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[Paul M]

It's a simple one: GSX-R 1000 or R1?

I'm planning on buying a proper sports bike for summer, and have always liked the Gixxer thou (at least from the 2001 model onwards, older ones are a bit lardy and ugly). Very nearly bought one last year but the guy messed me around a bit so I just walked. However recently I've been broadening my outlook and have been considering R1s, Fireblades and ZX-10Rs etc. Really like the look of the R1 so that's becoming a close contender to the Gixxer. They're all around 170BHP and 170Kg so nothing in it performance wise.

Any thoughts? Anyone ridden a selection of recent (i.e. within the last 5 years) litre sports bikes? I've been on a 2006 Gixxer thou before and the riding position was quite nice for a supersports, certainly less extreme than the ZX-10R. Haven't yet been on an R1 unfortunately, will need to sort that soon!

Cheers.

[Martin_1962]

Mainly comes down to brand are you a xxxx brand man, or will you buy whatever.

[TheBoy]

Paul, not sure of your riding history, but unless very experienced, I would stick to more forgiving bikes. Honda seems to be most ridable. ZX10R is a bit too lunatic if you haven't ridden a 1000cc sports bike in a while...

Whatever you choice, take care.  The road hurts more as you get older...  

[Admin]

Agreed.

Only ride the GSX-R 1000 or the R1 if you are VERY experienced!

Both are insanely fast, with handling I would describe as....edgy on our roads!

There is no give in the suspension at all, the seat is bl**dy uincomfortable after half an hour and the riding position is not good if you are much above the size of a 7st Japanese test rider!  

Personally I would go for a sports tourer like the CBR1000.

[MaxV6]

There's a Harley Dealer on the back road between Oxford and Abingdon.......   (Dry sandford I think the place is called.)



PROPER bike !

[Paul M]

There's a Harley Dealer on the back road between Oxford and Abingdon.......   (Dry sandford I think the place is called.)



PROPER bike !

Bah, those are just cars with two wheels missing... and they corner like cars with two wheels missing too  

I haven't yet owned a litre supersports, but I don't think it's a problem as the bike will only go as fast as the rider lets it. Yes I like to go quickly but I know my limits and have always given myself time to adjust when I get a new toy -- just like when I got a 280 BHP Subaru when I was 22 or got straight onto a 650cc bike after doing direct access at 23. I've yet to crash or come off (car or bke)... although I don't want to tempt fate!

I get the point with the riding position of sports bikes but personally I quite like it. I agree the ZX10R did feel a little too extreme, I think I'd get sore wrists pretty quickly. The Gixxer is much more forgiving in that sense, very nice position for a supersports. Haven't yet tried an R1 though so I don't know what it's like, might try and go see one this weekend.

I've always been a Suzuki fan, hence the interest in the Gixxer, but in reality there's no real reason for the preference so I've come around to the idea that it's better to consider all available and I've warmed to the R1... I think the best option will to get a shot and take it from there.

Cheers for the comments

[bogit]

i would interject with some cunning insight into bike buying,
err buy what fits you is the best i could come up with.
after i passed my test i went round and tried a few out.
r6 to skinney cant ride one for more than 300 meters with out wanting to fall of. cbr600 was ok,but still felt a little samll for me.
didnt try the gixxerthou, busa was to low, cbx11 to old man  

so i settled for a zx12ra1.
at least the suspension dont bottom out under my cough large frame  

[Darth Loo-knee]

It's a simple one: GSX-R 1000 or R1?

I'm planning on buying a proper sports bike for summer, and have always liked the Gixxer thou (at least from the 2001 model onwards, older ones are a bit lardy and ugly). Very nearly bought one last year but the guy messed me around a bit so I just walked. However recently I've been broadening my outlook and have been considering R1s, Fireblades and ZX-10Rs etc. Really like the look of the R1 so that's becoming a close contender to the Gixxer. They're all around 170BHP and 170Kg so nothing in it performance wise.

Any thoughts? Anyone ridden a selection of recent (i.e. within the last 5 years) litre sports bikes? I've been on a 2006 Gixxer thou before and the riding position was quite nice for a supersports, certainly less extreme than the ZX-10R. Haven't yet been on an R1 unfortunately, will need to sort that soon!

Cheers.

GSXR 1000

[TheBoy]

There's a Harley Dealer on the back road between Oxford and Abingdon.......   (Dry sandford I think the place is called.)



PROPER bike !

PaulM isn't old enough yet

[TheBoy]

There's a Harley Dealer on the back road between Oxford and Abingdon.......   (Dry sandford I think the place is called.)



PROPER bike !

Bah, those are just cars with two wheels missing... and they corner like cars with two wheels missing too  

I haven't yet owned a litre supersports, but I don't think it's a problem as the bike will only go as fast as the rider lets it. Yes I like to go quickly but I know my limits and have always given myself time to adjust when I get a new toy -- just like when I got a 280 BHP Subaru when I was 22 or got straight onto a 650cc bike after doing direct access at 23. I've yet to crash or come off (car or bke)... although I don't want to tempt fate!

I get the point with the riding position of sports bikes but personally I quite like it. I agree the ZX10R did feel a little too extreme, I think I'd get sore wrists pretty quickly. The Gixxer is much more forgiving in that sense, very nice position for a supersports. Haven't yet tried an R1 though so I don't know what it's like, might try and go see one this weekend.

I've always been a Suzuki fan, hence the interest in the Gixxer, but in reality there's no real reason for the preference so I've come around to the idea that it's better to consider all available and I've warmed to the R1... I think the best option will to get a shot and take it from there.

Cheers for the comments

There is a huge, huge, huge difference between a 70ish bhp SV650 V twin (I seem to recall thats what you had?), and a 175bhp monster 1000cc sports bike.  The SV was very forgiving, most 1000cc monsters aren't (he says from bitter experience  ).

Tourers and Sports Tourers are generally more forgiving and more comfortable than Sports...

[Paul M]

There's a Harley Dealer on the back road between Oxford and Abingdon.......   (Dry sandford I think the place is called.)



PROPER bike !

Bah, those are just cars with two wheels missing... and they corner like cars with two wheels missing too  

I haven't yet owned a litre supersports, but I don't think it's a problem as the bike will only go as fast as the rider lets it. Yes I like to go quickly but I know my limits and have always given myself time to adjust when I get a new toy -- just like when I got a 280 BHP Subaru when I was 22 or got straight onto a 650cc bike after doing direct access at 23. I've yet to crash or come off (car or bke)... although I don't want to tempt fate!

I get the point with the riding position of sports bikes but personally I quite like it. I agree the ZX10R did feel a little too extreme, I think I'd get sore wrists pretty quickly. The Gixxer is much more forgiving in that sense, very nice position for a supersports. Haven't yet tried an R1 though so I don't know what it's like, might try and go see one this weekend.

I've always been a Suzuki fan, hence the interest in the Gixxer, but in reality there's no real reason for the preference so I've come around to the idea that it's better to consider all available and I've warmed to the R1... I think the best option will to get a shot and take it from there.

Cheers for the comments

There is a huge, huge, huge difference between a 70ish bhp SV650 V twin (I seem to recall thats what you had?), and a 175bhp monster 1000cc sports bike.  The SV was very forgiving, most 1000cc monsters aren't (he says from bitter experience  ).

Tourers and Sports Tourers are generally more forgiving and more comfortable than Sports...

Yeah of course, I just have the SV650 as a winter bike, it's my first unfaired and much as it's really easy around town I want to go back to a faired sports bike as I prefer the riding position and of course wind protection of the fairing.

I'm not going to go crazy with the power, I do know how to be sensible with it contrary to the impression people seem to have of me on here . I much prefer proper sports bikes to sports-touring, I'd probably get a 600 or 750 if I thought the R1 was too powerful but I know I'll be able to take it easy when required, and I also prefer the torque of bigger engined bikes, can't be bothered thrashing it all the time.

If I get the time I'm gonna go have a look at the R1 this weekend.... we shall see how it goes

[TheBoy]

There's a Harley Dealer on the back road between Oxford and Abingdon.......   (Dry sandford I think the place is called.)



PROPER bike !

Bah, those are just cars with two wheels missing... and they corner like cars with two wheels missing too  

I haven't yet owned a litre supersports, but I don't think it's a problem as the bike will only go as fast as the rider lets it. Yes I like to go quickly but I know my limits and have always given myself time to adjust when I get a new toy -- just like when I got a 280 BHP Subaru when I was 22 or got straight onto a 650cc bike after doing direct access at 23. I've yet to crash or come off (car or bke)... although I don't want to tempt fate!

I get the point with the riding position of sports bikes but personally I quite like it. I agree the ZX10R did feel a little too extreme, I think I'd get sore wrists pretty quickly. The Gixxer is much more forgiving in that sense, very nice position for a supersports. Haven't yet tried an R1 though so I don't know what it's like, might try and go see one this weekend.

I've always been a Suzuki fan, hence the interest in the Gixxer, but in reality there's no real reason for the preference so I've come around to the idea that it's better to consider all available and I've warmed to the R1... I think the best option will to get a shot and take it from there.

Cheers for the comments

There is a huge, huge, huge difference between a 70ish bhp SV650 V twin (I seem to recall thats what you had?), and a 175bhp monster 1000cc sports bike.  The SV was very forgiving, most 1000cc monsters aren't (he says from bitter experience  ).

Tourers and Sports Tourers are generally more forgiving and more comfortable than Sports...

Yeah of course, I just have the SV650 as a winter bike, it's my first unfaired and much as it's really easy around town I want to go back to a faired sports bike as I prefer the riding position and of course wind protection of the fairing.

I'm not going to go crazy with the power, I do know how to be sensible with it contrary to the impression people seem to have of me on here . I much prefer proper sports bikes to sports-touring, I'd probably get a 600 or 750 if I thought the R1 was too powerful but I know I'll be able to take it easy when required, and I also prefer the torque of bigger engined bikes, can't be bothered thrashing it all the time.

If I get the time I'm gonna go have a look at the R1 this weekend.... we shall see how it goes

I agree, I ride a 1000cc bike purely out of laziness. I rarely thrash it.

But as I said, whatever you get, please do take care

[vladimir]

ducati multistrada 1000 ds are a very good reliable bike for summer and winter and not to bad looking.

[jakeyboy2506]

"THE BOY" has good advice, be careful of high end sport bikes - not for the faint hearted unless you have tons of experience - not very forgiving.

[Paul M]

ducati multistrada 1000 ds are a very good reliable bike for summer and winter and not to bad looking.

Much as I love the idea of a Ducati, using "reliable" in the same sentence is a bit of an oxymoron in my opinion 8-)