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[dgardel]

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Hi Gents -

Did the TEAMAZ track day at Firebird International Raceway West Track today. Last time I was on this particular track was for the Keith Code school. I was riding my Yamaha R1 today - I have not dyno'ed the bike but it is a MONSTER. I have Graves velocity stacks, K&N filter, Pilot Powers, Akropovic exhaust - the bike is a beast.

So I lined up for the first hot session with the intermediate group and in front of me was a new K12R! It was a street bike, looked pretty much stock. I did not run against it in the first session, but in the second session, coming in to the 3/8 mile back straightaway I found myself right next to the K1200R as he pulled up next to me after flying through the turn right behind me. I paced him up through about the halfway mark of the straightaway and then rolled the power on and lost him. I can only get about 125-130 MPH on this short straight but he was not able to hang on the top end with the R1.

A little later on in a carousel turn he actually dropped inside of me and passed me in the turn. I was really surprised because my R1 is pretty nimble and I have heard the KR is not, but the rider was very competent and he smoked me in this turn. I must qualify this by adding that I still have a real hard time keeping the back end of the R1 underneath me when running hard in turns so I stay backed off a little bit - I am always able to make up the difference in the straights.

So - those are my completely unscientific and anecdotal observations. I would basically put the difference between the bikes this way - My R1 is a Hooters girl with giant silicone breasts who all the 20 year old guys at the beach swarm around like flies on doggie doo. The K12R is a sleek German beauty with brains and the ability to hold her on against the Hooters girl in the "physical realm".

Ride safe.

PS - You would expect an R1 to beat a K12R in a straight out power contest, but I was impressed at the performance of the bike, particularly in the turns.