If you want to ask about an "r" bike as a first bike PLEASE do not post ANOTHER new thread about it, just read this, and ask a question, myself or someone else will be glad to answer your questions.
I've been seeing a lot of posts in this forum lately asking about success stories for "R" bikes, and "Im new but I got a gsx-r 1000, is this okay?"... "Is it okay to buy a gsx-r 600 as a first bike"
No. Plain and simple. The stickies in this forum offer you a wealth of information on why this is a bad choice. If you don't feel like reading them, lets break it down for you.
1.) Speed: I'm starting with this one because it's the most popular. Even a gsx-r 600 will out-accelerate, out-turn, and out-brake all but the most heavily modified sports cars (we aren't talking civic here, we're talking like modified corvette, or a modified viper, or maybe a 700hp streetcar). I hear many people saying they may get bored on these bikes. You won't get bored, ever. And it is very difficult to master these bikes by learning on them, they are just too much bike.
2.) Brakes: The brakes on any R bike are race-type brakes. They are made for setting up into corners while travelling very fast. This means, on the street, when you grab even a little bit of brake (as a new rider you make mistakes) you will lock up the wheels. Hope you enjoyed the ride, because it's over.
3.) Throttle: I hear people saying if they are responsible and control the throttle, they will be okay. They will only turn it a quarter turn... Hate to tell you, but a quarter turn is almost if not all the way full-throttle. We are talking 1/16ths of a turn or less for regular acceleration. You have to literally turn this thing by quarter centimeters if you dont want to accelerate hard.
4.) Cost: Insurance, initial investment, and repairs. SVS Posted something about one right-side lower fairing being ~450$. This means you can spend upwards of 1500$ for a low-speed crash. Imagine what happens when you highside and need to replace fairings, clutch/brake lever, bar-ends, etc etc.
5.) Responsiveness: The clip-ons ("handlebars") have a very very limited range of motion compared to what you are used to (if you ride dirt, atv, bicycle, etc). They travel a VERY short arc. This, in turn, means that R-type bikes respond to millimeters in inputs. They are designed to do EXACTLY what they are told, and if you are telling it to do something wrong, it will do it, and it can kill you. These bikes are made to be very nimble with a small input to the clip-ons.
6.) Learning: It is so much easier to learn on a slower bike. You can learn position, throttle control, clutch control, shifting techniques, emergency control situations, collision avoidance, and turn control. On an R bike, you will be watching the throttle, the brakes, and the input you are giving to the bike. You won't be able to leave that as second nature and learn how to whip that bike around.
In conclusion, it doesn't matter if you have ridden dirt for 10 years (I rode dirt for 8 years before I got my first bike; and it is TOTALLY different) or have driven the lingelfelter corvette to taiwan and back. You don't have enough experience for sport bike riding. They are just too powerful. You are not going to be able to deal with it, and you will be a worse rider than you could have been. Everyone thinks they are the exception, you aren't.. Believe me.. If anyone is the exception, they are already professional racers.
I hope I can sway some of you, I know you will do what you want in the end, but know that you are making a big mistake, one that may cost you your life.
I've been seeing a lot of posts in this forum lately asking about success stories for "R" bikes, and "Im new but I got a gsx-r 1000, is this okay?"... "Is it okay to buy a gsx-r 600 as a first bike"
No. Plain and simple. The stickies in this forum offer you a wealth of information on why this is a bad choice. If you don't feel like reading them, lets break it down for you.
1.) Speed: I'm starting with this one because it's the most popular. Even a gsx-r 600 will out-accelerate, out-turn, and out-brake all but the most heavily modified sports cars (we aren't talking civic here, we're talking like modified corvette, or a modified viper, or maybe a 700hp streetcar). I hear many people saying they may get bored on these bikes. You won't get bored, ever. And it is very difficult to master these bikes by learning on them, they are just too much bike.
2.) Brakes: The brakes on any R bike are race-type brakes. They are made for setting up into corners while travelling very fast. This means, on the street, when you grab even a little bit of brake (as a new rider you make mistakes) you will lock up the wheels. Hope you enjoyed the ride, because it's over.
3.) Throttle: I hear people saying if they are responsible and control the throttle, they will be okay. They will only turn it a quarter turn... Hate to tell you, but a quarter turn is almost if not all the way full-throttle. We are talking 1/16ths of a turn or less for regular acceleration. You have to literally turn this thing by quarter centimeters if you dont want to accelerate hard.
4.) Cost: Insurance, initial investment, and repairs. SVS Posted something about one right-side lower fairing being ~450$. This means you can spend upwards of 1500$ for a low-speed crash. Imagine what happens when you highside and need to replace fairings, clutch/brake lever, bar-ends, etc etc.
5.) Responsiveness: The clip-ons ("handlebars") have a very very limited range of motion compared to what you are used to (if you ride dirt, atv, bicycle, etc). They travel a VERY short arc. This, in turn, means that R-type bikes respond to millimeters in inputs. They are designed to do EXACTLY what they are told, and if you are telling it to do something wrong, it will do it, and it can kill you. These bikes are made to be very nimble with a small input to the clip-ons.
6.) Learning: It is so much easier to learn on a slower bike. You can learn position, throttle control, clutch control, shifting techniques, emergency control situations, collision avoidance, and turn control. On an R bike, you will be watching the throttle, the brakes, and the input you are giving to the bike. You won't be able to leave that as second nature and learn how to whip that bike around.
In conclusion, it doesn't matter if you have ridden dirt for 10 years (I rode dirt for 8 years before I got my first bike; and it is TOTALLY different) or have driven the lingelfelter corvette to taiwan and back. You don't have enough experience for sport bike riding. They are just too powerful. You are not going to be able to deal with it, and you will be a worse rider than you could have been. Everyone thinks they are the exception, you aren't.. Believe me.. If anyone is the exception, they are already professional racers.
I hope I can sway some of you, I know you will do what you want in the end, but know that you are making a big mistake, one that may cost you your life.
When your FULLY taking advantage of all the bike has to offer, you'll know. On a smaller bike you'll learn effiecient power management, i.e. when to shift gears, what speed to take corners at, etc. You'll learn how to stop quickly by squeezing the brakes instead of grabbing them, even in panic situations. You'll get the feel of what the tires are telling you, you'll feel them going around the corners and know almost exactly how much traction they have left to spare. You'll be able to feel ever little bit of feedback the front tire is giving you as your taking a corner.
