Oil filter change trouble on the Yamaha YZF R1

I needed to change the oil bad on my 2005 Yamaha R1 and I had this same trouble before: last time changing the oil, I replaced the oil filter as well however, I ended up putting the old original Yamaha oil filter back in instead. See, I don't have a Yamaha dealer around that stocks this stuff, so I went to Napa Autoparts and got a Napa Gold oil filter part #1365. The problem is tightening the filter. You can tighten all that you want, and the filter will still leak oil through the rubber seal.

The difference in seal with the original Yamaha oil filter and the Napa Gold one is the one from Yamaha is a round o-ring, while the seal from Napa is a wide rubber flat ring, meaning that there is more surface and the rubber seal is so hard that it almost doesn't squeeze, so you can tighten all you want (up till the oil filter wrench started sliding), and still the engine oil drips along the seal.

So, now you know: don't buy this Napa filter for your R1. I gonna have to end up buying this on ebay and wait a week. In the mean time it looks like it's leaking about 200ml a day.... So I have to keep refilling, and my bike smokes from the oil dripping on the exhaust manifold.

YZF-R1 Gas tank filler cap issue - water entering

I've told you about the issue I had with water entering my gas tank through the filler cap. Here are pictures of how it looks like. I took the filler cap apart, sanded and sprayed it, put it all back, greased it, but after a couple months the same issue comes back, the inside of the filler cap rusts, water comes in after heavy rain....

My Yamaha YZF-R1 gas tank filler cap is rusted. See the water on the right, inside?

Yamaha R1 Rider Nicholas Leighton dies in motorcycle crash

Sad to hear that a fellow rider with the bike we all love so much, the Yamaha r1 had a fatal accident recently.

I am always curious how sport bike accidents happen. The story from a British newspaper reveal that he had 66 milligrams alcohol in his blood. The legal acceptable is 80mg. And yet, he did not drink that day but the night before. Reports of sportbike accidents always talk about the speed the bikers have been driving. In this case, a towed caravan was turning into a street and did not see the bike coming or taking over. Police said that if he was driving between 40mph and 60mph he could have avoided the accident. There were no tire marks. The coroner announced Nicholas Leighton was an experienced motorcycle driver.

Josh Hayes (Yamaha YZF R1) wins at 2011 AMA Pro Road America provisonal

Wow. Anytime my bike does win I am elated. Graves Yamaha Team rider Josh Hayes won the provisional qualifying - and get this - even after running off the track in the dirt, falling on his shoulder and not feeling to well in his stomach during the session AND facing a headwind!! WoW! his time was 2:12.869

Yamaha R1 Rules!

Importance of correct tire inflation pressure on sportbikes

For about a month or so, my Yamaha R1 sportbike felt like driving soft, and I didn't think much of it, knowing it had to do with the tires not being adequately inflated, I thought to myself, heck, the roads here are pretty bad, I don't want to be shaken up by hard tires, so I left it like that.

The consequences of having the wrong tire inflation pressure:

- I noticed that I had to tank more often
- I had to watch out taking curves, felt like I was touching the rims on the ground, having to correct by countersteering (dangerous)
- bike has tendency to swerve

This morning by the gas station, I decided to fill up some air in the tires, 35psi pressure on the front, 45 psi pressure on the rear tire. MAN! When I drove off the gas station lot, I was like having the feeling of being a 5 year old child not knowing how to ride a bicycle. The bike was superstraight and hard, but my brain had a hard time registering the difference of change. I drove like 10 miles to the gas station, subconsciously driving so to speak, and after the tire inflation, my subconscious driving processor (for lack of words) couldn't handle the ride and I was like scared and driving very slowly, my subconscious has to re-learn the bike, it is such a BIG difference. Amazing.

So, guys, always keep your tire pressure in check.

Have to buy a new chain and sprocket set for the R1

There were some rainy days, and I always neglected my chain. Results are after rain, the chain gets rusty and of course, as you use the bike, it abrades and before you know it, your chain gets longer and longer...

I adjusted my rear wheel already to the maximum end, and still, my chain is now sliding over the rear wheel swing arm (ouch!) High time to buy that chain. I don't have to buy a chain/sprocket kit, but I might just as well do this when the old chain is off and while I undertake this job.

Changing the chain will give me the possibility to choose a lighter chain, and play with the gear ratios buy maybe choosing a teeth less on the front and 2 more on the back sprocket. I am riding on a Caribbean island, hitting the max speed here is not possible. I need max torque. I want to beat the juiced gixxers and hayabusas :-)

The slipping clutch is kinda interesting

You know, the clutch is slipping with full open throttle at around 6-7000 rpms, and in a way I kinda like it. It is like I am purposely clutching by hand to rev the engine higher up, but I'm not. So now, when I'm taking over cars, full throttle, slight release (to get some clutch traction) I am hitting that max torque range.

I'm just afraid that I will burn the clutch friction plates. Didn't have time yet to check the oil level.