Just Bought my FZ6R - Pointers for a new rider?

[MattEnTheHat]

There is a cycle gear on Topanga and vannowen about 15-20 minutes from Simi. They have a good selection of gloves there. I picked up some freeze out underpants and glove liners there a week or so ago but I would always check their prices against amazon or leather up etc. I recommend this helmet for your first as being the best bang for the buck helmet I have seen. I moved up to a torc for more than twice the price because its paint job matched my bike so perfect and it had the internal sun visor but other than that its no better than this one below...

Vcan V136B1 Black Bluetooth Helmet - LeatherUp.com

Ahh perfect, that is very convenient for me (I live right at the top of the Santa Susana Pass Road, so it will be a very quick drive/ride over there).
Thanks for the great recommendation of helmet! I haven't found any other bluetooth helmets for that price. The only think is I don't want to buy a helmet without actually trying the exact one on, so hopefully I can find that one, (or one like it for a similar price) in a store somewhere.

yea your msf counts as your riding test at dmv so once you pass your written and MSF you get you lic.

Awesome. I will be needing to get the bike up to SLO, and it would be QUITE a hassle to do that with no freeway riding.

Not sure if everyone else experienced this but when I was looking for gear I found the sizes varied greatly. Ended up with a size 14 boot when I wear a size 12 in dress shoe and sneakers. The boot is still snugger than I would like but that was the biggest boot in the store. My gloves ended up as 2xl's. My jacket was XL which I expected. Makes it hard to buy online unless you can try sizes at a retail store then look online afterwards.

oh, and 10+ on the frame sliders. I consider them required equipment for any bike. I've seen postings on this forum of people who have had their bike knocked over when parked and the repair bill cost over $1,000. Happened to me and only damage was the foot brake lever got pushed in. Repair cost = $0.00.

Yeah, I have heard other people say the same thing before, so I think I am going to stay away from buying online unless I can try the exact same product in-store. I'd rather pay slightly more anyways and get something that really fits and works properly.

Getting Started: 5 Things Every New Rider Should Know:
Getting Started


also, there are a lot of good articles on RideApart

welcome to motorcycling!

Great read, thanks! I'm trying to sponge up as much info as possible before I get out there. I figure you never know what could potentially save your life one day.

For someone your age, you're already taking a great first step by posting this question on this forum. Most kids your age would probably think it would be uncool to ask questions. Congrats.

As for advice, the best would be to take everything slow and easy. Don't be in a rush to try things that are better left until you have more seat time under your belt. Don't push it too hard or try to ride outside of your skill level. That will be a very quick recipe for an accident. You're only 19. You have plenty of years ahead of you to enjoy riding motorcycles. No need to try everything in the first 6 weeks. You want to make sure you're around to enjoy the many years ahead.

Of course, all the advice about gear is great. The more the better. Get the best that you can afford. Good helmet is the number one priority. Good gloves are necessary also. Except for the helmet, you don't necessarily need gear made just for motorcycle riding, but it's better if you can afford it. Shoes that cover your ankles, protective jacket, and long pants and are the basics. You can get dedicated boots, pants and riding jacket as you can afford.

I have a 20 year old son who started riding 6 months ago, and his first bike is also an FZ6R (2011). I think it's a great first bike, as well as a great bike if you've been riding for many years. You won't need to upgrade to a bigger bike anytime soon (if ever). It's not an R6, but it still has plenty of power. More than enough for daily driving and even the occasional track day if you're so inclined. I currently have an 06 FZ6 for the street and an 05 R6 track bike, and have been riding for 40 years. I enjoy riding his FZ6R when he lets me. A little less power than mine, but it's smoother, and handles great.

Enjoy the new bike. And again, take it slow and practice any chance you can.

Yeah that is the plan, to take things nice and easy absolutely. I would much rather slowly build up skill, learning things the right way rather than trying crazy stuff right off the bat.
Thanks for the suggestions on gear. Right now I am leaning towards getting a helmet (of course), gloves, and a jacket to start with.

I was curious about boots. I own a great pair of leather hiking boots that I imagine would offer excellent protection in a crash. But they are thick, inflexible, and heavy, so I was wondering if that would be awkward on the foot pegs or would make shifting and braking difficult. Anybody tried this? What are everybody's thoughts?

 

[ylwf3vr]

I used to wear my Army boots and didn't have an issue. Not sure how thick yours is.. I have had a pair that got in the way of me shifting because it was little too thick. But you do get used to it.. Braking shouldn't be an issue since you're pressing down

 

[Maadi]

I was curious about boots. I own a great pair of leather hiking boots that I imagine would offer excellent protection in a crash. But they are thick, inflexible, and heavy, so I was wondering if that would be awkward on the foot pegs or would make shifting and braking difficult. Anybody tried this? What are everybody's thoughts?

I wore leather work boots with steel toes for 8 years on my cruiser, but felt that the ankle area was too stiff to keep my foot in a comfortable position on the FZ6R. Ended up buying motorcycle boots (Gaerne Flow Touring), and they are much better. Plus the toe part fits under the shifter better. So I would say yes, they will probably work for now, but you will want to buy them at some point...

 

[ylwf3vr]

I wore leather work boots with steel toes for 8 years on my cruiser, but felt that the ankle area was too stiff to keep my foot in a comfortable position on the FZ6R. Ended up buying motorcycle boots (Gaerne Flow Touring), and they are much better. Plus the toe part fits under the shifter better. So I would say yes, they will probably work for now, but you will want to buy them at some point...

Yep got me a pair of motorcycle boots too.. there are cheap ones out there.. esp on ebay..

 

[Sascha]

Another option is to buy a good helmet now and you can always get the uclear 100or 200 from cycle gear later if you want blue tooth. I have it on my Shoei and I love it.

As others have said bilt gear from cycle gear is pretty good and their 5 year no questions warranty is pretty hard to beat. You could spend a little more and get cycle gears sidici( I think that's how it's spelled? Gear that has life time warranty.

If possible try and ride the first 200-400 miles on streets you are familiar with so you don't have to worry about directions and know what to look out for.

I also started on a 600 a Suzuki katana and I was just fine. Watch for oil patches when stopping though I dropped the old girl a few times because of that. Would of killed me if it was my new shiny fz6r not the 1998 kat.

It is much harder to ride super slow and you are more likely to drop it then so practice practice practice.


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[MattEnTheHat]

I wore leather work boots with steel toes for 8 years on my cruiser, but felt that the ankle area was too stiff to keep my foot in a comfortable position on the FZ6R. Ended up buying motorcycle boots (Gaerne Flow Touring), and they are much better. Plus the toe part fits under the shifter better. So I would say yes, they will probably work for now, but you will want to buy them at some point...

Sounds good. I suppose it is somewhat of a non-issue. I will have plenty of opportunities to sit on the bike and try it before I get my license and am able to ride. Thanks for your input!

Another option is to buy a good helmet now and you can always get the uclear 100or 200 from cycle gear later if you want blue tooth. I have it on my Shoei and I love it.

As others have said bilt gear from cycle gear is pretty good and their 5 year no questions warranty is pretty hard to beat. You could spend a little more and get cycle gears sidici( I think that's how it's spelled? Gear that has life time warranty.

If possible try and ride the first 200-400 miles on streets you are familiar with so you don't have to worry about directions and know what to look out for.

I also started on a 600 a Suzuki katana and I was just fine. Watch for oil patches when stopping though I dropped the old girl a few times because of that. Would of killed me if it was my new shiny fz6r not the 1998 kat.

It is much harder to ride super slow and you are more likely to drop it then so practice practice practice.


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Hadn't seen that particular product before, thanks for pointing it out. I'll keep it in mind.

 

[justBlue]

Keep your kids with their baseball bats away from your bike!!

 

[latony007]

Matt id just buy the vcan from Amazon or leather up. if you don't like the fit you can always send it back with no problem. The add ons are ok but you have a big bulky thing on the side of your helmet and wire running underneath or try and drill the helmet. Of course if you can afford a shoei you can afford pretty much any helmet out there so there is lots to choose from. I liked the blinc blutooth system (that's in the TORC, VCAN and Oneil) because you could connect to other brand helmets that had blink. If you get say the built with the Bluetooth, which they have some of at cycle gear, you can only connect to other built helmets so your buddy would need to have the exact same helmet.

BTW I ride Santa Susana all the time because its a fun twisty road and its only 10 minutes from me. in fact I was just in there on saturday testing my new seat. Ride through box and willet or whatever that other canyon road is down there too, black canyon as well although id recommend you stay clear of black until you have a little more exp. just cause the road sucks. Your best rides around here are mulhulland and angeles crest IMO.