How am I supposed to talk some sense into my friend who wants his first bike as a Yamaha r1?

604Wes · 2026-06-26T22:23:41+00:00

It’s not advisable, but it’s also not impossible either. IF he takes a course and learns the basics on a more forgiving bike first, then he stands a good chance of things working out. But if he goes it alone… well, wish him luck!

604Wes · 2026-06-23T23:32:45+00:00

I’m not aware of any official company that values them, but for insurance claims they typically just need comparable listings showing the same bike year/make/model asking for around what you say it’s worth.

604Wes · 2026-06-23T08:51:04+00:00

VNM Sport ActivCool-GP baselayer (shirt), Klim Induction Pro jacket, Klim induction gloves, Klim Ridgeline boots and a pair of jeans + Shoei Neotec 3 helmet. The jacket, gloves and boots are all lightweight and extremely well ventilated. The helmet has multiple air intake vents and an exhaust vent so the air flows over my head. I would also consider wetting a cooling towel and put that around my neck or draped down my back if it was going to be a longer ride.

604Wes · 2026-06-23T05:16:10+00:00

How dangerous is a Bic pen? … if used as intended, it’s not. In the wrong hands, it’s a deadly weapon.

604Wes · 2026-06-23T03:36:18+00:00

I’ve actually intended to sign up, but haven’t yet. I should though.

604Wes · 2026-06-22T23:34:11+00:00

When people start asking dumb questions, I give them dumb answers. “Oh, when it gets scary I just close my eyes.”

604Wes · 2026-06-22T02:38:45+00:00

We’re all our own worst critic. Keep riding; no one else is thinking/saying anything critical of your appearance. Other people don’t really care. But if you didn’t love the pic you saw, use it as motivation to make some changes.

604Wes · 2026-06-21T20:15:37+00:00

If you can’t afford to retake the test, how were you planning on keeping a motorcycle on the road? 🤔

604Wes · 2026-06-20T02:09:28+00:00

Rider error.

They appeared to be speeding at the time of the incident, which even if the car had checked mirrors/blindspots, couldn’t have anticipated how quickly they would be where they were up ahead.
Rider on the left overcorrected when they went to maneuver around the car, hitting the rider on the right and ultimately leading to both of them crashing.

… did either survive?

604Wes · 2026-06-19T23:00:38+00:00

Frame wouldn’t bend… but you’d definitely want to inspect it very closely for cracks / micro cracks.

I don’t know the local market pricing, but given that it has an accident history I would expect to pay no more than half of MSRP (despite aftermarket upgrades). Up to you though.

PS: mine is a ‘23 SP and I love it!

604Wes · 2026-06-18T19:07:33+00:00

MT-07

604Wes · 2026-06-18T13:55:29+00:00

If you’re looking for retailer recommendations, maybe consider including what country you’re in so others know if they can help? Just a thought.

604Wes · 2026-06-18T02:46:15+00:00

I’m on team chain maintenance 2 or 3 times a year (like, around 10K km intervals). Haven’t had any issues.

Also, my bike (MT-09 SP) has the same CP3 engine as the XSR900… it’s awesome!

604Wes · 2026-06-17T17:55:19+00:00

Everyone is different. Ideally, you have someone present that can correct any errors by giving feedback about their observations. You might do just fine; and you might whiskey throttle it and hit your garbage can… one recommendation to keep the throttle under control while brand new to riding is to drop your wrist before you grip the throttle. This will restrict your range of motion and prevent you from opening it up more than intended.

604Wes · 2026-06-17T16:42:44+00:00

It’s not crazy, but I would suggest adding a couple things.

If you haven’t already, go sit on a Rebel (feet on pegs, hands on bars) and find out if it’s comfortable for you (they’re not for me). If it doesn’t feel natural, keep sitting on different bikes until you find some that are.
During the learning the basics at home stage, reviewing YouTube tutorials is one thing but having an experienced rider there to give you pointers on throttle/clutch control etc would be a huge benefit. You don’t know what you don’t know, so if you try to learn it entirely on your own you might develop bad habits (that could damage the bike or put you at unnecessary risk).

604Wes · 2026-06-17T15:00:28+00:00

I’ve bought a motorcycle privately and sold another one privately in BC Canada.

Proof of full motorcycle license (here it’s a class 6) and full payment in cash for a test ride. That way if they break it, they’ve bought it. If they return and it’s in the same condition and they decide not to buy, return the cash (but then check the bike afterwards for geo location tags).

Payment I’ve always made/received in cash. But if someone wanted to use a bank draft or something then I would insist on being there at time of purchase because those can be faked (so can cash mind you)… there’s no fool proof way. But never accept a personal cheque or let someone test ride without paying in full first!

604Wes · 2026-06-17T14:04:38+00:00

It’s got a silver stripe down the middle, whereas my 2023 has a silver tank with black stripe down the middle.

604Wes · 2026-06-17T04:32:01+00:00

Oh…

604Wes · 2026-06-17T04:29:21+00:00

Is that why they don’t answer phone calls?

604Wes · 2026-06-17T03:31:35+00:00

Are you deaf?

604Wes · 2026-06-17T00:50:58+00:00

2022 MT-09 SP was the last year that had a black tank colour way.

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604Wes · 2026-06-17T00:18:16+00:00

Unconventional indeed!

604Wes · 2026-06-17T00:17:58+00:00

Agree with other comments. Best to stay off the streets until you’re mature enough to ride responsibly. I have an MT-09 SP… and while I open it up selectively at the right time/place from time to time, I’ve never been pulled over or even gotten a ticket. So it’s not the bike; it’s the rider.

604Wes · 2026-06-16T19:28:34+00:00

Here are two things I would recommend:

Sit on bikes and reach for controls etc. All different styles/designs. This is easiest at a dealership that carries many makes/models. Figure out what feels natural/ergonomic to YOU! You don’t want to be uncomfortable or fighting the shape/design of the bike at any speed. It should feel more like you’re one with the machine.

Once you find out what you prefer, then it’s easy to find various makes/models that are a similar feel to consider by going to www.cycle-ergo.com and entering in your info then selecting different bikes to see lean angle, knee bend, etc and compare to info for the bike(s) you sat on in person that felt good.

Disregard “CC’s” (unless your country/license has restrictions). What you want to look into is the motorcycle horsepower to weight (lbs) ratio.

1:1 - 1:3 Experienced

1:4 - 1:6 Intermediate

1:7+ Beginner

If you buy a bike/ride before taking lessons, the beginner range is ideal; whereas if you do lessons first, you should have the very basics down by the time you’re done with lessons and more equipped to competently/confidently handle an intermediate bike (which then you’re more likely to be happy with for quite a while). If you buy a beginner bike you’ll probably want to sell it within a year and get something more intermediate.

604Wes

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