CONFESSION: I was bad yesterday.....

Warchild · 10-21-2006, 4:01 PM

I was a bad little boy yesterday, and I feel badly now.

Sorta.

Whilst I've been riding more than just a few years now <ahem>, it's only in the last 5 or so years I got bite hard - very hard - by the sportbike bug.

Scored me a CBR929 Fireblade in 2001... instant addiction! Very bad, too,

Stupidly traded it in for a FJR1300 in 2003.... MAJOR regrets, but I had to get a bigger bike (with a decent fairing to hide behind) to deal with the brutal PacNorWest winters we have here.

But missed my sportbike. Terribly. Not that I was a Ricky Racer by any means.... definitely no squidly behavior, never even so much as a wheelie or the like. Hey, I ain't a 20- or 30-something anymore; if I go out and bust up some bones, it's not like I can drink a couple of extra glasses of milk and be healed up in a week.

Fast forward to 2004... the all-new R1 comes out. HOLY SHIT!! Look at those body lines! Ok, how am I going to swing one of these without giving up the FJR, and of course, the XX is not even - and never will be - a trade-in candidate.

So... trying to get a new R1 that year wasn't in the cards. Still, I scrape pennies for another year, pay off the FJR, and was able to score a blistering Blood Red YZF-R1 in July, 2005. Woo-Hoo!!

Didn't have it 24 hours before receiving my first spreeding citation.. d'oh!

I settled down a little, and became a good little citizen on the R1... until out by myself, alone in the steppes and plains of the High Desert here in southeast Washington state. Then, it's another matter.

Which brings us to yesterday's naughtiness.... bad Warchild, bad, bad!

I was tearing up Badger Canyon road, climbing up several thousand feet to the top of a ridge when I pull up to a slow-moving, heavily-ladened wheat truck, ruining what was going to be a couple miles of climbing sweepers. And this section was all double-yellow... even the 1/2 mile straight-aways...

But... I knew it was just me and this stupid wheat truck all alone, not another vehicle for dozens of miles, and a 1/2 mile straight-away.

Screw it... I'm going....

Now, I thought I was in 4th gear already, so when I pulled out around him and pinned the throttle, I discovered I was in 3rd gear. Erp! I past the length of the truck with the front wheel just a little off the ground... seriously, not much at all really, maybe 4-6 inches, tops.

When I realized what was happening, my first thought was "sweet, what's the headshake gonna be like when the front contacts the asphalt again?"

The R1 does have a steering damper from the factory, though it's a joke. It was replaced with a Wilbers (HyperPro) several months ago.

Which I am greatful for, because when the front Dunlop Qualifier hit the asphalt again, everything was rock-solid as it could be.

Waved to the Wheat Truck driver, he waved back and gave a brief toot on his horn.

I am such a squid....

Warchild · 10-21-2006, 4:06 PM

And BTW, lest those think the above post is in violation of Forum Rule #6, it isn't.

See the title of my post? It's a confession!

haWHYnXX · 10-22-2006, 3:56 AM

Well, it sounds like a fun ride. Your bike is beautiful with the half fairing - I'm partial to the black one with red flames though. My wife has an R6 and I ride it occasionally - lots'o'fun but lacks the kick that we're used to. I imagine the R1 would be just the ticket (unless I get a screamin' deal on a Mille).

Whitey · 10-22-2006, 7:12 AM

My stepson bought me a Yamaha Racing jacket for my birthday (he forgot I owned a Honda). I was already hunting for a sportsbike, so I reckon it's an omen.

Anyhow, glad the R1 is putting a grin on your face.

davesxx01 · 10-22-2006, 10:05 AM

That thing is pure sex appeal

The red and gold sure look good togehter don't they!

Warchild · 10-22-2006, 1:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davesxx01

That thing is pure sex appeal

The red and gold sure look good togehter don't they!

Yeah, I suppose I was going for a little Ducati-look, scoring the gold-anodised Carrozzeria wheel in a mondo group buy I did for the XX guys at the begiining of the year: CBR1100XX - Carrozzeria Group Buy

Quote:

Well, it sounds like a fun ride.

Up until the '04-'06 model , the R1 always had a 16T front sprocket. Yamaha appearently decided that 170-ish HP was probably a bit much for the street, and put a 17T front sprocket on right from the factory. Most R1 owners (including myself) immediately install the 16T front. You lose a bit on top end, but... it's not like I spend a whole lot of time above 160-ish mph anyway...

When I got the Carrozzeria wheels, I went ahead and also went up one tooth in the rear, further losing a bit more on the top end. But between going down a tooth up front, and up a tooth on the rear, the acceleration I have now in the twisties and canyons is beyond insane. Doubtful if the front would have lofted past the Wheat truck with stock gearing. Heh....

BrianR · 10-22-2006, 2:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warchild

Yeah, I suppose I was going for a little Ducati-look, scoring the gold-anodised

Better yet - more like like an MV Augusta look!

Yup - when I took my first ride on a sportbike I decided to try (98 Viffer) I left a light in town and was just going through the gears. I realized my front wheel had lifted when I hit the gas and it about floored me. I had never experienced that before and it is a cool feeling (expecially for an old guy like me). I love the sport bikes.

davesxx01 · 10-22-2006, 6:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warchild

Yeah, I suppose I was going for a little Ducati-look, scoring the gold-anodised Carrozzeria wheel in a mondo group buy I did for the XX guys at the begiining of the year: CBR1100XX - Carrozzeria Group Buy

How easily we forget Dale, I got'em on my Red Bird

Side note, I had the cush drive assy fall apart on mine, took them 2 months to get the updated wheel under warranty. (Cush drive is now a part of the wheel, not bolted on)

Carrozzeria owners! - Public Discussion Forums

dotetcher · 10-23-2006, 12:12 PM

I love the looks of that bike Dale. Wish I could afford one of my own.

Speaking of unintentional lifting of front wheel I did that a couple of weeks ago in the wilds of Vermont. Whole line of leaf-peepers and one of the few places to pass on Rte 100 in Vermont. Dropped into 3rd (intentionally) and probably did half the line of cars on the back wheel (unintentionally). Front wheel touched down with a little wobble. My passenger asked me what just happened and I told her "nothing, just the front wheel coming up again." She says "Ooooo that was fun!" I knew there was a reason I'm attracted to her!

Warchild · 10-23-2006, 12:58 PM

j/k....

signed, Mr. Kettle

OZDave · 10-26-2006, 9:25 AM

I still think the 2005/6 R1 (in red) is one of the best looking bikes ever made. I would personally prefer the CBR100RR to own (more bland, suits my personality

), but the R1.......Sigh. I actually think it looks better than the MV. Sex on wheels is right!

Whitey · 10-28-2006, 8:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OZDave

I still think the 2005/6 R1 (in red) is one of the best looking bikes ever made. I would personally prefer the CBR100RR to own (more bland, suits my personality

), but the R1.......Sigh. I actually think it looks better than the MV. Sex on wheels is right!

I reckon the R1 is dead set sexy too Dave. Love the red and the equally luverly black SP jobbie. Mr Warchild is very clever to own one. The CBR1000RR also has beautiful lines, but they are spoiled somewhat by the wing graphic IMHO.
drool, drool...

WestOzBird · 10-28-2006, 9:59 AM

Bad,bad,bad Warchild

now go out on your XX and think about what you've done wrong

AnimalMother · 10-29-2006, 12:04 AM

Guess I missed this thread originally

Yeah, I remember when you posted about getting that bike. Everything about it is freaking hot. The paint; the wheels; the forks; the exhaust.....

Steve

Bixxer_Bob · 10-29-2006, 3:15 PM

So you never rolled the power on at about 5000 rpm on the 'Bird, cranked over on the left, coming out of a roundabout 2 up and found you're only on one wheel WB?

Oh, I forgot, you don't have roundabouts........

BrianR · 10-29-2006, 3:49 PM

Wrongoo Bixxer - They just finished putting the mother of all Rondabouts in my very own little town of Fernley Nevada (Pop about 20K). I think we only had about 10 accidents on it the first day it was opened up.

Bixxer_Bob · 10-29-2006, 3:59 PM

Funny as ten if no-one was hurt.....

flitemdic · 11-02-2006, 1:15 AM

Yeah, when you first posted up pics of that thing, I saved them. Every time Mrs. Flitemdic gives me grief about being "too old" for a sportbike, I pull them up and say: "I don't ride a sportbike. THAT is a sportbike."

But, then I'd be in the cell beside you, too.

RodeRash · 11-06-2006, 12:55 PM

I too, need to confess.

I have found that my new ride doesn't need much of a whack on the throttle in first gear to put the tire in the air. (For all you long-time Bird owners that are going to post that this is normal behavior, remember that all my riding starts at 5000 feet above sea level, and the mid-range torque is just not there)
Anyway, my real confession is that I have found the need to occasionally check to see that this "problem" with the front wheel was not a fluke. It's kind of like discovering that those new Avon tyres/tires cause the front wheel to waggle on deceleration when you take your hands off the bars. You keep doing it to see if it still happens.

Please forgive me.

MrBadExxample · 11-06-2006, 8:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warchild

I was a bad little boy yesterday, and I feel badly now.

bad Warchild, bad, bad!

// grabs Dale by the shoulders, shakes vehemently

Son, for God's sake pull yourself together! The whole team needs you!

wario · 11-07-2006, 7:34 PM

I didnt realize that red bikes could go that fast?!