well this is my first post on here. as of now i own a 2004 sv. its my first bike and its serving me great. i'm going to college this fall and i plan on buying an R series in a few years as well. heres my dilemma. besides the obvious differences in power, and the ability of the R1 to wheelie at basically any time it wants to, what are some differences in the R6 and R1? (performance wise, feel, ease to ride, and comfortability) I cant wait to buy the new bike but i definitely dont want to buy a bike that i a) cant handle or b) just dont like. so any facts or opinions are greatly appreciated and thanks for the help and i'm stoked to finally be on an R6 forum because as everyone knows they ARE the sexiest bikes ever made. amen.

You are right. The R1 and the R6 are the sexiest bikes on the planet!!! I have had both an R1 and an R6. In reading your post, you basically mentioned the major differences in the two. The R1 is just sick in terms of speed........basically in all regards it is sick.....pretty much stupid fast. Third gear throttle wheelies all day long....roll'um up at about 120 to 130 mph.......sick.

I no longer have my R1, but last September I came across a great deal on a 2003 R6 with only 300 miles on it!!!! Basically brand new. I have to be honest, I had my reservations about going back down to a 6 but looking back, I am so glad I got this bike. It is the fastest 600 I have ever been on and with a few mods you can make it even a little bit faster. It is super light, a lot more responsive, and overall a little bit better to ride in the city. To be honest, the only time I miss the R1 is on the freeway, and when a group of other guys ride in somewhere on one, and look at my R6 like it is not up to par with them, which on the street, probably not, on the track, I'd take the R6.

Bottom line, you can't really go wrong either way. Good luck.

Really it comes down to that an R1 is a race bike right from the start. There would be very little to do to the bike to make it a top of the line race bike for professional racing. For most people who want to race recreational that bike stock smokes everything out there. The frame is very stiff and responsive but also bigger motor = bigger bike and more weight. The R1 has about 75 more horsepower than a stock R6 and is just an overall better bike.

However, if you just want a great cruise bike that can be used for racing or for those leisure travel days the R6 is just about perfect. It has great snap, good speed, looks great, and also handles really really well being a small stiff bike thats not heavy.

I love mine, its fun to ride, and I have no problem riding it all day long at all. Fast when you want it to be and smooth when you want it to be too.

hey i'm the original poster here. just a few questions about the R6's wheelie capabilities. please tell me that you dont have to abuse the clutch in order to get it up!! i think the R6 will be a better choice for me but i am a little worried that i will have to use the clutch for wheelies instead of just rollin on the throttle. so any info on that would be great.

im 240lbs and i power wheelie no problem at all

Okay I hate to play hall monitor, but NT grab a copy of Motorcyclist. The new R1 puts out 158.3 ponies while the r6 cranks 105.4.

The biggest differnce between the two is the power. Basically 160hp will bite you in the a$$ every chance it gets. Nuff said. The two weight similar, the r1 has a 35 pound disadvantage but hides it well.

The r1 realy isn't a "race bike" that's more a description of the 6. Right now 600cc bikes run in AMA supersoprt and superstock, as well as World Supersport, British Supersport, etc. The 600cc is the hottest race category next only to moto GP.

Anywho the r6 can go similarly fast as any liter bike if you drop a tooth on the front sprocket (which I highly suggest regardless of what type of riding you do). You can ride in town with liters, you might need to grab a quick downshift first. The only thing you won't be doing on a 600 is picking it up in 3rd at 100mph and riding a wheelie down the highway. That's r1 territory only.

If you carve canyons at all you will be very happy with the 6, more so than the r1 because you don;t have to constantly worry about the back tire. Also if riden well you can whoop ass on anything out there. Example I used to lap my brother on his 929rr at Summit Pointe Raceway and conversely, I got my butt handed to my all weekend by a guy on an SV650 at BeaveRun.

Things to keep in mind, insurance companies don't like liter bikes. Most categorize them as "hyper-sports" which is the same category as Vipers, and Ferrari's. Do you want to pay ferrai insurance?

Fierohink-
Im not pulling the numbers out of my ass on this, and i will quote it

Obviously, with its 998cc, 180-horsepower ram-air fuel-injected engine, the YZF-R1 is intended for riders who like their performance straight up. - www.yamaha-motor.com

Now im not trying disprove what your numbers are, every magizine has its own numbers from what they get, and you gotta look for what they are talking about from wheel horsepower, or the power coming off the engine. And its all the same for car magizines too, from how fast certian cars go 0-60 and what numbers they get from the dyno and etc. Its all a variable but what you are looking at the best number is gonna be the best built bike in perfect ideal conditions, with a professional driver.

Again not trying to discredit but some numbers come from certian places and one might say one thing and one might say another.

I think the 04 had 158 and change and the 05 has right around 180 horse's to compete with the new GSX-R.

I think NT was a little off about the race abilities of the R6. It is one of the best race bikes out there. You have to have an Expert license to even race a 1000cc bike. You can tell who has those by looking at their number plate on the front of the bike.

Bottom line is they are both great bikes.....it sounds to me like the original poster is concerned mostly about the R6's ability to ride on one wheel, my take is I have had both an R1 and an R6 and the R1 is much better on one wheel than the R6.

ok so you have both...hmmm.... i hate you... no just kidding but you are a lucky man sir. ah to have both. yeah i'm just wondering about the R6 wheelie capabilities and if it can do power wheelies easy enough. i just want to have the ability to throw up a wheelie without thoroughly abusing the clutch to bad ya know?

i put it on the air in first gear then it goes on the air and i put till 4 then it drops.. but you can power wheelie in 2nd gear too..

I have had both....at different times of my life....R1 when I was in my early 20's and now an R6 in my very late 20's. Right now I am having a great time with the R6....doing so many upgrades, and just trying to pay it off asap......next season I am going to buy another R1 and have both in my stable......one for pure speed (R1) and another for my everyday type of bike. Although, when I am finished with my R6 it is going to be pretty bad. :twisted:

You guys have to get one thing straight. When talking hp there are 2 different readings that produce different numbers. In the mags you will see mostly rwhp which is REAR WHEEL hp. The hp at the rear wheel.... And you have hp at the crank, which is a higher number. Depending on many factors (air pressure, temp, humidy, etc..) rw hp can vary from 101 to 110 on an r6 and when talking crank hp with ram air is 126 hp under ideal circumstances.. When talking hp is is important to know what reading. YES THE R1 IS A 180 HP MACHINE, but only at the crank and with ram air. (crank shaft = crank)
A measure on the dyno using the rear wheel will produce a lower reading.
Feel free if you have any questions, I know all about this stuff, even the math behind it .

60 hp and 30 pounds, thats the diff. both awesome.

Driving styles are completely different. You would take the R1 around the wide croner, while the R6 would pull the inner corner. That's what it's all about in the end, right guys? The corners!