Is it just me , or has anyone else noticed.
Since the 04"s have hit the streets, there have been a lot of posts like
Crashed my new bike
Almost hit a tree
HELP
How do i fix scratched up plastics
Where can i find 04 parts

Now dont flame me for this comment,Just curious whats going on with our fellow riders.
But it almost seems like every newbie with cash or credit went and bought one, or maybe bought it as the first bike and under estimated it.
It"s not just here i"ve read these kind of stories, seems like they are everywhere.

How about some input, from the guys that have layed them down,
Are you new to riding?Or was it normal accident scenes like sand,car,or just F%#K"d up

It just seems strange that people have been riding R-1"s for years, Now everyones crashing them.

I just got my first R1 and I have had no problems. I have owned cruisers before this. My last bike was the VFR Interceptor. That was definitley not a speed Demon. It is all about the respect of the bike. If you show it that you have a little bit of fear and respect it will take good care of you. I will admit that it is a hard bike to keep below 100mph anywhere but you can only do it when the bike is ready for you to do it. It is an AWESOME machine.

 

i just layed my bike down this weekend.. yes its my first bike. i was making a left and i hit a patch of dirt left by the santa ana winds. the bike still rides great though.. its all cosmetic damage except for the shift lever that was bent. my heart is broken though. its whole left side is ridden with scratches.

i barely put 500 miles on it too. im not planning to fix anything until 1000 miles as im SURE that i will drop it again due to my inexperiance.


BTW... i wanna cry...

 

Is it just me , or has anyone else noticed.
Since the 04"s have hit the streets, there have been a lot of posts like
Crashed my new bike
Almost hit a tree
HELP
How do i fix scratched up plastics
Where can i find 04 parts

Now dont flame me for this comment,Just curious whats going on with our fellow riders.
But it almost seems like every newbie with cash or credit went and bought one, or maybe bought it as the first bike and under estimated it.
It"s not just here i"ve read these kind of stories, seems like they are everywhere.

How about some input, from the guys that have layed them down,
Are you new to riding?Or was it normal accident scenes like sand,car,or just F%#K"d up

It just seems strange that people have been riding R-1"s for years, Now everyones crashing them.

A lot of first time riders out there is what I think.................

 

Is it just me , or has anyone else noticed.
Since the 04"s have hit the streets, there have been a lot of posts like
Crashed my new bike
Almost hit a tree
HELP
How do i fix scratched up plastics
Where can i find 04 parts

Now dont flame me for this comment,Just curious whats going on with our fellow riders.
But it almost seems like every newbie with cash or credit went and bought one, or maybe bought it as the first bike and under estimated it.
It"s not just here i"ve read these kind of stories, seems like they are everywhere.

How about some input, from the guys that have layed them down,
Are you new to riding?Or was it normal accident scenes like sand,car,or just F%#K"d up

It just seems strange that people have been riding R-1"s for years, Now everyones crashing them.

WORD! I've only been on this site for less than a month now and I'm reading the same issue with '04 owners. Also what's up with some of the lame a*s questions '04 owners are asking? Like how to install a steering damper, how to "break-in" my '04, what performance gains can I expect if I drop -1 tooth in the front sprocket. . .etc. :dunno I mean if these are the kinds of questions some owners are asking, I feel more sorry for the bike rather than the owner. My .02 :dunno

 

Same thing happened when the '02s came out, and probably the '98s etc. When the new bikes come out, people jump on them, and people crash them. When I got my '02 in August of '02 people were saying it was one of the most crashed bikes out there, just because of the stories they here. A lot has to do with people jumping on them and pushing their personal limits on a new bike, and inexperience with it, or inexperience with riding overall.

 

Good post. I was wondering the same thing. The last thing that I expected was to see this many 04/R1's crashed or nearly crashed. People don't seem to realize that this is nothing more than a racing bike with the license plate and turn signals left on. No way a newbie should be on this bike. That's just my honest opinion.

 

Well, I made it a point to drop my MV at a gas station one week before getting the '04 just to get the negative karma out of the way!

 

Same thing happened when the '02s came out, and probably the '98s etc. When the new bikes come out, people jump on them, and people crash them. When I got my '02 in August of '02 people were saying it was one of the most crashed bikes out there, just because of the stories they here. A lot has to do with people jumping on them and pushing their personal limits on a new bike, and inexperience with it, or inexperience with riding overall.

:iamwithst

Mamma said there will be days like this.

 

It happens every spring. As far as a bunch of noobs, I think most of the people that already have an 04 are the dedicated r1 riders that have been part of this site for a while. I know of one particular crash and it was not a noob, it was an accident involving dirty and cold tires at low speed.

 

Let's not forget that all the positive post associated with the 04 like:

Check out my mods
What do yo think of this exhaust
Here's photos of my ride today
04 track report

Also keep in mind that no news is good news. Everytime someone has a kick ass time on their 04, they aren't necessarly going to run to their computer to report it. However on the flip side, everytime some BS happens to someone's 04 or they have a problem cause it's a new bike, you bet they are going to add a topic so they can see if anyone else is as dumb as their are (myself included).

Anyway, I think that a large percentage of the stuff you'll read on here is going to be someone looking for advice on a problem.

just my .02

 

Had a vfr for almost 3 years before the R1. The VFR was also not my first bike. The R1 is still in one piece knock on wood. It's all about respect for the bike and riding your own ride :rock ( noobs have trouble w/ the riding your own ride part when seeing other better riders out there and trying to keep up).:2bitchsla :butt

 

Re: Re: What`s happening to the 04 riders???

WORD! I've only been on this site for less than a month now and I'm reading the same issue with '04 owners. Also what's up with some of the lame a*s questions '04 owners are asking? Like how to install a steering damper, how to "break-in" my '04, what performance gains can I expect if I drop -1 tooth in the front sprocket. . .etc. :dunno

That's what makes this site so great. Members who aren't familiar with things like installing steering dampers, etc. can ask those of us who know. I don't understand why you'd call an honest question lame? :dunno

 

lol ABG....

Arnold_R1
I don't necessarily agree with your post. Granted this is coming from a noob. I have been riding for 7 years but have less than 50 miles on a sport bike so take this with a grain of salt I guess.

It would seems to me that those kind of questions are exactly what this forum seems to be about. A group of enthusiast who all have a common interest in the Yamaha R1. I never saw a stipulation or sign that said "New Guys Seeking Knowledge From Experienced Riders Stay Out." It would also seem that an enthusiast would want to attract more riders to their sport.

While the forum has many posts about upgrades and mods to make bikes perform better, I think there are just as many that remind noobs such as myself to think before one runs out and jumps on the one. Long story short, I genuinely believe that a person that is actively involved in this forum will be a safer, more conscientious rider every time he runs out to jump on a bike (noobs included).

If people don't ask questions about how to properly (under much debate) break in a bike, or how to install anything, how does knowledge get spread amongst the forum...

Just food for thought and the ramblings of a noob still WITHOUT a ONE.

- Jason

 

lol... You beat be to it R1Fanatic

 

It is very sad that in a time where we have such highly evolved bikes available to us 95% of the riders choose not to evolve! If you don't know how to ride go to a track school,trackday with a novice class or read "Twist of the wrist" a few times! Teach yourself so the rest of "US" don't end up paying for your incompetence! Just like the last track day I did,running in the advanced class,guys are on R1's,R6's and all the other modern day superbikes.So many people have a false sense of riding ability it is sad! If you get passed by a guy on a bike that has half the power and weighs the same YOU ARE NOT FAST!!! Therefore get out of the advanced class where you can learn something instead of being a rolling road block.All this crashing is a direct result of inexperience! It seems as of late that the squid population is growing at a rapid rate,what happened to the days when you had to be cool to ride a sportbike?

 

Re: Re: Re: What`s happening to the 04 riders???

That's what makes this site so great. Members who aren't familiar with things like installing steering dampers, etc. can ask those of us who know. I don't understand why you'd call an honest question lame? :dunno

Ok, with all due respect to fellow R1 owners, please pardon my ignorance for such ill minded questions. Yes, this is the place to go for advice and questions, but it seems like the most common sense stuff asked when the answer is in the instuctions that is came in. . .:fact i.e-your trusty manual or instructions to any aftermarket part that is bought.

 

Regardless, this site is supposed to be for the R1 enthusiats. That includes experts and beginners alike. EVERYONE is welcome.

 

04' Is so good looking that guys that just became bikes lovers want it for it's looks. They dont think about "can I ride it, can I control it...."

They are looking for a bike and the suddenly the 04 came out and they like " wow this is a nice bike. This is the bike I want."

I am not talking about riders that this is not thier first bike.

IMO

 

HOLDING ............BACK ....................FINGERS....MUST NOT .............FLAME NOOBS ON R1'S.......EERRRRRRR...>AAAAAAAAAEEEEE:blush

 

It happens every spring. As far as a bunch of noobs, I think most of the people that already have an 04 are the dedicated r1 riders that have been part of this site for a while. I know of one particular crash and it was not a noob, it was an accident involving dirty and cold tires at low speed.

this was ME, I just fooked up, I'm not a noob at all but after I went down I sure felt like one, like Jeff said I was to anxious to ride and gravel cold and dirty tires got me.

 

Classic example of a thread that has gone awry. :no

Wasn't his question something like: "I've seen so many 'I screwed up my new R1' posts, please talk about it"...or something to that effect? It wasn't about how they should be coming here. If anything could be dissected from his original post it would be more like: "What the hell are you n00bs doing on a race bike?".

 

I'm a newbie, my 04' R1 is my first bike. I spent about 4 weeks before my R1 with my bro's Gixxer1. I've loved Yamaha's since about 5 years ago, but never wanted to spend the money to get a bike. About 12 weeks ago I took my basic license class. I've been riding for around 3 months already, two of the months on my 04' R1. I already have 2100 miles on my 04'. I think I survived so far by reading Twist of the Wrist 1 and 2 and I'm currently reading Total Control. I just bought this book, because I recently felt a lot of fear coming down a mountain, and thought I might need to step back and rethink my techniques. I've learned a couple of things I'm doing wrong already, just by now reading Total Control by Lee Parks. When I go to the canyons or mountains the next time. I'm slow already, but I will slow down a little more and make sure I'm using good technique and judgement when going through the twisties. Just 2 cents from a newbie on an 04'

 

I think you will find out...as have I, that starting out on such a bike will cause you to learn some things a bit slower as you have to learn fine tuned throttle control real quick. I won't say that One cannot learn on a big bike...it's just that it can be slower going and far more dangerous if you screw up. :fact

While my 02 R1 is not the first bike I have ever ridden it is that way effectively as it was a hell of a long time before that I rode. If I had come across this site before I bought the R1 I probably would have gone with an R6 or something like that. Hindsight is 20/20 tho...

oh yeah...I think I've done quite well for myself tho I still could be faster/better.

 

If anybody has a salvaged 04 thats been down rather lightly but still written off.. PM ME

i'm interested in the buying the bike for track use.. i could care less about the plastic damage.. as long as it still works/rides properly..

 

I also remembering it being the same when the 02 first came out... Squidly runs to the dealership and asks for the latest/greatest thing... Then he goes and wrecks it...

- BA