School me on 09-14 R1

Looking at possibly picking up a used one of these for a street/track bike. I love the crossplane motor sound and undertail exhaust so that has me gravitating toward this vintage as they aren't that expensive on the used market.

Questions:

Is it a big heavy POS?

Should I run away screaming?

Any issues with reliability or other weird stuff?

Is it worth even bothering or should I just save up for a newer bike?

 

It's big and heavy and the bikes that succeeded on track had very little in common with a bike you're buying unless it's an ex graves bike.

 

As with most bikes, some love it and some hate it. However from what I remember that is a bike that benefits from SBK trim a lot more than others. If you’re a front running expert maybe it’s not for you. If you’re mid pack to back of pack I think you’ll enjoy it.

 

I test rode one at NJMP at a Nesba (sucks) day in 2009. I couldn’t wait for it to be over. Hated it.

I think it’s worth a 15 or newer model.

 

A pile of a turd, get a 15+.

 

Great fucking street bike, terrible track bike.
I spent like 8k trying to make mine work after All the regular shit.


But will say this, not many bikes left blackies quite like that one.

 

If you want that bike to turn, gonna have to spend some money beefing up that frame.

I've no idea how much FTR would charge for that nowadays, let alone, shipping it to and from blightly.

 

They overheat stock at the track.

They also have starting issues due to battery but I think with new battery technology that's not a big issue anymore.

As far as the frame, I think you'd have to be pretty quick to notice the flex.

I have one with errrythang besides a SBK motor, I might be talked into letting it go. It's a track bike only tho.

 

Funny enough, I'm looking at one for Street Use/Limited track use. It has all the nice bits and pieces on it, they sound and look amazing.

 

I had the 2009 and spent quite a bit of money on it.

All I remember thinking was, "how the F*%$ did Ben Spies win a WSBK Championship on this turd."

 

I had a 2011 and it took some effort to get it to handle for track day fun. Gotta lengthen the forks - not a lot of ways to do that without spending some money. I had Graves fork extenders and springs. Re-sprung and eventually a Racetech kit in the shock. Woodcraft clip-ons are a must to fix the jacked up bar angle. Did flashtune and a full Akrapovic exhaust, and that livened it up a lot. Then it's a great street/light track use bike.

 

yea exactly I went the other way and spent the $$$$$ on the weird triples, and the linkage. Lol that definitely helped, but I was light years slower than on a GSXR or even my 675.

oh yea they also are probably like top 5 easy wheelie bike ever so there’s another point.

 

Thanks for the insight and experience guys, it definitely helps.

 

I had one I used for track days and liked it. Didn't have that power hit like older one or gsxr's ( I had 06 R1 and 06 gsxr1k), it was more like twin.
I did not change suspension on my except fork springs. Find stiffest spring you possibly can and put in there. I used 1.4 springs, max ride height on front and few mm on rear.
Before spring change it was like it had hinge in middle, front and rear arguing which direction to go

 

I have a 2010 that I have done track days and racing on for the last 5 years. It's been good to me, reliable and little fuss. Great for track days, but at a power disadvantage to the newer bikes racing in the 1000 class. Still got a few podiums in my amateur year with it. I got a 2015 this year and used the 2010 as a backup bike and to race in V8HW (it's one of the better bikes in that class and usually gets a podium). I may sell it in this off season though... Let me know if you're interested. Runs perfect, new chain and sprockets. PC5, quick shifter, ohlins front and rear, motion pro throttle, woodcraft rear sets, etc. Bodywork is "well loved" but race-worthy. Extra set of wheels, spares, etc.

 

Yeah it did wheelie like crazy, and I did find it less dramatic sliding than other bikes I've had. I loved the motor, notably once flash removed the secondary action above 10k. Warts and all, one of my faves.

 

This is a great description of it's behavior...hinged. it's all coming back to me now. I changed gearing to use smaller rear but close to stock gearing based on some post or article I read on chain torque. The longer forks, proper springs and maybe chain torque change had a huge effect. It made it steer and stop acting like it was gonna fold up or come around in corners.

 

How is the new version compared to the last one? I’m guessing it’s a couple seconds quicker? I still have an ‘08, I love it but I want a newer one at some point. I don’t think I’ll ever sell the old one though, it still rips and I like the screamer sound as much as the crossplane. Just wish the new ones weren’t so expensive.

 

As mentioned, great street bike. Maybe a decent track bike depending on your pace, but if you want it to be great, it is gonna take some money. I raced an 09 with Graves support and we threw alot of stuff at it to finally get it competitive. But for just a good track bike I would say suspension upgrades and definitely adjustable triple clamps. You can get it working pretty good with that. They are a bit big and heavy compared to other stuff, and they do lack top end power unless you get into the motor. They do run HOT with stock radiator. The sound and the power delivery do make it fun though.

 

Yeah a couple seconds quicker. I was about 2 seconds quicker at Summit riding them back-to-back, 3 seconds quicker at Atlanta. At Pitt Race, it was less difference; the difference is bigger at tracks with a big straightaway as the new one gives me an extra 5+ mph.

It's interesting that people think the old one was wheelie-prone. I don't know if it's because I'm smooth on the throttle, or how I keep my weight forward or what, but I hardly ever wheelied the old one, pretty much only on the wheelie hills at NJMP and Pitt, or if I whacked it open in 1st. The new one has more power overall, but it feels most dramatically stronger in the mid RPM range, coming out of corners. It wheelies anytime I go to full throttle in 2nd or 3rd exiting a corner, but the wheelie control keeps it from lifting very high so you can stay in it. I'm still trying to learn to use the traction control, but it allows me to give it more partial throttle finishing a corner where the old one would try to snap around if I did that. The new one is also easier to flip over side-to-side in fast chicanes; the old one required a lot heavier bar input. All that said, I still like the old one too; there's something to be said for the simplicity of not having any electronics to worry about settings or whether they're going to do what you want.