Morning folks,
I’ve bowed down to temptation and just bought a 2000 W plate Yamaha R1 and just wondered what they are like to live with. I have a fair bit of experience riding bikes but still have a fair way to go. I am just curious to how they ride? I am just hoping it’s not too much of a handful and is going to tank slap me to death! Hope it isn’t too nervous?
Cheers,
Jamie
Never ridden a 2000, but I love my 04 
Take it easy to start with, it will be a handful if you wind it to the stop on your first couple of rides.
It’ll only be nervous if you are. Ride it with everything tensed and it’ll be horrible, relax and you’ll find it’s nice and stable and very forgiving.
Hope you enjoy it 
Appreciate that mate, thanks!
Should find it a great bike day to day, you can be very lazy with all the torque. In my limited experience of them just be slight careful on cold tyres, mine span up a couple of times in first and second in the dry on cold rubber. A damper is prob wise as well if you’re going to be getting on a bit. They’re not nearly as much of a handful as they are often reported to be though I reckon.
Cheers for the feedback. Feel happier now!
I agree with Phil,
Part of the reason for the early R1’s widow maker reputation was down to unsuitable tyres.
Those first bikes demanded more from a tyre than had been seen before. The OEM tyres shipped with the bike were terrible (designed for long life and not grip) and other manufacturers were slow in responding with more effective alternative rubber.
Although I’ve never owned a first gen R1, I believe that they would be similar to my old first gen R6 which I rode for 18 months.
Super reliable (as long as they are serviced in a timely and proper manner), and great road bikes with comfort and even a bit of storage space under the seat. Unlike my 04 R1.
