Yamaha YZF-R1

[MoSSaN69]

The R1 is not the most powerful bike in the class—not even close, actually—nor is it the lightest, and it’s not exactly a plush streetbike. So how is it the best? By being a technological marvel, for one, offering the most advanced electronics available in an easy-to-use interface with loads of adjustability. On the track it is without doubt the sweetest-handling superbike we’ve ever tested. It’s easier to ride than any of its competition, and at the end of the lap it’s also faster. The R1 will make you feel like a better track rider, period. On the street, the suspension is stiff and the riding position is aggressive. Then again, complaining about the ergonomics is actually kind of hard considering it’s a race-bred machine designed not to make any compromises. The seat is wide and pretty comfy, and mellower ride modes allow you to dial back the hair-trigger throttle if desired. Add to all of this that the R1 experience is bathed in the warm, dulcet tones of the crossplane engine, and our heart is won. Last year the R1 changed the way we see superbikes, and one year later it is still very much the king of the class.

[MotoRider YT]