Hey Gentlemen and Ladies,
As I find myself spending more time in the forum for my new motorcycle (BMW S1000RR), I wanted to make sure I thanked the good folks of this forum for the welcoming atmosphere you've created here that encourages people to learn how to ride intelligently, and at their own pace. You've truly built a special place here.
I figured the best way I could say thank you was to try and educate some new riders, the same way this site helped educate me when I first got my FZ6R. So below, I've listed a brief first impression of what it's like to move to a liter bike from the FZ6R, since we frequently question the practicality of a liter bike for street use.
Most Important Learning: I will never regret having the FZ6R as my first bike. Furthermore, it is a decision that I and my motorcycling friends continue to be proud of. We all agree it is what kept me alive through my first season.
Now keeping in mind that I've moved to 180 rear wheel horsepower WITH traction/wheelie control, anti lock brakes, quick shifter (no clutch for up shifts) and 4 modes to restrict power based on your experience level, here are my first impressions of moving to a liter bike:
Having power throughout the band, makes you not sweat going into a turn too slow. You know you can hit the throttle and increase speed by 20 MPH, while leaned over, in a split second (and with traction control preventing a high side
. At the same time, because the throttle is so responsive, if you do happen to let off the throttle and lose your suspension, a quick twist engages your suspension in the blink of an eye. With the FZ6R, if I let off, I felt like the turn was lost and I couldn't recover in time due to the slower response throttle.
Target fixation will kill you. With the liter bike, if you're looking through the turn and decide to glance at the side of the road, you ARE on the side of the road a second later.It is not fun discovering this. This has probably been the scariest thing. If you don't stay focused through the turn, you immediately go wherever your eyes wander.
While these machines may be fast, their brakes are so above and beyond that you can pretty much brake your way out of any errors (entering the turn too hot etc...). The first time I engaged the brakes, I almost went over the handlebars. This becomes a great asset, knowing that you can always stop quickly (and with anti locking brakes).
You're pretty much doing 90 MPH all of the time. This is the one area that I think supports the argument that these things are not practical for the street. My bike probably does 100 MPH in first gear and I've never been above 4th gear yet. At the same time, having to shift much less (because power is everywhere) does allow you to focus more on things like turning.
When you countersteer, the bike dives IMMEDIATELY. The first few outings make you feel like the bike is bored of you. You press those handlebars the same way you do with the FZ6R and you are in the opposing lane of traffic on a left turn.
Sure it's uncomfortable, but not as bad as you would think. After about an hour on the FZ6r, the only things hurting were my knees. On this, the wrists go first (forces you to work on correct riding position), then my hips start cramping, and then the knees. Light on the handlebars tends to help everything. And it's kind of cool to feel like a jockey on a horse.
So there you have it. Hopefully this helps someone weighing the decision to move to a liter bike.
Thank you all for what you've built here. I'll be sure to stop in every once in a while to check out Rook's vids, get educated by Jspansel (AKA, the most welcoming moderator I've seen) and laugh at CC, the most energetic poster to ever live. And I'll leave you with some pics of my new baby, including my first ever mod (wheel rim stickers). Safe riding!
As I find myself spending more time in the forum for my new motorcycle (BMW S1000RR), I wanted to make sure I thanked the good folks of this forum for the welcoming atmosphere you've created here that encourages people to learn how to ride intelligently, and at their own pace. You've truly built a special place here.
I figured the best way I could say thank you was to try and educate some new riders, the same way this site helped educate me when I first got my FZ6R. So below, I've listed a brief first impression of what it's like to move to a liter bike from the FZ6R, since we frequently question the practicality of a liter bike for street use.
Most Important Learning: I will never regret having the FZ6R as my first bike. Furthermore, it is a decision that I and my motorcycling friends continue to be proud of. We all agree it is what kept me alive through my first season.
Now keeping in mind that I've moved to 180 rear wheel horsepower WITH traction/wheelie control, anti lock brakes, quick shifter (no clutch for up shifts) and 4 modes to restrict power based on your experience level, here are my first impressions of moving to a liter bike:
Having power throughout the band, makes you not sweat going into a turn too slow. You know you can hit the throttle and increase speed by 20 MPH, while leaned over, in a split second (and with traction control preventing a high side
. At the same time, because the throttle is so responsive, if you do happen to let off the throttle and lose your suspension, a quick twist engages your suspension in the blink of an eye. With the FZ6R, if I let off, I felt like the turn was lost and I couldn't recover in time due to the slower response throttle.Target fixation will kill you. With the liter bike, if you're looking through the turn and decide to glance at the side of the road, you ARE on the side of the road a second later.
It is not fun discovering this. This has probably been the scariest thing. If you don't stay focused through the turn, you immediately go wherever your eyes wander.While these machines may be fast, their brakes are so above and beyond that you can pretty much brake your way out of any errors (entering the turn too hot etc...). The first time I engaged the brakes, I almost went over the handlebars. This becomes a great asset, knowing that you can always stop quickly (and with anti locking brakes).
You're pretty much doing 90 MPH all of the time. This is the one area that I think supports the argument that these things are not practical for the street. My bike probably does 100 MPH in first gear and I've never been above 4th gear yet. At the same time, having to shift much less (because power is everywhere) does allow you to focus more on things like turning.
When you countersteer, the bike dives IMMEDIATELY. The first few outings make you feel like the bike is bored of you. You press those handlebars the same way you do with the FZ6R and you are in the opposing lane of traffic on a left turn.
Sure it's uncomfortable, but not as bad as you would think. After about an hour on the FZ6r, the only things hurting were my knees. On this, the wrists go first (forces you to work on correct riding position), then my hips start cramping, and then the knees. Light on the handlebars tends to help everything. And it's kind of cool to feel like a jockey on a horse.
So there you have it. Hopefully this helps someone weighing the decision to move to a liter bike.
Thank you all for what you've built here. I'll be sure to stop in every once in a while to check out Rook's vids, get educated by Jspansel (AKA, the most welcoming moderator I've seen) and laugh at CC, the most energetic poster to ever live. And I'll leave you with some pics of my new baby, including my first ever mod (wheel rim stickers). Safe riding!
