Yamaha TR1 1981 Road Test
 
The Sicilian coastline went into a spin
as the DC-9 banked hard to port. No sooner had our
senses recovered than the starboard wing dropped towards
the sea, as the plane pivoted on the near-vertical
wing tip. One final gyration brought the plane straight
and level and we bumped down onto Palermo Airport's
runway. "Typical bloody Italian driver",
remarked the man behind me.
A group of bike journalists were being flown to Sicily
for the launch of the new Yamaha V-twin, the TR 1.
The idea was to give journalists a first impression
of the machine in a climate where the bike could be
enjoyed, on roads that would offer as much of a challenge
to the rider as to the machine.
The route chosen was the Targa Florio circuit, a
kind of Sicilian Isle-of-Man but for car racers. The
route covers 44 miles of winding roads from the coast
to the mountains and back again, with over 1,000 hairpin
bends!
Yamaha's concept for the TR1 was to Duild a machine
with virtues and character rom 'the good old days'
combined with modern technology. They aimed to produce
a motorcycle that was both reliable and practical,
yet still fun to ride. If you are bored silly by the
endless stream of four cylinder 'sewing machines'
coming out of Japan then the TR 1 could be the machine
for you.
Riding the TR 1 for the first time, six of us set
out on a brief dash along the fast coast road, heading
for the Madonie mountains and the Targa Florio route.
Average top speed (indicated) among the six machines
was around 184kph, or 114mph. The low seat height
and highish bars dictated a happy cruising rate of
85mph. At this speed wind pressure and vibration were
tolerable and the motor was well within its rev band.
With peak revs at 7,000rpm the 75 degree V-twin motor
produces a claimed 70bhp — not exactly a racer,
but with enough power through the range to provide
some good old fashioned 'grunt'. In fact, enough grunt
to break the back wheel away on a corner if you snap
the power on suddenly — evidence supplied by
one Austrian journalist nursing a sore ankle. Considering
the 75 degree angle of the cylinders, Yamaha have
done a good job with vibration. The bike does shake
at times, but never enough to be a nuisance. Gearbox
and clutch operation is also first class — but
then we tend to take that for granted these days.
Once we crossed the autostrada onto the Targa Florio,
Piccolo Madonie road, the fun began. We found miles
of twisting mountain hairpin bends that make the Isle-of-Man
course look like a motorway. The road surface varied
from poor to non-existent, and other traffic from
donkey carts to herds of sheep.
The first few bends soon tested the monoshock suspension
and general handling of the spine frame. The low riding
position and centre of gravity helped when picking
the bike up from one corner and laying it down for
another, but the total feel of the machine was less
than agile, although always stable.
It's very hard to evaluate handling when most of
your concentration is occupied with where the road
is going and what might be around the next corner.
To get the best from any bike you have to experiment
with tyre pressures and spring settings — with
the TR 1 you can also play with damper adjustment
and air pressure.
The rear shock has a remote-mounted adjuster located
just under the seat on the off-side. You can alter
the setting without actually having to get off the
bike — a simple, but brilliant, idea.
The brakes got plenty of testing when we ran into
a herd of sheep, then a herd of cattle complete with
one rather amorous bull. Fortunately none of the bikes
were fitted with cow-horn bars! Fork dive under braking
was quite pronounced and the tail seemed to lift quite
a bit, probably thanks to the longer suspension movement
you get with the monoshock set-up.
In terms of outright performance the 1000ccTR 1 isn't
that impressive; about equal to the new breed of quick
550cc machines coming onto the market, but look at
the price. The TR 1 is to be listed at around £1,779.
With discounting the price should be fairly close
to the more expensive 550s. As an all round performer
the TR 1 has got to be the better buy, the big torque
spread makes light work of touring and when you want
to go quickly you don't have to resort to pumping
the gearbox.
All that remains to be seen is whether the buying
public actually wants a bike like the TR 1. The motor
is basically two SR500s joined together, but the SR500
didn't sell, so will the TR 1 prove to have twice
the faults of the SR, or twice the virtues?
This machine certainly has some novel features not
found on the SR. The throttle linkage is very trick,
with a single adjusting screw between the carbs —
even though they rotate in opposite directions. A
fully enclosed rear chain, small rear carrier/tool
tray and a close fitting rear mudguard located on
the swing-arm back this up.
Is the TR 1 Yamaha's answer to Harley Davidson —
or Ducati? The bike probably falls somewhere between
the two camps, but we won't really have the answers
until we carry out a full road road test.
Yamaha TR1 Specifications
Engine
Type of engine......................4-stroke, SOHC,
2 valve
Cylinder arrangement........................V-twin
cylinder
Displacement....................................................981cc
Bore 8t stroke...................................95mm
x 69.2mm
Compression ratio..............................................8.3:1
Max horsepower................70hp (51.5kW)/6500rpm
Max torque.................8.28kg-m (81.2Nm)/6500rpm
Lubrication system....................................Wet
sump
Starting system...............................................Electric
Ignition system...........................................Transistor
Transmission..................................................5
speed
Dimensions
Overall length...............................................2265mm
Overall width..................................................730mm
Overall height...............................................1170mm
Seat height.....................................................770mm
Wheelbase....................................................1540mm
Min ground clearance...................................
140mm
Fuel tank.........................................................19
litres
Engine oil.......................................................3.6
litres
Dry weight.........................................................220kg
Tyre front..............................................3.25-H19-4PR
Tyre rear.............................................120/90-18-65H
Brake front...............................................Double
disc
Brake rear..........................................................Drum
Above mentioned specifications are based upon the
French ones.
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