[Gixxervan1000]

It almost seems like more 1k riders go down then any other cc bike that I see on the road right now. Hell all you have to do is read these forums and that is evident. And it also seems evident that the crashes are very much avoidable, yet they happen all too often.

When I worked at a motorcycle shop, I constantly had guys come in and buy 1k's, and then come back a couple weeks later, sometimes a couple months later, with a totaled bike. I work in insurance now....and see it still. Guys added MC's to their policies, and then crashed them soon thereafter, subsequently calling in their claim.

The stories are the same at the shop....wheelie this, endo that, racing this, weaving that. At the insurance company it was always cars, gravel, or something else outside their control.

It occured to me that these guys simply don't know how to ride well enough, mentally and/or physically to own a 1k, and sometimes a bike in general. They think they know how to ride because they can crank the throttle and go fast. But do they ever practice hard stopping from 100 mph where they usually ride at? Do they have a smooth hand or a choppy one? Do they turn with only one input or three? Do they still get chills and ride over their heads on unfamiliar roads?

Riding a bike in general is equated with the skills of a jet pilot, the same thought process is there, and amount of decisions one has to make are done in milliseconds rather then seconds or minutes for some car drivers. Couple this with a 1k's added power and its demand for a smoother and more mature hand....and then ask yourself this question....

Do you feel that you should be riding a 1k? Do you feel that most others should be on 1k's?

Just some food for thought.

 

[SPL170db]

That has more to do with the rider than the "1K".

 

[Gixxer Sack Rider]

good points

i am no motogp racer by any stretch

i enjoy the 1000 better than a 600 simply for the fact that the added torque makes it easier to ride on the street, i dont have to shift as much and it makes riding more enjoyable

and i like to put the hammer down on long straights

i have been riding since i was 11 and i dont race, stunt or any of that stuff

i only got the 1K because there is no 2K yet lol

 

[Gixxer Sack Rider]

yay

 

[Gixxervan1000]

That has more to do with the rider than the "1K".

It does have to do with the rider....that's the point of the post. Keep in mind that the mistake that one makes on the smaller bike that they pull out of cannot always be done on a 1k...

Why should you be riding a 1k if you cant even do the above mentioned? The 1k is well known for bot being a beginners bike, and these skills are basics. IF you are not familiar with the basics....shouldn't be on a 1k.

 

[J-RICH]

for sure the rider

 

[SPL170db]

good points

i am no motogp racer by any stretch

i enjoy the 1000 better than a 600 simply for the fact that the added torque makes it easier to ride on the street, i dont have to shift as much and it makes riding more enjoyable

and i like to put the hammer down on long straights

i have been riding since i was 11 and i dont race, stunt or any of that stuff

i only got the 1K because there is no 2K yet lol

+1

Except I've only been riding since I was 12

 

[superbee]

You can go to a 600 site ie. 600rr.net and see just as many stories about people doing stupid things and going down on the street...

there are alot of people out there riding with their heads up their butts..
it is very easy to go out and buy a bike now that has more HP than any of us need..
I respect the power my bikes have.. then again I want to continue feeding myself and walking and seeing my little girl grow up, I don't think alot of these people realize what they have sitting under them...

+1 for rider responsibility

 

[CrashCrain]

I am going to have too Flame you on this one.

I got my start with my first street bike with a 1200 Bandit. Then went to an FZ1. Then Went to the GSXR1000's. People have to learn at some point so if that is what they are going to end up on they might as well start on one and take it easy untill they learn how to control the beast. It has nothing to do with the bike. It's the Rider.

Now, If you worked at a dealership, and now handle insurance than you obviously KNOW more than the rest of us. NOT, you are just more Judgemental and opinionated than the rest of us.

I am glad you think that you should be on a 1K and most of the rest of us shouldn't be, so why don't you come out to Texas World Speedway this weekend and have some teenagers on 600cc bikes hand your ass to you. Some of them don't even have their drivers liscense yet......

 

[Anthony D]

i think this post should be directed more towards the squids who go out and buy a 1k for their first bike, as opposed to those of us who have been riding for many years, have owned many bikes, and know our own abilities as well as our bikes abilities.

i met a kid this weekend on my ride who went out and bought a brand new yamaha r1 as his first bike, and is afraid to ride it hard because "after 7k rpm it gets scary" (his words at the local diner after the ride). he is the type this post should be directed towards.

as nuk boy said, you seem to think you are the only one who should/can ride a 1k, so i say to you is come out to new york, and i will take you on a ride, and we can see if you are the one who should be on a 1k.

 

[cehowardrx7]

It almost seems like more 1k riders go down then any other cc bike that I see on the road right now. Hell all you have to do is read these forums and that is evident. And it also seems evident that the crashes are very much avoidable, yet they happen all too often.

When I worked at a motorcycle shop, I constantly had guys come in and buy 1k's, and then come back a couple weeks later, sometimes a couple months later, with a totaled bike. I work in insurance now....and see it still. Guys added MC's to their policies, and then crashed them soon thereafter, subsequently calling in their claim.

The stories are the same at the shop....wheelie this, endo that, racing this, weaving that. At the insurance company it was always cars, gravel, or something else outside their control.

It occured to me that these guys simply don't know how to ride well enough, mentally and/or physically to own a 1k, and sometimes a bike in general. They think they know how to ride because they can crank the throttle and go fast. But do they ever practice hard stopping from 100 mph where they usually ride at? Do they have a smooth hand or a choppy one? Do they turn with only one input or three? Do they still get chills and ride over their heads on unfamiliar roads?

Riding a bike in general is equated with the skills of a jet pilot, the same thought process is there, and amount of decisions one has to make are done in milliseconds rather then seconds or minutes for some car drivers. Couple this with a 1k's added power and its demand for a smoother and more mature hand....and then ask yourself this question....

Do you feel that you should be riding a 1k? Do you feel that most others should be on 1k's?

Just some food for thought.

Dam good points!!

Here my take on your good post.

First, I was riding what I would say was the first liter bikes, and that was a 73 Kaw 900, back in 1974. However, IMO, one never gets to master these liter sportbikes, or any true sportbike for that matter, unless they are professional racers, or extremly talented amatuer racers. I am not even close to either one. Up until about 4 weeks ago, I was working on 120,000 crash free miles. Then in the course of 3 weeks, bang, bang, to quick crashes on each bike. I walked away from each with just a scratch on my knee(full gear).

So, should I be on a 1k, and I am a old mo fo too? yes, because my desire is there. I don't do wheelies, I don't hit highways, I like to bang twistees, pure and simple.

Just did my first track day, 3 weeks ago. Yes, that was one of my crashes too..

But, I got right back up, got my bike reteched, and right back out on the track, and blasted past that spot where I crashed at like a bat out of h*ll.

Yeah, you got a lot of posers out there, and a lot of straight liners too. I get a kick out of seeing the 180 mph wheelie guys in my wake at that first or second techical turn. Most of the time, those type don't know whether to chit or go blind when they see a decresing radius turn in their face.

So, it all boils down to what you want. You got the bullchitters, and you got the real riders too. Most of the time, you can tell the bullchitters.. the first clue is, jeans and tennis

When I crashed my 01 gixxer, she had 48,700 miles on the clock. When I crashed my 03 RC51, she had 34,000 miles on the clock. By the way, both crashes were mild lowsides. One from cold tires, and the other from gravel.

This is not a perfect world, wish it was. but as long as we have machines like this, you are going to have those type buyiing them. Freedom of choice doesn't come cheap!!

 

[vortech347]

Exactly why riding experience and age should have more impact on your insurance rates than the engine size in the bike.

Inexperienced riders will crash a faster bike more than they would a slower bike. But those of us that respect the power that the liter bikes and bigger make should not be punished. But we are and insurance companies could care less. They just see loss tables and profit margins.

I can handle my 1K because I know my limitations. I also don't trust street roads enough to push it to the limit. Too many variables out there that you don't have to deal with on a race track.

 

[GixxerBlast]

straight up it depends on the rider and or his stupidity. Anything can happen at any given time!

 

[cfrass66]

i think this post should be directed more towards the squids who go out and buy a 1k for their first bike, as opposed to those of us who have been riding for many years, have owned many bikes, and know our own abilities as well as our bikes abilities.

i met a kid this weekend on my ride who went out and bought a brand new yamaha r1 as his first bike, and is afraid to ride it hard because "after 7k rpm it gets scary" (his words at the local diner after the ride). he is the type this post should be directed towards.

as nuk boy said, you seem to think you are the only one who should/can ride a 1k, so i say to you is come out to new york, and i will take you on a ride, and we can see if you are the one who should be on a 1k.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I will second that comment.

This weekend I was at this Autocross at Nassau Coliseum, some little punk comes up to me and starts yappin(

) his mouth that he has been riding 600's for a few years and just put money down on a new 1k. He then starts checkin out my bike and ask me, "So what’s this lever on the right handlebar?".... Ahhh the front brake u f-in retard

, is what I wanted to say. But decided not to lose my cool and just walk away.
This kid should be the poster child for this post!!!

 

[johnnyblaze]

i
"after 7k rpm it gets scary" (his words at the local diner after the ride)

 

[PackAttack]

Not sure about other area's. But in SE Wisconsin my insurance agent said more accident claims are filed for 600cc sport bikes than all others combined. Maybe that's because more 600's are purchased around my parts (I really don't know for sure). To be honest for every 1K I see on the rode there are probably ten 600's. The riders on the 600's tend to be the more agressive one though. I see far more 600's zipping between cars or racing down crowded streets than 1K's. So I'd have to say it's deffinately the rider who needs to check their riding style more so than the bike they opperate.

We just have to accept the fact that there are a lot of stupid people out there. Next time you see one be sure to give him his sign (here's your sign).

 

[SPL170db]

i
"after 7k rpm it gets scary" (his words at the local diner after the ride)

I just past my break-in and I do have to admit, things were happenin' pretty quick at 10K on my new steed.

I would have to agree with the 600's comments though. I went out on Sunday and saw maybe 70-80 bikes out, about 60% of them were 600 sportbikes and I could see through the rider's faceshields some younger looking faces, so I'd have to think that on grand scale, most riders would be intimidated by a liter bike and not buy them. I myself have yet to see another K5 anywhere in my area on the street.

 

[MY02gsxr1000]

So many good points, to many to quote. But I'm all for thinning the gene pool

My first street bike was a Pre K Honda 750 I learned more on that than anything else I have riden. It turns like a truck and weighed just as much, tires were hard as a rock and had springs on a stick for suspension, The next bike was a Z-1 Kawi(actually a friends bike but he used my car and I had his bike he was afraid of it), that thing thought it was a goat if it saw grass on the outside of a turn thats where it wanted to go and graze. MY age showing yet? I've been down on the street twice in my life once rear ended on the Honda at a red light and then hit by a drunk girl on my Gixxer, does this make me good, lucky or slow? I can tell you I more than hold my own on my Gixxer and I'm not slow in the twisties. I've riden 600's and thought I was in shifting hell, I like the torque of the 1k it makes getting to and from the twisties a pleasure. It's not just 1k's the squids are wading up I saw a kid with his girl on back loop an R-6 with 300 mile on the clock, she was F'up bad because he came down on top of her on a blue stone road with sand all over it. She had on a tank top, low rider shorts and tennis shoes and a helmet. Ya the 1K's take most of the heat but the small bikes are going down just as often you just don't hear about it as much.

 

[CrashCrain]

It is this kind of Nanny Attitude that will eventually get these Motorcycles Banned or Have a limiter placed on them.

The Fact remains that the majority of fatal motorcycle crashes occur under 35mph and involve another vehicle.

These young and old squids ( I am proud to be and always will be a SQUID)who are out looping the bike(frontwards and backwards) are learning. They push the envelope and find out what it's like when you do the wrong thing. But the wrong thing can get you killed on any motorized vehicle.

I have crashed and totalled far more cars than my one highside at a track in Oklahoma. My highside was caused by my error/rider input.

Sometimes you have to go over the edge to figure out where it is.

On the track I am a RoadRacer, but on the street just your common squid.

 

[gixxerbrendan]

I know I can't ride my 1K to its full potential but I can drive it pretty hard. I think I would be faster on a 600 if I were at the track since they feel less intimidating to me. My buddies R-6 feels like a toy compared to my 04 1000... I work at a dealership and let me tell you some people are ment to ride and some are not. I have seen a person buy a Hayabusa for there first bike and never crash it, the guy said he had ridden before." I rode my buddies honda 350 when we were kids" circa 1960 " so I know how to ride"... And then there is the 17year old who came in to the dealership to buy a Busa and the salesman talked him into a GS-500... and he still totaled that after a week. Like I said before some should ride bikes and some should drive cars...