[3724]

Hello all,

I have been a member of these forums for awhile now, mostly just a reader as I am a totally unexperienced rider and i dont feel liek i have alot to contribute around here so just been soaking up the info.

Anyways here goes:

I am finally making the step and purchasing my first sportbike.

I have wanted one badly ever since my buddy let me borrow his r6 for a week last summe after i got my lerners permit. I had a cr125 growing up so im not a complete retard on a motorcycle, however sportbikes are much different obviously, and the consequences much worse.

The r1 is in my opinion the sexiest, and most beautiful work of art in its class right now and somewhat a symbol of authority among other riders (at least among my friedns who ALL ride) and I have had my heart set on one for quite awhile i have to admit.

However after reading the threads in here about an r1 as a first bike, seeing all the crashes, some caused by morons not respecting their abilities, some caused by unavoidable circumstance, trying out a couple 600's first hand, (02 R6, 04 R6, 03 F4i)

I have decided to go the way of caution (against my heart desires i admit unfortunately) and submitted to start on an r6.

This choice has somewhat been positively reinforced by fate it seems as I just stumbled upon an awesome deal for an 01 r6 from my buddy for dirt cheap, with a spare engine, hindle exhaust, rims, spare rubber, custom leather passenger seat, extra plastics, and a spare tach/speedo.

Anyways, from other stuff i have been reading around here, it seems that a steering damper is almost as important as your helmet on one of these bikes, and i have no idea where to start on this one, so if anyone could recommend me a good price/performance damper id be very much appreciative, i dont need the best one out there, but dont want a cheap plastic peice of crap when my ass is on the line and it would be nice oif it was easily adjustible etc.

Also as for riding gear, should i get full leathers? I was looking at a dianese riding jacket and pants the other day, quite pricey, but very good looking, AWESOME fit, i have a larger stocky build (5 '9 230lbs, in good shape) Usually I find it hard to find things that fit right especially dress shirts / leather jackets/ pants/jeans cuz im pretty thick and usually stuff that fits my shoulders/legs is waaay to long.

Anyways, it seemed a good quality jacket, and miraculously fit lik eit was designed for someone with my body style, it was just a touch tight but would break in nice im sure. Is Dianese a good brand to go with? the jacket was about a 1000 buck canadian (but im sure i could weasle that down quite a bit from the salesman) Price isnt really a concern for me in the gear dept anyways cuz i figure it might save my life, and it will be with me when i finally do buy an r1....

Other brand recommendations that i should check out please let me know for leathers/gloves/boots etc. Or if i even need to buy?

Helmet i think i am gonna just buy based on comfort cuz it seems most brands are of reasonable quality nowadays, but if there is anything i should watch out for in this dept, please let me know.

I know i sound liek a bit of a greenthumb here, but try not to laugh at me too hard cuz im actrually a pretty straight up guy, and i just dont want to piss around and start off on the right foot, so i can learn how to be a good, safe, talented rider someday. I admit im an adrenaline junkie, and definately very confident of myself, maybe even cocky or so my girlfriends says, which probably isnt a good combo on a bike but whatever, i nearly die everytime someone rides past me on a bike and all my buddies have one too. So F U C K it im buying one cuz you only live once.

I pick up the blue screamer on may 10th, so plenty of time for advice here guys, anyone who would like to offer any words of wisdom, or hindsight, by all means please do. My sister has brain injuries from a car accident so i dont need to be reimnded to respect the bike, i knwo its a death machine, and i know what im getting into, and i know ill probably bite it sooner than id like to think, especially on these canadian spring roads that are still covered in gravel everywhere, ugh.

Thanks in advance, and if things go well this year, hopefully i will be joining the ranks of r1 owners next summer....till then im pretty confident this 'little' r6 will keep me more than occupied (and challenged)

 

[Moonlighter]

Hey Bruno, congrats on your decision, the R6 is a great bike. Have you checked out Yamaha leathers? I own a 2 piece suit and they're really well made, have lasted for 4 years now.
I also own a Dianese 1 piece suit, but, to be honest, I normally stick with the Yamaha leathers as they fit like a glove at this point. The advantage of a 1 piece suit is that there's no danger of structural failure (at the waist) on a long slide at high speeds as there is with a 2 piece. The risk for a street rider is minimal, I think the convenience of a 2 piece suit is well worth the risk, if there is actually a risk at all. BTW, I'm 5'8" 220lbs. A lot of leathers don't fit me, the Dianese had to be altered at ZCustom.

As for the helmet, I disagree with your decision to buy used. Helmets don't last forever, even if there's no impact to it. The inner shell compresses over time and becomes less able to absorb impact. I guess if you bought a 1 year old helmet you'd be ok, but I can't think of a worse area to skimp on, it's your head after all! Just my 2 cents...

Be safe and have a blast on your 6.

 

[3724]

Thanks buddy, but no i am buying a new helmet and gear, not used and ya i was looking at a 2 piece suit. So basically i should just go with fit in this dept? Is a 1000 bucks for a jacket too much or what? Most of my buddies just have like composite jackets, which i think is pretty crappy when pitted against ashphalt...

 

[Moonlighter]

My bad, I thought I read "used helmet". I'll put the crack pipe down.

I'm totally dedicated to Arai, but have owned Shoei's as well. Buy one that's tight on your head, but doesn't have any pressure points. Arai's have different shell shapes, if you try on the wrong shape for your noggin, you'll know it right away. Find a shop that has plenty of inventory and try on all the models/sizes that you can. When you shake your head from side to side there shouldn't be much movement.
Buying a helmet that's too big will be a tad more comfortable standing still, but once you get airflow over it the helmet will want to lift off your head and will be more noisy. Buying one that's too small will cause a lot of pain and you'll hate it as well.
Most people make the mistake of buying helmets that are too large, at least that's what the Arai dealer told me.

 

[Vigor_Mortis]

If you have some local dealers who keep riding gear in stock, I'd recommend trying on various jackets to find a good fit. Otherwise, getting a proper fit might be too hit or miss. And at $500 or so, you don't want to miss.

Same advice for helmets and pants. Also, don't shy away from spending a bit on these protective items. They really are worth the money. But keep in mind that how these items fit you is more important than the brand label on them.

I like New Enough for buying leathers and such. http://www.newenough.com/index2.htm I've bought several items from them and their customer service has been great as well as their prices.

Steering dampers. Well, they are valuable. But why not try the bike out first? Depending on your riding style and suspension settings, you may not need to spend the money on them. If the bike seems to want to shake its head a bit, then pop for the steering damper. But if you are just starting out and intend to take it easy as you learn, the damper might be a waste at first.

If you are dead set on the bike you have lined up, then please be careful with it. That bike is a race-bred machine and wasn't built to be a beginer's bike. 600cc is less than 1000cc, but it is still a 100HP bike that was designed to win races.

Personally I'd recommend the newly redesigned Suzuki GS500F http://www.suzukicycles.com/Products/GS500FK4/ as a better starting sport bike. It is good looking, light, cheap, easy to ride, cheap to insure, and far less likely to get away from you. Ride the heck out of it for a few months and then see where your skill level and confidence are. The 600cc or 1000cc sport bikes will then be less intimidating and easier to adapt to.

 

[3724]

Thanks mortis:

Well i have already tried the bike out and i think it is good for me to learn on, its got enough power to scare me a little in first and second, and goes faster than ill ever ride it likely. Besides, at the price im getting the bike for, i cant say no. Crash and burn, or ride and excel, the r6 is what it will be on. It already took every nerve in my body not to get an r1 new from the dealer this year, have you seen that fu ckin thing? I see you saw and purchased, you lucky bastard.

Anywyas, the r6 im buying didnt have any head shake, but a couple of my buddies have crashed from tank slappers, so i figure why not try and eliminate a problem before it starts. Likely ill be trying wheelies at some point (my buddies are stunters, but i wont be riding with them this summer cuz they are going up north, its just gonna be me and my one firend who is also fairly new on a bike) anyways im sure a damper will save my ass sooner or later...

 

[Vigor_Mortis]

My dealer says that my bike should be in sometime in the next week or so. Waiting stinks. Especially since I already sold my old bike and now have nothing to ride until the R1 comes in.

Just take your time with the bike and be careful. You'll be fine. A little fear is good if it leads to respect for the bike. When I was learning my first street bike, I use to go for a short ride of about twenty minutes. Then come home and think about the ride, what I did, how it worked, what needed more practice, etc. Then go for another short ride. And on and on. Kept me from getting over my head.

GPR are well thought of. http://www.gprstabilizer.com/ As are Scotts http://www.scottsonline.com/ They are both easy to install and adjust.

At the risk of sounding bossy. Try to avoid riding all the time with the stunters at first. Sometimes we can get a bit too risky when we are encouraged to push our limits too far. Not trying to suggest you don't have a good head on your shoulders, but ride within your limits, not theirs.

 

[3724]

Yah fer sure, im in no way desiring to pull wheelies at all yet, no matter how much they egg me on. That gpr one looiks cool, maybe ill grab that one.

 

[3724]

What about boots and gloves, should i buy or pass on these?

 

[Vigor_Mortis]

I never ride without gloves. I don't have a brand preference. So long as they are comfortable and gauntlet style, they'll work great for ya. But even simple leather gloves with no armor are much better than nothing.

Over the ankle boots. Lace up work boots or armored racing boots. I wear either. Just having some good leather protection helps a lot is you happen to go down. I never wear athletic shoes on the bike.

 

[3724]

Well looks liek I am gonna pick up that dianese jacket, i tried on several others and there was simply no other ones that came close to the comfort/fit of that first one i tried on. Just my luck it was the most expensive too! Oh well. I found a pretty good deal on some gloves, and i got work boots so i guess those wil have to do for now. Still havent found a helemt that fits nice yet, but next week the biggest bike shop in town is getting a whole bunch new stock in so ill check it out then.

I talked to the sales guy about a gpr/scotts stabilizer and he said that they have had quite a number of those models returned because the seals blew out after a tank slapper and stuff, so i dono anymore, he recommended a side mount ohlins, which is actually quite abit cheaper and ohlins is a good name in suspension for sure. I liek the look of those rotary mount ones and they seem eaisier to adjust, but he said they can get ripped off easy and arent as effective as the side mounts....

Salesmen are usually full of it though, so now im confused.

 

[Vigor_Mortis]

I'd be leary of a side mounted steering damper. Unless it is protected by the forks and frame, it is likely to be damaged in even a mild drop. The top mounted Scotts and GPR can be damaged in a major crash, but if the bike goes down on the tank and bars with enough force to damage the Scotts or GPR, the steering damper is the least of your worries.

Dianese are great jackets. Look good and are by all acounts well made. Good luck with the helmet search. And don't sweat the graphics too much. If you have to, you can find a model you like and order the color you want for it. Either from the dealer or an internet retailer.