream itch Rachit. I would recommend a front MC upgrade to a Brembo RCS17 or RCS19 to get more feel and output from the stock brakes. Also, do consider investing in a set of engine case covers (GB-Racing gets my vote) for those god-forbid moments.

Hope you hit the track soon with this girl and explore her in her natural habitat. Good luck !

[loki]

Congrats Rachit on satisfying your Litre class itch . The 2004-onwards R1 has been on countless bedroom posters with its underseat exhausts. Yamaha totally ruined the looks with current gen.

I sold off (with a heavy heart) my CBR650F a couple years ago after 23k kms. Almost had tears when I had to let it go. The bike had zero issues in my 3.5 yrs of ownership. Agree with everything you said about the 650F - it's a damn near perfect bike for 99% of the use cases in India.

Cheers and happy litre-class riding / posing Question is what will you upgrade to next?

[neil.jericho]

Congratulations Rachit.K.Dogra ! Many of us here have grown up in love with the R1 and you have found yourself a gem of a bike. I am sure that this thread of yours will also become a treasure trove of information for potential superbike owners.

I have found Engine Ice to perform the best among the available coolants. It was better than Motul's coolant for sure. Do get your bike checked for any air pockets that might be impacting the heat dissipation. Also, just check if the fan is operating at full speed. If it isnt, then that could be a reason for the heat.

[desideep]

Congratulations Rachit. The photos of the delivery day were amazing. I am happy to see the bike in the photos but would be happier if I get to ride it when we meet again. Sadly never got to ride your CBR.

[EshanS]

Congratulations Rachit! She is a keeper, period! This is one insane machine every biker in India has grown up with, right from the bedroom posters. I clearly remember back in 2012, R1s were sold in hundreds, esp in Pune as Yamaha was one of the first ones to import these apart from Suzuki.

I find 600s to be mental than 1000s, maybe because they are too track focused than a liter-class motorcycle. I mean you would blow your nuts off riding a R6, 636, or a 600RR on road, however, liter-class are sedated in the initial stages, as you rightly mentioned the cross-plane is almost dead in the initial RPMs.

Wishing you thousands of miles on this Yammie!

[Rachit.K.Dogra]

Originally Posted by Xaos636

What a write up! I drooled over a few of these images that you posted in the CBR650 whatsapp group as well. And then @krishnaprasadgg told me you guys knew each other. The 09-14 R1 series has to be the dream bike of many of the individuals out there, how much ever the superbike segment has grown.

Thank you so much for your wishes!!
Since Krishna's thread was so fresh, the moment I got the bike, I messaged him first in an effort to build a good owner's network.

Originally Posted by Odeen12

Congratulations man!!

What a lovely motorcycle! That crossplane engine is a riot, especially in the corners. Was close to getting one myself but the paper work was out of whack and it had some work done on the crank. Unfortunately had to let go... Someday may be.

Wish you a happy million miles on this pony!! Stay safe.

Thank you so much!!
Yes, the connection to the throttle and the rear tyre, which was a famed advantage of the cross plane is perceivable.

My best wishes brother and I hope you find a lovely example soon!!

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

Rachit, Finally you did come out with a thread on your beauty. Awesome words penned down mate.
I am not going to lie, I am a bit jealous of that Akra system and that colorway you have there..that Yamaha blue just holds such a special place in our hearts!

We need lots more pics and updates of rides and mods and whatnot!


Wishing a lot more miles and a long ownership time with this beast of a machine mate.

Cheers
Krishna

Thank you so much brother!!
Although a thread was always going to happen, but I was being lazy a bit. But your thread was an inspiration and I am glad I could do it finally.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

I am pretty sure even after the brake fix you did you will find it lacking. Just give it time. Chasing that feeling of better brake bite and feedback and led me down the rabbit hole. Soon things will be revealed in my thread too, I'm sure you will join in that too.

Oh Yes!! The brakes are only acceptable, and that too for me, because I am still warming up to her. Once I get more comfortable, I am sure they will feel lacking.

I will be looking forward to your thread for updates, as this is a future improvement I would like to make.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

That is unusual. I never had that issue even after the bike not being cranked for over 2 weeks or so. I think maybe have a look into the battery health with those machines they have at the battery store. Also, consider Li-ion replacement, trust me you will thank yourself for doing it over the years.

Yes, this could be most likely a battery thing. The guy who owned the other R1 also suggested me to go the Li-on way. He was very happy with that switch. This could be a Delhi's heat issue maybe as he also said that before Li-on, he also faced similar issues.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

Why back to stock? I think adjusting it to your height and weight is the best thing to do. I am currently looking into how it can be done and will be doing it on my bike soon.

The idea was to get it back to stock first and then see how it feels. Although I am a shorter rider, but my weight should be typically in the range of what bikes are setup from factory. So we thought we will start from their as a baseline.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

Aren't you worried about the stock dust covers? Weather sealing will get effected.

So my friend is an expert in this. LED headlights is his forte.
Some amount of weather sealing will get compromised, however in the almost 4 years that I had a similar setup on my CBR, didn't face any issues. We also seldom ride in rains. The only reason I am considering it is to reduce the load on the battery as R1 has big 2 55W projectors.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

I would suggest getting this done on a priority basis. It is not a good idea to run the cooling system with air in it. Can drastically affect the engine before you know it. I can't stress this enough.

Yup, I am almost spending sleepless nights because of it right now. Hopefully should be done in the next week or so.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

Beautifully put, in the initial days of ownership was perplexed too. While other 3pot and 4 pot bikes I rode I was able to ride at lower speeds at higher gears with 0 knockings or jittering, but the R1 never liked it.

Yeah, it took me by surprise a bit. I initially felt it is the tall gearing because in my memory, I had this impression that R1s were very tall geared. But I don't think it is the gearing. As I have gotten a bit more comfortable and have been able to pay some attention to speeds across mid range revs and gears, I don't think it is a gearing issue. Its just how the bike builds power.

I have started riding the bike more on feel now and not looking at gear indicator and temp gauge, as much as I was doing earlier. Feels much better this way.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

That's an awesome Idea, do share the detailed DIY steps and wiring diagram if you do end up doing it. Asking for a friend

Yup, once we can get it implemented, I will surely share the details.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

If you are going for a tail tidy, get the TST industries integrated tail lamp and the front flush mount indicators as well. If at all you decide to get this do ping me maybe we can do a combined order.

Cool, that sounds like a plan. Let me make up my mind.

Originally Posted by ToThePoint

Congrats Rachit...Many of us dream and more often than not, those remains dreams, you dared to LIVE it!!!

Your R1 looks great and we'll maintained and cared for. Wishing you many happy miles on this one.

Cheers!

Thank you so much!!

Originally Posted by tarik.arora

Congrats for this beautiful machine. I happen to know the previous owner through a very close friend of mine. A thorough gentlemen and a big time bike lover. In fact, this gentleman played a very instrumental role in bringing the R1 to India, through the company route. I am sure, he has kept it well and you wont face any big issue (teething issues are anyways expected).

Congrats again and wishing you miles and miles of happiness.

Thank you very much!!
I have heard very similar things about him from other people as well.

If I am not wrong, he was instrumental in bringing the R15 and FZ16 to India as well, which in my opinion turned the fortunes of Yamaha India.

Originally Posted by narula123

Congrats on finding a great bike to scratch that dream itch Rachit. I would recommend a front MC upgrade to a Brembo RCS17 or RCS19 to get more feel and output from the stock brakes. Also, do consider investing in a set of engine case covers (GB-Racing gets my vote) for those god-forbid moments.

Hope you hit the track soon with this girl and explore her in her natural habitat. Good luck !

Thank you so much!! I will surely add these items in list of things to consider and get. Need to save up for these upgrades. The Brembos, I have in my mind. Have seen it do wonders to a friends 2013 10R.

I will take this opportunity to Thank you for your wonderful thread on the 10R too and all the upgrades you have done. All this information is so helpful when you are preparing your own upgrade journey.

I am also looking forward for track day on this. I just hope BIC is able to see CORONA pass through.

Originally Posted by loki

Congrats Rachit on satisfying your Litre class itch . The 2004-onwards R1 has been on countless bedroom posters with its underseat exhausts. Yamaha totally ruined the looks with current gen.

I sold off (with a heavy heart) my CBR650F a couple years ago after 23k kms. Almost had tears when I had to let it go. The bike had zero issues in my 3.5 yrs of ownership. Agree with everything you said about the 650F - it's a damn near perfect bike for 99% of the use cases in India.

Cheers and happy litre-class riding / posing Question is what will you upgrade to next?

Thank you so much brother!!
The new R1 does have a quirky front end, but it has grown on me now personally. The rest of the bike looked good to me.

Sad for your CBR. Why did you let it go? Upgrade??

To be very honest, as of now, my mind thinks I am done.
I would love a 390 ADV or a CB500X to complete the garage. But from a sports bike point of view, as of now I don't desire anything over this R1.

But we men are a gready lot, so 3-4 years down the line, nobody knows.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Congratulations Rachit.K.Dogra ! Many of us here have grown up in love with the R1 and you have found yourself a gem of a bike. I am sure that this thread of yours will also become a treasure trove of information for potential superbike owners.

I have found Engine Ice to perform the best among the available coolants. It was better than Motul's coolant for sure. Do get your bike checked for any air pockets that might be impacting the heat dissipation. Also, just check if the fan is operating at full speed. If it isnt, then that could be a reason for the heat.

Thank you so much brother!! I will do my best to keep it updated!!
I did actually switch to engine ice only. However, there were some air pockets left maybe because of which only a certain percentage of full capacity of coolant went in. We will be re-doing the whole thing again. I don't think its fan issue because when the fan does come on, bike drops 5 degrees easily however the fan is setup to come on at a very high temperature of 105 degrees. We will be trying something for this.

Originally Posted by desideep

Congratulations Rachit. The photos of the delivery day were amazing. I am happy to see the bike in the photos but would be happier if I get to ride it when we meet again. Sadly never got to ride your CBR.

Thank you so much sir. You are most welcome to ride the R1.
Yeah, unfortunately we couldn't make that happen but never mind. Next time you come here, we will surely plan an R1 ride.

Originally Posted by EshanS

Congratulations Rachit! She is a keeper, period! This is one insane machine every biker in India has grown up with, right from the bedroom posters. I clearly remember back in 2012, R1s were sold in hundreds, esp in Pune as Yamaha was one of the first ones to import these apart from Suzuki.

I find 600s to be mental than 1000s, maybe because they are too track focused than a liter-class motorcycle. I mean you would blow your nuts off riding a R6, 636, or a 600RR on road, however, liter-class are sedated in the initial stages, as you rightly mentioned the cross-plane is almost dead in the initial RPMs.

Wishing you thousands of miles on this Yammie!

Thank you so much brother!!
I think a lot depends on kind of roads we have at our disposable. Within city confines, it is harder to make a 600 fun because of the need of higher revs. A litre class can make you giggle just with its monster torque. On winding roads though, I feel 600s give you more back. They feel more satisfying to ride because you feel you are using more of them. I am sure we can reach that satisfaction with a 1000 as well, just need to be a bit more vary of road surface, possibilities of people/dogs jumping in.


CHEERS!!

Rachit

[v1p3r]

Congratulations on the dream acquisition, Rachit! This R1 certainly adorned a lot of bedroom walls, and dreams both day and night, in our generation. They're sharp, sharp bikes from what I can remember, and you have an absolute beauty that is also a bitch, in your own words. I hope you go ATGATT and ride safe for many many miles!

[SnS_12]

Congratulations Rachit on getting yourself a well maintained True Blue R1

On the heating issue apart from the air pockets also check if the thermostat is opening up fully?

Had read about an owner mentioning that you should refill the coolant fluid while keeping the bike on the side stand rather than the paddock. Don't know how much of a difference this would make but you can try it out. Btw does the radiator have a single or a twin fan setup?

[Entsurgeon]

Originally Posted by Rachit.K.Dogra

Yes, this could be most likely a battery thing. The guy who owned the other R1 also suggested me to go the Li-on way. He was very happy with that switch. This could be a Delhi's heat issue maybe as he also said that before Li-on, he also faced similar issues.



however the fan is setup to come on at a very high temperature of 105 degrees. We will be trying something for this.

Li ions arent best to crank the engine in very low temperatures (below 3 4 deg. Centigrade.).
Regarding cranking, check the CCA of your current battery. Anything above 150 160 cca rating should be good. Many times we replace a battery going by the voltage and amperes rating of stock battery only and that causes such issues. If that is proper, check wiring of starter motor. That maybe a bottleneck for more amps going to the starter motor.
Regarding the thermostat setting, its possible to alter the fan trigger temp via software. Your service guy should easily do it.
I rode a 2013 anniversary edition stock R1 and i am sure it wont knock anywhere above 3.5k rpms normally. 6k rpm is too high to be when pottering around in town. You should check with other R1s imho.
Be careful about powerwheelies if you havent already faced a few.
Enjoy your ride.
Cheers.

[Rachit.K.Dogra]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

Congratulations on the dream acquisition, Rachit! This R1 certainly adorned a lot of bedroom walls, and dreams both day and night, in our generation. They're sharp, sharp bikes from what I can remember, and you have an absolute beauty that is also a bitch, in your own words. I hope you go ATGATT and ride safe for many many miles!

Thank you so much!! Although I have limited experience, but this bike does seem to be one of the sharpest big bikes I have ridden.

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Congratulations Rachit on getting yourself a well maintained True Blue R1

On the heating issue apart from the air pockets also check if the thermostat is opening up fully?

Had read about an owner mentioning that you should refill the coolant fluid while keeping the bike on the side stand rather than the paddock. Don't know how much of a difference this would make but you can try it out. Btw does the radiator have a single or a twin fan setup?

Thank you so much!! I will surely keep these tips handy when we work on the coolant again.

I think it has dual fans.

Originally Posted by Entsurgeon

Li ions arent best to crank the engine in very low temperatures (below 3 4 deg. Centigrade.).
Regarding cranking, check the CCA of your current battery. Anything above 150 160 cca rating should be good. Many times we replace a battery going by the voltage and amperes rating of stock battery only and that causes such issues. If that is proper, check wiring of starter motor. That maybe a bottleneck for more amps going to the starter motor.
Regarding the thermostat setting, its possible to alter the fan trigger temp via software. Your service guy should easily do it.
I rode a 2013 anniversary edition stock R1 and i am sure it wont knock anywhere above 3.5k rpms normally. 6k rpm is too high to be when pottering around in town. You should check with other R1s imho.
Be careful about powerwheelies if you havent already faced a few.
Enjoy your ride.
Cheers.

Thank you for the useful information!!

I will check with the service center if they have the ability to switch the fan trigger temperature to a lower temperature. I know we can get it done from an aftermarket ECU tuner, but I am a bit skeptical of it here.

So the bike does not actually knock below 6K Revs. In higher gears, it just feels like its taking a lot of load below those revs. Does not happen in lower gears.

I am somebody who is gentler with the throttle, so thankfully I have not faced any power wheelies yet and I will hope it stays that way. It would be hard to clean soiled riding pants.


CHEERS!!

Rachit

[RMN]

Congrats! Unlike some of the Japanese bikes from this era, the R1 still looks fantastic even today. Its a beast, if you can tame it while pushing it, then you can ride any superbike with ease