Yamaha R1 First Ride

[lonesoldier84]

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.

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.

 

[2006_FZ6]

WOW!!! Ride safe!

 

[dstaffx]

You have to explain crashing due to grizzly bears more.

And yea the R1 is a beast. My mate has one and any excuse and I'm "lets just swap bikes for the next section!"

 

[Erci]

So what you're saying is.. this bike is perfect for street use and 65mph hwy speed limits? :BLAA:

j/k.. enjoy it and be safe out there!

 

[Motogiro]

Uh huh! Uh huh!:BLAA::BLAA:

 

[gpostarmy]

You have to explain crashing due to grizzly bears more.

And yea the R1 is a beast. My mate has one and any excuse and I'm "lets just swap bikes for the next section!"

yes please explain two crashes due to grizzly beers. I mean deer are bad enough, a frickin bear, lets hope that they never came over to find out if you were ok afterward.

 

[Sparkybean]

Ha ha Grizzly Beers

 

[dantow]

Bears! Its bad enough on the country roads here with kangaroos but at least if you hit one it doesn't come and eat you for it!

 

[dstaffx]

Bears! Its bad enough on the country roads here with kangaroos but at least if you hit one it doesn't come and eat you for it!

If you hit a leprechaun over here and he survives he'll steal your bike and sells it for scrap metal. The law is very strong on leprechaun rights. There is nothing you can do about it. Thats where they get all their gold from you know, scrap metal.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Speaking of bears, Lone....you still owe us a trip report from your westcoast adventure last year.

 

[nextfriday]

thank you for reassuring my decision to why i will never own a liter bike in sport attire:thumbup:. A monster 796 makes so much more sense to me.

 

[mcteague]

I went to a Yamaha demo last Summer in hopes of trying the FZ1 they said would be there. It was not. So, as someone had already taken the R6 I agreed to test the R1. Now, this would be my first ride on a repli-racer and it was going to be the freakin' R1. I was a bit nervous to say the least.

The demo was a follow-the-leader group ride. That meant I had to sus out the bike and keep my place in the group while riding on unfamiler roads. Just a bit nervous.

Anyway, first impression was that I would not be able to hold the agressive riding position for long. Actually, it was not bad for the 20 min ride. What I did notice was a shuddering feeling in 1st gear. I had to slip the clutch to calm it down. When given gas things got better but I soon rocketed up to the rider in front. I never got out of 2nd gear!

On the one occasion when they really sped up I cracked the throttle and holy crap did it jump. The combination of speed and that great sound made me think "oh, so that is what this is made for". So, great on a track but how the hell can you get more than 10% of what you pay for without going to jail?

One more thing, the thing just about cooked my crotch, talk about a HOT bike.

Tim

 

[Motogiro]

I went to a Yamaha demo last Summer in hopes of trying the FZ1 they said would be there. It was not. So, as someone had already taken the R6 I agreed to test the R1. Now, this would be my first ride on a repli-racer and it was going to be the freakin' R1. I was a bit nervous to say the least.

The demo was a follow-the-leader group ride. That meant I had to sus out the bike and keep my place in the group while riding on unfamiler roads. Just a bit nervous.

Anyway, first impression was that I would not be able to hold the agressive riding position for long. Actually, it was not bad for the 20 min ride. What I did notice was a shuddering feeling in 1st gear. I had to slip the clutch to calm it down. When given gas things got better but I soon rocketed up to the rider in front. I never got out of 2nd gear!

On the one occasion when they really sped up I cracked the throttle and holy crap did it jump. The combination of speed and that great sound made me think "oh, so that is what this is made for". So, great on a track but how the hell can you get more than 10% of what you pay for without going to jail?

One more thing, the thing just about cooked my crotch, talk about a HOT bike.

Tim

Yes the 09 and up R1s with crossplane crank engines are geared tall so you slip n go out of the hole. You'll tend to shudder when getting used to it coming from a lower geared bike. Adding an aftermarket exhaust helps cool the bike a little.

 

[lonesoldier84]

Haha, awesome. Love the reactions.

And Kenny, I have it more than half-written and the images are uploaded. I have just been crazy busy this winter with work and school taking up all of my time and the gym taking up the rest of it.

I am almost done. It will be a decent post when I finally finish. I did take a bunch of pictures.

 

[krushnuts]

Been buzzing around on mine since last September. I am also sooo glad to spend 3 years on the FZ6 prior to the R1. Had a few wheel spin moments, bumpy/gravelly corners and the like and whilst I still caught my breath, my reflexes held tru and handled it. One extreem example was a total side-ways/opposite lock/slide after giving it some exiting a petrol station (must have picked up some grease) which really tested my metal!! Talk about pucker up moments, it was motox-esque lol

The California Superbike School now offers courses at Queensland Raceway, I'm booked in and absolutely itchin!

Stay upright

 

[lonesoldier84]

Been buzzing around on mine since last September. I am also sooo glad to spend 3 years on the FZ6 prior to the R1. Had a few wheel spin moments, bumpy/gravelly corners and the like and whilst I still caught my breath, my reflexes held tru and handled it. One extreem example was a total side-ways/opposite lock/slide after giving it some exiting a petrol station (must have picked up some grease) which really tested my metal!! Talk about pucker up moments, it was motox-esque lol

The California Superbike School now offers courses at Queensland Raceway, I'm booked in and absolutely itchin!

Stay upright

Haha, brilliant. The Yamaha R1.....exercise equipment for a great sphincter workout!

(btw I think I know where you put your keys now..... ROFL)

 

[Kazza]

Well it's about time we had a ride report for this!

:steve:

:needpics:

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Haha, awesome. Love the reactions.

And Kenny, I have it more than half-written and the images are uploaded. I have just been crazy busy this winter with work and school taking up all of my time and the gym taking up the rest of it.

I am almost done. It will be a decent post when I finally finish. I did take a bunch of pictures.

Good God, it doesn't have to be a 25 chapter book. Or does it? It's been nine months! Come on.

 

[MHS]

I would be relatively ok if I had a liter bike, as I think I'm pretty cautious.

I think I'd be in jail too though - I'd open it up waay too much on the long, straight-ways with no traffic around, which with my luck usually means a cop will be.

However, hearing that sort of power definitely makes me not want a liter bike of the supersport kind.

It seems like, minus those moments, you're having a great time on it!

 

[turbid]

thats a nice summation of your capabilities and those of the R1. that being said i think i would sh*t my pants if i tried to negotiate that gravelly corner with potholes, im getting better on the fz but progress is slow...i dont think i would ever pluck the courage to own an r1 someday