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TunerGP 2015 – Yamaha YZF-R1 from Gilles and Klein in comparison

R1 duel

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Yamaha is currently building Japan’s hottest superbike. But Iwata still left room for improvement as standard. That calls tuners on the scene. The two Yamaha YZF-R1 from Gilles and Klein meet at the Sachsenring.

Seldom have fans of Japanese superbikes excited about a vintage like this. Nippon finally found her Yamaha YZF-R1 the right answer to the strong European super athletes who drove the East Asians to hara-kiri in rows in recent years. In fact, the Yam is an absolute top performer and equipped with almost everything that modern motorcycle construction has to offer.

TunerGP 2015 – Yamaha YZF-R1 from Gilles and Klein in comparison

R1 duel

Gilles-Yamaha YZF-R1 GT comes from the Superbike * IDM

The blue Gilles-Yamaha YZF-R1 GT comes to life with a crash. The bike also competes in the Superbike * IDM in the “Team Yamaha MGM” in an almost identical configuration and is at the forefront there. The powerful thunderclap of the Yam drowns out the usual roar of a pit lane and makes it unmistakably clear: I’m the boss here, nobody can tell me. The two microphones at the start / finish entrance and in the middle of the uphill passage are already alerting their electronic ears. You don’t like exceeding the strictly limited volume level here on the Saxon circuit. So we cunningly roll past the measuring points at low speeds and only open the shower completely before and afterwards. 

Wow, the Yam already starts at medium speeds like a bad-tempered grizzly who has just stolen his favorite honey. No comparison to the series, which looks stuffed up in the middle, as if an old rag stuck in the air inlet. The Gilles-Yamaha YZF-R1 GT pushes on unabated, knows no stopping. Only with the last two or three thousand revolutions does the obligatory dB-Eater not let enough burned mixture through its narrow opening and noticeably reduce the forward thrust.

IDM regulations prevent major interventions in the engine

The drive shows what it is made of on the test bench. Here the bikes can shoot out of open pipes and breathe freely. The system of the Gilles-Yamaha YZF-R1 GT attests to 211 hp. “We measured ten horsepower more on our test bench,” muses team boss Michael “Galle” Galinski, “but the conditions here are the same for everyone.” Correct. 

In addition, the power output is quite impressive, because the strict IDM regulations only allow limited interventions in the engine. In the engine of the Gilles-Yamaha YZF-R1 GT, only kit camshafts with a larger stroke and more valve overlap rotate. In addition, other springs (also a Yamaha kit) ensure that the valves find their way back into their seats reliably even at the highest speeds. In addition, the technicians increased the compression from 13.0: 1 to 14.5: 1, implanted intake funnels five millimeters longer, meticulously weighed the pistons and finely balanced the crankshaft.

Braking significantly better than the production model

But most of the effort goes into the Motec-Box M 170, which replaces the complete series electronics including injection times and quantities, ignition times and control of the driver assistance such as traction and wheelie control or the control of the automatic gearshift. For the Gilles-R1 everything was reprogrammed from scratch – a lot of work. Especially since the electronics can now be tuned differently for each section of a route, the so-called corner-to-corner function. "Did you hear the traction control misfiring?" Asks Galle with a smile. “Bam-Bam-Bam is really great, isn’t it?” But before the author can really enjoy this feature, the flagman holds the meanest of all flags in front of his nose: black! End of terrain for the Gilles-Yamaha YZF-R1 GT. Despite all the tricks, it is still too loud. Nevertheless, we discovered another quality of the racer on the two turns: the chassis. 

Also in this chapter this R1 is a real splendid specimen. The main difference to the series is the brakes. Even with the battle anchor, the Gilles-Yamaha YZF-R1 GT remains steadfastly on track and the rear wheel literally sticks to the ground. “The series machine is too front-heavy,” says Galle. “As a countermeasure, we raised our bike at the front.” In addition, the boys gave the R1 a longer chain and moved the rear wheel in the swing arm back as far back as possible. That also brings stability.

Fairing in MotoGP look

Amazingly, the Gilles-Yamaha YZF-R1 GT angles almost as easily as a production bike. Once in an inclined position, however, it can hardly be maneuvered into a closer line. According to Galinski, this is a result of the special Nurburgring setup on the shock absorber, which brings a lot of grip, but leaves the rear a little lower than usual. 

At least as exciting as the technology is the visual appearance of the Gilles-Yamaha YZF-R1 GT. Thanks to his contacts with the Yamaha factory team, Galinski was able to dust off one of four MotoGP-style fairings from Valentino Rossi’s and Jorge Lorenzo’s rockets – a real blast! The fine add-on parts such as rests, stand mounts, brake lever protectors and the fall protectors for the front and rear axles make the Gilles-Yam a visual and technical treat.

How does the small Yamaha YZF-R1?

Little effort, big effect: the engine of the small Yamaha YZF-R1 is also great. The look of the small R1 is also impressive. In the usual perfect finish and with huge tuning fork logos on the side panels, the red racer attracts crowds. Unlike Galinski, Klein left the engine internals completely as standard. The tuner only worked on the air intake. “That brings a better flow. We tried out some engine parts, but were not satisfied with the wavy power delivery. "

So Klein just plugged a racing exhaust into the R1, transplanted the ECU and the wiring harness from the Yamaha kit and tuned the engine on the test bench. According to the inventor, this should bring eight to ten horsepower peak performance. But the stronger middle is much more important. Like the Gilles-R1, the small Yamaha YZF-R1 pushes up to ten hp and eleven Nm more than a production bike on medium tours. In addition, both yams accelerate more gently and release their power wonderfully evenly. Always a show is the strong pulsation of the crossplane motors, which thanks to their crank pin offset of 90 degrees hammer like real V4 propulsion units.

Small R1 much quieter

However, there is one difference between the two tuning bikes: the small Yamaha YZF-R1 is significantly quieter. This allows his drivers to fully tension the rope at the measuring stations. This is the starting signal for the PS co-tester and former Moto2 World Championship driver Arne Tode, who is immediately on the hunt for times. After a few laps, the clock shows 1.28.3 minutes – an amazing figure. “The brake is awesome,” enthuses Tode and confirms the author’s impression: bite, pressure point, controllability, transparency, stability – everything at its best. For this purpose, Klein expanded the ABS and installed a completely different brake package including pump, discs, saddles and pads. “The Yamaha breaks out when braking, but not nearly as abruptly as a series R1,” continues Tode. "You can control the lateral offset wonderfully and slide it precisely into the curves." 

The high mechanical grip and the feedback especially from the rear wheel enable the top lap time – finely tuned Swedish gold sends its regards. In addition, the small Yamaha YZF-R1 bends into corners just as easily and precisely as the Gilles racer. In an inclined position, the red can be asked a little better on a narrower line. “With times under 1.30 minutes, however, the Yamaha pushes more and more over the front wheel because it is too top-heavy. The front is also getting restless, ”Arne reports. “And the electronics sometimes regulated too much when accelerating out of corners. With a little fine-tuning of the fork setup, the balance and the electronics, I can trust myself to be 26 times. ”Please?

Both R1 have impressively demonstrated their potential

At least here, normal people disengage and the formerly proud author is suddenly very disillusioned with his 1.33.3 minutes. How do the boys manage such dream times? Now the running pattern of the front tire also makes sense. Unlike the rear skin, it shows clear signs of wear on the left side. An indication of increased stress on the rubber, and can only be partially explained by the layout of the Sachsenring and its many left-hand curves. 

Both R1 have impressively demonstrated their potential. The small Yamaha YZF-R1 just fine-tuned the setup and the electronics. A direct comparison of the lap times with the Gilles-Yamaha YZF-R1 would then be interesting. Unfortunately, that didn’t work this year. But next year there will be another PS-Bridgestone-TunerGP. Then the two may meet again in another place. We can hardly wait.

Team Gilles Tooling

Team Gilles Tooling.

Team Gilles Tooling

18, Duchscherstrooss
L-6868 alarm clock
Luxembourg
www.gillestooling.com

Technical data and measured values ​​Gilles-Yamaha YZF-R1

PS

Clearly felt: In contrast to the series, the Gilles-R1 GT punches like hell in the mid-rev range. This is great when shooting out of tight corners.

Weight
178 kg
front / rear 53.9 / 46.1%

power
211 hp

Remodeling costs
approx. 65,000 euros

Motorcycle small

Motorcycle small.

Motorcycle small

Dominik klein
Rontgenstrasse 5
66763 Dillingen
www.yamaha-klein.de

Technical data and measured values ​​Klein-Yamaha YZF-R1

PS

With little effort, the small Yamaha in the middle is also murderous. Fit the racing exhaust, optimize the air supply, tune it cleanly, done.

Weight
181 kg
front / rear 53.1 / 46.9%

power
205 hp

Remodeling costs
approx. 30,000 euros

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