An R1 is a serious machine. I would never trust one in the hands of a 16 year old or anyone without experience on bikes. Certainty not to perform tricks with. Those things have spectacular power to weight ratios and have more HP than a lot of cars.
Yes, No way should a 16 year old be on an R1.
Now, watch for the parents to sue someone for this!
A brand new R-1, off the show room floor, with street tires, could have won AMA Superbike races just 5 years ago. And Grand Prix races less than 10 years ago.
According to Yamaha, the bike has a dry weight of just under 400 pounds, and 180HP at the crank. So figure in the neighborhood of 150-160 at the rear wheel.
And these things are perfectly stable, not the high-strung racing bikes of years past. They're perfectly happy to run as commuter bikes, AS LONG AS THE RIDER KEEPS HIMSELF UNDER CONTROL!
That's the key. But cranking open the throttle suddenly will cause all sorts of horrible problems that all but a very few 16 year olds can handle. And by that, I mean riders who are already professional racers at 16.
Mark