I still had a good 300-400 km to go before it was time but since Xaos636 also wanted to get a routine service done on his Fireblade we decided to make a ride out of it and rode to Cochin

BHPian krishnaprasadgg recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

It's almost a month since the last post. I barely got any time to ride the bike the last month.

It was also about time to do the oil change on the R1, the last one being done at about 36k km. I still had a good 300-400 km to go before it was time but since Xaos636 also wanted to get a routine service done on his blade we decided to make a ride out of it and rode to Cochin to meet our close friends to hang out and also work on the bikes together. I keep saying this, nothing beats the feeling and the good times had hanging out with friends while working on bikes/cars.

We started our trip early morning met up at around 4 am and headed out to Cochin.

No trip is complete to Cochin without our customary tea break at Paliyekkara toll plaza.

Also, a stop at Salkara near the airport is also a staple now. Had a heavy breakfast as we were pretty early compared to our usual schedule and both of us were pretty hungry too.

After the heavy breakfast, we slowly made it to our friend's house.

After an hour or so of chitchat, we started on our work. The list of work we had set for the R1 was pretty standard and has been covered multiple times in detail on this thread so will be just posting some photos and won't get into too much details.

Cleaned out the air filter. Have a look at the amount of dust that came out of the filter, this is just after maybe 2500-3000kms of riding.

Shows how dusty conditions we live in.

Replaced the Radiator cap which was giving the coolant drain issue from the previous posts, the R1 was running on a temporary fix but ordered the OE radiator cap and sorted out the problem for good.

Oil change is being done. Always remember to pre-fill oil in your new oil filter while doing an oil change.

Also replaced the oil filler cap, I noticed that the old oil filler cap had a small oil weep which was caused by a pinched o ring, so ordered a new oil cover cap and o ring and sorted the issue for good.

Back then as a temporary resolution, we had applied a small layer of rtv around the filler cap and the mating surface to stop any seepage. We did make sure to clean the old RTV off the mating surface(a new cap was installed) before we did the permanent fix.

Taking routine care of the clutch/throttle cables is also a good idea. Here are a few pics of oiling and lubing the clutch cable components.

Lastly, the chain slack was adjusted, thanks to the Lightech chain adjuster it's literally a 1-minute job and the rear axle nut tightened back to spec.

That's 150nm so the big boy torque wrench was taken out.

That's about it for the routine maintenance. The R1 is ready for another 5k km stint.

Fueled up the bikes later that night and was all ready for the ride back home the next day.

Here are a few pics from the return ride the next day.

Customary ODO meter shot to end the post.

Cheers

Krishna

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Yamaha R3 could make a comeback this year to take on the KTM RC 390 and the Kawasaki Ninja 400.

Yamaha recently showcased its big bike range in India during a dealer meet. On display were models like the Yamaha R3, R7, R1M, MT-03, MT-07 and MT-09.

Reports suggest that Yamaha could introduce these models in India in the coming months. Most likely, these will be imported as completely built units (CBUs).

It seems the Yamaha R3 will be making a comeback this year to take on the KTM RC 390 and the Kawasaki Ninja 400. The bike is powered by a 321cc, liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine that makes 42 BHP and 29.5 Nm. The MT-03 is a naked version of the R3, which will compete with the KTM Duke 390.

The Yamaha R7 is a mid-capacity sports bike powered by a 689cc parallel-twin engine producing 72 BHP and 63 Nm. It will compete with the Kawasaki Ninja 650 and the Honda CBR650R. The MT-07 is the naked version of the R7.

The Yamaha R1M is the brand's flagship superbike featuring a 998cc inline 4-cylinder engine that out 197 BHP. On the other hand, the MT-09 uses an 890cc, inline 3-cylinder engine that makes 115 BHP and 93 Nm.

Source: Autocar India

We weren't entirely idiots though. We were smart enough to keep our luggage in my brother's car who accompanied us in his Octavia vRS.

BHPian krishnaprasadgg recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

In this week's episode of Dumb (Xaos636) and Dumber (Yours truly), Xaos636 and I decided it was the perfect time to ride 500 km from Bangalore (where it's raining daily) to our homes in Kerala (where it's raining like there's no tomorrow) on our supersport motorcycles (One bike doesn't have ABS and the other doesn't have Traction control) with no rain gear. Recipe for a perfect riding day, what can go wrong?

But wait, we weren't entirely idiots though, we were smart enough to keep our luggage in my brother's car who accompanied us in his Octy VRS. See, I told you, we were intelligent people.

Anyways, jokes aside, had a blast of a day on the road and covered around 500 kms in the process. Here are a few pics from the ride.

Coffee breaks on TN highways just hit different

Just look at the rear ends on those machines!

Xaos636 had to stop to make sure that he saw the sign actually said 100kmph. Well, not really but I thought that'd be a good caption.

Striking a pose

Not gonna lie, these 3 together in formation do grab a lot of eyeballs

More rain incoming

The truck guy said he can smoke the Fireblade in a straight line, Xaos636 didn't take it well, clearly.

Second home

Almost there. The home stretch

Touchdown. Something about vehicles that have all the dirt and grime after a long road trip makes it look so awesome. I just can't get enough of it.

Tripmeter for the day

ODO as it stands

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The document also confirms that the bike will be powered by a 998cc four-cylinder engine.

According to a media report, Yamaha is said to be working towards the unveiling of the new-generation R1 superbike. Reports suggest that the new-gen Yamaha R1 might be unveiled by the end of this year, before going on sale in international markets by early 2023.

Leaked document reveals the codename YZF1000W with "new model 2023" mentioned next to it. While the YZF1000 itself is self-explanatory, the W in the name represents the model's racing credentials. The YZF1000W could be referencing a track-only model, however, reports state that a street-legal version could be in the pipeline as well.

The document also confirms that the bike will be powered by a 998cc four-cylinder engine. However, the exact power and torque output of the upcoming motorcycle is yet to be determined.

The current-generation Yamaha R1 was introduced in 2015, with a facelift in 2020 to help meet the Euro 5 emission standards. Hence it makes sense for the Japanese manufacturer to introduce a new-gen version in 2023. Reports suggest that Yamaha could officially announce the arrival of the new-gen R1 either at Intermot or EICMA.

Source: Motorcycle.com

Installation took all of the 15mins and everything was finger-tightened and ready for a startup to check for any leaks or any other issues.

BHPian krishnaprasadgg recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

A long lime dream has been realized.

The TL;RD version of it is:

After years of searching high and low and drooling over it in photos, I have finally managed to get myself a brand new Akrapovic Carbon Slip-on! And I cannot wait to get it fitted on!

A thing of beauty

Here it is, in all its glory. and for those who want a glimpse into the technical specs side of things. Here you go

Tech Specs

Now for those who are interested in the big story behind it, here's how it goes.

Those who know me know how big a fanboy I am of the Akrapovic exhaust system and also how much I have been yapping nonstop for over 2 years about getting an Akra system for the R1 because it's just not right not having an R1 without an Akrapovic exhaust.

Well, along with all that yapping I have also been complaining about how no shops are interested in getting one, and usually, all of them quote an arm and a leg when I pester them enough.

Just look at those clean welds

Well, along with all that yapping I have also been complaining about how no shops are interested in getting one, and usually, all of them quote an arm and a leg when I pester them enough)

Just look at those clean welds

Regardless, I did not lose hope. Kept scouring the market for used sets as well, but unfortunately what I wanted was a hot commodity and in very high demand, and while there were a number of bikes for sale which had the Akra fitted on them none wanted to sell the exhaust separately, which I kind of understand but I was deeply disappointed about it from a more selfish point of view.

DB-Killer

So, after almost 2 years of looking for used sets or finding a shop here in India that could help me in arranging a set for a decent price, I finally made up my mind to go for a new set.

Anyways, it was a few months back that I got talking to a shop in Dubai, they are official importers/distributors of quite a few big-name brands and Akrapovic was one of them, initially, they would not respond to my inquiries or messages but then one fine day they did (I guess they were bored that day) and we got talking, as usual, part is not in stock and they weren't much interested in taking it forward, but I consistently kept pinging them asking if pre-order was possible and how much advance payment was required and all that jazz. Finally, the ice broke, I guess they could say that I was serious about it. After a few days of back and forth, they were finally able to confirm with the Akrapovic factory that the model number I wanted is out of stock currently but still in production.

So finally a token amount was sent to them and the pre-order was set in. They promised me a turnaround of about 1 month from the date of the pre-order being placed and they delivered. And they kept their word and 1 month later the exhaust reached their shop. They were kind enough to deliver it to my friend's house and then finally my months of torture started yet again in waiting for the part to get to my hands, finally after 2-3 months of waiting I received it yesterday!

Touchdown

I just can't stop admiring the quality/craftsmanship of the products that they put out. It lives up to everything you hear about them from others and more!! Every single weld on the exhaust is just so clean and beautiful in the carbon finish is just exquisite, to say the least.

CF everything!

The attention to detail for every single part is noteworthy and each and every piece of hardware comes well packaged and with the relevant part no(things like this just nerd me out!) and also comes with a proper instruction booklet and documentation(TUV certificates and such) required too.

Instruction booklet

Installation

And just like that, the Akrapovic install is done. It only took me about 2 weeks to finally get on with it.

Well, I am not going to focus on the uninstallation/installation of the exhausts, it's already been covered here and the process is no different with the Akrapovic exhausts so did not document any of that. However, something I'd like to bring to light w.r.t the LV system I had vs the Akrapovic system is the quality of the hardware used, and what a difference it is. Everything fits exactly the way you'd expect it to and everything lines up just right and there are little to no adjustments required to fit things in place.

Installation took all of the 15mins and everything was finger-tightened and ready for a startup to check for any leaks or any other issues. I made sure to take the help of my brother to measure the DB levels of the exhaust b/w 3 different tests. First, one being OEM with a (cold), Akra with the DB killer on(Cold), and then finally without the DB killer (on a relatively cold engine).

So here are the DB levels recorded with all 3 setups and video clips of the same. I'd suggest using a pair of earphones/headphones and crank the video quality to 4k to get the best quality output closest to IRL.

Of course, it won't be. post of mine without some goof-up happening even for a pretty straightforward install. So for hearing how the bike sounds without the DB killer I was using the size 4 Allen to get the bolt undone and assuming once the bolt was off it would stick on the Allen head I simply just pulled the Allen T out and the bolt fell off the head and got lost inside the end can cover. Tried my best to fish it out but it just did not work. In the end, I ended up having the remove the full left side slip on again in order to shake the bolt and the washer out of the end can. Lesson learned, invest in some magnetic tip Allen heads or a magnetic fishing rod thingy while removing the DB killers for the Akrapovic.

Rubber plugs that go onto cover the access cutout for the db killer bolt

Let me also take this chance to say the only thing that I did not like about the endcans. The cutout access hole for the DB killer bolt. The finish around the edges of the cutout is very rough and flimsy. I mean I get it, it's just a sheet of carbon fiber and it will be as such but you have very little room for error if you are not careful you'll end up cracking the end can cover and you definitely don't want to be doing that.

OEM

OEM Exhaust video

Akrapovic with DB killer

Akrapovic Slip-on video

Akrapovic without DB killer

Akrapovic Slip-on without DB-killer

I hope this covers in a good way the change the slip-on has brought out. With this mod done a huge part of how I want the bike to be has been sorted out.

I haven't taken the bike out for a ride yet. With the ongoing heatwave, I am not in the mood to ride under the scorching sun anyways. But I am not sure how long I can wait with the exhaust now installed. I will try to get a sound clip while riding both with and without the DB killer and see if the quality is good enough to post here. That's it for now, lots more work coming up on the bike, hopefully in the next few weeks.

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The Honda Fireblade feels like a scalpel and cuts along with so much precision and control, while the Yamaha R1 feels more like a Machete in the hands of a madman!

BHPian krishnaprasadgg recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

It's been a while since I posted any updates here. But the 1 month or so has been pretty uneventful. Managed to get in a few rides in between and also managed to cram in 2 new bike deliveries in between all that for friends who are also fellow BHPians, people who follow this section of the forum already know who all I am talking about.

Anyways, this post is more of an update on the R1 and the tiger and initial impressions on a new set of tyres for the tiger and tail bags for the R1. So let me get started.

Kreiga US10 & US20 tail bags

I have been a constant complainer about how riding with a backpack makes my life very hard because of the added fatigue because of the weight, as I do not pack light when it comes to rides, I always have a set of puncture repair kit, air compressor, some basic tools and 1-2L of water bottle packed in. This really adds up and with someone who already has a bad back and an injured left shoulder the pain is nothing to joke about. With the under-seat exhaust on the R1, most of the conventional luggage solutions are thrown out right away.

Kreiga US 10 & US20

That is when fellow bhpian @Wolfy has pinged me back in Jan about the Kreiga US series bags and how he has been using the US10 & 20 on his 10r extensively while touring on it and how it worked wonders for him. Did some research on the product and found that it is a universal fit design and their lock-in mechanism makes it pretty easy to mount on and off the bike too. I had shortlisted it to buy from Revzilla but then coincidently @neil.jericho came in clutch by letting me know that a local store in Cochin has a ton of stock come in from Kreiga and they might have it in stock. And what do you know both the 10L and 20L bags were in stock. Got a super killer deal on them as they were old stock the shop had purchased from another shop that went out of business. Jumped on the opportunity and bought them right away.

Mounting is pretty easy, actually on the R1 its even easier, since the R1 pillion seat already comes with 4 loops pre-fitted from the factory, I can easily loop the mounting strap through them and secure the bags to the rear seat in less than 2 minutes. Then all I need to do is adjust the slackness of the strap to get a snug fit.

4 straps built in on the factory rear seat

US20 all mounted and ready to roll

As for my initial impression, I rode for over 300kms with the US20 mounted to the rear seat, the bag was a little over half full and the feedback/impression so far has been great, the bag fits perfectly well on the seat, mounting time is less than 2minutes, with additional 2 minutes to adjust slack on all 4 sides, so all in all 5 mins and you are sorted. Once set snug the bag does not move around at all, you do not feel the bag sliding or hitting you on your back when braking or anything. Since the bag was only half full I had no trouble getting on and off the bike in a traditional way, need to check that with a full bag to be sure.

The best part was the bike in no way felt off-balance at all which was a worry I had. And most importantly I was able to enjoy my ride without having to worry about early fatigue as I was riding free without the added burden of a backpack.

Maybe once I add a few thousand kms of usage I'll prepare a detailed review for the same.

The day the 2 Japanese Legends met

The 2 jap legends are finally side by side.

This was a highly anticipated day for me, this was a goosebumps moment for both of us we have been riding together for close to 12 years now and have always talked about owning the R1 and the blade someday and we really thought that it was never going to happen and years and years of hard work and search and toil later when we made it happen it was rather special, I can't find a simpler way of saying this even if I tried. But even then somehow I felt I was way more excited for this ride than Xaos636 himself.

This was the day both the R1 and the Fireblade met and rode together. As usual, as with any new bike purchase goes, a proper service was set in line and we rode to our friend Sanju at Cochin(Fmotors) so that we had the right tool to work on the bike. As years of tradition goes, we always work on the bike together, so it's always a fun time.

Met with Xaos636 at Valanchery just before Dawn broke and rode to Cochin, we swapped rides from Thrissur, that way we both got to experience the blade and the R1 back to back. and boy what a Night and Day difference it is.

The TLDR part of it can simply be put in the following words. the Fireblade feels like a scalpel and cuts along with so much precision and control, while the R1 feels more like a Machete in the hands of a madman!

Don't get me wrong both the bikes are insanely powerful but the major difference here is the throttle response, the blade is so fine-tuned and smooth with its power delivery and the R1 is just a wild animal in the way it delivers power.

Another aspect that was a bit funny was that the R1 has TC but no ABS, while the Blade was no TC but has ABS. Both Xaos636 and me made the mistake of giving a handful of throttle like we did on the R1 (which we have done a thousand times) and had the scare of our lives when the bike power wheelied like it was nothing, this was in second gear and while trying to get a decent start from the front of a signal with a clear road in front of us, and needless to say as soon as we felt the front lift we bailed on the throttle and all was back to normal. The thing is that we were so used to the TC of the R1 not allowing the front to lift that when we gave the same amount of throttle for the blade with no TC to cover our ass the front end went skyward.

The next important thing is the ride comfort, the Hondas come with raised clipons right from the factory and this makes it so so much more comfortable to ride than the R1, while the footpegs are a lot more raised on the blade than the R1 the clipons make a world of difference, I was immediately so much more comfortable riding on the blade. This now makes me want to look for aftermarket raised clipons for the R1.

Well, I'll stop my comparisons for nowhere and will wait till Xaos636 finally gets around to starting an ownership thread on the blade.

Now let me leave you with a sneak peek of what we did at cochin on the blade.

Sorry, that's all you get, if you want any more, make sure to spam Xaos636 to start a thread, rest assured I have documented every little piece of the work done, and trust me we gave the bike a very thorough once over.

And eventful ride with the R1 and the Blade

Fin

The Tiger and the Blade

The subsequent week of the R1 and the Blade going to Cochin, the next week it was the chance for the Tiger and the Blade. The blade still had a bit more work to be done to get it back to its full factory glory and the Tiger needed a tyre change so that's how the previous weekend was spent. The Metzeler Tourance Next on the Tiger had started to wear off square pretty badly on the rear tyre, it was so much of a problem that roads with slight undulation or uneven patchwork height the rear started to slide and the bike felt seriously off balance. The bike has only 14k kms on the odo with this tyre, it still has a lot of tread depth but the squarely worn-out situation makes it a risk to ride around with. So managed to source a set of the new Michelin karoo street tyres from a shop in Cochin a few weeks back and booked the tyres. Went and got them changed during this ride.

New shoes

The new karoo street is a bit more off-road set tyre than the Tourance next, apparently, it's more of a 70% road and 30% offroad focussed than the 80-20 split for the tourance next. Managed to run about 140kms post tyre change and the scrub in phase has been complete, the grip levels on the tyre are satisfactory so far in the dry, never tried it on soft/off-road so can't comment on it right away.

But what I can say is that these tyres are loud!! Once you reach highway cruising speeds the tyres get super loud and bothersome. So unless you are riding around with earplugs or music playing it's going to get on your nerves over long distances.

Well, that's about it for now. More updates to follow on soon hopefully.

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