Yamaha R1 First Ride
Well the snow is finally melting to the point you can ride again. I got out last weekend and will be riding to work starting tomorrow. Just thought I’d throw up some quick first impressions because I remember how much I enjoyed reading about supersport experiences of FZ6 riders.
Well, how do I explain it? It isn’t fast. It isn’t really fast. It is so bat**** insane fast that it is going to take me a bit more time to explore WOT. You accelerate in 4th gear at illegal speeds on the highway with the same gut-wrench you feel in the sweet spot on the FZ6 in first gear after a gearing change to beef up the bottom gears.
And speed limits? Seriously, the only way you can stay anywhere close to the limit is by picking a car to follow and maintaining a distance. With no traffic to use for reference, the thing just breezes through the first 120kph. And I do mean “breezes”. It is effortless. The bike doesn’t break a sweat, and since it is so casual about it, you yourself don’t notice your speed. Coming down a ramp merging onto a highway a glance downward ALWAYS had me going “holy ****” *roll off throttle as I brought it back down from 150kph. And this is when I was just being fairly casual.
One thing that blows me away is how people START on literbikes.
I will copy paste this from a post I made on the R1 forums in an “R1 as a first bike” thread so I don’t have to re-word it.
Btw I have actually crashed more than 5 times, but I glossed over a couple of the more…foolish ones.
Well the snow is finally melting to the point you can ride again. I got out last weekend and will be riding to work starting tomorrow. Just thought I’d throw up some quick first impressions because I remember how much I enjoyed reading about supersport experiences of FZ6 riders.
Well, how do I explain it? It isn’t fast. It isn’t really fast. It is so bat**** insane fast that it is going to take me a bit more time to explore WOT. You accelerate in 4th gear at illegal speeds on the highway with the same gut-wrench you feel in the sweet spot on the FZ6 in first gear after a gearing change to beef up the bottom gears.
And speed limits? Seriously, the only way you can stay anywhere close to the limit is by picking a car to follow and maintaining a distance. With no traffic to use for reference, the thing just breezes through the first 120kph. And I do mean “breezes”. It is effortless. The bike doesn’t break a sweat, and since it is so casual about it, you yourself don’t notice your speed. Coming down a ramp merging onto a highway a glance downward ALWAYS had me going “holy ****” *roll off throttle as I brought it back down from 150kph. And this is when I was just being fairly casual.
One thing that blows me away is how people START on literbikes.
I will copy paste this from a post I made on the R1 forums in an “R1 as a first bike” thread so I don’t have to re-word it.
I started on one and rode the piss out of it for 3 years. I crashed 5 times in those three years and have no doubt if I started on a literbike I'd be dead or alive and terrified of riding. 1 of those crashes was at a racetrack, 2 of those crashes were because of a grizzly bear, and the other 2 of those crashes were due to poor inputs by the rider on public roads.
I was sensible, smart, cautious, did the safety courses, read the books, practiced in parking lots, practiced when traffic was light, and did a race school.
And now I just bought an R1 and actually took it out for the first time ever last weekend. It was sitting in my garage all winter.
.........and.....in spite of all I've been through in the last 3 years pushing myself trying to learn.....I am still ****ing intimidated by the bike. WOT? hahaha ask me again in 2 months. Right now I'm just trying to ease into this thing.
This is the bit I really want to drive home:
I cannot imagine riding a literbike without the instinctual responses and inputs I have developed in the last three years. I am ECLIPSED as a rider by many of the riders on this board probably, but I know enough to get by.
After 6 months of not riding I was very rusty this past weekend. Here are a couple examples of the responses I am talking about that a new rider simply does not have built-in yet. These are things I noticed myself doing and remember ACTUALLY THINKING to myself "I am so happy I started on an FZ6 before getting an R1."
1) Corner got rough. We have had a very bad winter and potholes are worse than I have ever seen in my life. I am talking third world country ****. Response instinct: Hovering ever so gently off the seat by putting my weight on the balls of my feet as a corner became rough, then sensing my arms tighten and grip tighten as the corner got sharper and the road got rougher.......instinctually went into "brain STFU, *knees grip tighter*arms loosen*dive dive dive into corner with body loose and guiding bike. That was about 20 minutes into the first ride on Saturday. Noob rider on R1 would have "failed to negotiate the corner".
2) Cold day Saturday. Had to pass someone to merge into traffic. Bit of water on road from melting snow. Rear spun around and I went nowhere but sideways. Eased of throttle (already an instinctual response) but then here is where the real instinct happened: bike "shimmied" as the rear caught traction again and without thinking I gripped with knees and all but let go of the handlebars as I loosened my grip as I continued to apply steady but ever so gently diminishing throttle. Noob rider on an R1 WILL experience tire spin as he hamfists the throttle. But he will chop the throttle when the rear grips again. Then he will fall on the ground. Then he will hold his hands up to his face as a semi-truck tries desparately to miss him. Does the truck miss him? Sometimes.
3) This was ****ing epic. I was thrilled at the experience. I rolled on to pass someone on a highway and the front end lifted ever so modestly and came down just a bit out of alignment and the bike shimmied again. Again...same instinct response as #2 there. But this happened at highway speeds and I carried on and passed the offending vehicles holding me up without incident.
Btw #2 actually happened again immediately after as I tried again to accelerate. Exact same thing. Second time the rear came out a bit further actually. The second time I genuinely puckered up something fierce. Great sphincter workout.
I learned in my first day of riding the Yamaha R1 essentially this:
"HOLY MOTHER OF ****"
Btw I have actually crashed more than 5 times, but I glossed over a couple of the more…foolish ones.