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2 Years Onboard my 2008 Yamaha YZF-R1

There are certain moments life which one can never forget like the first kiss, your first goal for your school football team and then there are some which ‘ DEFINE YOU ‘ – Your First knee down, your first SBK !!

January 3rd 2010, after 11years and 48 days from the day I had seen a 1998 R1, I was the proud owner of a 2008 Yamaha R1. The adrenalin spike I had the very first time I sat on my super-bike was UNPARALLEL and all this even before I had cranked the R1.

I knew that from this day forward, Come What May, I would go down as an R1 owner and NO ONE could steal that feeling from me and Its bloody impossible to phrase the experience, you gotta FEEL IT.

The R1 evokes the exact feeling every single I board the saddle (apart from the last 2 fuel stops during the Saddlesore run 😛 ).

Chai ride with 2008 Yamaha YZF-R1 in India -ride review

2008 Yamaha R1 -Front View
My daily dose of adrenalin 🙂

In-spite of its mind-boggling power and the FEEL LIKE GOD presence, the R1 has made me HUMBLE and PATIENT , it has taught me to respect the other motorists on the road, it constantly reminds  me to keep a CHECK on the right wrist.

Lessons from the R1:

Not only does one appreciate the ferocious power of this hooligan, but you start to understand so much about the ‘Motorcycle Behavior and Dynamics‘ and the feedback you get it absolutely brilliant which prepares you for – what to expect, motorcycle’s behavior to your minor inputs.

I mean, all these are so pronounced on a bigger engine motorcycle that it is IMPOSSIBLE to MISS THEM.

Touring India on a 2008 Yamaha YZF R1

How to make it special ?

The entire night I was thinking about How special can I make this day for the R1 ? Apart from the regular stuff of binging on Speed 97, good old wash and polishing.

Deep down I knew the best way to celebrate this occasion had to be ‘ A SOLITUDE RIDE with the R1 and a brilliant tarmac –  A Quality Conversation between the rider and the motorcycle’  and a dedicated ‘Diary‘ to my R1 – The R1 Diaries 🙂

It has been 2 glorious years riding and living with the R1 and if I could I would do it all over again 🙂

A Big Hug and Thank You‘ to my parents and all my pals who have been a part of this journey, without their well wishes, it just wouldn’t have worked 🙂

Cheers to more motorcycling and hopefully an outing on the race track soon; you have and will always be loved, cherished and treated as family; your companionship is the BEST GIFT to my existence.

May the urge to explore roads and food never cease 🙂

KTM (Keep Touring More) 😀

2008 Yamaha R1 - Rear view
Spirit of Touring on the R1 ✊

23 responses to “2 Years Onboard my 2008 Yamaha YZF-R1”

  1. DEM_C Avatar
    DEM_C

    Maga!!! Congrats first of all 🙂 And ur words bot ur ride was a true Adrenaline dose for me too 🙂 Wish U milions of more smiles per mile 🙂 Taqke care and KTM 🙂 😉

  2. Deepak Dongre Avatar

    Wow what a coincidence….was just ogling on the pics of your R1 today on FB 🙂 Congrats man…the R1 has always been my dream bike and I know it’s going to be a dream for some years till I crack something big. The first time I saw and R1, I kissed it on the fairing- and cranking it was like a 10,000 volts jolt in my body.

    Congrats to you and your bike and nice to see you both roll kms under its belt.

    1. Ajay Ananth Avatar

      Thanks Deepak 🙂
      This reminds of an incident When I first saw the 2003 R1 in flesh with my girl. My girl back then said “If only you would look at me like that, I will be yours forever”.

      The R1 evokes such feelings, cant help it 😛

  3. ganeshvelt Avatar

    2 year wow, 1 year i have changed 2 bikes hehe. cool man I serious admire the fact you can ride that beast around like a normal bike, my back shoulder would be killing me

    1. Ajay Ananth Avatar

      Well, that can happen in India only one is too darn rich 🙂

  4. ganeshvelt Avatar

    going on tour 1000mile this week end, on a r1 one way coming back on a f800, super excited, after 3 months of no bike riding.

    1. Ajay Ananth Avatar

      Man, I am super jealous 😛
      Where are you riding to ?

  5. ganeshvelt Avatar

    YellowStone, it was awesome on the f800, R1 was too much for that road it is so difficult to stay in low speed on those beautiful roads, specially when you can see miles of straight road in front of you. I have finally decided the bike I am going to own for a long time and travel a lot in it. v-strom. It is just awesome, I thought Ill get the f800 that dam thing is expensive and the maintenance is even more, so japanese it is… Currenty I have no bike. But soon, planning on doing some crazy trip once I get the Strom.

    1. Ajay Ananth Avatar

      Spring Time = Riding time 😛
      The Suzuki Storm is a nice motorcycle to tour, the BMWs literally overshadow all the other tourer motorcycles although their quality is worth the money, but darn expensive to maintain 🙁

      Nice, looking forward to your Storm adventures 🙂

  6. ganeshvelt Avatar

    and the hell r u jealous, you have a R1 bugger, in India. 😛

    1. Ajay Ananth Avatar

      Haha, you have so many options out there and the spares are so inexpensive, we pay almost twice what they cost in US 🙁

  7. ganeshvelt Avatar

    GoT mY Weeeeeeeeee-StRoM finally, I’ll create my log soon, i’ll name it
    “In the hunt for warm beach and good food” I really wish if there was good food here is so sad here. I hate the food here what a piss off…

    1. Ajay Ananth Avatar

      Yayyyyyyyyyy !!!!!!
      Awesome 🙂 post some pics 🙂

      Looking forward to your log !!

      Well, you get good pizzas out there 😀

  8. Phaneesh Avatar
    Phaneesh

    Woow… nice story(sorry true story) of you and your SBK-R1. Never got a chnce to read this so far. Felt happy after reading and proud that my friend has own the SBK…. Finally.

    Happy and Safe Riding Ajay….!!! 🙂

    1. Ajay Ananth Avatar

      Thanks Phaneesh 🙂

      1. Phaneesh Avatar
        Phaneesh

        So how is she (R1) doing now?Must be Rocking….!!!

      2. Ajay Ananth Avatar

        The R1 is fun to ride around 🙂 Has clocked about 15000kms 🙂

      3. Phaneesh Avatar
        Phaneesh

        Woow… definitely i can see the fun..!!

  9. Phaneesh Avatar
    Phaneesh

    Hope, i get a chance to sit on it, atleast. if not to ride.. 🙂 hahaha

    1. Ajay Ananth Avatar

      Sure man 🙂

  10. Suhas Rocky Avatar
    Suhas Rocky

    I stumbled upon your post in Xbhp, and a story unfolded. A story of passion, and probably absolute devotion to your dream and the will to make it happen!! The Yamaha YZF R1 was not the first SBK I laid my eyes upon, but nothing spoke to me like It did the very first time i found myself staring @ it. Not the Hayabusa, or the Gixxer or this or that. It was the R1. It is the R1. It’ll be the R1!!

    If all goes well, I’ll be the proud owner of an R1 in another 3-4 years, all with my own money and sweat, and that day, it’ll be one of the biggest of the biggest days of my life!!

    Cheers!!
    FYI, i was the guy who asked you about the cramster saddle bags and about the saddle sore, (didn’t do it though, for my ride till hubli showed a lot of construction happening) and I got to this post when I was searching for a really good R1 picture. BTW, had heard about your efforts to get the R1 from Dempsy (not the full story) but finally read it in full on Xbhp.

    One more time, CHEERS!!!!

    1. Ajay Ananth Avatar

      Thanks for your kind words Suhas, glad you have found love – R1 😀

      My best wishes for your R1 and yes I remember about your enquiry on saddlebags, glad you loved the story 🙂

  11. […] owned an older-generation R1 (2008 YZF-R1), the 2019 Yamaha R1 is a small, more compact motorcycle and feels more like an R6 flicking in and […]

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