Just rode the new R1!

[13]

This past Saturday I picked up my cousins brand new R1 (his first bike). Holy crap! This bike is evil! What a scary top end rush! I've never been on a bike that could hold the front wheel 2 inches off the ground through 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear! What a blast! Boy was he pissed that I got the first ride . I rode with him a few times this weekend, he wasn't too scary on it. I think I'll be trading in the superhawk over the winter for something new. Hee hee. Any suggestions?

[ChR1s]

Hopefully Yamaha will find a way to rid that bike of its ridiculous midrange bog for 'O6.

[ancosta]

You say his 1st bike, hopefully that doesn't mean 1st time rider. If he is, good luck & god bless

[chr|s sedition]

Originally posted by ancosta
You say his 1st bike, hopefully that doesn't mean 1st time rider. If he is, good luck & god bless

if it *is* his firs ride...tell him to read this:
_______________________
One of the most common questions new sport bike riders have is, "What kind
of sport bike should I get?" This question is asked so often that I have
created a standardized response to it. Please keep in mind that these are
the views and opinions of one person (albeit countless other also hold
them). I would encourage both new and veteran riders to give me feedback as
to how this information could be conveyed in a more concise, clear, and
illuminating manner. With that said, on we go...
Getting ANY modern 600cc sport bike for a first ride is a bad idea (far,
far, far worse is a 1000cc bike for a first ride.) In fact, it may be
nothing more than an expensive form of suicide. Here are a few reasons why.
1. Knowledge of Subject Matter
When anyone starts something new they find themselves at the
most basic point of the "beginner's mind". This is to say that they are at
the very start of the learning curve. They are not even aware of what it is
that they don't know. A personal example of this is when I began Shotokan
Karate. The first day of class I had no idea what an "inside-block" was, let
alone how to do it with correct form, power, and consistency. After some
time, and a lot of practice, I could only then realize how bad my form
really was. Then, and only then, was I able to begin the process of
improving it. I had to become knowledgeable that inside-blocks even existed
before I was aware that I couldn't do them correctly. It takes knowledge OF
something in order to understand how that something works, functions,
performs, etc. Now lets return to the world of motorcycles. A beginner has
NO motorcycle experience. They are not even aware of the power, mistakes,
handling, shifting, turning dynamics etc. of any bike, let alone a high
performance sport bike. Not only do they lack the SKILL of how to ride a
motorcycle, they also lack the knowledge of WHAT skills they need to learn.
Acquiring those skills comes only with experience and learning from your
mistakes. As one moves through the learning curve they begin to amass new
information...they also make mistakes. A ton of them.
2. The Learning Curve
While learning to do something, you make mistakes. Without
mistakes the learning process is impossible. A mistake on a sport bike can
be fatal. The thing new riders need to learn above anything else is smooth
throttle control, proper speed, and how to lean going into turns. A 600cc
bike can reach 60mph in about 3 to 5 seconds. A simple beginners mishap with
that much power and torque can cost you your life (or a few limbs) before
you even knew what happened. Grab a handful of throttle going into a turn
and you may end up crossing that little yellow line on the road into
on-coming traffic...**shudder**. Bikes that are more forgiving of mistakes
are far safer (not to mention, more fun) to learn on.
Ask yourself this question; in which manner would you rather
learn to walk on tightropes A) with a 4x4 board that is 2 feet off the
ground B) with a wire that is 20 feet off the ground? Most sensible people
would choose "A". The reason why is obvious. Unfortunately safety concerns
with a first motorcycle aren't as apparent as they are in the example above.
However, the wrong choice of what equipment to learn on can be just as
deadly, regardless of how safe, careful, and level-headed you intend to be.
3. "But I will be safe, responsible, and level-headed while
learning".
Sorry, but this line of reasoning doesn't cut it. To be safe
you also need SKILL (throttle control, speed, leaning, etc). Skill comes
ONLY with experience. To gain experience you must ride in real traffic, with
real cars, and real dangers. Before that experience is developed, you are
best suited with a bike that won't severely punish you for minor mistakes. A
cutting edge race bike is not one of these bikes.
Imagine someone saying, "I want to learn to juggle, but I'm
going to start by learning with chainsaws. But don't worry. I intend go
slow, be careful, stay level-headed, and respect the power of the chainsaws
while I'm learning". Like the tightrope example above, the proper route here
isn't hard to see. Be "careful" all you want, go as "slow" as you want, be
as "cautious" as you want, be as "respectful" as you want...your still
juggling chainsaws! The "level-headed" thing to do in this situation is NOT
start with chainsaws. Without a foundation in place of HOW to juggle there
is only a small level of safety you can aspire towards. Plain and simple,
it's just better to learn juggling with tennis balls than it with chainsaws.
The same holds true for learning to ride a motorcycle. Start with a solid
foundation in the basics, and then move up. Many people say that "maturity"
will help you be safe with motorcycles. They are correct. However, maturity
has NOTHING to do with riding a motorcycle (that is where skill takes over).
Maturity is what you SHOULD use when deciding what kind of bike to buy.
4. "I Don't Want A Bike I'll Outgrow" Please. Did your Momma
put you in size 9 shoes at age 2? Get with the program. It is far better to
maximize the performance of a smaller motorcycle and get "bored" with it
than it is to mess-up your really fast bike (not mention messing yourself
up) and not being able to ride at all. Power is nothing without control.
5. "I don't want to waste money on a bike I'll only have for a
short period of time" (i.e. cost) Smaller, used bikes have and retain good
resale value. This is because other sane people will want them as learner
bikes. You'll prolly be able to sell a used learner bike for as much as you
paid for it. If you can't afford to upgrade in a year or two, then you
definitely can't afford to wreck the bike your dreaming about. Most new
riders drop bikes going under 20MPH, when the bike is at its most unstable
periods. If you drop your brand new bike, fresh off the showroom floor,
while your learning (and you will), you've just broken a directional,
perhaps a brake or clutch lever, cracked / scrapped the fairings ($300.00
each to replace), messed-up the engine casing, messed-up the bar ends, etc.
It's better and cheaper to drop a crappy bike that you don't care about than
one you just spent $8,500 on. Fortunately, most of these types of accidents
do not result in serious physical injury. It's usually just a big dent in
your pride and...

6. EGO. Worried about looking like chump on a smaller bike?
Well, your gonna look like the biggest idiot ever on your brand new, but
messed-up, 2005 bike after you've dropped it a few times. You'll also look
really dumb with a badass race bike that you stall 15 times at a red light
before you can get into gear. Or even better, how about a nice 2005 R6 that
you can't ride more than 15mph around a turn because you don't know how to
counter-steer correctly? Yeah, your gonna be really cool with that bike,
huh? Any real rider would give you props for going about learning to ride
the *correct* way (i.e. on a learner bike). If you're stressed about
impressing someone with a "cool" bike, or embarrassed about being on smaller
bike, then your not "mature enough" to handle the responsibility of ANY
motorcycle. Try a bicycle. After you've grow-up ("matured"), revisit the
idea of something with an engine.

7. "Don't ask advice if you don't want to hear the answers".
A common pattern:
1. "Dick" asks for advice on a 1st bike (Dick
wants to hear certain answers)
2. Experienced rider's advice Dick against a
600cc bike for a first ride (This is not what Dick wanted to hear).
3. Dick says and thinks, "Others mess up while
learning, but that wont happen to me" (As if Dick is some how invincible,
holds superpowers, never makes mistakes, has a 'level head', or for some
reason has a skill set that exceeds the majority of the world, etc).
4. Experienced riders explain why a 'level
head' isn't enough. You also need SKILL, which can ONLY be gained via
experience. (Dick, for some reason, thinks he has innate motorcycle skills)
5. Dick makes up excuses as to why he is
"mature" enough to handle a 600cc bike". (Skill drives motorcycles, not
maturity)
6. Dick, as a total newbie with no knowledge
about motorcycles, totally disregards all the advice he asked for in the
first place. (Which brings us right back to the VERY FIRST point I made
about "knowledge of subject matter").
7. Dick goes out and buys a R6, CBR, GSX, 6R,
etc (Dick is scared of the power. Being scared of your bike is the LAST
thing you want. Dick gets turned-off to motorcycles, because of fear, and
never gets to really experience all the fun that they truly can be. Or
worse, Dick gets in a serious accident. Dick was actually never really
looking for serious advice anyway. What he was really seeking was validation
and approval of a choice he was about to make or had already consciously
made. When he received real advice instead of validation he became defensive
about his ability to handle a modern sport bike for a new ride. Validation
of a poor decision isn't going to replace scratched bodywork on your bike.
It isn't going put broken bones back together. It isn't going graft shredded
skin back onto your body. It isn't going to teach you to ride a motorcycle
the correct way. However, solid advice from experienced riders (when heeded)
can help to avoid some of these problems)
I'm not trying to be harsh. I'm being real. Look all over
the net. You'll see veteran after veteran telling new riders NOT to get a
600cc bike for a first ride. You'll even see pros saying to start small.
Why? Because we hate new riders? Because we don't want others to have cool
bikes? Because we want to smash your dreams? Nothing could be further from
the truth. The more riders the better (assuming there not squids)! The
reason people like me and countless others spend so much time trying to
dissuade new riders from 600cc bikes is because we actually care about you.
We don't want to see people get hurt. We don't want to see more people die
in senseless accidents that could have been totally avoided with a little
logic and patients. We want the "sport" to grow in a safe, healthy, and sane
way. We WANT you to be around to ride that R6, CBR600RR, GSX-1000, Habayasu,
etc that you desire so badly. However, we just want you to be able to ride
it in a safe manner that isn't going to be a threat to yourself or others. A
side note, you may see people on the net and elsewhere saying "600cc bike
are OK to start with". Look a bit deeper when you see this. The vast
majority of people making these statements are new riders themselves. If you
follow their advice you've entered into a situation of the blind leading the
blind. This is not something you want to do with motorcycles. You may also
hear bike dealers saying that a 600cc is a good starter bike. They are
trying to make money off you. Don't listen.
8. HELP IS ON THE WAY!!!
Speaking of help, this is a great time to plug the MSF
(Motorcycle Safety Foundation) course. The MSF course is an AMAZING learning
opportunity for new riders. The courses are offered all over the USA. A link
for their web site is listed at the bottom of this post (or do a Goggle
search and check you local RMV web page.). The MSF course assumes no prior
knowledge of motorcycles and teaches the basics of how to ride a bike with
out killing yourself (and NO, just because you passed the MSF course it dose
NOT mean your ready for an R6, GSX, CBR, etc). They provide motorcycles and
helmets for the course. It is by far THE BEST way to start your life-long
relationship with motorcycles. In some areas if you pass the course your
motorcycle license will then be directly mailed to you. This means that you
DON'T HAVE TO GO TO THE RMV, AT ALL!!!). That alone should be enough reason
to take the course. Also, in some states you will get a discount on your
insurance after you've taken the course. But wait, there is more! Some
manufactures (Honda, Yamaha, etc) offer rebates if you take the course and
then buy one of their bikes. Check their web sites / local dealers for
details. I can't plug the MSF course enough. It the best deal going for new
riders. Period.
By the way, the short answer to the question, "What should I
get for a first bike?" is as follows;
1. First choice, a used bike that is 500cc or
under. A new 500cc bike is good, but it would suck if you dropped it. Plus,
it will depreciate in value the second you drive off the dealers parking
lot...not good when you want to resell it for that brand new R6, GSX600,
CBR600, etc.
2. Any used OLDER 600cc sport bike (like
1980's, early 1990's).
3. Go here
http://www.clarity.net/adam/buying-bike.html for the most compressive guide
on "how to buy a used bike" that has ever been written.
Good "sport" type bikes for a first ride are
as follows:
Honda: early 1990's Honda F2, F3, F4, 599
Kawasaki: Ninja 250cc, Ninja 500cc, early
1990's ZX-6E or ZZR600.
Suzuki: GS500E, early 1990's Katana 600cc,
SV650*, SV650s*
Yamaha: early 1990's Yamaha YZF600R*

*Suzuki's SV650 and Yamaha's YZF-600R can be
quite a handful for a new rider, but they can also make great bikes.
4. Any other used "standard" style motorcycle.
Also, a GREAT book to check out is "The Complete Idiot's
Guide to Motorcycles, 3rd edition". The 3rd edition was just published in
summer of 2005, so it may not be on the shelves yet. The book coves
everything from picking out a first bike, simple repair, anatomy of an
engine, how to buy a used bike, riding gear, tips for surviving on the road,
racing, etc. You can check this book out almost any major bookstore,
www.amazon.com, or www.idiotsguides.com MY ADAVICE FOR ANYONE LOOKING TO GET
INTO MOTORCYCLES WOULD BE TO BUY THIS BOOK AND READ IT COVER TO COVER ABOUT
2 OR 3 TIMES. AFTER YOU HAVE DONE THAT, THEN TAKE THE MSF COURSE. You'll go
into the course with some great information that will greatly enrich and
hasten your learning experience. It will also give you a HUGE advantage on
the written test at the conclusion of the MSF course. Trust me on this one,
buy the book. At the very least, go hang out at Barnes & Nobel for an
afternoon and read as much of the book as you can until they kick you out of
the store.
I hope this information was helpful, and feel free to email me with any
questions. Oh! I haven't even mentioned riding gear. Get it. Wear it. People
who wear tank tops, flip-flops, and shorts while riding don't look so cool
when it comes time for a skin-graft (or when a bee goes up their shorts).
Dress for the crash, not the ride.

A number of people have emailed me recently and asked the following
question, "I have ridden a friends street bike a few times, and grew up
riding off-road bikes. With this history, would I be OK on a modern 600cc
bike?". The answer is "No". Off-road and street riding are totally different
worlds. Granted, someone with off-road history knows things like shift
patterns, how to use a clutch, etc but the power, weight, and handling of
street bikes is a different ball game altogether.

-chr|s sedition
Boston, MA
chris.sedition@gmail.com
www.msf-usa.org (web site for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation)
Contributors to Content
"Drewser600" / Sportrider
"Z_Fanatic" / sbw.sportbikes
"Ancosta" / NESR
"Tevo" / Sportrider
Thanks guys!

[ChrisNoF4i]

Originally posted by ancosta
You say his 1st bike, hopefully that doesn't mean 1st time rider. If he is, good luck & god bless

[sandman]

what mid range bog?

oh ya, i don't use the midrange on that bike

8-13k works great for me

Originally posted by ChR1s
Hopefully Yamaha will find a way to rid that bike of its ridiculous midrange bog for 'O6.

[ancosta]

Originally posted by ChrisNoF4i

Hey at least I gave the truncated version of Chris' post (edit: I didn't realize I was an acknowledged 'contributor' to that how-to article!)

I'd love to try a ride on a 1000 SS bike myself, I am curious as to what it is like.

[OreoGaborio]

Originally posted by ancosta
I'd love to try a ride on a 1000 SS bike myself, I am curious as to what it is like.

zee ferhst tyme you rieed zee wahn thousand eets like ffffffFFAHK!

[13]

It is, Valentino! It is! Just like FFFFFAAHKK! 8K to redline is very fun!