Any one got an R1

[tiggr2]

Theres  a guy at work selling an 09 R1 and Im seriously thinking about buying it to raz around on  sunny days for a couple of hours  whilst still using the fazer for long distances, two up, touring, town work, all day stuff.

Is there enough differnce to consider it???

[SEPTIKANGEL]

There's a huge amount of R1's out there now, like many 'sport' bikes no doubt.
New 2011/2012 R1's can be had for 9.5k, so make sure you don't get your fingers burned.
In fact KJM are doing a new USA spec Lorenzo special at 8999!
I've had the same idea, though a little less expensive than the later R1's.  Best for me would be a 2008, not too sureabout the bigbang, besides they're more cramped and stubbier for me.  (XLFB size) 
Cheap R1s are available at less than 2k, worth considering if it'sjust gonna be a trackday scoot.

[Falcon 269]

I have a '99 R1 and it's a great bike for a few hours of hooning.  Definitely different to the stock Fazer.

Like SA said, early models available for under £3k and cheaper to insure, too.  That's the route I'd go.

[Grandma]

Theres  a guy at work selling an 09 R1 and Im seriously thinking about buying it to raz around on  sunny days for a couple of hours  whilst still using the fazer for long distances, two up, touring, town work, all day stuff.

Is there enough differnce to consider it???

I've had a 5PW 02/03 R1 for 10 years, the first covered 44,000 miles in three years, and my current blue one has 54,000 on the clock, but it has been "resting" for two years, only coming out on dry days and holidays as I had a Gen 1 Fazer 1000 to spread the load.
[/size][/color]Both R1'a have done everything from track days to touring, just need to watch out for the Exup seizing but then no different from the Fazer if you do a lot of all weather riding.
[/size][/color]Have covered 500 miles in a day on the R1 fully loaded going up to Scotland, but now I really am a Grandma, finding the Fazer more comfy, though R1 did save my life this weekend on a trip to Normandy when new Fazer threw it's toys out of the pram. :\

[Janet]

I haven't got one now, but I've had three R1s.

I had one of the very first batch to come into the UK back in 1998:



Then I had a 2003-spec one in 2004 when they were boing sold off cheaply:



And then I had one of the lovely 50th anniversary ones:



I enjoyed all of them, but I personally wouldn't go back to one. As I've got older I've not enjoyed the "intense" riding experience of race replicas as much as I used to, plus the roads round my way have consistently got busier and busier, making riding a race replica (and to a lesser extent any fast bike) increasingly frustrating. But I do have a second generation FZ1 which I love, and which I'd certainly say is very different in character from any of the R1s I've owned, as it hasn't got the "locked-in" riding position of a race replica and is a rather more chilled riding experience while still being plenty fast enough! Personally I don't want to own two bikes at the same time any more, though I have in the past, so it's a matter for me of having the best single bike for my wants and needs. Even though I work part-time, from home, I just don't find the time to make it worth running two bikes concurrently.

In my view, if you haven't owned an open-class race replica before I'd say that you should seriously consider having one at some point in your biking life (though, as others have said, you would be best to shop around rather than definitely going for the one that's got you thinking about it in the first place). If you go for an older R1, as some people on here have suggested, you're unlikely to lose all that much money if you sell it after a while because it isn't doing it for you. Do you have a bike shop near you that is likely to let you have a demo ride? If so that would seem to be a good first step. I'm lucky in that my local dealer has always let me have demo rides whenever I want, and it is a great help.

[redrat]

I got an 08 r1  an its a great tool i commute the fazer thou i use the r1 for rideouts an the bike meets ace an so on the mrs prefers it to the fazer something about being able to see more than my shoulders swings it for her ..lol although i find it uncomfy after more than a hour without a break as im 6'4 an have a few old wounds , like someone said loads of em about at the moment you can pick up a decent 09 big bang for 6k .
Grandma is that you christine longtime no see xx .