Chuffed to bits. Done a 2 day DAS course and passed without any minors what so ever.
Went out on my first ride on the R1 just as soon as I got the insurance sorted earlier. Mum’s chuffed more than me as the bike no longer takes up room in the conservatory anymore. LOL
Anyway, went out for the first time and All I can say is F **** N’ H E L L ! ! !
First time out on it and you need to get used to it…things like moving off throttle + tucking your elbows in to see anything in the side mirrors but apart from that F**K ! Only took it to around 7000rpm and oh my god I was doing 110mph within seconds. It’s got so much power, every single rpm further even in the higher gears is just INSANE!!! Absolutely in LOVE with the speed buzz this machine offers. Almost sounds like your on boost all the time. I would say this is the only thing that has given me the same buzz as my old 500bhp Fiesta did. Constant mode all day today.
CALM DOWN, CALM DOWN, CALM DOWN…have your excitement off the road and not with a brand new R1 under your bits
congratulations mate you will get plenty of excitement on the bike…but no sillies yet ok, get some experience on her slowly…wanna see you around a bit longer
Dead chuffed for you, well done on passing. But a word of caution.
Getting your full driving licence does not mean you’re now an expert driver, all it means is that you have had adequate training to begin riding a larger bike on your own and practicing riding it safely on your own.
I know I sound like a stuffed shirt - I’m not, honest - but to get up to that kind of speed on your first time out is more than a little foolhardy. Instead of going nuts just take your time, there’s plenty of it. Enjoy the bike, enjoy the scenery, enjoy the feeling of power, enjoy the freedom, but don’t go bananas. We want you to be riding for many many years, not going out in a blaze of glory on your first week.
Oh god, I sound just like my mother! But it’s all from a sense of concern for you.
Congratulations, enjoy and stay safe. Time to get some miles under your belt…
Please note that at 7000rpm, you have not touched the powerband on an R1. You’ll know when you have as the front tyre fills with helium and heads to the 12 o’clock position if you’re not careful/expecting it.
Yeah, definitely get yourself booked into a BikeSafe course asap- they have quite a waiting list (for weekends) at the moment. I booked mine as soon as I passed my DAS in June, and it’s not until the 28th October!
But and yes I know its been said, be careful. Trust me it takes a long time to get used to a big bike so go steady as the bike can easily get out of your control until you gain some experience Even a bikesafe course ain’t gonna make up for lack of experience so make sure you give yourself time to gain it.
Well if you’ve got the money to spend on insurance for an R1 as a first bike, then I’d say you must be pretty wealthy.
I don’t have much experience with bikes myself…Had a few 125s for a year then stepped up to an R6 for about 18 months and have just now bought an 04 R1.
I think the single biggest thing that allowed me to get my head around the rediculous power even my R6 had was doing my first trackday at Snetterton last year.
It gave me confidence with the bike, and let me understand where my limits were.
Ok, so I crashed , not badly (newbie mistake of using front brake on grass), but even that taught me something…(Becareful with front brake on damp or loose surfaces…use more rear brake). That mistake would have been a lot worse on the road.
So…Do your Bikesafe as others have said. It’s excellent training in riding a bike safely on a variety of roads. You also begin to realise that not all coppers are killjoys (ZX10R owning copper was a top bloke I remember)…You choose what speed to ride at, as the point is to use your judgement to ride at an appropriate speed according to visibility and road conditions…If you speed like a twat, noone will follow you though…
But…If you can afford it…Get a cheap EXUP 1000 or Thunderace (these are comparable to the R1) and hit the track…I’d say use your R1, but it’s your pride and joy and you may crash at your first attempts at trackdaying.
I know the traditional order of learning to ride a bike is normally to do your road awareness stuff first, but I think having a better idea about how a bike handles than DAS teaches you is also very important and it can only really be learnt safely at the track.
Congratulations dude…The moment you begin to think you can stop learning with biking, is the moment when Mr. reality check makes you painfully aware of himself…Don’t get c o c k y (why is this word censored when typed normally)…Confidence is a double edged sword…This I speak from (limited) experience.
, not badly (newbie mistake of using front brake on grass), but even that taught me something…(Becareful with front brake on damp or loose surfaces…use more rear brake). That mistake would have been a lot worse on the road.