Yamaha R1 Toprak's limited edition brakes Brembo

1/24/2022

The Toprak Razgatlioglu Yamaha R1 World Championship Replica, created to celebrate the Turkish winner of the SBK 2021 Championship, is equipped with Brembo brakes

2021 was a memorable year for Yamaha: the brand with three diapasons conquered the MotoGP, the Superbike World Championship and the Supersport World Championship. However, unlike in the MotoGP, the Japanese manufacturer scored a hat-trick in the two standard production-derived bike categories, winning the Drivers', Manufacturers' and Teams' titles.

In the Supersport 600, this result was somewhat predicable - the R6 has been head and shoulders above its rivals for years. However, the Superbike hat-trick was rather more unexpected, not least because a Yamaha rider had not won the title since 2009, when American Ben Spies rose to the top spot.

And to celebrate Toprak Razgatlioglu's triumph in the standard production-derived series, an R1 Replica has been created. The fruit of the collaboration between Yamaha Motor Europe and Crescent Yamaha - with a new team identity which goes by the name of Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK - a total of 21 units of this bike have been produced, in homage to the year it celebrates.

The Crescent Racing Pro Shop is responsible for the setup of the bike, drawing on its six years of experience in managing Yamaha's official team in the Superbike World Championship. The power of this model has been increased by around 20 horsepower compared to a standard R1, delivering a total of almost 208 horsepower to the wheels.

Meanwhile, the weight of the bike has been slashed by 26 kg, taking the R1 to under 175 kg, all fluids included - a major saving that improves acceleration and handling, along with the Ohlins suspension and the M7RS Genesi forged aluminum wheels made by Marchesini, a Brembo Group brand.

To keep this wild beast under control - and perhaps to attempt to imitate the famous stoppies that Toprak is known for - Brembo was the only choice for the braking system, as per the solution fitted on the World Superbike machine ridden by the 2021 world champion, even if the specifications of the two bikes differ from one another.

The Toprak Razgatlioglu Yamaha R1 World Championship Replica boasts all the Brembo components from the Upgrade program: GP4RX calipers, 19RCS Corsa Corta master cylinder and 320 mm T-Drive front discs with a thickness of 5.5 mm.

The GP4RX billet-machined caliper body consists of two mechanically-connected pieces. Special attention has been dedicated to the quest for high values in terms of braking power and rigidity, which are obtained courtesy of the meticulous design and use of carefully selected raw materials.

The hydraulic system consists of 4 pistons with a diameter of 32 mm, which increase braking power and modulability. The pads slide along special guides within the body of the caliper itself, enabling the pad pins to be eliminated altogether.

The Corsa Corta 19RCS radial master cylinder allows the rider to adapt the position of the braking "bite point", in order to achieve the desired ride feel, by means of a selector located on the top of the master cylinder which is thus very easily accessible. The driver can therefore adjust the free play of the brake master cylinder.

There are three ride modes available to the driver: Normal, with a more gradual braking bite point, Race, which provides extremely direct and precise control very similar to that seen on racing bikes, and Sport, which offers a balance of modulability and responsiveness.

The T-Drive disc is characterized by the eight T-pins machined into the disc and the eight recesses on the bell of the braking torque transfer system, with a guillotine coupling system, which replace the traditional cylindrical bushing drive system.

These solutions enable both radial and axial floatation, offering improved resistance to thermo-mechanical stresses, especially in extreme usage conditions, such as during track sessions. In addition to this, the mass is lower than that of a conventional disc, with obvious rideability advantages.

These elements lend particular value to this R1, but the final price of the bike also includes a pass for two people to attend a 2022 World Championship race, with a visit to the pit and the chance to spend some time with Toprak. If we were you, we’d ask him how he manages to brake so hard!