2008 Yamaha YZF-R1 Project Bike

By Adam Waheed



Most of us remember the time when we first discovered motorcycling. For a lucky few it was as a kid riding with the family. Or perhaps it was on your neighbor's rusty, oil-leaking dirt bike. Well, for me it was when one of my friends rolled into our high school parking lot on a shiny new sportbike. That was it. I knew right then that I had to have one. A few months later and after what seemed like never ending early mornings at school followed by late nights working, I had a big enough down payment to make one my own.

And it didn't take me long to realize one of the simple joys of sportbike ownership - styling it out. At the time I was all about looking cool. The fluorescent green windscreen, the obnoxiously loud aftermarket muffler; yeah, I was that guy and I loved it.

Since then a lot has changed in the sportbike accessory world. Not only has the quality of the finished product increased, but the sheer abundance of aftermarket options has exploded. Even the OEMs now recognize how popular accessorizing your bike is and many, like Yamaha, have a full catalog of dealer available parts to up-style your ride. So after a decade or so since our first attempt at pimpin' our ride, we're having another go with the goal of improving or bike's performance and overall grin factor on both the street and the racetrack - all without the gaudy green windscreen.

If you're a sportbike enthusiast then the 2008 Yamaha YZF-R1 needs little introduction. This iconic-looking 1000 was the original liter-classer. Its combination of an agile, lightweight chassis, powerful high-revving engine all wrapped in edgy, streamlined bodywork set the standard for fashionable sportbikes. At a standstill the R1 exudes both speed and style. And when in the saddle, a simple wide-open rap of the throttle in any gear is all it takes for it to get your attention - fast.

We began our endeavor buy installing some of Yamaha's aforementioned GYTR accessories. All the components are direct replacement and can be installed at home by most garage mechanics.

First, a replacement comfort seat was installed with an extra layer of gel padding for enhanced coziness on those long rides. Externally the seat features some detailed embroidery as well as an R1 logo emblazed on it.

We also put on a dark smoke windshield that looks far sportier on the street, yet when tucked in behind it at speed you can still see through it. A carbon fiber tank pad and a carbon fiber trim piece on the triple clamp help give it more of a personalized look, as does the solo rear seat cowl.

GYTR Dual Slip-On Carbon Fiber Mufflers (designed for closed-course use only) replaced the plain looking stockers. Installation was almost too easy. Simply loosen the rear tail section, then unbolt the stock mufflers where they are mounted in the tail section as well as where they connect to the exhaust mid-pipe and voila' your done. Installation was literally a 30-minute ordeal start to finish. Since the R1 is fuel-injected no jetting changes were necessary. After installation, the bike ran reasonably well, however, if you really want to optimize fueling you're going to need an aftermarket fuel-injection module (more on that later.)

We were surprised by how light the stock mufflers have become, but the replacements were even lighter. We were also astonished by the fit and finish of the pipes. The carbon fiber is real and looks super trick yet the brushed stainless-steel end caps help keep things elegant. Typically, there is some period of break-in with mufflers when they eventually get louder, but after over a thousand miles both on the street and racetrack, they sound exactly the same as the day we installed them - deep and throaty, and as long as you keep the rpms low they aren't overly loud. However, swing the throttle wide-open for a second and you'll instantly become the bad boy in your neighborhood, so use some discretion. Keeping them looking good has also been a painless exercise as the carbon fiber is simple to wipe down, although the end caps do need a little more TLC as they get pretty hot and grease and road grime more easily sticks to them.

To match the increased airflow through our upgraded mufflers we installed a GYTR High Flow Air Filter. The GYTR piece is a direct replacement for the OE paper filter. Not only does the filter flow more air while still providing excellent filtration, it's washable, meaning it's the last air filter you'll ever have to purchase for your R1.

When installed together, however, the stock fuel-injection mapping can't keep pace with the increased flow in and out of the engine. Most of the time the engine runs reasonably well but on deceleration it would pop and sputter - exhibiting tell tale signs of a lean, fuel starved engine. Unfortunately the bikes fueling requirements can't be directly changed via the stock ECU, which means that an aftermarket fuel injection module needs to be installed.

This led us to Bazzaz Performance, whose Southern California operation has become renowned for its sophisticated engine management products; which were originally developed while founder, Ammar Bazzaz, worked as an engineer for the Yoshimura Suzuki squad during current AMA Superbike rider, Mat Mladin's first three AMA Superbike titles in 1999-2001. Currently Bazzaz has developed an entire line of state-of-the-art engine management hardware and software that bring superbike levels of technology to the consumer.

We knew we needed a fuel-injection module so we could remap the Yamaha's eight fuel-injectors for a stronger, more precise running machine. Bazzaz Performance solves that problem with its all encompassing aftermarket unit that incorporates the fuel module, a quick shifter and traction control. Yes, traction control!