Alright guys, This is probably going to be a long read, so grab a drink and get your eyes ready.
So my journey to a bike started in August of 2010, i've always been a corner lover, and I had took my 2009 Cobalt SS to its limits in the curves, but it just wasn't enough!
Now don't get me wrong, Slamming the clutch in with your foot, dropping a gear and using throttle control for a speedy exit from a curve and then slamming it to 170 MPH on the straight is fun and all, but honestly it doesn't even compare to feel of leaning a bike at some speed in a curve.
I've realized bikes are a whole nother side of the performance world, and riding has become my favorite hobby, I feel kind of bad actually i've neglected the balt all season
, the twist of that throttle is something that can turn a bad day into a perfect day at anytime.
I came upon the FZ6R after doing TONS of research from august to November, I looked at and sat on literally hundreds of bikes before I made my decision, My list of options I had thought about most were:
Kawasaki Ninja 250R, Bike was to small for me, really made me feel cramped and I hated it.
Suzuki GS500, I'm sorry, and I know it was a little squidly, but that thing was right down ugly haha, plus all I could do was tip toe it.
Yamaha YFZ-R6, the most powerful of all bikes I considered, and I only looked at it because thats what my brother was starting on (he started the same time as me, some of you may know him from the R6-Forum, his username is "SnakeBite") but it just felt like to much for me, I sat on it and said "Theres no way im starting on this thing"
Kawasaki 650R This bike was straight up horrible. I seriously HATED that bike. Seating position was horrible, sound was horrible, it just didn't call my name when I sat on it.
Then I came to the FZ6R, Drove 3 hours to visit her, Sat on her and instantly I knew she was the right starter bike for me! My feet were flat footed with some bend in my knee, the seat position was perfectly comfortable and kept me at ease, and her Inline 4 screamed my name when the salesmen revved her for me a little.
So I signed the paperwork, handed over the cash, and backed the 2500 HD up to the loading bay! It was a long, cold, and snowy ride back home for her, but I got her home, unloaded her into the building and got her nice, cleaned up and up on her freshly assembled T-rex race stands!
Itching to ride, I strongly awaited warmer weather, I went out and started the bike everyday, kept her clean, did WHATEVER work I could do on it. Weather it was just spray detailing her to keep the dust off or it was just checking to make sure all the bolts were tight.
I also bought all my gear during this time, I wasn't becoming road pizza, I knew the dangers of riding, and I wasn't taking any risk.
So I did my research and ended up with this gear lineup:
Scorpion Exo 1000 Helmet
Icon Arc Speedfreak Jacket
Icon TRX Timax Short Gloves
I didn't order boots or leg protection at the time because I couldn't decide :S
but I recently purchased:
Teknic Chicane Boots
Icon Fieldarmor Knee/Shin Guards
I quickly couldn't wait to start modding the bike, I HAD to do something with her if I couldn't ride. So I installed some trojan mirrors, Removed the FZ6R decals on the sides, A silver shorty clutch lever, and a long silver brake lever, a GYTR Smoked Double Bubble windscreen, and some valve caps that look like grenades
By the time I got all that done, it was March, time to ride!
So I go to the DMV, get my Motorcycle Instruction Permit, and sign myself up for the MSF course, sadly the course isn't until JUNE 8TH! So I was definitely not waiting that long. No way no how was I doing that.
So I go to all my smartest riding buddies and ask them what to do, they all recommended me to watch "Twist of the Wrist II by Keith Code" that short film helped me so much it wasn't even funny. If you haven't watched it, I HIGHLY recommend it!
Then March 6th comes along and its 86 degrees outside in Glen Fork, WV, with 0 wind. PERFECT first riding day! I took it slow out of my hollar, onto the main highway, Slowly got my way to the speed limit of 55 MPH and say to myself "Damn this feels good" I was SO honored to be able to partake in this sport. After hitting my first corner I really realized how much of a new world riding was going to be for me, but it felt great! I was scared shitless, but it was the good scared, I couldn't wait to get more. I rode about 40 miles that day and did alot better then I thought I would!
The FZ6R felt great for me, the throttle was friendly, and when I did mess up by giving a little to much brake at a stop sign, it was easy for me as a first time rider to correct. The higher bars really made it easy to control, I think with clip ons I would have lost it in the fishtail.
Days go by and all it did was rain, so i started asking myself "What can I do to protect the bike, and make it a little safer day and night?" So I ordered T-Rex No Cut Frame Sliders and a 5000k HID Kit from KryptonBulbs.com! All that came in and about a week later I had it all delivered and installed! Sadly I still couldn't ride because of rain!
Thankfully come march 17th-18th we had two days of SUN! So both days I rode about 100 miles! Daylight and night time riding, and I had an ear to ear smile on my face the whole time! Even in that short amount of time I could feel my skills getting better. I really tested everything TOTW2 taught me.
It was great, the FZ6R really treated me well, and made me feel secure in my riding! I wasn't scared to death after making small mistakes. This bike is truly a perfect beginner bike
After my few experiences on my smalltown roads I decided to take my bike to work, about a 30 mile commute, but its ALL steep hairpin curves, mountains, the experienced riders DREAM road! (Sadly now I moved to where i'm about 2 miles from work and don't have that ride ) but I felt ready and I went for it. I was scared in some turns, but I just kept my concentration and I was fine. When I pulled into my work parking lot I felt extremely accomplished!
Weeks went by and my miles went up, and I was still improving, I started riding with my buddies (they've been riding for 5-10 years a piece) and they were all amazed at how well I was riding already with only about 600 miles under my belt at this point! I was actually able to pass my buddy on his 2009 CBR 600 when hes been riding for 4 years! That was the least of my worries, but I stayed in my comfort zone during the ride and didn't push my limits.
A few more weeks went by and I continued to mod the FZ6R adding a Smoked Intergrated Taillight! The bike was really starting to become my own!
I had gathered an addiction to the bike. Everyday I was just hoping and wishing for warm weather so I could ride, Checked the weather every hour or so to see if after work the rain would be gone. Seemed like that was all I wanted to do, well because it was lol. The bike really gave me even more to look forward to each day.
After I had about 800 miles under my belt I finally let my wife to be on the pillion seat! I knew riding two up was going to bring a whole different adventure to my new little world! But I did like everyone said and tightened the rear shock and added some air to the rear tire. Everything went great that day, she loved it and so did I, I felt great being able to have my girl loving riding just as much as I do! We've rode two up for about 100 miles worth now and I love it more and more each time!
At this point its present day and i've got about 1500 miles under my belt since March 6th 2011. Every mile has given me nothing but happiness, and in no way shape or form do I think I'll ever hang up my helmet. This sport has given me a whole new look at performance, strength, and even courage. Believe it or not I've learned alot from the sportbike world that can be taken into retrospect in everyday life! I look forward to continuing my career and improving my skills. This will be a life long journey for me and i'm glad to be a part of it!
So thanks for reading, Keep the rubber side down!
Sincerely,
Zach
So my journey to a bike started in August of 2010, i've always been a corner lover, and I had took my 2009 Cobalt SS to its limits in the curves, but it just wasn't enough!
Now don't get me wrong, Slamming the clutch in with your foot, dropping a gear and using throttle control for a speedy exit from a curve and then slamming it to 170 MPH on the straight is fun and all, but honestly it doesn't even compare to feel of leaning a bike at some speed in a curve.
I've realized bikes are a whole nother side of the performance world, and riding has become my favorite hobby, I feel kind of bad actually i've neglected the balt all season
, the twist of that throttle is something that can turn a bad day into a perfect day at anytime. I came upon the FZ6R after doing TONS of research from august to November, I looked at and sat on literally hundreds of bikes before I made my decision, My list of options I had thought about most were:
Kawasaki Ninja 250R, Bike was to small for me, really made me feel cramped and I hated it.
Suzuki GS500, I'm sorry, and I know it was a little squidly, but that thing was right down ugly haha, plus all I could do was tip toe it.
Yamaha YFZ-R6, the most powerful of all bikes I considered, and I only looked at it because thats what my brother was starting on (he started the same time as me, some of you may know him from the R6-Forum, his username is "SnakeBite") but it just felt like to much for me, I sat on it and said "Theres no way im starting on this thing"
Kawasaki 650R This bike was straight up horrible. I seriously HATED that bike. Seating position was horrible, sound was horrible, it just didn't call my name when I sat on it.
Then I came to the FZ6R, Drove 3 hours to visit her, Sat on her and instantly I knew she was the right starter bike for me! My feet were flat footed with some bend in my knee, the seat position was perfectly comfortable and kept me at ease, and her Inline 4 screamed my name when the salesmen revved her for me a little.
So I signed the paperwork, handed over the cash, and backed the 2500 HD up to the loading bay! It was a long, cold, and snowy ride back home for her, but I got her home, unloaded her into the building and got her nice, cleaned up and up on her freshly assembled T-rex race stands!
Itching to ride, I strongly awaited warmer weather, I went out and started the bike everyday, kept her clean, did WHATEVER work I could do on it. Weather it was just spray detailing her to keep the dust off or it was just checking to make sure all the bolts were tight.
I also bought all my gear during this time, I wasn't becoming road pizza, I knew the dangers of riding, and I wasn't taking any risk.
So I did my research and ended up with this gear lineup:
Scorpion Exo 1000 Helmet
Icon Arc Speedfreak Jacket
Icon TRX Timax Short Gloves
I didn't order boots or leg protection at the time because I couldn't decide :S
but I recently purchased:
Teknic Chicane Boots
Icon Fieldarmor Knee/Shin Guards
I quickly couldn't wait to start modding the bike, I HAD to do something with her if I couldn't ride. So I installed some trojan mirrors, Removed the FZ6R decals on the sides, A silver shorty clutch lever, and a long silver brake lever, a GYTR Smoked Double Bubble windscreen, and some valve caps that look like grenades
By the time I got all that done, it was March, time to ride!
So I go to the DMV, get my Motorcycle Instruction Permit, and sign myself up for the MSF course, sadly the course isn't until JUNE 8TH! So I was definitely not waiting that long. No way no how was I doing that.
So I go to all my smartest riding buddies and ask them what to do, they all recommended me to watch "Twist of the Wrist II by Keith Code" that short film helped me so much it wasn't even funny. If you haven't watched it, I HIGHLY recommend it!
Then March 6th comes along and its 86 degrees outside in Glen Fork, WV, with 0 wind. PERFECT first riding day! I took it slow out of my hollar, onto the main highway, Slowly got my way to the speed limit of 55 MPH and say to myself "Damn this feels good" I was SO honored to be able to partake in this sport. After hitting my first corner I really realized how much of a new world riding was going to be for me, but it felt great! I was scared shitless, but it was the good scared, I couldn't wait to get more. I rode about 40 miles that day and did alot better then I thought I would!
The FZ6R felt great for me, the throttle was friendly, and when I did mess up by giving a little to much brake at a stop sign, it was easy for me as a first time rider to correct. The higher bars really made it easy to control, I think with clip ons I would have lost it in the fishtail.
Days go by and all it did was rain, so i started asking myself "What can I do to protect the bike, and make it a little safer day and night?" So I ordered T-Rex No Cut Frame Sliders and a 5000k HID Kit from KryptonBulbs.com! All that came in and about a week later I had it all delivered and installed! Sadly I still couldn't ride because of rain!
Thankfully come march 17th-18th we had two days of SUN! So both days I rode about 100 miles! Daylight and night time riding, and I had an ear to ear smile on my face the whole time! Even in that short amount of time I could feel my skills getting better. I really tested everything TOTW2 taught me.
It was great, the FZ6R really treated me well, and made me feel secure in my riding! I wasn't scared to death after making small mistakes. This bike is truly a perfect beginner bike
After my few experiences on my smalltown roads I decided to take my bike to work, about a 30 mile commute, but its ALL steep hairpin curves, mountains, the experienced riders DREAM road! (Sadly now I moved to where i'm about 2 miles from work and don't have that ride
) but I felt ready and I went for it. I was scared in some turns, but I just kept my concentration and I was fine. When I pulled into my work parking lot I felt extremely accomplished!Weeks went by and my miles went up, and I was still improving, I started riding with my buddies (they've been riding for 5-10 years a piece) and they were all amazed at how well I was riding already with only about 600 miles under my belt at this point! I was actually able to pass my buddy on his 2009 CBR 600 when hes been riding for 4 years! That was the least of my worries, but I stayed in my comfort zone during the ride and didn't push my limits.
A few more weeks went by and I continued to mod the FZ6R adding a Smoked Intergrated Taillight! The bike was really starting to become my own!
I had gathered an addiction to the bike. Everyday I was just hoping and wishing for warm weather so I could ride, Checked the weather every hour or so to see if after work the rain would be gone. Seemed like that was all I wanted to do, well because it was lol. The bike really gave me even more to look forward to each day.
After I had about 800 miles under my belt I finally let my wife to be on the pillion seat! I knew riding two up was going to bring a whole different adventure to my new little world! But I did like everyone said and tightened the rear shock and added some air to the rear tire. Everything went great that day, she loved it and so did I, I felt great being able to have my girl loving riding just as much as I do! We've rode two up for about 100 miles worth now and I love it more and more each time!
At this point its present day and i've got about 1500 miles under my belt since March 6th 2011. Every mile has given me nothing but happiness, and in no way shape or form do I think I'll ever hang up my helmet. This sport has given me a whole new look at performance, strength, and even courage. Believe it or not I've learned alot from the sportbike world that can be taken into retrospect in everyday life! I look forward to continuing my career and improving my skills. This will be a life long journey for me and i'm glad to be a part of it!
So thanks for reading, Keep the rubber side down!
Sincerely,
Zach
