There have been some changes to the engine’s power output though.  Yamaha have coaxed three additional ponies from the horsepower department for a claimed ram air assisted maximum of 120 at the crankshaft.

This increase has solely been found in the fuel injection system, the rest of the engines internals remain the same as last year.

The throttle bodies have been enlarged from 38mm to 40mm, the air funnels reshaped and the ECU re-tuned. These changes are said to not affect the low and the midrange output, in a full-throttle racetrack situation I wasn’t able to notice any change.

What I did notice was how smooth the engine was, and how quickly it built revs without seeming to have a big power surge anywhere in the range.

The rev limiter shuts the fun down at the 15,500 rpm red line. Peak horsepower is made at 13,000 rpm so there is little to be gained other than watching a tachometer get close to hitting 16,000rpm. Maximum torque remains 49 ft-lbs at 12,000rpm, the same as last year, and the figure is quoted with assistance of the ram air.

In the morning, perhaps when temperatures were cooler and I wasn’t running the engine so high in the rpm, I noticed some abruptness in the fuel injection coming back on the throttle after hard braking. I would like to try the bike on the road to see if this is a problem, or just a hiccup in my particular test bike.