I too thought the R1 was King until I bought a 98 Fireblade. The handling is better and as for the build quality, well the Blade is finished to a better standard, the Yam is just a bit cheesy in comparison. Went for a blast with my R1 riding mate the other day and blew him into the weeds! You live and learn, don´t always beleive the hype! Happy riding.