To ThunderAce Applause ... (Yamaha Thunderace YZF1000R)

Member Name: rikjwells

Product:	Yamaha Thunderace YZF1000R
Date:	10/06/02 (4709 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: stable, comfortable, oceans of torque and power

Disadvantages: heavy, no longer manufactured, EXUP valve seizure

I have owned two of these beasties. The first, black and silver model, I bought in September 1996 and covered 29,000 miles on before some tealeaf nicked it. The second, a much more preferable blue and black, I picked up a couple of months after the theft on my birthday in May 1998.

I adore this machine: I had the "chance" of having a different bike, but there wasn't a comparable, let alone better bike for me in my mind. I like to hurtle about sometimes, while still being able commute and to travel hundreds of miles in a day carrying luggage and pillion.

When I was considering an R1, but I was worried about the, err, scant pillion accommodation, so I got my local dealer to sit on the front while I perched on the back. There's NO WAY I would wish that on anyone for further than a mile or so, so the R1 option is out there, then!

I sat on a friend's 'Blade, but it felt slightly too high and uncomfortable in comparison, apart from the fact that, like the R1, everyone else was riding about on one ... I am 5?8? tall, so the apparent height of the seat is an important factor for me. The first time I dropped an ?Ace was when I stopped on a hill over a dip in the pavement without realising, and tried to put my downhill foot down - oops.

I have since ridden a ?Blade for a few miles along a favourite road on The Island and, although I was far from aggressive for fear of coming a cropper, I thought that the torque/power delivery of the ?Ace was ?fatter? and more satisfying. If you look at the torque curve, it?s most impressively flat, with a gentle bulge at each end of the broad range.

The 'Ace was and still is a quietly monstrous mile-muncher. The seats for pilot and pillion are deep and comfortable and, while there's little in the way of hard luggage, there's ample choice of soft stuff and room for additional packing.

Many of my motorcyclist friends dislike taking additional wei
ght on their bikes, but I very much enjoy it. I have taken an assortment of pillions, but they extend to a 6ft man of 14 stones in weight - and I managed to get [intentionally] to the very edge of the BT56 rear with him on the back!!

In the 52,000 or so miles I've covered, there have been a few niggles, mainly with the EXUP valve giving up. The first machine was just starting to show signs, although I didn't realise what the bizarre tachometer readings were telling me until they reoccurred on the second bike. The first machine suffered only occasionally after about 26,000 miles and the stuck valve unstuck itself quite quickly. The problem only became apparent on the second bike and the unbelievable difference the valve makes clear when it was replaced (at considerable cost, alas) at about 21,000 miles.

The second bike, unlike the first, had had some time (about 7-8 months in total) standing unused while I worked abroad and returned with a broken ankle! I strongly suspect that this is why the valve seizure was so severe. Now that the exhaust system has been replaced I have my "old" bike back. The change in power delivery is truly fantastic.

I have tried Bridgestone and Pirelli Dragon Corsa tyres to date, and I'm very happy with the Bridgestones - the Corsas' profile didn't make me feel nearly as confident tipping into corners. They didn't last long, either! I usually get over 6,000 front and 4,000 rear from the BTs.

All in all, a marvellous machine which has not had the glamorous coverage awarded to the Fireblade and R1 possibly due to the over 200kg weight and more substantial appearance. I love it and hope mine will keep going for many, many thousands of miles to come. To my mind there is still no obvious replacement, although the FJR1300 is possible, if a bit on the heavy side and perhaps too centred on touring ?

I hope you have an opportunity to experience this wonderful mot
orcycle.

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