If the FZ6 could talk...

[mr.nick705]

Hey, Im not too sure if there are other threads on this or not. i looked briefly.
but anyway, I was talking to my dad tonight who owns an fjr1300 and i always ride with him, multiple times a week. Im 17, and i have a 2008 FZ6 and hes 42. We got to talking and he said that he thinks i "beat" my bike and it kinda made me feel bad, but he doesnt really ride hard at all or ever use the his bike to its full potential.
So if the FZ6 could talk, how would it like to be ridden? What rpms? how fast? How is the 600cc I-4 supposed to be ridden. Is it bad to touch the redline occasionally? etc.

I guess you could say I ride kind of hard, but i use the entirety of the rpm range almost everytime i go out. Not extensive redline, stop redline stop, but if i pass a car or something.. I like to take corners pretty fast (60mph) is normal for like a corner with a suggested speed of 30mph.
umm wheelies, i have probably clutched up a total of ten wheelies, but i do not ride them, i dont know how to be honest.. I commute on it almost everyday, and probably average around 50 miles on a day where i have school and work.

Sorry this was so long, let me know what you think!

oh id like to add, im not your average teenage rider on a crotch rocket trying to impress girls. I ride because i love to ride, this is my second bike, i actually sold my crotch rocket for my FZ6, ive had my license for over a year. i dress up fully no matter how far im going. I wouldnt consider myself a stupid rider, obviously im not nearly as experienced as most of you by any means, but you know what i mean

 

[Esra]

I redline when I want to accelerate really fast, rest of the time I don't get the engine above say 6-7K very often.

I know it's quick and even that amount or revs is enough to blast pretty much everything else on the road.

it's like a car, you CAN red line it every gear change, but not the best idea for the engine.

 

[Kazza]

The odd redline is no problem. Just not every gear change....

Sounds like you've got your head screwed on. Good on ya.

Respect your bike the majority of the time, and it'lll let you thrash it about every now and then with no problems at all :thumbup:

 

[dxh24]

Well look at it this way, if you baby your bike every time you ride it is going to last quite a bit longer than if you redline it often. Then you have to look at the other aspect, the fun factor, if you baby it all the time and end up not enjoying the bike is it really worth it to baby it?

The trick is to balance the two, sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders and it doesn't sound like you beat on your bike, think your doing just fine :thumbup: I'm skeptical with my bikes so if i can't power wheelie it i don't wheelie it. Only reason that is, is because I've had to replace a clutch before-once was enough. (IDK if clutch wheelies do any more harm than aggressive shifting but hey better safe than....er re-doing a clutch i suppose). :thumbup:

Remember people ride different ways because that's how they prefer it. Some people love tearing up the streets, some people just like a evening cruise.

To each their own.