Test Drove a 01 RC51 SP-1 this weekend--HONEST REVIEW

Okay, so I'm stealing TS02R1's thunder. Sorry about that, Todd. ;) Initial impression: The bike did not feel as heavy as so many people have been saying it is. It struck me as being a fairly well-balanced bike. Unfortunately, the traffic was heavy enough that I wasn't able to take her down very far in any corners, nor was there rippled pavement to see how the suspension and chasis would handle some minor upsets. That said, the cornering felt neutral and didn't require Schwartzenegger level strength to initiate counter-steer. Power was excellent, though the throttle off/on response was aprupt to the point of being annoying, but not dangerous due to the extraordinarily tall first gear. Slow-speed handling was acceptable, though not on par with the Ducati 748 that I rode last week. Overall, it was a pleasure to ride, and I could easily see why Nicky was kicking butt and taking numbers with this beast. I am sure that the changes to the 02 will have addressed my gripe about the throttle response. But it is no R1. ;)

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Yeah I rode one a while ago and loved it. Did feel like it was a bit flat in the top end. But that could be because i was trying to ride it like a four and not a twin. Handled really well through some 200+kph corners and wasnt to bad in the twisties. The bike i rode was set up on the stock suspension settings and was as hard as a rock. The bike felt as thin as a pin to sit on compared to the R1 as well. Cheers:beer

I rode a buddy of mine's SP1 a while ago.My impressions of it where. Difficult to launch Top heavy Good brakes Very firm suspension Lacked midrange :( I rode it with an open mind, but was rapidly disappointed by it. I much prefer " the one ". Out of interest, the guy who swapped to my R1 whilst I was trying his SP1 finished the ride jibbering about how I need to get a steering damper as soon as possible. He reckoned " the one " was a " tank slapping animal ". It's the first R1 he's ridden and he had a bit of a slapper within half a mile apparently. I told him to stop whining. It's all part of the experience, and keeps your attention. :rock

I rode a 2002 Gixxer 1000 for the first time this weekend. i honestly feel like my R1 has the same, if not more power than the Gixxer. The Gixxer wouldn't come up nearly as easy when I tried to wheelie it. It was very heavy feeling in the front. I do think it was a little smoother through curves though. The transition felt a lot smoother, and it felt like it was on rails, very confidence inspiring on the interstate exit ramps. Of course, my front tire is shot, so that is probably why mine seems so rough. I also noticed the superiority of the R1's brakes. I liked the Gixxer pretty good though, but not as much as the 1. It felt very similar, power wise, as another friends highly modded ZX9-R I rode a few months ago. The feel of the engine is so much different. The ZX9 and G1K felt real smooth like V6's or something, where my R1 feels real throaty and has a lot more grunt like a big V8. BTW, R1 #36 SILVER Chris said, after riding my R1, that he wants one now. He wanted a red 02 anyway before he got the Gixxer, but there were some uncontrollable circumstances that made him get the G1K instead, but he says he likes the R1 and wants one for sure now!:butt

I've ridden both the Sp-1 (2001) and Sp-2 (2002) and they did NOT fix the on/off FI in 2002. My buddy has the Sp-2, and he re-did the FI mapping, exhaust, and went up 2 teeth on the rear sprocket. I have to say the bike runs pretty damn good after the changes. The low end is much improved, as well as the mid range pull. Its no R1, but its closer than it was. I like the feel of the R1 much better, but the RC-51 has its place ..... better then the 954 ... in my opinion anyway.

Too bad they didn't fix that throttle thing. Really messes with a very compentent all-around motorcycle.