R1LE v. upgrade your own R1

[Mogan]

I heard someone yesterday argue we're better off buying a stock R1 and picking the aftermarket bits we want rather than going for an LE. He heard that the Ohlins on the LE for example are not the same as the top of the line Ohlins components purchased separately.

We'd get a better color, too! Anyone doing this? B)

 

[BigAl]

I guess it would depend on how much of a profit margin there is on the LE versus the combined margin on a stock R1, aftermarket parts and any cost of installation, less what you might recover for the take off parts.

I would imagine Yamaha, based on buying lots of parts large enough to outfit 500 LE bikes, plus whatever they need to warehouse for future repairs and replacements, would be getting a significant discount off the retail cost of the fancy bits.

So in theory, they should be able to put the whole thing together cheaper than you or I could at retail, which would mean they could sell it cheaper than you or I could build it. Whether they are or not, I don't know. The market may demand a premium payment for the LE's versus a farkled out standard R1 because they are original Yamaha special editions, and therefore rare.

Then you get into the issue of whether you would want to exactly duplicate the LE, or maybe shift your expenditures more to engine performance, or braking ability, or suspension upgrades to more suit your riding style. There is value (to you anyway) in making the bike exactly what you want. You might find that in doing that you could have exactly what you want or need for less than the LE would cost. Remember the LE is built for homologation purposes for racing, and therefore some of the performance enhancements would rarely be utilized on the street.

Or you could just get the LE, twist the loud handle and grin real big on your way to ticketland! At least that woudl be where I'd be headed.

 

[Randy]

Depends on how hog-wild you want to go. A set of Ohlins superbike forks are about $9000. You can get a set of the '05 model from indysuperbikes.com on sale for $7K. The Road & Track version of the Ohlins forks goes for about $2700. You can upgrade them with a kit for about $350. You can add the radial mount kit for another $900 or so. A top of the line Ohlins shock will set you back about $1200.

Through Warchild's group buy, you could pick up a set of Carrozzeria forged wheels for about $1200. A slipper clutch will set you back about $1100.

One of the benefits of doing it this way is that, when it comes time to sell the bike, you could change it back to stock and keep the pieces for the next bike or try to sell the piece parts.

 

[falcon]

I heard someone yesterday argue we're better off buying a stock R1 and picking the aftermarket bits we want rather than going for an LE. He heard that the Ohlins on the LE for example are not the same as the top of the line Ohlins components purchased separately.
We'd get a better color, too! Anyone doing this? B)

I think its more about bragging rights than hard parts.

 

[lotecredneck]

I heard someone yesterday argue we're better off buying a stock R1 and picking the aftermarket bits we want rather than going for an LE. He heard that the Ohlins on the LE for example are not the same as the top of the line Ohlins components purchased separately.
We'd get a better color, too! Anyone doing this? B)

The whole idea for the LE is to allow the race bikes superior suspension components to run in the stock class where the other major manufacturers must run the stock suspension pieces to stay in that class.

They can't put aftermarket pieces on their bikes, so the R-1 LE has a decided advantage in the stock class. It's all one-upmanship!

Tony Orihuela

Yamaha Sportscenter

 

[I'mAllIn]

The original question still beckons..........is the R1LE a real value, from a performance component standpoint - not potential collectable value, or are you better off buying a stock R1 and upgrading yourself?

I suspect the R1LE is a real deal. Then again, I paid $8,800.00 OTD for my last R1, a 2000 model bought at the end of the model year. Bone stock, that thing was a riot, so I can imagine the performance of the LE.

Maybe I can sneak one in the garage without wifey noticing.........I know, I'll paint the walls and floors black and yellow and the LE will just blend in, that's it.

 

[Warchild]

  I heard someone yesterday argue we're better off buying a stock R1 and picking the aftermarket bits we want rather than going for an LE.
We'd get a better color, too! Anyone doing this? B)

In a manner of speaking. Well... sort of, anyway.

I'm not going to completely emulate the LE, mind you, because the fact of the matter is: just as it is right out of the crate, the late-generation R1 is more than insane for street use. I'm not going to take it to the track, so it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to outfit it nose to tail with race-spec components. However, I do take it out to the canyons and steppes of the High Desert here in southeastern Washington state, where I can be completely alone to tear up the roads with (relative) inpunity.

So here are my plans to turn my '05 R1 into a blistering asphalt-raping machine:

1) Spiegler SS lines front & back - done.

2) ABM rotors - done.

3) Leo Vince SBK Titanium Racing ovals - done.

4) Wilbers (HyperPro) steering damper - being shipped.

5) Carrozzeria gold-anodized forged aluminum wheels - being shipped.

6) Wilbers #643 (piggyback) Racing Shock - being built now.

7) Wilbers fork springs - being shipped.

8) A set of the new Dunlop Qualifiers - being shipped.

9) Take the front spocket down to 16T; rear sprocket up to 46T - done.

10) PCIIIusb - arrived, but not installed yet.

As far as performance-impacting components, this is about all I plan to do with my R1. I haven't added up the costs of all the performance mods, and I don't think I want to; it will just demoralize me.... :lol:

I do have a Speedohealer that I really must install before summer; the stock speedometer is really out of whack now from the gearing change.

I'm also doing/have done a couple other blingy cosmetic mods, just for fun:

1) Pazzo brake/clutch levers - installed.

2) Some carbon fiber bits - installed.

3) Powder-coat my rearsets matte-black - in work.

4) R&G sliders up/down/all around - not blingy; these are actually practical.

5) Ultra-cool aluminum front sprocket cover - haven't installed it yet, but it's completely bad-ass! B)

6) Couple of other thingies I can't recall at the moment.

 

[radman]

6) Couple of other thingies I can't recall at the moment.7) Nickle-plate the turbo, just because I can, for that nostalgia look.

8) Get the WC logo engraved on the Nitrous bottle, both for theft protection and so the loser knows who kicked his ass at the next gas stop.

A little assistance, n/c.

 

[Mogan]

Warchild-

Your bike sounds FANTASTIC. Any reason you went with Wilburs over Ohlins? I know Klaus is a good guy. Do you have handlebar risers on board? Slipper clutch?

I'm thinking about doing this next year and starting with a black bike, adding a few CF bits here and there...

 

[Warchild]

Warchild-
Your bike sounds FANTASTIC. Any reason you went with Wilburs over Ohlins? I know Klaus is a good guy. Do you have handlebar risers on board? Slipper clutch?

Value for the money. I'm happy with my Wilbers on the Blackbird and FJR. The Ohlins are also very sweet, but damn spendy. The Wilbers steering damper is actually made by HyperPro, I am told.

No slipper clutch... it'd be nice, but also very spendy.

I do have Heli-Bars... forgot to mention those. And yes, they make a helleva difference during a day-long 300-mile romp in the desert/mountains.

Happy news: my rearsets came back from the powder-coater.... this is 90% Gloss Black, I think they look pretty damn good:

Also... the Carrozzeria wheels arrived!!! B) B) B) B) B)

[SIZE=14pt]WOO-HOO!!!!!!!!!![/SIZE]

Damn shame both Pit Bull stands are currently holding up my Blackbird while the forks are being overhauled, so it'll be a while before I can mount up these bad boyz.....

 

[radman]

You actually plan on mounting those and gettin' bugs n **** on 'em?

 

[Warchild]

You actually plan on mounting those and gettin' bugs n **** on 'em?

Sadly, I will actually have to break down and clean these things every so often

Fortunately, the R1 doesn't see anywhere near the mileage the FJR and Blackbird tend to accumulate....

 

[Mogan]

Here's my latest source of drewl. Wattya think? Looks way hotter than an LE.

https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...TRK%3AMEWA%3AIT

 

[Randy]

and faster too....nice!!!!

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

I want the Warchild treatment on my upcoming R6!

 

[james1300]

Im looking for a NICE set of wheels to fit my 2001 R-1, I missed the GROUP buy earlier.

 

[hippo]

All the literbikes are so capable out-of-the-box today that you don't really need to do anything to them for track or street use (unless your body weight is way beyond the stock springs). Unless you're a professional racer, none of that stuff is going to make you any faster.

What will make you faster is to spend the money on race schools and trackdays and DOT racing tires.

Hmm... Maybe a PCIII to smooth out the on/off throttle abruptness. That's about all a stock R1 needs for serious riding on the street and begining riding on the track.