[connorchurch35]

Hello everyone! I am 19 years old, 6'6" and 210lbs. I am thinking about getting an R3. I have went and sat on one, and I find it Very comfortable. The only thing that worries me is that people are telling me it wont be powerful enough, and I will get bored after first riding season. Any opinions, anyone had it for a few seasons? I am very excited and sure I'll have fun, but I would like some input from people who have had theirs for a while now! Thanks

 

[Kojiiro]

Welcome to the forum!

Have you considered basketball instead?

Kidding aside, heres what I can tell you that I know about the R3:
Its plenty powerful for the highway. I have videos of me riding it in San Diego traffic, which averages 75-85 mph. Bike has no problems. A fair argument is that I weigh around 155-160 with gear and back pack on. A few others here will attest to it being capable in traffic, so wait for them to chime in and give you their rider weights. A few of us from California have stated its fine in traffic. I stress the California part because people in Cali typically ride/drive pretty fast.

I moved from a ZX6R to the R3 and will admit at first I didnt like it. I can honestly say now its been my favorite bike so far. Sure I miss some traits of my other bike, but as the saying goes, there is no perfect bike.

The bike is an absolute blast in the twisties, and even more on the race track. Very fun bike. Very light as easy to ride. If you arent interested in all of that just yet, then here are other selling points: Its light, fuel injected, cheap to insure, very manageable for a beginner, parts are cheap, good on gas if you dont ride it like its a race bike (to each their own, I have never gotten very good MPG on mine cause I ride different than the guys trying to max out on fuel), easy to work on, has good aftermarket for a bike only a few years old, its comfy and I am sure there are a few more things I could write but cant think of right now.

Will you get bored of the bike? Sure, if you never want to learn to ride a bike past commuting to and from work and only care about going fast in a relatively straight line. If you enjoy twisty roads or the track, you will do the opposite. You may just have more fun on the R3 than a 600/1000 that all your friends are trying to pressure you into buying. Speaking of which, ask them to watch the video at the end of this reply and see if they are bored doing things like that on their bike. I just feel there are far too many people on 600/1000cc bikes who are too concerned about being on a small bike, thinking people will mock them for being on small bike, yet they cant ride their bike very well through a nice twisty mountain road or the track.

Alot of us here have moved from bigger bikes to the R3. It really is a blast to ride. You are going to want to buy a different bike eventually. It happens. I am willing to bet after owning several bikes, you will look back and say something like "man that little R3 was alot of fun".

Enough ranting from me. Enjoy this video. Dont forget to ask your friends! If they do that kind of stuff on the track, ask if they recommend you learn that kind of riding with a bigger bike or smaller one.

 

[CBRpilot]

Because of your size, I would recommend you go check out the Yamaha FZ-07. It has more power, and you won't get bored with it as quick. I practically had to flip a coin to decide if I wanted to get an FZ-07 or the R3. I chose the R3, but I weigh 150lbs. I already have a literbike, so I wasn't looking for another power monster. But if I could only have one bike, I don't think it would be the R3. It would probably be the FZ-07.

 

[Tal]

I'm with Kojiiro on this one.

 

[CMH Raven BB]

Rider weight does affect let-er-rip perception at this power level. I'm 160 and find this thing a riot around town. Test ride if you can and see if you like it. If not, torque is a great way to negate weight: The FZ-07 suggestion is a good alternative, IMO.

 

[Kojiiro]

Honda and Kawasaki ask have mid sized twins that may be good alternatives if you want a faired bike instead. They do weigh considerably more though.

 

[SDR3]

6'2" 245 lbs here. I've had my R3 for 6 months. When I first bought it, I used to ride in the mountains every weekend doing 120 miles a day on twisty roads It was a blast, but over time for some reason, I lost interest in it and now I only ride once a month. The R3 is great for mountain riding, If you think about it, how fast can you really go on public roads, can you really use a bike that goes 150 mph on public roads? You have to slow down for the corners anyways and the corners are where all the fun's at. I'm pretty sure the R3 can corner just as good as the bigger bikes, maybe better with sticky tires.

I did a few trackdays and at my size the R3 felt like it needed more power on the straights. The lighter riders have a huge advantage but skill can make up for that.

I still like my R3. It looks like a more expensive bike than it is, the price is about 1/2 of what an R6 costs new. You could buy a used R6 for about the same price as a new R3, but I'd rather have something that's new. It all depends on what you want out of a bike. For me at about $5000 out the door, its not a huge investment that I will take a big loss on if I want to sell it. If it was $12,000 then I'd be more committed to it.

I admit I am not into riding like I was 3 months ago, but if I had a bigger bike it would be the same deal. I'm sure that an R6 or R1 wouldn't make me ride more than I do now.

The other thing is that you are 19, I don't know how much experience you have or who you will be riding with. If all your friends ride 600's and 1000's, then you probably need at least a 600 so they don't leave you behind on the straights, if you don't have friends with big bikes , then get a 300, there's a growing group of 300 cc riders who realize you don't need a bike that goes 180 mph. I think a 300 is plenty fast on public roads especially for a 19 year old. I have two sons that race motocross and I wouldn't want my 19 year old on a 600 or 1000, at least not until he's been riding a year or two on the street. The R3 will keep you out of trouble and still let you have a ton of fun, trackdays, mountains, or commute. I know I probably would have hurt myself on a bigger fast bike, the faster the bike, that faster you can get into trouble going too fast into a corner. The R3 can do it all for half the price of a 600.

 

[ChrisAW]

I'm 6'2 205 and I love my R3. This is my first bike and I couldn't be happier. I fit well and it has enough power to have lots of fun with. Like others have said there is very little reason to get a 600 when there is an option like the R3 for new riders. The price is perfect and the looks match any 600cc bike out there. It is the right way to get into riding hands down.

 

[YamahaR3]

I downgraded from a 400cc scooter to this thing. I don't see how 0-60 in 5.2 seconds, top speed of 120 and if you ride it like a human being, 70mpg is bad. I love all of those numbers.

You want boring? Ride a maxi scooter. Yes, you can practically fit the entire contents of 1 Super Wal Mart under the seat of one but that's pretty much the only good part. No storage on the R3 but a backpack makes up for it.

Unlike most people, I like cruising in 6th gear, at 35mph, on a back 2 lane road with no traffic. Getting 70mpg and going slow enough to enjoy the scenery and take in the smells....oh its amazing.

 

[strati16]

6ft and 90kg here!

This is my first bike and trust me man im impressed with its power its just enough, somtimes i actually get a little bit surprised how quick it will get to 100k
I seen some guy in a turbo lancer last night and he wanted to race so i thought why not and i absolutely demoloshed him until i was in 6th gear lol

 

[Blurred2002]

Ditto

 

[Blurred2002]

Ditto

What Koriijo said.

 

[Hory_Mory]

The R3 is fun. As a beginner you'll probably outgrow it in 6 months if you're only about speed on a straight line.

 

[Allennat]

not sure of your riding experience, but I started riding Harleys at 14.
What I recomend:
1. screw your friends and screw getting a bike that is too powerful for you skills. 1 slip of the throttle from a bump or something unexpected on a 600 and you are probably going to crash.
2. Take motorcycle safety course!
3. Identify your needs, don't try to fit in. if you want something that goes 0-60 in sub 3 seconds, more power to you (it is fun )
4. if you never road before, consider a used bike, 250 if you are nervous (not a super fun bike but great to learn on) or a ninja 650 / equiv. Insurance will be expensive at 19, and crashing a brand new bike will be more expensive. Learn to ride on a used bike and get most your money back when you sell it for that r3/r6/r1

But I love my R3, not the quickest bike I have been on, but it is a blast!

 

[Krazy Kiwi]

I've done a 350+ km ride on my R3 with a bunch of 600-1000cc bikes and I had no problem keeping up with them! The R3 is an awesome bike to learn on, and it looks great too!

 

[cxa0897]

I'm a little late to this party, but maybe this will be useful to someone.

I started on an fz8 (power of a 600 with more torque) and don't regret it at all. It's a bit more forgiving than a Supersport, but can still get in a lot of trouble fast.

I'm you are responsible with your wrist and spend time in a parking lot really learning the bike you'll be fine either way. If you aren't, that's where things can go wrong.

With that being said, mine is up for sale and I'm picking up my r3 tomorrow for all the reasons the previous posters have mentioned. It's just way more fun to ride a small bike near its limit instead of going 1/4 throttle between corners on a big bike.

The low cost and fuel efficiency are just added bonuses.

 

[Aufitt]

Rider weight does affect let-er-rip perception at this power level. .

Maybe by 0.0000000001%
Rider skill however has eleventy billion % difference, especially for a new rider.

 

[xorbe]

368 + 152 = 520 pounds, so every 26 pound difference between two riders is 5% difference in whp:weight

 

[CBRpilot]

I love my R3, not the quickest bike I have been on, but it is a blast!

You aren't trying to say the R3 isn't FAST, are you ?!?!?
Be careful! People around here will be on you like ants on a sugar cube! :laugh:

 

[aokalex]

Lovin' the R3

Best decision you will ever make my friend. This is my first bike and when I first started looking around it was either the KTM RC 390 or the R3. The KTM is a bit faster but if you really compare the two bikes the R3 is well rounded. Ultimately the Matte Gray finish sealed the deal for me. I have had the bike for about 3 weeks now and have put about 800+ miles on her. I rode the first week literally with no destination non-stop. Still madly in love with her.