Try an underated vtr firestorm! Largest carbs ever fitted to a production bike and when set up right, geared right, and suspension sorted, you'd never sell it, ask me how I know...😂
Yea they load up and scream up top more than modern bikes. My current liter bike has the same power from 3k rpm to 11.5k rpm it’s crazy! I have had the front wheel come up in 5th getting on the interstate up a bumpy hill! Bike reminds me of a CR500 but double and for the highway? There power bands are very similar! These old R1 had a nice kick about 8-9k rpm they took off like a rocket and usually had some pretty long gears so you could wind the piss out of them to all the way up to 186mph where it ran out of gear and stopped pulling! Some still had power left some didn’t!
@@ThomasCadman I own a Firestorm, sorted with hyperpro suspension & tuned and dyno`ed to around 115hp and it still can hang with the modern bikes on the twisties :)
Old bikes are a great value for fun . You do not need 6 riding modes, and electronic suspension to enjoy motorcycling. There are many well cared for old bikes, good luck.
I love the original R1. I still own my 1999 bought brand new. My favorite bike to ride out of my small collection. As far as future projects, I'd like to see you do a Suzuki TLR, and or a nice SP-1.
I still got my fireblade 929 RR CBR honda year 2000 and its still going...i aint sellin it as new sportbikes rubbish too much electronic on them and who need shifters personally i dont all these new bikes got electronic issues at some point i stick wit old fashion sportbikes my fireblade got 72000 miles on the clock and it still pull HARD so it speaks for itself be safe outhere riders
I remember it well, one of the best carburettor power plants ever built, no glitches, just smooth grunt throughout the entire rev range, wish I could still ride it😩
Still remember my uncles 99 that he got new. Full scorpion exhaust. Shooting blue flames and wheeling everywhere 🤤 As an 8 year old I had a poster on the wall....and a superbike magazine centrefold 😆
She's a beauty. 👍 It was the first 1000 I ever had a chance to ride. Took it 100m down the road and wheelied it 3 times. Took it straight back to my mate, jumped back on my 98 gsxr 600 shaking. 20 years later bought an 09 R1 and enjoyed every minute of owning it. They are absolute monsters.
I remember going to the NEC bike show in 98 and being blown away by the R1. For me the red and white colour scheme is the one. Anyway your example looks in great original and unmolested condition, which is a real plus, though I'd junk the blue tinted screen for a clear one. The blue spot callipers whilst not up to the standards of the latest and greatest are still very good when in tip top condition. Fantastic stuff.👍
Yeah "unmolested" is no joke. How many iconic bikes like this one that I've seen in just my short 32 years that have been chromed, stretched, lowered, crashed & ducktaped or stunted out is just crazy!
Purchased one in ‘98 in red and white, the only bike more uncomfortable than my ‘93 CBR900RR and I’m short at 5’7”. Hell for strong engine with a competent chassis and suspension for its day. Absolutely beautiful to look at, a stunner. Arrived home and my 4 year old son Max saw it and ran into the house like he’d seen the devil. Gear off I went inside and asked him to come see dad’s new bike, he said “no dad, that bikes too pooky”. Of course he was trying to say spooky: then and there it became know as Pooky so I adorned it with some spooky eye decals on either side of the faring. I really tried but just could not come to grips with the lack of comfort and hand numbing vibes (I’m vibe sensitive) so off Pooky went to a new owner. Thanks for the time tunnel trip back in time when I always anxiously awaited release of newest liter bike terror!! Cheers.
You're so right about the torquey feel of the old R1. The spec sheet warriors wouldn't even consider it against a modern version - I mean, 1998 R1 135hp/75lbft vs 2020 R1 185hp/80lbft (dyno figures). No contest, right? But it's how the original delivers those figures that's important. The "tame" R1 makes more power right up to 8,500 rpm and the difference in torque is perhaps even more marked. The modern R1 has a huge midrange flat spot meaning, at 6,500 rpm, old beats new by about 15lbft. Although the modern R1 compensates by having lower gearing from 2nd up to restore that missing shove, there's nothing like genuine, mechanical thrust to make a bike fun on the road. You've got a real gem there - enjoy!
"I like a big rear end." Chopsy is a "Sir Mix-a-lot" fan. The R1 was the scalpel of it's day. I got to ride one in about the same shape as yours in 2021 and it was still as good as I remembered. I love the inline four from a riding stand point.
It was a pleasant surprise to log on and see that beautiful R1, instantly brought back memories. It still looks quite awesome, with great styling, despite the 25 year old age. I have a 2003 Fireblade 954, it would be great to see that on your channel at some stage if you're going to get into reviewing older bikes. Thanks for posting Chopsy.
This was the original “hero bike” for me. I remember seeing one go past in 1999 and being in love. I later bought my first bike, a 99 R6 in the same colour. Had a low speed crash on it thanks to a driver pulling an illegal u-turn right in front of me. While my bike was getting fixed, my mate who owned one of these R1’s lent it to me for the week. I remember the front coming up on the gas at the first twist of the throttle. It was a beast. Would love to own one now.
Those R1’s were awesome in their day but it was short lived and thats because the 01 GSX-R 1000 was released and flat stomped the competition. A good friend i rode with back in that era was riding a 2000 R1 and i got my 01 K1 and that gsxr flat man handled the R1 doing any sort of roll-on’s or top speed runs. Also lets not forget in 1998 the ZX-9R was the 1st to get into the 9’s in the quarter mile, it did a 9.99sec pass with the sportrider magazine guys.
Class bike mate, it's great seeing these older bikes on the roads and doing the business. Great idea you've had with this new strand to your channel too
Love this bike! I have the same one. I only did braided lines on the front a few years ago and the brakes went from feeling wooden to feeling amazing. My 1-2 shift has been clunky since I bought it 20 years ago with 2000 miles. I'm up to 56K miles now and transmission is just as clunky but still works fine.
Not even the 916 influenced the last 30 years of bike design as much as the first R1. The fact that it's still a competitive road bike today shows how good it was back then. At the risk of sounding like an old git, please remind me what electronics add to useable road bikes. A great purchase.
Got an original blue 98 4XV when they first came out. Loved it to bits. Been out of biking for a while, like Chops, kids, etc. Just got another, 1 owner, 11000 miles, V&M DJ replica with all the bells. Absolutely love it.
Such a sexy machine and it hasn’t lost any pace. Yeah it’s analogue but that’s no bad thing. I remember my friend had one and I couldn’t believe how fast it was. Looking forward to all the videos about the R1 and especially the opportunity to win it 👍🏻
I remember when they came out, I drooled. I loved the colour and everything about it. I had a pre-exup FZR-1000 Genesis in the very early 90's. I could not afford an R1, but later in life I ended up with a 2002 GSXR-1000K2 which was also an amazing bike. It did not look quite as good as the R1, but from what I remember, it beat the R1 in performance and set another standard (K1, K2 are pretty much the same).
What an absolute beauty. I really miss the early days of biking, 20 yrs ago for me, and my yellow GSX R750. I used to consider £4500 was the right price to pay for a bike back then.
I had exactly the same model from the same year. Polished rims with golden spokes and custom wrapping to Red Bull design. I rode this since 2000 until 2021 when I sold it for 1000€. 40000km, so valve check was imminent and suspected carburettor needing a complete overhaul. If you have the time and the tools it would have been a day's work, but without it simply too costly. Switched to BMW S1000RR with M-package (what a difference 20 years make!). Would probably have kept it, if I would ride more. It truly was a game changer. The most beautiful supersport bike from the 90s imho. It took the Ducati 916 to higher level technically (4 cyl row) and design-wise. And the 916 was a game changer in design in 1994 as well! That says a lot. Still looks great today with its cowering slightly pointed front and the clean integration of her eyes. The white-red one costs a lot more than the blue one these days. Back then most wanted the blue one 🙂 Great channel by the way! Keep it up! Cheers from Germany, mate.
Really like the 90's sports bikes they all look far better than the modern generic looking things, plus they had much better paint jobs too, Great vid Chops.👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks for this, Chospy, it brought back some great memories. I bought the same color and year, brand new, and it was epic. Perfect fuelling and the best brakes available (when new, OEM pads). Without any modern safety nannies, many felt it was the first production bike that was actually just a little 'too much' for 'road riding'. I sold it to protect my life-expectancy... and then went on to buy some 200 hp bikes, ahem!
Selling the K8 will support getting a K5/K6 down the road 😅. Would also love to see a CBR 954 make an appearance. But enjoy that R1, those early bikes are special. Unforgiving as all hell, but special.
80% of the performance of a modern race replica for 20% of the cost. This is making me wish I still had my 97 SRAD 750, loved that thing. Although I'd be bust after 30 minutes on it these days.
It was my first litre bike when i was 19 years old back in 2005. I still have it. I just can't let her go. 2001 in blue. I blew the gearbox up doing wheelies but recently got it fix and took it to the drags with a PB of 10.69 at 134mph. Not bad for a old carby with a slip on, tune and +2 on the rear sprocket.
In 2001 a friend of mine was building his own house and needed somewhere to store his 1998 R1 under cover. I agreed it could go into my garage. He says take it out for a run anytime you want. I previously owned a FZR1000 RU Exup. My goodness more compact, lighter and stronger without a doubt. My bike at the same time was a Suzuki TL1000S widow maker. Both the original R1 and TLS were great fr the road with masses of instant response. Have to agree that powerful carburated engines are nicer than FI. First R1s were a problem however with 2nd gear failures and high sides on powering out of slow corners (crappy tires back then)
I have for a good while now wanted to open up a workshop of my own and restore classic bikes. This R1 and a first gen Ducati Monster would be my top picks for bikes to lovingly elevate to its glorious status.
These old bikes was crazy in the top of the tach range! They had a nice burst of power at 8500rpm they really got up and went but you had to keep them on song to get the power out of them compared to todays liter bikes! The power now is more linear which helps keep it under control on a track. The older bikes felt faster but wasn’t!
Melbourne Australia...I imported a 98 4XV all original last year to add to my 90s collection. Out of all the 90s bikes this is the one that still feels like a modern bike. Only downsides are a slightly clunky gear change and sticking servo valve motor, gives you that 7000rpm then back to zero rom tachometer warning. Keeping them stock will be the key to have an appreciating assett. Game changer though
You definitely bought this bike with your heart and not your head! I can't fault you in the slightest though, as it's arguably the most beautiful litre bike to come from the land of the rising sun, but, and it's a big but... I know from people who have ridden and owned various iterations of the R1, and they all complain about the cramped ergonomics and the less than sumptuous seat. As you had mentioned in your previous video of your stunning purchase, and at the beginning of said video, you explained that the GSX-R1000 k8 wasn't comfortable enough anymore. Which was one of the main reasons for the sale of it. If you wanted a comfortable superbike from the late nineties, early naughties, a kawasaki ZX9R E1/E2, or the later F models would've been a better punt in my humble but somewhat biased opinion 😉... plus, I think you should review a late model ZX9R, from E1 to FP2. They're a criminally underrated bike, and it would be great to have your professional opinion on a forgotten gem of a motorcycle. Keep up the awesome content! 👍
Very nice Chops, looking forward to seeing what you do with it. Glad I've held onto my K5 GSXR, absolutely bonkers. These bikes will become sought after in the near future.
Great vid & bike. Still got loads to offer even today as they weren't chasing crazy peak power figures so they actually had some decent low down grunt. Will be really good to see it tarted up too. Can't wait. Great news the channel's progressing well too.
I had a 1996 CBR900RR (Fireblade) in USA Smokin Joes paint that I loved in 1998. A buddy ponied up for the new R1, after one ride on the R1 the CBR was for sale. It was a game changer for sure just like the first Fireblade was.
Those brakes are outstanding with fresh pads+service and new lines. I have a 4xv R1 and the brakes are on par with my fireblade sp! Did you know they where the 1st monoblocks to be fitted to a road bike!
As a FireBlade owner (bike is from 2001) I can't agree more with your statement about old super bikes. But (there is always a BUT) young riders should always keep in mind that these are proper old school bikes with lot of power and NO RIDER aids!!! In the rain or any surface with lower traction if you don't know what you are doing you will find a hedge or something worse pretty fast. Great Sunday bikes but for any thing else I would look at modern machinery.
What a great bike they are. I had a 98' red bike with white tail and black seats which was a limited time paint job as everyone went blue. Now days they're rare to see and command a premium.
The brakes are the same as the ones on my ThunderCat. If you’ll do a bit of servicing on them you’ll be surprised how good they really are. I put in sintered (sbs) pads and fitted braided lines (Hel): day and night difference. Brakes with the best of them!
@@ThomasCadman I know Thundercats suffered from a weak clutch and that could cause issues with the gearbox. However mine (‘96) doesn’t have any problems. In fairness: I fitted mine with the Pro Shift Kit and a upgraded (race) clutch. Shifts beautiful - no misses.
@@DavyHeb That’s interesting. I wonder why Yamaha didn’t use the same ones again. I did notice the trim on the R1 brakes was gold as opposed to the blue on the Thunderace/Cat. I just thought it was to bling the R1 up a bit. Shame really
I had the later 2000 model around 6yr ago what a great bike with honda like build qaulity it surprised me how well it aged,if most folk are honest unless you are a track day ride it still has enough power to keep you happy,traded mine in for a 1050 speed triple rode from glasgow to outside blackpool and back same day and its seat was not as bad as you think.
I had that model for 6 years, fun bike but not as powerful as its predecessor the Thunderace, much lighter and more flickable though. Yamaha built in a flat spot on the power curve at 5000 rpm to sail through emissions tests. They ran out of puff at 145mph which is why I always hankered after a Ninja12R. With regards to maintenance Chopsie, the EXUP valve has a grease nipple on one or two sides, I highly recomend you get some high temperature grease
Awesome Chops what a lovely bike.. still looks and rides first class what a bike.. Yamaha nailed it when they released the R1.. always loved since they came out 😊❤ showing my age lol.. Pete
From the sheer looks of it, this bike screams of "if you just twist the throttle you will have loads of fun", and I bet the start up screen (if it was modern) says something like: If you abuse me just a little, you can kiss your license bye-bye!"
Lol love the mention of the Rsv 1000 R. That's a bike no one seems to mention much these days. Get them for pretty darn good money as well 👍🏻 This bike is so damn nice 👌🏻
Bought a blue 98 R1 myself 6 months ago as it was the one that got away. 1st ride out on the wheelie monster and it was clear it wants a steering damper.
Just done a similar thing.Always wanted an RD350 when i passed my test but ended up going down the GPZ route. Fast forward 37 years and ive just bought an RD350F2. One owner from new, 13k miles.
I bought a 636 in 2002 after i passed my test. Rode it like a granny but i had more than a few tank slappers on it. Been sat in my shed for 16 years doing nothing as a result of a step up to a new fireblade. keep looking at it and thinking i should drag it out and see if i can bring it back to life....but i'll always be a bit scared of it. Those old bikes were a whole different kettle of fish.
I had a blue 2001 R1. Awesome machine in it's day. Although after a couple of fast, mega scary tank slappers an ohlins steering damper was fitted pretty pronto! Then moved on to a 2005 Kawasaki ZX10R which was just as much if not more of a handful.
Gone n done it now , there brilliant as good as k6 but better quality as you will see . Braded lines better pads 190 rear change oil in forks Damper NEEDED That spread of power never gets old And over 40mpg Almost bullet proof .
…yep, it was a classic as soon as it was launched and is a step-change in Sportsbikes. Stacked gearbox and shift linkage through the frame. Just great… keep it lol
Try a Honda Blackbird Chopsy from the same period. Again a bike from the same period, not quite a sports bike but a sports tourer and I can assured you it is quite a package and would cost less than your Yamaha. It to can be balastic in the right hands. Cheers
I reckon that as bikes get more and more tec heavy and move towards electric, Bikes from 1995 to 2005 when build quality was at its best, are going to become very sought after. I personally own a 2003 speed triple, hasn't even got abs, but it's bloody brilliant, it's road manners are great because it's built for road riding and not track focused.
August 01st 98 I did my cbt, as I came out of the yamaha dealer where the training centre was, there was a brand new R1 Sat outside waiting to be collected. I was gobsmacked, it looked like a GP bike and I swore there and then that if they did a 600 version I'd have one. Collected my new R6 Sept 01st 99 👌🏻👌🏻
I just subbed although I've watched plenty of your other videos. I had 98 R1 20 years ago & it had arm wrenching pull from anywhere in the rev range back then, quite the game changer for inline fours as you rightly pointed out. May keep an eye out for a ticket. 😁
I have the same problem with my classic blade regarding insurance. Bike sure did me a good multi bike policy so definitely worth getting a quote from them!
I had a 5VY R1 (underseat exhaust) which i loved. Wish I hadn't sold it. I also had a 2001 R6 and the carburetted fuelling on that was so wonderfully smooth.
I remember seeing at the Birmingham motor show when it very first came out & it looked amazing - the gear linkage through the frame blew everyone away (just like a street triple). The best looking bike at the show though was the new ZX-7 - so I bought one & loved it.
I'd love to see what your thoughts are on a late model Honda CBR Blackbird 1100xx. I own a 1999 and people that I've let ride it... hate it. I just can't get over how I don't see eye-to-eye with them about it. Love your videos and best wishes from the state of pennsylvania in the USA!
Brought a 1999 R1 project bike a few weeks back still in the process of doing it up. bike running perfect now, crazy how good it feels 25 years on. Just need to replace panels and some bolts and do some wiring fixes, R/R stator burnt connections, il be surprised if you don’t find a burnt connector block or 2
