Originally Posted by
Doug Porcaro
Brakes, sprockets, clutch, all the same. The battery is not, it's EBR's own 26650 lithum 8-cell and which is no longer available, but you can have the cells replaced or have one made. The compartment area is so small it will not fit any (adequate) off the shelf batteries and basically needs to be the size of 8 (2x4) 26650 cells shrinkwrapped. There's a place called Speedcell that will make one or replace your cells, either for $200. You can replace the cells yourself but you'll need a spotwelder for battery cells and some copper sheet you'll have to cut. I'd recommend CTEK's lithium charger.
That being said, like Cooter wrote, it is everything else you need to be prepared for. Everything on the RS fits extremely, extremely tight. If you don't put painter's tape along the bottom edge of the airbox cover when taking the tail off, you will scratch it. And even though it's only four bolts, the technique for reinstalling the tail takes some practice as the undertray's lip needs to go inside before you can fasten it down, and can only be done at a certain angle. Sometimes I get it like nothing and other times it takes a while, but I have it down pretty well nowadays. The tail needs to be removed to access the battery, fuses, coolant cap, electonics, etc.
To give you an idea how tight everything fits, you can remove the mirrors and unlock all its quarter-turn fasteners and nothing will move. It needs to be pulled apart. It is actually easier to take the side panels off while still attached to the front fairing, just remove the mirrors and undo the side's fasteners (after removing the belly pan obviosly) and slide eveything off the front. If you try to remove and reinstall just one side panel, you again will need painters tape and a lot of paitence. Even when reinstalling the frontend as a whole, it still takes some finesse to get the radiator shroud's outer lip to go back inside the side panels.
Also keep in mind the current market for the RS is, well there isn't one, so if you decide to sell it, you're probably going to have a tough time unless you want to lose good money. This may change in the years to come, but for now, it is what it is. And also keep in mind, it does not have traction control, and is the quickest superbike in the world without it. I would not recommend an RS unless you are extremely passionate about them. If you have a shop do your work, I would be very, very cautious.
That all being said, it is my favorite bike on the planet, and in my opinion, the best & most beautful bike ever made. I've had mine further apart than I ever thought I would and I've learned quite a bit along the way. So if you aren't just infatuated and really do fall in love with one, feel free to message me about absolutely anything and I will help you the best I can. If you are more casual about it, I would highly recommend an RX or SX - both absolutely amazing, beautful, world class bikes, and a lot more street and user friendly. I still love those more than any other brand's superbike. My RS and SX are going to be with me for life, and I hope to add a Midnight Black RX someday too.