Anyone had experience with 99 R1???

i used to have a 99 r1 as a road bike and used it on track about 10 times
it seemed fast when new , but i found that a new style cbr600rr from about 2004 onwards was just as fast on track due to better weight distribution and suspension .
i swapped with a mate at track for a go on his 2005 kawasaki 1000 and could not believe how much faster it was , i was going down croft start finish at 127 mph on my r1 and 155 on the kwak.
the best advise i would give is buy as new a bike as possible because they have got so much quicker over the last few years.
dont forget a 1999 r1 was putting out around 140bhp on a good day ,most 1000 s now do 180bhp plus, and suspension is more likely to be worn out on an older bike.

 

I had a 2000 model. It was explosively powerful and, IMO, didn't have a chassis to suit that power. Quite good fun though!

 

I have to say the R1 felt more intimidating, power wise, than my 08 blade

 

the aprillia is a good bike but you got to work the twins more but keep it above 6k and they fly along. a mate had a 99r1 which was a great bike. only fault he had was a faulty oil pressure/level sensor so if you get one keep an eye on the levels and run the right grade of oil. he took it to donington same time i took my old 99 zx9r and he couldnt get away from the zx9 on the straights but handling it was a better bike. either would be a great start to trackdays!

 

I had a 2000 R1 (briefly, did 1 track day on it) before my 04 Blade as my track bike. The blade feels tame/stable in comparison. I don't know how you can compare them to a cbr600 imo. Iv ridden a 03 cbr600 and the r1 was in a completely different league. To me comparing an R1 to a Blade is irrelevant, it would totally depend on the rider. There'll both get you to 0 - 120 quick ...

I believe they sometimes can have an issue with the third gear not selecting, can effect a few I was told when looking.

I don't think you would have a problem with a v twin been used to a blade, the reason i got the blade was my road bike which is a Ducati I can ride in a similar way - go into corners a gear higher and use the torque to pull you out rather than having to keep it above 11k to keep it moving. I don't know about an aprillia but my twin the power is basically below 6k! Low down grunt is phenomenal!

Personally I would of thought an older Blade would suit you the most?

 

I brought a new 98 R1 and I loved it, but I have to say it was the wildest bike I had ever ridden. That has to be put into context though, it was a long time ago and then it was probably the fastest most powerful affordable bike on the market and it really was a big advance over other bikes of the era.

At the time I found it quite scary and used to wheelie more than I wanted to and IMO , the chassis, suspension and brakes just did not seem to be able to handle the power other than on the straights. At the time, there were lots of people leaving their backs at the track in a somewhat revamped condition !

Bikes have moved on so far since then, I personally would not buy one now to use as a track bike, there are other newer bikes that might be more suitable.

I love 600 's, fast and very nimble and the GXR750 is an awesome bike if you wanted to go somewhere in the middle.

 

Something like this, I know it needs abit of work but can do it over winter ready for spring.

2001 HONDA CBR 900 RRY RED/WHITE/BLUE 929 FIREBLADE | eBay

 

i would go for the first fuel injected r1, would never go back to a carb'd bike now

 

I've just bought a zx7r for track days next year, decided a 750 is the way forward , like you said 600's are too small and I couldn't find a thou for under £1500 that was a good starting point,ie suspension,brakes & exhaust are all expensive.
Only paid £800 for a 2000 zx7r and parts are plentiful and relatively cheap.
Plus the Kwak front end is amazing as standard !!

 

My mate is 6'3" he had no problems ! He rode to jerez in Spain on his and still lived !!! Tank is wider than blade but not uncomfortably so.

 

Yeh mine was cat c , for sale at £1200 only paid £800 tho plus £99 delivery this is the time of year to buy bargains !!!