Is the R1 a bad beginner bike?

[MattH]

Hi everybody, my name is Matt H, I am 22 and I started riding two months ago. I have been crazy about motorcycles ever since high school but I never could of afforded one because I was so broke.

Anyways, I went to the dealer two months ago and I was in awe with the 2006 R1. The bike looked a little big but the dealer said, "It will take you a few weeks to get the basic skills down, but after that, you will have a blast on your bike, if you are careful with it, you will do just fine." He was very cajole but I took it because I did not want to upgrade any lower bike because of money constraints.

However, all I used my bike for was to commute and I was never really into the bike until just a few days ago because I rode on and off for the past two months. To really get into my bike, I bought a pair of hiking boots and a leather jacket from goodwill.




But something seems to be wrong, I have been reading through the forums and it seems like even the R6 or GSXR 600 type seems to be a bad beginner bike? There is a post that says no beginner should get a 600 +CC sportbike.

(It also seems to me that some people on this forum flame beginners for not having adequate knowledge on bikes. Don't flame me, I do not know anything about bikes or bike related material..)

I have never crashed but I am beginning to dispise the dealer who sold me this bike. My commutes to and from school can be very difficult sometimes because I cannot shift past second gear because the RPM's are very low and often stalls.. The front wheel is always coming off the ground and the brakes are very harsh on me.


So my question is, does the R1 qualify as a bike that beginners should not get? If so, why did the dealer sell me this bike? I believe there were many of the R6 models that I could have gotten but still, I am becoming very angry because it gets very bad gas mileage and sometimes can be almost dangerously difficult to control. Or are all my bikes like this? If it is, the world of motorcycling seems to be not as it seems.


Thanks, Matt

[Sev]

Yeah, definately not a beginner bike. And he probably makes commission.

10% on a $15000 bike > 10% on a $12000 bike (random numbers off the top of my head).

I'm not sure what you're going to do now, but be bloody careful with that thing. Yes that bike is tough to control, it's meant to be raced - meaning it's meant to be ridden at the edge of disaster by someone who knows exactly what they're doing.

I'd advise winterizing that one, and buying an old small POS bike to spend a couple months on. It will be far easier to learn on that.

[Fast Eddy B]

An R1 is like getting on an angry bull for a trail ride. Why not try a horse?

You can probably sell the R1, get most of your money back, and get a standard type bike like a Suzuki SV650, a Honda 599 (do they have those in the US?) or something similar.

Is this for real?

[MattH]

Yeah, definately not a beginner bike. And he probably makes commission.

10% on a $15000 bike > 10% on a $12000 bike (random numbers off the top of my head).

I'm not sure what you're going to do now, but be bloody careful with that thing. Yes that bike is tough to control, it's meant to be raced - meaning it's meant to be ridden at the edge of disaster by someone who knows exactly what they're doing.

I'd advise winterizing that one, and buying an old small POS bike to spend a couple months on. It will be far easier to learn on that.

Thanks for the advice. I am not sure what the term "winterizing" or "POS" means though.

Hey, but the problem is I am financing this bike over the period of three years. I think the smart thing would of been to span it over a period of just one year. I would consider getting another bike but I have no money. I am currently paying about $400 per month after a 3 grand down pay, so I cannot really sell the bike as of now... Any suggestions?

I damn near hate the bike for commutes and would rather much prefer the R1's little brother, the R6 type, or any bike that is better for commuting. I have never gone past third gear because the third gear easily would go over 100 miles per hour. The first gear on the R1 can easily handle all commuting. For commuting, I have to use little bursts of power here and there. (its quite annoying)

[storysunfolding]

+1. Find another bike to spend some time on for awhile and then slowly work back onto this one.

That's like taking an 8 year old and putting them in a formula one car.

The bikes throttle, brakes and handling are setup to be very responsive to small changes. Something designed for an experienced rider. It is very unforgiving and you don't haven't refined the delicate control needed to safely pilot that motorcycle.

And yes it will get bad mileage. Your scoot is made for speed and not much else. It's not an ideal commuter in any sense of the word. An R6 would have been equally as bad. At the level your at you won't really notice a performance difference between an R1 or an R6 until you're well above the speed limit

You're also sadly lacking in gear from what your post reads. Stitching in a normal leather jacket isn't nearly as strong as stitching in a m/c jacket. They are also fitted to not ride up and many have armor to protect you in a fall.

[Big B]

the r1 is definitely a bike that beginners should not get, it's a lot more powerful than an r6 and a beginner has no business on one of those either
yes, technically you can learn on one, but it's not something any responsible rider should attempt

edited for a whoopsie

[Lion_Lady]

I have never crashed but I am beginning to dispise the dealer who sold me this bike. My commutes to and from school can be very difficult sometimes because I cannot shift past second gear because the RPM's are very low and often stalls.. The front wheel is always coming off the ground and the brakes are very harsh on me.

So my question is, does the R1 qualify as a bike that beginners should not get? If so, why did the dealer sell me this bike? I believe there were many of the R6 models that I could have gotten but still, I am becoming very angry because it gets very bad gas mileage and sometimes can be almost dangerously difficult to control. Or are all my bikes like this? If it is, the world of motorcycling seems to be not as it seems.

Thanks, Matt

I'm despising your dealer too.

why did the dealer sell me this bike?

Obviously, he only saw the $$$ flying over your head and into his pocket.
He completely ignored the likely outcome for YOU: This hating the bike and having no fun at something that you've been dreaming about. You are quite lucky you haven't wrapped yourself around a parked car or worse, on that hungry machine. Props to you for steely control and level headedness.

Smart dealers see new customers as continuing income with regular upgrades over years. NOT fast cash now and if they die, not my problem.

Unlike in Europe, where a graduated motorcycle licensing system is the LAW. There is no law in the US that limits what you may purchase. The only limiter is how much you can afford to put down in cash or finance. And how much motorcycle you can afford to insure.

I'd say that you've proven why we continually say a Race Replica bike is NO beginner bike. Unfortunately, in the US, it is BUYER beware, and you should have listened to US, not the 'salesB00B.'

You've got an option, or two: Try to trade that mcahine back to the dealer for something small and managable. Sell it at a loss and start saving up for a more suitable beginner bike. OR maybe you can find someone who wants to TRADE a smaller bike for the one you're stuck with... Craigslist is your friend.

Pam

[JCS]

The salesman that sold you the bike was concerned with one thing and it was not putting you on a good bike to learn the necessary skills for survival.

My two cents. Park the bike or sell it. Get yourself into a riders course. Get yourself some good gear. Helmet, gloves, good jacket, riding pants. Your hiking boots will get you by for a while but you want real boots. Plan on spending a grand or so just on gear. If you shop you can get by for less but be careful what you get. Don't go to the malls or Goodwill for good gear.

Go find a much smaller less sharp focused bike to learn on. Even the 600 sport bikes are not good for a beginner.

Your insurance will be much lower, too. You do have insurance, right?

The R1 is a great bike. It is also one of the worst bikes out there for someone just trying to learn to ride. There are many bikes that would work much better for a college student commuting that the R1.

No flames here but you've been had. Good luck.

[Nalian]

If you put 3 G's down and it's only been a few months than you still have equity in the bike and you can trade it with no money out of pocket for something more reasonable. You'll lose a bit of $ through the trade but it'll be worth it to get something more reasonable that you'll be able to enjoy.

[Custom]

wow i only got a 1000 this year. and i've been riding for 2 years on the street and a long time off road. i would say the samething every one else is saying sell it if you can and get a smaller bike.