I am a first year rider and yes my first bike is a R1.
things to keep in mind:
1. don't ride in 1st gear
2. keep your hand on the clutch at all times
3. learn how to brake
4. always be 100% aware of your surroundings
5. respect the power and discipline yourself
6. ride within your limits .. even if that means going 20 mph
7. buy a pair of kevlar knuckle gloves, a jacket, and helmet .. if you can't afford to ride safely ..don't ride
It took me one week to learn to ride a motorcycle and get my license ... my R1 sat in my garage for 3 days because I was afraid to ride it (I didn't want to dump it).
On the 1 first day of riding I went out for 30 minutes riding only in first gear.. then on the second day shifted through all the gears ..going up to 40 mph .. the third day I took it up to 60 mph ... the following week I went and got my license .. the season is over in MN .. I have been very lucky considering all the close calls I've had...
my friends ride hard and that made me push hard to become a better rider ... they always advise me to ride within my skills .. besides they would always wait for the slowest rider...
At the beginning of the season I was very slow .. but as the season went on I slowly picked things up .. now I can comfortably go 155mph and have gone up to 175 mph ... hit the clover leafs at 50 mph ..considering I was doing 25-35 mph at the beginning .. the key is discipline and riding w/ people you know and respect the fact that you have limited skills as a first year rider...
always were your gear .. it's not the R1 that's going to kill ya' .. it's riding a motorcycle in general .. doesn't matter what bike you get .. just respect the bike ..
good luck ...
