It depends on posture and fitness. If you have back problems or your legs aren't strong and you put a lot of weight on your wrists it won't be a very comfortable ride.

 

IMO, a sport bike is better for a person with back problems because you support your weight by three different areas, feet, :butt, hands. On a cruiser all the weight is on your :butt (spine).

 

"Cruising around town" as you put it, I'm taking that as spinning by the girlfriends house, going to get a burger at the local drive-in, and then go hang at the local "poser" establishment (Hooters, Sonic, Mc'ds). If comfort is what you're after in a ride, you'll be dissapointed if that's the type of riding you do.

On the other hand, if "cruising around town" is a rip up and down a sweet set of twisties on your local mountain pass, then the bike is very comfortable (5'10' 175lbs here).

If you're only fooling yourself with the "tracking it for a while" comment and really have no intentions on doing trackdays, or spirited riding on backroads, I'd suggest a naked standard. I'm actually looking at a Z1k which I took for a spin and was very impressed by it's power, handling, and most of all ergonomics. Barcolounger comfy. I want another ride, but the decision is killing me.

 

If you're only fooling yourself with the "tracking it for a while" comment and really have no intentions on doing trackdays, or spirited riding on backroads, I'd suggest a naked standard. I'm actually looking at a Z1k which I took for a spin and was very impressed by it's power, handling, and most of all ergonomics. Barcolounger comfy. I want another ride, but the decision is killing me.

Just because the bike is capable of going fast doesn't mean it has to be tracked. That would be like telling someone who owns a corvette they bought the wrong car because they don't track it. This is illogical thinking. They bought it because they like it, and enjoy driving it. That's what I'm going for here, enjoying riding my bike, whether I'm going 35 or 135.

 

Are you comfortable on your R1?

only in my 1 pc

 

I'm 6ft 4in and I feel better on the 05 R1 than any other liter bikes. I do get a sore back after an hour or so, but hey, its a sportbike. Great for cruising around town though, only downside is a hot butt due to undertail exhaust. I solved that problem by installing slipons.

 

if you were referring to what i said in your other thread about it not being a comfortable bike to just "cruise" on, what i meant was if your going ripping up the mountain through the twisties at a good pace, or just running it down the street to the gf's house or something its fine. but when your out just "crusing" around for an extended period of time its not very comfortable at all. My dad also rides and is a harley guy, usually when he asks if i want to "cruise" with him to pick up some dinner somewhere or just go out on a sunday afternoon i almost have to fight myself to say yes just because i am use to a much faster pace of riding where you arent just sitting still cruising at 35mph. Im 5'10" 160lbs and fairly muscular so its not that i get tired, its just not a very comfortable postion to just sit in.

 

To clarify, when I say cruise, I mean ride around town for an hour or two at the speed limit, maybe getting on it here or there, but mostly just enjoying being on a bike and enjoying being outside. Is it comfortable doing that?

 

At highway speeds...very comfortable...

 

at 35.. not soo much. :fact

 

Riding a sportbike requires a strong back and torso otherwise it is soreness and uncomfortableness waiting to happen if you are over 5'9". I'm 6'1" and I've never been uncomfortable but my back is strong and my weight is rarely fully on my hands except at slow speeds. I did however put set back plates on due to long rides making my legs sore, but with them I can do two hours before I have to walk around and a four hour ride with one or two breaks isn't bad at all. Doing slow cruising at be seen places on it would be hell on the hands though, when we went to ROT my hands hurt after an hour on them.

 

i think if you are a guy with long legs, you will like it more than a guy average height. The reach to the bars is longer than some of the other makes but the angle the bike puts your body in allows your legs to stretch out to the pegs which is perfect for me since im 6' 1". and my legs not cramping was a big factor in picking the R1

im also on the heavier side, and even non-aggressive braking would slam my goods into the tank due to the decline of the seat. so i bought a corbin replament that makes a more flat surface to sit on and it has been night and day. not only is it more comfortable, but it makes me more confident when I get on it hard that my body will be in the right position.

 

My back gets a little sore after about an hour of hwy riding. It's much better if you do some ripping in the twisties.

 

R1 is not comfortable.....for cruise at town, buy cruiser bike...trust me man...

 

cruising on 04 r1 in town will burn your :butt and its not comfortable for cruising.
any sportbike is not comfortable for cruising in town.

 

i could ride 600 miles on an R1 (done it several times) and dont feel a thing. I rode my friend Ducati 749 for an extended time and still the same results. i have yet to find a bike I feel uncomfortable on. Wait a minute, just found one, 600 RR the seat is hard like plywood. Out of all the srort bikes I have ridden, the R1 has the best ergos bar none.

 

Well, most of you seemed to agree that it wasn't comfortable for the type of riding I was going to be doing for the first season of riding, so after further research I've decided on a Suzuki SV650S, most likely a 2006 model. I found one at a local dealership here : http://www.struthersbros.com/new_vehicle_detail.asp?veh=24531&pov=694121 I requested a quote from them. What would you guys say is a fair price for this bike, and mostly would you recommend this bike (first time rider) and will be used mostly for cruising.

 

Well, most of you seemed to agree that it wasn't comfortable for the type of riding I was going to be doing for the first season of riding, so after further research I've decided on a Suzuki SV650S, most likely a 2006 model. I found one at a local dealership here : http://www.struthersbros.com/new_vehicle_detail.asp?veh=24531&pov=694121 I requested a quote from them. What would you guys say is a fair price for this bike, and mostly would you recommend this bike (first time rider) and will be used mostly for cruising.

perfect, just perfect. go for one.

 

:corn

I am refering back to my "find one and mount her" tip, which is what I did when I decided on what litre bike to go for (even though I knew) I just wanted to get the feel of what is out there.

I am 6'3 and 190lbs, initially the R1 felt quite small (like being on a 600) which is why it's IMO the best handling and obviously the best bike out there. First 100 km's I fought the bike ( obviously being sh*t scared and nervous) so I quickly realised what's hurting so I started to take the my weight of my arms and to support with my back. I also move around alot on the bike so it keeps you from going all numb in one specific area. But yeah 1 hour only highway and few twisties the back starts taking a beating.

It takes a bit of time to physically adapt to the bike. Like when you never mowed a lawn you will feel it the next day, the more you do it the less you feel it. Same with the R1.

I cruise around town, but yes it's like driving a porche ( corvette ) on a crappy gravel road. You will not be able to use it's full potential. So if you'll see 120 + km/h (work your miles out) every now and then it's worth it - from there she :rock

If you just want to cruise in town you might need to get something else.

I don't care it's not the most comfortable bike out there. If I wanted comfort I would have bought a couch. So I cruise I speed I lean and I race. That is why I bought it.

Passengers (pillion) on 07 - NO !!! Then It's uncomfortable, but I prefer flying solo then I can hang off like a monkey and hummm in the zone. Will maybe get Fz1 or a busa to throw some :boobies on the back.

 

What would you say is a fair price on it though? I'm fairly certain I'm going to buy it if I get the quote soon and it seems like a fair deal to me, I just want to know if you guys think I have any room to talk them down in price if you think it sounds a little high.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SUZU...QitemZ190180608675QQihZ009QQcategoryZ50034QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
here is one so you get an idea. it has a LV slip on one year younger, and 1000 cheaper. of course shipping will cost you money ( around 500 bucks with forward air), still has warranty, and the 500 saving can go toward a new helmet or jacket. just an idea.

 

I've tried dozens of bikes in the past 2 years, all different types and markets and the R1 'fits' me like no other bike.

I keep thinking about something like a Superduke, but it just doesn't 'feel' like my R1.

 

:iamwithst

I agree 100% with you, I tested a 2006 ZX 10 the other day for a friend who came from 600cc and it felt lump and big and damn those things are ugly. I can't see myself on anything else. Will get an additional pillion friendly bike later on.


Now we know why they call it :fork The Addiction :fork

 

I don't have the money lined up right now, but do you think I could use that against the dealership I might buy from to lower the price? I've never haggled anything high priced before.

 

All my life I have ridden bikes until I stopped 12 years ago. Last bike I had before I stopped was a Kawasaki 454 LTD.

A few months ago decided to get back into it and after looking at almost every make out there, decided on a 2007 R1.

I bought it a month and half ago and have already put 2000 miles on it. I even took the 3 day MSF course on the R1 to get my Florida endorsment.

The first couple of days my wrist were a little sore(had never ridden a sportbike before), until I finally figured out how to adjust riding position to eliminate that. I have made several trips back and forth from South FLorida to Key West(3.5 hours) with no comfort problems what-so-ever.

Also, in spite of some peoples problems with the bike, I have had none. I did have the ECU replaced because of the lag issue. That took about 10 minutes. Not that I would have ever noticed the lag on my own, I just didn't want that stigma on it if I ever tried to trade it in on a newer R1 in the future.

I have had not one single issue with this bike and ride it everywhere, including 35 mph hops through town and traffic. For those who tell you it is too powerful for a newbie, just don't open the throttle to much until you have some seat time on it. Biggest issue there is just hanging on.

If you want an R1, go for it, you will never look back. If you don't get it, you will always regret it.

AK

 

To be honest, the R1 is kind of outside my budget, however the sv650s is within my budget! I also don't have the money to get the R1 then decide it is uncomfortable, but I've only seen positive things said about the sv650s so I think that is the perfect choice for me at the moment. I'm getting really excited just for having my first bike!!

 

:jump

You are thinking with the right head. Well done ! The R1 is just a bit intimidating and uncomfortable as a first bike and slightly deadly if you fcuk up. The time I was your age I could barely afford a 250, but I'm glad that I worked my way up because the expierience I gain is priceless :epimp

:rock

Now go and buy your bike, welcome to the two wheel family and be safe

 

Good call buddy...good call...

 

For those of you that are finding it uncomfortable to ride your R1 around all day there are some tricks you can use to make it less hard. For the record I'm 46yo, 6', 185lb. Injuries from an accident a year and a half ago prevent me from doing a lot of working out and tore my back up pretty good...

Move around on the seat. If your ass isn't too big you should be able to get almost 5" of movement foreward and backwards on the seat. If you're steady cruising, use it. You'd be amazed at how different the bike feels and how much you can relieve pressure points on your bod just by moving around.

Move your feet. Again you should have around 7" between your heel and the ball of your foot, use it, move them to different spots on the pegs to relieve stiffening joints.

Stand up occasionally. Stand on the pegs to get the blood flowing back into your legs and arms. This also allows the seat foam to return to its orginal size.

One hand it. I can get an upright seating position by moving my butt as far forward as I can, putting my heels on the pegs and using my finger tips on the throttle. On a lot of long distance cruises I'll put my left arm across the tank and support my upper body weight on my elbow.

Nothing says you have to remain in the same position on the bike all day, especially when just steady state cruising.

 

Exactly.

Ak

 

How about an "R1 for the real world"..........Or atleast thats what Yamaha calls their FZ1 and I couldn't agree more. I think its the best kept secret in motorcycling. R1 power with go fast or slow ergos...nuff said.

 

What's wrong with this 01?

http://www.r1-forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219357

... other than the price may be a little high, but it would fit into your budget.

 

haha, thats my bike.. i already told him he should buy it. price is neg. and the low/mid range on the earlier r1's is much more street friendly.

 

Sv650, good first bike. I like how they look. You might want to consider getting a used one though. I say this because in about six months you will probably want a sports bike. If you get a loan then buy new you lose loads of money when you take it off the forecourt. In six months you can sell a used for the same price, more if you have some savvy, that you paid for it. Most of my friends and I started on non sports bikes and lasted about 4-6 months before upgrading to 600cc sports, then on to various 1000cc machines.