Maybe I'm biased,because I own an R1, but I definately think the Yam is the better bike. Duke's look great, but they are a nightmare to live with, high maintenance bills, questionable reliability, expensive to buy.
If you have the money, and dont ride often the Duke is certainly an option, but if you want a bike that is hassle free and 99% better than most riders are capable of using, the R1 is perfect.
As for performance, there are not many people who can ride either any where near the bikes capabilities, an R1 will do 105 mph in first gear, and corner way faster than most would dare.
