Basically this is just a rant and frustration. I know that this isnt really a Superhawk related question, but it does deal with another twin in the Honda family. A friend of mine is currently thinking about buying a RC51. Why, no idea. Very stubborn minded. He currently has a '99 R6 and rides it nowhere near the potential of the bike. His main reasoning for getting a 51 is that the seating position is better (being 6') and its faster so that he can keep up with me and some other people that have a '04 R6 and 600RR that we know. My friend with the RR used to have a 51 and we have tried to give him reasoning as to not get one (torque would own him, he doesnt have very good throttle control) and doesnt lean over much (big chicken strips) but doesnt seem to want to listen.

Basically we dont want to see a RC51 go down or not get used properly, or to see him get hurt from not knowing how to ride the beast. Any ideas as to anything else we could do?

 

Let him ride your bike, and you ride his bike. Show him the "problem" is him, not the bike he rides.

If you've both got the money, get him to go to some track days/track schools. Either let the pro's teach him, or try to teach him yourself. Either what, what he needs is an education/skills, not a new bike.

Last track day I went to, the fastest guy there bar-none was on a SV650! "spec wise" he should have been the slowest guy there. It was really humbling to get passed by his 6'6" dude hanging off both sides of a little SV650.

After a few passes by that guy, I did my best to try to follow his lines and LEARN from him. I talked with him off the track and he was cool as heck and gave me some pointers/stuff to work on.

Sounds like your friend needs a similar experience.

 

Yeah, thats what we are gathering to. After writing this we thought of taking him to a track day. Show him that a lot of the fast guys are using 600s or bikes that arent the latest and greatest. Or at least show him some things that he could learn from.

 

I was in a similar position with a friend. He HAD to have a new R6 for his first bike. I finally talked him into getting a used GS500, which he promptly lowsided in some gravel. Then he proceeded to thank me endlessly for not letting him buy a brand new bike.

a couple of things come to mind:

If he can't keep up on an R6, he sure won't be able to keep up on an RC. They take quite a bit more muscle to corner hard.

An RC won't be much, if any more comfortable. Insurance will go up, and he will have an increased chance of hurting himself. *trying to keep up with faster riders is a recipe for disaster. Just hope he doesn't run up your *** with his rear locked one day.... I've seen it happen.

Have him look at some dragstrip times. They're pretty much dead even in 1/8 and 1/4 miles- the difference is in the torque, and it doesn't sound like he's ready. Any advantage the RC has will be instantly negated by his inability to keep the front wheel on the pavement.

My friend is so stubborn, I ended up having to go "tough love" on him- I finally told him that I didn't approve the R6 for the sake of his safety and the safety of others (particularly my own), not to mention the financially retarded end of it. And that if he bought it, I *would not* be riding with him. Period. And that I would prefer to not be the one he calls when he's lying in a ditch with broken limbs. I refused to go look at new bikes with him. I hung up on him when he started calling me about R6s. That finally got him listening and he bought the GS, but it took me basically having to threaten our friendship to get him to listen. Grrrrr......