1300 cc cruiser = 55hp, 750lbs
1000 cc supersport = 155hp, 400lbs

These modern sportbikes demand more skill and attention than you could ever imagine until riding one. Even the fastest dudes learn something new every ride.
Most people recommend starting on a smaller bike, even a 600 has probably two to three times as much power to weight ratio as a 1300 cc vibrating couch with wheels (no offense, I love all bikes... they are just totally different)

 

even a 600 has probably two to three times as much power to weight ratio as a 1300 cc vibrating couch with wheels

:lol :lol :lol


starting on a liter isn't a good idea period. yea, you can respect it and blah blah, but in close situations, that responsive throttle can put you on your butt quickly.

 

The Harley weighs 700-800 lbs and has about 80ish horsepower.. and R1 weighs 425 ,give or take, and has 160ish horsepower. You can jump on a Harely and wack it in 1st gear. You do that on a R1 and your on your butt. Its comparing apples to oranges. Not to say that you cant start riding on a liter bike. Like with anything you have to respect it.

 

...I agree with Vroom...but also i don't know many people that suggest someone start on a 1300cc, 800lb HD either. :fact

 

...I agree with Vroom...but also i don't know many people that suggest someone start on a 1300cc, 800lb HD either. :fact

I agree also. Even though they don't have a whole lot of HP they have a lot of low end torque along with the weight being difficult to handle when turning for a rider with no experience.

 

Your Maturity

 

Easy. Because people hwo buy a Harley, let alone a 1300, arent interested in speed, and also due to the lack of power(to weight ratio), shouldnt get into as much trouble. This is most important when you find yourself in trouble, use the throttle, with more likely dire consequences on a 180+ hp on, spokesbike. And the other reaoson which is probable to occur, is your interest in speed enjoyment in this type of bike is likely to entise less experienced riders (or no experience), to get in trouble more often, and unable to control getting out of trouble. It basically starts with WHO would buy a Harley 1300, and what do you think THEY think about riding interests, and WHO would buy an R1 ( or the like), and what you THEY think about riding interests

 

It basically starts with WHO would buy a Harley 1300, and what do you think THEY think about riding interests, and WHO would buy an R1 ( or the like), and what you THEY think about riding interests

I think that has a lot to do with it. The guy who buys a Harley as his first bike is probably in his 40s and is buying it to join the "club". Maybe his wife sews a Wild Hogs patch on the back of his jacket. How many first time bikers who buy Harleys go to their local Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Honda dealers to find the best bike at the best price? Hardly any, they blindly walk into their Harley dealer and drop $2000 over MSRP and ride off with their buddies never giving it a second thought.

The guy who wants to start out on an R1 is probably 18 and wants the fastest thing you can buy with $11,000. He has no patience to learn how to control the machine before he hits it and goes flat out.

It's not just that it's physically impossible to loop a Harley. Speed takes time to get yourself acclimated to and even if you are "mature" your bike will be a quarter mile down the road doing 150mph before your brain reaches the 60 foot mark. When I jumped from a 75hp KZ750 to a 138hp ZX9 it took me a month to realize that I was holding my breath until I was doing around 140mph. Now I can hammer on a 175hp R1 and still breathe. An R1 will right checks out that you can't cash, even if you're a skilled rider.

 

I have to agree with every statement above. You are comparing apples to oranges here both in bikes and the personality of the riders. Not saying that a sport bike rider wouldn't enjoy a riding a Harley, just that when he gets on a Harley he is in a totally different mindset from when he gets on his sport bike. I never owned a Harley myself, only sport bikes\sport cruisers, but I have ridden a few Harley and custom choppers. They are two totally different animals. If you whack open 1st on a Harley, you'll likely stall and tip over, where as you whack open 1st on a sport bike, your gonna flip it and get tons of rash on your ass. You can get into tons of trouble on any bike, but on a 1000 Sport bike you can get into trouble a lot faster and need to have the reflexes to recover that only comes with experience.

 

?

i want to get an r1 my buddy is selling it and all i want is an r1 i have rode 1 b 4 n i thought i could handle it some people say its to much to start off on but then again ppl say start off on what u want its ther rider that controls the bike so i dont know what to do i have taken a msc passed easy i have been riding a 660r raptor quad with at performace n its simple to handle give me some advice pm me

 

We all crash at one point or another, get whatever you want.

 

Well that's BS. I've been riding since 69 and I have never crashed. If I thought crashing was inevitable I'd stop riding and flying.
To quote the Harley crowd regarding your question: "If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand!"
R1 will do 102 in first gear, H-D might make 100 downhill with a good run at it. I think that covers it...

 

Your answer was on Pinks. Did you see when the stupid host got on a sport bike when he has only rode Harleys.

 

Man that was hilarious, i remember watching the video over and over from a thread off this forum.

 

a newb starting on a liter bike would be like a 16 year old getting an Enzo for a first car.
Start out smaller/less power and work your way up, you will enjoy the "liter" bike much more when you can ride like its ment to be ridden

 

a newb starting on a liter bike would be like a 16 year old getting an Enzo for a first car.
Start out smaller/less power and work your way up, you will enjoy the "liter" bike much more when you can ride like its ment to be ridden

I'll have to agree with this statement. I know the best riders in my group all have grown up on dirt bikes and small cc motors. When one has a small bike, you learn how to extract the most power and use the most technique and that will in return improve one's skill.

Start off on a liter bike if you wish, just make a progression built in your head, so you don't end up messed up.

 

I think this topic has been covered once before...:sing:

1000cc sportbike=indy car on two wheels

 

I had a buell m2 cyclone, and it was a 1203cc and was ported and polished and had screaming eagle rods, and cams. There is nooooooooooooooo comparison to my r1. be fore on the buell i'd be off the linf ahead of 600's, but only for about 20-30 feet, after that, it was all over for the buell, or any other harley or cruiser for that fact(thats not set up for drag). Thats why i sold it, i got tired of being in the back of the pack, and now i moved to the front!!!!

 

harley vs. r1 -- get what you want. do you want a bike that is comfortable or do you want a bike built for performance. i myself like performance.


starting on a litre bike -- just remember respect the bike. the first time you forget the power it has, you will be on your ass.

just my two pennies

 

102 in 1st gear? lol

 

technically I think the 04-06 R1's red line at 105mph in first gear.

Whats so funny?

 

whats the difference between starting on R1 and those who start on Harley 1300's

About 2 brain cells... :bash I'm sure all the relevant points have been covered... There is NO difference... They're both idiots... :fact

 

"... all I see is people flaming each other for asking questions about starting off on a R1.. Now no disrespect to the more "experienced" riders but really what is the difference between having a sportbike with roughly a 1000 cc's and harley with 1300?"

Dude,
First, to touch on the "people flaming each other" comment. You are absolutley correct! I see much less tolerance of newby riders and people who prefer other brands of bike on this site... moreso than any other site I have been to. The first few comments that I recieved after joining this site almost made me decide to forget purchasing an R1 at all... I mean, if all R1 riders are like some folks on this site, then forget it, I'd rather buy a Kaw. But then I began to think about my own convictions... the right of people to believe and speak as they wish... and my right to believe that the nay-sayers are full of shit. So, for you its important to let the trash-talkers in one ear and out the other (so to speak). I started my oldest son off on a ZX-11. He had a blast till he wrecked. There was oil in the middle of a 40mph turn. 600cc, 1000cc or 1300cc bike would not have mattered in that situation. The only difference between an R1 and an HD is power output and riding position... and your own maturity level. I will say that, in an emergency situation, I would much rather be on a sport bike than an HD. HD's steer like tanks and in emergency situations most HD riders wreck just because they cannot get out of the way in time. I am starting my youngest son off on an R1. If he maintains his composure with the throttle and if he takes the time to learn the technicalities of riding a "super-sport bike", he will be fine. There is nothing that he (or you) can do about situations that are beyond your control (e.g. cagers, other stupid bike riders, etc). If you know that you are purchasing a bike that has huge amounts of HP, then mind your manners. Its pretty simple... if you dont watch your own ass, then no one else will. You have to ride your own ride (so to speak). You must realize your ability level, and not over-ride it. If you enter the sport bike community having respect for what the "elders" of the community have learned and are willing to teach, then you will be mentored and tutored well. I am 45 years old and am still learning a great deal from those who are younger and older than me, about sport bike riding technique. If you look for and hang out with caring , quality riders then you will have an awesome experience as new R1 rider/owner. If you hang out with the idiots that chose to show off for all their friends and the rest of the traffic on the road, then you can expect to wreck hard and soon. Be careful and use your common sense. If you have no common sense (ask your mom if you are unsure) then stay off large CC sport bikes for a while.

 

Dude,
First, to touch on the "people flaming each other" comment. You are absolutley correct! I see much less tolerance of newby riders and people who prefer other brands of bike on this site... moreso than any other site I have been to.

I've owned plenty of Yamaha's (YZF1000, 1999 R1, 2002 R1) but currently am riding a Ducati 998 and Honda RC51. Basically, I pretty much dig all bikes with the exception of Katana's.
This site has been a good place to hang out for the past 6 years, and they tolerate me even though my garage is devoid of Yamaha's (for now).

Flaming is Internet-wide. People post shit that they'd never say to someone face to face.

 

man, get whatever you think kicks ass. Its as easy to lay down a 600 as it is a 1000. I recommend 750's to everyone. I started on a 750 for about 6months and it was great. The financing was horrible so I bought an r1. I have never wrecked my r1 but wrecked my 750 twice. Its all about respect. treat the bike an other riders with respect and keep your head on your shoulders and you will be ok. R1's are pretty down on power if theyre stock also, so that first gear snap isnt really that bad. Dont get me wrong if you really rack on it you will be on your butt, but it does need some fine tuning to be "oh-my-god" power. In my experience a rider that is going to wreck a bike is going to do it on any bike without regards to the engine displacement. Most of my friends have started on Liter bikes and have wrecked them, but they would have wrecked a 600 also. So keep it in context and remember to respect any bike you get on!

 

Brilliant advice bolstered by a wealth of experience....

The reason those of us with a lot of time and miles on bikes tend to recommend NOT starting on a SS liter is because most of us have gotten over the bravado that comes with inexperience. A liter will bite you a lot faster than a 600 and even modern SS 600's are hardly a good choice as a starter bike.
Just because a given rider may have survived on bike X versus a smaller bike Y does not mean that it's a good decision. The statistics are certainly against the new rider in that equation. When someone says that they would have just as easily wrecked a 600 as a liter they don't have a clue - unless it was simply because a cage pulled out in front of them.
There are a million other things that are probably more important to survival on the street than the amount of power your bike makes. But tossing in a monster liter motor in the equation just makes things that much more complicated. Things happen very quickly on any sport bike and that much faster on a 1000.
All I think that most people with a good bit of experience are trying to tell newbies is to give themselves a chance to learn in an environment that is more forgiving to ham-fisted mistakes.
Remember that if you are new to the sport this is your first motorcycle and not your last one.
If you're smart and learn the basics and acquire the skills you need to actually understand why those of us with experience believe the liter is the monster that it is you will enjoy it far more than if you are sitting mortified on top of the potential ticking time bomb any SS liter is to a new rider.

just my 0.02

 

So let me jump in too-

I started on a Buell; huge difference in performance to the inline fours. No matter how "used to" a large capacity bike you get, it will more than likely not compare at all to a sportbike. That being said, get what you want; it's your money and body. But my suggestion is to start out on a small bike first.

Something that no one has brought up yet: if you buy from a dealer and they sell you a HD 1300 or any litre bike knowing it is your FIRST bike, walk away. They don't care about you. In this area we usually have one new rider a month who kills himself because the local Power Sports sold a rookie a performance bike. Food for thought.

Whichever way you go, I wish you many happy, safe and accident free miles!!

 

Nobody takes it seriously. well maybe you do, but then again you have been here all of about 4 months.........



a large part of the community "elders" would suggest starting on a smaller bike, especially when your talking about sportbikes.[/QUOTE]



4 months or 1 month... makes no difference. I have seen some of the rudest comments on this site that I have NEVER seen on other forum sites (one for sure). Good thing that the negatives of this site do not out weigh the positives. Maybe I should also state that I have received some damn good advice here as well. If I thought that this site was not worth the time, I would not come here at all. Sorry if I have offended anyone here, I was simply stating a fact of my initial experience here. I was not (in any way) trying to over shadow the positives of this site, with negatives.

 

4 months or 1 month... makes no difference. I have seen some of the rudest comments on this site that I have NEVER seen on other forum sites (one for sure).

:stpd: especially in the wives/girlfriends thread. So many damn haters around here.

 

.. all I see is people flaming each other for asking questions about starting off on a R1...

While flaming on other members is generally a lot of fun, flaming on a newb that wants to jump on an R1 is an act of kindness. We just don't like seeing people jump ahead of the learning curve and make a potentially fatal mistake.

 

interesting thoughts. I dont necesarily agree with it but oh well. I do have the miles just not the years. Ive been down very hard and have gone very fast. Im pretty sure I have a good portion of what "riding is about" down. I definetly dont know everything but I do come from the perspective of someone that has pretty much started on a liter bike and has done pretty well. Although these phantom "statistics" may say otherwise I think (with my limited riding knowledge and experience) that your likelyhood of wrecking is based more on your mantalitly. Although the bike plays a key role, the throttle isnt going to twist itself. If youre "that guy" that does burnouts in your pumped up civic and does a lot of dumb stuff the r1 probably isnt for you, even though any bike you get is probably going to be a bad idea. However, if you can think through your decisions a bigger bike is probably ok, just go slow and have respect for the bike. Dont let people mystify 45 more hp.

 

theres no difference
just the bikes are

 

here's the rich christensen vid.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...78308544&q=rich+christensen&total=185&start=0&num=50&so=0&type=search&plindex=7

 

First time I have seen that.... damn!!!

 

at the risk of flaming, even if you are a newb do you honestly believe the two bikes are remotely similar in terms of power and handling?

i'm sure at least part of why newbs end up getting flamed, is because they're not looking for a genuine answer. they've decided the bike they want due to its looks/brag value, and are looking to justify it.

the best response they'll get is from someone who did it that way, and ancedotally 'survived'. the worst will range to accurate comments about throttle sensitivity, bike responsiveness and rider 'riding' maturity, to 'you're an idiot'.

these threads appear to make very little difference to the purchasing decision...

 

ahhhh the classic rich christiansen vid....:snorkel what a real clown that guy is