Getting a bike soon

[crazy dave]

I agree with wrightme on this one for sure. It is a far better idea to pay a couple thousand bucks and start with an older and better yet, smaller bike. Learning to ride a motorcycle you are bound to make mistakes. Often those mistakes cause damage to your motorcycle.

I know as well as anyone

The FZ6 has been my dream bike since it was created (I wanted an FZ1 before it came out, but the 6 is so much sexier), and I too purchased the FZ6 as my first motorcycle. I had taken the motorcycle safety course and had experience on other bikes as well, so I felt more confident buying the new FZ6. I don't regret my decision, but I do regret the fact that my inexperience caused me to lock up my brakes and slam the bike down hard onto the asphalt not two weeks after I purchased it.

If nothing else, please please please take the MSF course. It builds your skill level a great deal. And don't worry, you'll still be welcome on this forum even if you start with a different bike...we can see that you have good taste

Well if it makes you feel any better i am taking the course next weekend...lol

 

[Tremulant]

Well if it makes you feel any better i am taking the course next weekend...lol

Good man I don't blame you at all for wanting to get the FZ6. You'll never be happier

 

[Soap]

The FZ6 is my second bike, the first being an R6. Now my personal feeling is that if you have a good degree of self control and respect for everything you will be more or less fine, if you go mad, you will suffer for it.

I wouldn't be put off with it as your first bike, just be wary of dropping it.

 

[wrightme43]

Nate (defy) hit the nail on the head. It really depends on what you want.

Imagine this

You are going to become a pilot.

Would you want to learn in a jet, or a single engine 4 seat prop plane?

Or this one

If you needed to learn to drive again. Say you lost every bike of driving skill you have just for a second.

Would you want to learn to drive in a Lambo in rush hour, or would it be better to learn in a old 280Z 5spd in a parking lot?

Dude I seriously know where you.

I had a life goal to learn to ride a motorcycle. I drank way way way to much. I always told myself that when I quit drinking, I would get my motorcycle lic, and my pilots lic. I KNEW I couldnt have them when I drank.

I had quit for a long time and decided that I would go look at bikes. I saw the FZ6, I sat on the FZ6, I fell madly in love with the FZ6. I sat on other bikes and they did blah. I decided to buy one. I talked to some wiser older heads. They said hey man, start on the ninja 250. People may give you hell about riding a little bike but they are full of crap. Real riders will respect you as someone learning right.
I bought a ninja250 used.
I learned on it. I made three serious mistakes on it, that would of most likely resulted in bad bad crashes on the FZ6. I studied and practiced more. I loved that bike and miss it to this day. I was a dumbass for selling it. Anyway, I saw the picture of the NEW FZ6 in the magazines. I went and bought it. I absolutely love this bike. I know you will absolutely love this bike. Its just simply that it is not the best bike to learn how to be a motorcyclist on. If your desire is to be a ok rider, or a stunter, or fit in with a group of people that ride fast its a pretty good choice for a first bike. Of course there are exceptions. Not knocking anyone that got one as a first bike. I am saying that your learning curve would be alot shorter with less risk of horrible consquecenses if you start smaller. You will become a better, smoother, more compentent rider for it.

Dude I am a learner rider. I will hopefully be a learner rider for the rest of my life. I love these freaking things. They make something that is not right in my heart and soul feel right. I am sitting here with my pants soaking wet on bare feet from riding my bike home in a pouring rain storm. The whole time grinning ear to ear and just happy and at one with the world.

I would never want to deny you that feeling.

I just believe you would be well served with 10-20k miles on a smaller bike.

 

[crazy dave]

im not going to lie and I do agree with you for you would know better then me having more experience. but isn't the fz6r supposed to be geared towards beginner riders? I am definetly thinking long and hard about all this advice I am getting though and respect everyone who is helping me out. I just dont want to come off as an ******* trying to fight what you are saying. and I dont want to be a poser either. I want to be a rider who is true for what he is.

 

[djsegura]

Just throwing this out there. The fZ6 was my second bike my first was the GS500F. My friends ride and have been trying to get me to start also so last year I took the MSF course, best thing I could reccomend doing not only for the insurance discount and the ease of getting the motorcycle license but the most important thing was getting familiar with a bike in a controlled enviorment and also with a group of people that are in the same boat as your self. I am also glad that I bought the Gs500f first it gave me the confidence that I needed to enjoy the FZ6. I think if I went straight to the Fz I may not enjoy it as much as I do now. Even though there was only 100cc difference between the 2 the difference was night and day it seems like it has 100 times the power and if I would have just jumped right to that it might have scared me right out of riding. I know everyone has their own levels and what they are comfortable with this was just mine.

 

[wrightme43]

Oh no dude you are not coming across as a poser. You are actually asking questions. Again I am only offering my experince and advice for all that it is worth. You can start on any bike you want. I just believe you will end up a better happier rider faster by starting on a non inline four engined bike, that you dont owe any money on.

You are fine. Get any bike you choose, I just know if no one had taken the time to tell me I would of been better off starting on the littlest ninja I would probably of binned my new FZ straight into the woods once, and if I survived that I probably would of thought riding was unsafe, not that I failed to do something that agreed with motorcycle design.

Having a lack of big power makes you better rider, it takes that big speed away, and puts the emphasis on smooth lines, clean entry and exit with a well thought out plan for the corner you are in and the ones approaching.

I still tossed my shiny scoot down the road and followed it across the road to a ditch. Rider error. MY FAULT. I could of died that day. It wasnt the FZs fault it was 100% on me. I did that with 10k on the ninja and 16k on the FZ.

Anyway, get what ever pleases you. This is America and you can do exactly as you please with your money. I promise I know the feeling of falling in love with a shiney machine.

 

[dankatz]

My first bike was a ninja 500 which was a superb bike. The worst part of it is the looks. It had wonderful power, decent brakes, excellent economy and very forgiving. I traded it in for what I paid for it after 3k miles of riding it because I wanted something newer in design. I agree with the start smaller more manageable approach. I also took the MSF course. As for the FZ6R vs FZ6, the differences are small enough that you should go with what you like. Yes, the FZ6R is more for beginners, but it would be something that you could keep for many years. The white colored one is gorgeous, but unfortunately aimed at women (as you can tell by the pink). Look at Yamaha's photos and video. In any case, as a 20yo in this economy, try to avoid taking a loan if you can. Go for a decent used bike for $2k. Most Japanese bikes are very reliable and take their biggest hit in the first year of ownership.

 

[D-Mac]

First off. :welcome:

You're making a great decision by taking the MSF course. It'll make you a better rider for certain. Practice, practice, practice a LOT. I'd also suggest you get a copy of Proficient Motorcycling and read it. Practice and read it again. Then practice some more. You get the idea. I dedicate part of my Sunday morning ride to parking lot emergency stops and avoidance drills. It's fun and helpful (although I've had a few near-drops while practicing, at least I wasn't going fast!)

Those first dozen rides are amazing. Enjoy yourself, but be careful. You WILL make a mistake, and it'll be ok as long as you're riding well within your limits. Better to feel the rear end break loose for the first time at 40 mph than 120!

I started with a cruiser (Honda Shadow 750). The thing was gutless compared with the FZ6 (it was about 40 hp verses ~90 (?) for the FZ6). What I liked about it was that I could crank it and not get myself in trouble. What I hated about it was the excess weight, the poor suspension, terrible brakes, and bad handling.

While I'm a fan of starting small and working your way up, I think I could have handled an FZ6 from the start. I'm a cautious rider and I invested a lot in gear/training up-front. A Ninja 250 would have been a better choice for me as a learner bike than a cruiser, but I think the FZ6 would have been ok too as long as I kept the revs down. Ideal? No. Doable? Likely. It takes a lot of discipline to stay within your limits on the FZ6 (I'm far from mastering this bike) but it's a predictable bike if you take it easy and stay under 7000rpm. That's easier said than done because at above 7000 you feel like you're riding a jet!

 

[fast blue one]

If you ride a smaller machine as a first bike there wont be anything to miss about not having the power of bikes like the Fazer.

It's a good way of learning and staying alive.

I started on bikes at 12 and I'm 49 in few weeks . Ive ridden [and dropped] bikes of varying sizes in that time but yet I still get a buzz climbing from borrowing the wifes CBR125.

Ask the ladies; it's not what you got it's how you use it.

I think Wrightmes analogy about learning to drive just about hits the nail on the head. :thumbup: