ba4x
Junior Member
Hey folks,
I'm new to the forum here. Been browsing for a few months and I thought I'd sign up now that I finally have an FZ6. Unfortunately I have to start off with a sad story...
I drove to LA yesterday and bought a 2008 FZ6 from this guy on craigslist. Perfect condition, only 350 miles on it. Wow! She's beautiful, black on black.
To start off my ride home, I pull into a gas station to give the tires some air. They have been sitting in a garage for 4 years, so I figure they could use some. I was right, the tires were down below 20 psi.
When pulling out of the gas station, I come up to a traffic light and get in the left turn lane. The light turns green, and I proceed to make a left turn through the intersection, starting from a stand still. I ease the throttle into the first gear, initiate the turn, shift to second gear (at around 10-15mph). When I drop into second gear, I think the revs were only around 2-3k rpm. I roll on the throttle a little bit as I increase my lean, hoping to dig in a bit and cruise out of the corner and WAM - before I know it, the rear end came out, and I'm on the ground. It was the saddest moment of my life - how did this happen! I was being so careful! I had only put 5 miles on the bike!
I'm going over it again and again in my head - is the throttle on the FZ6 really that touchy down in the low end? If I pulled the same move on my CBR250 that I had last year, it would have dug in, felt solid, and pulled out of that corner like a boss.
I admit that this is my fault, that I didn't have the reflexes to notice what was going on and correct my throttle input. But something still doesn't feel right... As soon as I leaned the bike over a little bit, its like I was on ice! I couldn't even feel the bike start pull away or accelerate before the rear tire gave up traction. It reminded my of driving on snow. It felt like I hit an oil slick or something, but there was nothing in the road. Baffling.
Here are some special circumstances to consider:
-The tires/road were pretty cold. 60 degree day, I had only been riding a couple minutes.
-I had just inflated the tires. I went for 34 front and 36 rear. Maybe the gauge at the gas station was inaccurate and I over inflated them? The bike seemed to feel better with the super low tire pressure I had on the way to the gas station.
-The tires are 4 years old. Dunlop Sportmax, made in early 2008. Maybe the compound is aging and losing it's grip? Also, they hadn't been inflated to full pressure in a few years.
-The rear rim exploded! It's really odd, I'll attach a photo. The metal literally tore apart. I don't how this happend - I downed the bike going only 15mph! Maybe there was a flaw with the wheel, which could have contributed to the loss of traction. Or it's possible that the wheel broke apart when the bike slid a few feet and hit the curb. The mechanic who towed the bike was baffled by the rear rim too
So what do guys think? Do any of those special conditions have to do with the crash? Or is the FZ6 throttle really that touchy? I just wanted to lean in and modestly power through the turn, like I'm used to doing with a 250, and the whole thing blew up in my face. I guess I'm used the low end being more forgiving with throttle input. But how can you ride an FZ6 with confidence if it's so easy to lowside in these everyday maneuvers?
Obviously I'm embarrassed and ashamed. I spent a good 6 hours trying to get home, taking trains and buses back from LA, kicking myself for the whole thing. Hopefully I can figure this out and correct my actions and reflexes so I can regain confidence with this bike in the future. Right now we're not on good terms.
Thanks for your help,
Nick
I'm new to the forum here. Been browsing for a few months and I thought I'd sign up now that I finally have an FZ6. Unfortunately I have to start off with a sad story...
I drove to LA yesterday and bought a 2008 FZ6 from this guy on craigslist. Perfect condition, only 350 miles on it. Wow! She's beautiful, black on black.
To start off my ride home, I pull into a gas station to give the tires some air. They have been sitting in a garage for 4 years, so I figure they could use some. I was right, the tires were down below 20 psi.
When pulling out of the gas station, I come up to a traffic light and get in the left turn lane. The light turns green, and I proceed to make a left turn through the intersection, starting from a stand still. I ease the throttle into the first gear, initiate the turn, shift to second gear (at around 10-15mph). When I drop into second gear, I think the revs were only around 2-3k rpm. I roll on the throttle a little bit as I increase my lean, hoping to dig in a bit and cruise out of the corner and WAM - before I know it, the rear end came out, and I'm on the ground. It was the saddest moment of my life - how did this happen! I was being so careful! I had only put 5 miles on the bike!
I'm going over it again and again in my head - is the throttle on the FZ6 really that touchy down in the low end? If I pulled the same move on my CBR250 that I had last year, it would have dug in, felt solid, and pulled out of that corner like a boss.
I admit that this is my fault, that I didn't have the reflexes to notice what was going on and correct my throttle input. But something still doesn't feel right... As soon as I leaned the bike over a little bit, its like I was on ice! I couldn't even feel the bike start pull away or accelerate before the rear tire gave up traction. It reminded my of driving on snow. It felt like I hit an oil slick or something, but there was nothing in the road. Baffling.
Here are some special circumstances to consider:
-The tires/road were pretty cold. 60 degree day, I had only been riding a couple minutes.
-I had just inflated the tires. I went for 34 front and 36 rear. Maybe the gauge at the gas station was inaccurate and I over inflated them? The bike seemed to feel better with the super low tire pressure I had on the way to the gas station.
-The tires are 4 years old. Dunlop Sportmax, made in early 2008. Maybe the compound is aging and losing it's grip? Also, they hadn't been inflated to full pressure in a few years.
-The rear rim exploded! It's really odd, I'll attach a photo. The metal literally tore apart. I don't how this happend - I downed the bike going only 15mph! Maybe there was a flaw with the wheel, which could have contributed to the loss of traction. Or it's possible that the wheel broke apart when the bike slid a few feet and hit the curb. The mechanic who towed the bike was baffled by the rear rim too
So what do guys think? Do any of those special conditions have to do with the crash? Or is the FZ6 throttle really that touchy? I just wanted to lean in and modestly power through the turn, like I'm used to doing with a 250, and the whole thing blew up in my face. I guess I'm used the low end being more forgiving with throttle input. But how can you ride an FZ6 with confidence if it's so easy to lowside in these everyday maneuvers?
Obviously I'm embarrassed and ashamed. I spent a good 6 hours trying to get home, taking trains and buses back from LA, kicking myself for the whole thing. Hopefully I can figure this out and correct my actions and reflexes so I can regain confidence with this bike in the future. Right now we're not on good terms.
Thanks for your help,
Nick
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