Potential Riders MUST READ!!!!!

[jody.adams]

What were your first bikes?

 

[lonesoldier84]

started on the fz6. was a bit too big to start on tbh. got a great price and when i saw it in person for the first time i got "excited" and jumped all over it.

took it wasy in the early going, and learned a lot....but a lot of what i learned i learned after going through VERY risky situations and could have seriously injured myself.

to learn you need to push urself a little. to push urself on a bike like the fz6 is to be doing 120 kph in a corner.

Could have learned the same lessons at lower speeds on a weaker bike. I REALLY wanted a kawi 650R and would have jumped on it but didnt find one for a price i could afford.

when i saw the fz6 i jumped on it. when i got home after paying the guy and he dropped it off....i researched and found out it had an R6 engine....kind of had a lump in my throat that day like oh no what have i done?!?! haha

in the end it worked out and im alive (fortunately) but i had quite a few close calls in the opening 5,000km. now the fz6 fits like a glove, but it didnt always....

 

[pwcwheels]

I started on a 78 GL1000 of all things! Because it was free. I've had five bikes since, and now a FZ6. I bought it because it's practical and it fits all my needs. I sold bikes for seven years and have seen and heard it all in terms of excuses for which bike to buy. I'm 6'3" and weigh 222lbs and people used to ask me "isn't that bike too small for you?" I always have had a strong sense for self-preservation that will not let me buy bikes that I do not need. Most people will not take good advice about a bike to purchase, and it is a fact that people over-estimate their abuility to do anything, just like riding a bike. I used to ask people,with no experience and looking at a liter bike, if you were buying a helicopter and had never flown one, how quick would you want jump inside and take off without any idea of how to operate it. Too bad we don't have a graduated license system to keep dummies from biting off more than they can chew. But, this is America, and we should be able to buy things that could kill ourselves if we want, right?

 

[gabeschine]

FZ6 is my first bike. I've put maybe 1000+ miles on it so far. If I were to go back and do it again, I think a 250 or 500 would be better. Yesterday, I was getting on the highway and had an open area and figured I would unwind in 2nd gear for the first time (I generally keep it under 8k "cruising").

My thought process was: "HOOOOOOOOOLLLYY CRAAAPP this is FAST" and then "WOW how did that truck a mile off appear in front of me so quickly!".

It was fun, and it was scary as hell. This bike is stupid fast, and I can say that I'm not ready for it. I think I'll stick with under 8k for a while longer. I'm just not used to something (and yes, I used to drive a "fast" car) getting me from here to there quite this quickly - my brain hasn't learned how to keep up yet.

I also know, however, that no amount of convincing before buying the FZ would have convinced me NOT to get it. I couldn't explain the logic even now.

 

[s4mt3k]

I just read the article for the first time. My FZ6 is my first bike and I'm @ a little over 2K miles and still have a lot to learn for sure. I do have to say that the part that draws any kid/adult to a bike is seeing/hearing a nasty sportbike go by... and when you picture yourself on a bike for years and years, you don't ever think of this:

When I was a kid I saw myself on this instead:

.

Also, riders are of many kinds, and yeah sure, there's a ton of them that are very mellow and wise :thumbup: but then there's a ton of us that are adrenaline junkies. Also, I think that anyone that rides a bike has to have a measure of self-confidence cause riding a bike isn't for the faint of heart.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that no matter how logical your article is, I think it's very hard to convince ourselves that we should really spend our next few years on a bike we used to laugh at as kids (due to our ignorance of course) to work up to the bike we've dreamt of riding!

Now with all that said, I think any potential rider should read this and if they can follow it than I'm sure they're better off than me...

That is why, I sent the article to my gf who will be taking the motorcycle safety class this coming weekend to decide whether she's a rider or a passenger haha!

 

[sm00thpapa]

I just started on the FZ6R and already I'm looking at the Ducati 848. I think height and weight has a lot to do with a person buying a first bike.

 

[fz6nick]

I just read the article for the first time. My FZ6 is my first bike and I'm @ a little over 2K miles and still have a lot to learn for sure. I do have to say that the part that draws any kid/adult to a bike is seeing/hearing a nasty sportbike go by... and when you picture yourself on a bike for years and years, you don't ever think of this:

When I was a kid I saw myself on this instead:

.

Also, riders are of many kinds, and yeah sure, there's a ton of them that are very mellow and wise :thumbup: but then there's a ton of us that are adrenaline junkies. Also, I think that anyone that rides a bike has to have a measure of self-confidence cause riding a bike isn't for the faint of heart.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that no matter how logical your article is, I think it's very hard to convince ourselves that we should really spend our next few years on a bike we used to laugh at as kids (due to our ignorance of course) to work up to the bike we've dreamt of riding!

Now with all that said, I think any potential rider should read this and if they can follow it than I'm sure they're better off than me...

That is why, I sent the article to my gf who will be taking the motorcycle safety class this coming weekend to decide whether she's a rider or a passenger haha!

Ahhh the old gsxr 1100. The baddest bike of its time.

I just started on the FZ6R and already I'm looking at the Ducati 848. I think height and weight has a lot to do with a person buying a first bike.

Didn't you just say you wanted an R6 and an R1!!!!!

I'd stick to something, get some heavy miles under your belt, and learn how to ride safely!

 

[BCFZRider]

I'm a newbie and I bought an FZ6 as my first bike... here's my justification:

I took a riding course this spring, and I rode for a week on an aging Nighthawk 450. After completing the course, my instructor recommended I look for an SV650. I went around to a couple dealers, sat on an SV650S, but I didn't like the aggressive riding position. The risers were only available on the naked version, but I liked the look of a fairing bike. I started looking at dual sports like the Versys, the V-Strom, and the KLR's. Not wanting to ride a big thumper, and not being able to find a decent deal on a used Versys, I came across a friend selling his FZ6.

I realized quickly how much more sport-oriented this bike is, but I felt confident with the great rider training I had taken I would be able to learn quickly. In some ways I was accurate, in others ...well lol. I am quickly discovering how unforgiving the bike can be if you are ham-fisted in your inputs. Stepping on the rear brake too much can get you into trouble, and cracking open the throttle at 10,000 can bring the front wheel up as well.

The FZ6 is one of the most powerful 600cc's in its class, but with a bit of respect and patience it is an amazing handler and can be very forgiving for low-speed riding, where most gixxers and r6's likely wouldnt be.

I'm happy with defending my purchase, I fully intend on going up to a metric tourer or dualsporter next year anyway. I'm just lucky to have a track nearby that I can go and get used to running the bike out without getting myself into trouble...

 

[trick6]

i have actually owned a street legal bike for 7 months now...an 04 fz6 i got for 3900 bucks with less than 6000 miles on the clock.my first unaccompanied ride on two wheels was on a honda z 50 when i was 4 years old (i'm 22 now). rode motocross on the local amateur circuit from age 12 to 17 starting on a cr 80 and my last mx bike was a honda 450f.(be the first to admit the 450 was too much bike) used to ride my dad's honda nighthawk (750?) before i was old enough to get a license without his knowledge. rode a friend's cbr600rr one time and decided that was the bike for me, but logic told me i should look for something a little more timid. so i bought the fz6 and quickly noticed that timid, this bike is not!! so i took a MSC to kind of hone my skills and found that they really didn't teach me a lot i didn't already know. i guess what i'm trying to say is it all boils down to being EXTREMELY honest with yourself in deciding what you're skill level will allow you to ride. after reading the article(word for word) i'm reminded of the safety course. but i guess i don't really qualify as the "beginner" rider this article was aimed at. to those riders who have never ridden on two wheels and want to buy one i think it could be very helpful in the decision making process.
all that said, my dad told me before my first ride, knowing my interest in bikes was increasing exponentially, that no matter how long, often, or carefully you ride a motorcycle, eventually you will have an accident of some kind. the trick is to do everything within reason(and sometimes it's nice to go beyond reason) to minimize the risk and severity of that accident. you have to RESPECT the motorcycle for it to respect you. the minute you think you're better than it is, that's when it humbles you.

anyways, just my couple pennies. again, good article. i wish more beginners would read this or something very similar before riding. i know way too many people who have bought gsxr 600 and 750 with daddy's sweet money to try and be cool at cruise night, only to scare themselves s*&^less and sell 'em, or crash 'em at high speeds and never have the opportunity to sell it or anything else ever again.

 

[Jez]

It's a good article and makes many valid points. But I have to disagree about one aspect of it: in my view the FZ6 makes a perfectly reasonable first big bike.

Partly this is due to the way we do the test in the UK. I can quite see that someone who takes a test on a 125 or 250 and then buys an FZ6 could quickly get out of their depth. But the way we do it in the UK is on a Direct Access Course on 500cc bikes - normally an ER5 or CB500. You spend around 5 or 6 sessions on the bike, each session lasting between 6 to 8 hours. At the end you take a 2 part test which is not easy by any means. The training is quite intense and as a result, by the time you pass your test you are going to have acquired reasonable bike handling skills, albeit at a basic level.

My FZ6 is my first bike, full stop. I did a DAS course over 5 days - from nothing to full licence in a week. I quite take the point that it's a whole new skill from car driving, but 18 years' driving experience and the IAM advanced driving qualification have given me good road sense in general terms. I've found the Fazer to be a steep learning curve, but one that's certainly manageable if you're sensible. I wouldn't want to be on a Gixxer, R6 or similar with such limited experience, but the FZ6 has been great, and is a joy to ride.

So if anyone's done the DAS but is scared off by some of the warnings above, I'd say don't disregard the FZ6. Yes, it's certainly a powerful bike, but if you are aware of your limitations and treat it with respect it can make a very good first big bike.

 

[FZ6_Sid]

Good article although a bit long. I agree with just about all stated except that the FZ6 shouldn't be starter. I just took the MSF in february and got a 2005 FZ6 as my very first bike. I've put 2000 miles on it so far and loving every second of it with few problems.

The first week I turned too far and went through the neighbors yard! The first few months I stalled it frequently at stops due to inexperience with the clutch. Twice I nearly fell during a stop and once I nearly fell after a stop. I also had a flat rear tire at 45mph without any trouble.

Granted I may be lucky so far or suffering from the newbie factor but I haven't seen any reason why it would be too much for a beginner. I don't weave through traffic, stay a good distance behind vehicles and drive the speed limit (I have taken it to 85 mph to get around an idiot in a car). Taking into account I ride through some congested areas (St Petersburg/Tampa Florida) and on highways (Interstate 4, 75 and 275) I have by no means seen a variety of traffic but I have seen some silly drivers.

I think the FZ6 is a great starter IMHO.

 

[FZ6_Sid]

My sister and I made a deal to get bikes together as neither of us had even touched one before and wanted something new to get into (I'm 39 and she's 37). I spent about 3 months researching motorcycles when I saw a FZ6 with 600 miles at $4500 and it was love at first sight. My sis is big into looks/styles/size and bought an GSXR-600 even though just about everyone on the web says that's a bad buy. I knew she wouldn't like the FZ6 so I didn't tell her about it until after I bought it . When I did tell her she said that I should have gotten an 800 or larger because I'm a big guy at 6 feet and 230 lbs.

I've taken a ride on her bike twice and both times I was terrified! The GSXR is something I definitely would not recommend for the newbies!

 

[wakitball]

I teach the Basic RiderCourse, Experienced RiderCourse and Military Sportbike Course for a living. Recently had someone fail the BRC and re-take it from another provider. A month later he was dead after crashing his 750cc sportbike in a very negotiable curve.

I couldn't agree more with the tone of this thread: less is more. Less is more fun. Less lowers your risk. Less costs less. Less could save your life when you hit a bump and blip the throttle.

Please encourage new riders to consider buying smaller instead of larger and used instead of new. They will enjoy their ride more and have many years ahead of them to "grow" into bigger, newer rides.

 

[lonesoldier84]

^^^ a very worthy bump to a very worthy post

 

[k1c]

It's a good article and makes many valid points. But I have to disagree about one aspect of it: in my view the FZ6 makes a perfectly reasonable first big bike.

Partly this is due to the way we do the test in the UK. I can quite see that someone who takes a test on a 125 or 250 and then buys an FZ6 could quickly get out of their depth. But the way we do it in the UK is on a Direct Access Course on 500cc bikes - normally an ER5 or CB500. You spend around 5 or 6 sessions on the bike, each session lasting between 6 to 8 hours. At the end you take a 2 part test which is not easy by any means. The training is quite intense and as a result, by the time you pass your test you are going to have acquired reasonable bike handling skills, albeit at a basic level.

My FZ6 is my first bike, full stop. I did a DAS course over 5 days - from nothing to full licence in a week. I quite take the point that it's a whole new skill from car driving, but 18 years' driving experience and the IAM advanced driving qualification have given me good road sense in general terms. I've found the Fazer to be a steep learning curve, but one that's certainly manageable if you're sensible. I wouldn't want to be on a Gixxer, R6 or similar with such limited experience, but the FZ6 has been great, and is a joy to ride.

So if anyone's done the DAS but is scared off by some of the warnings above, I'd say don't disregard the FZ6. Yes, it's certainly a powerful bike, but if you are aware of your limitations and treat it with respect it can make a very good first big bike.

DAS is not the route to a full license in the UK unless you start riding a bike over the age of twenty five. From the legal age of sixteen one is legally prohibited from riding bikes over a certain cc and horsepower limit, depending on the riders age. Interestingly this situation provides for an older group of first time riders coming to the street on bigger and more powerful bikes than younger riders, who frequently have much more experience on the road. The presumption for DAS takers is that they possess a greater level of self control, coordination and general self awareness than thier younger counterparts, and that they are far less likely to get into difficulties. This last may be true to a certain extent, but anyone who has accidentally spun up the rear wheel with their bike cranked over in a corner will tell you, it helps to know what is likely to happen next, and how to avoid the seemingly inevitable wreck. THAT is where having experience on a smaller and more tractable bike can save your onions.

 

[KingY]

Hey there all i can add to this board is that i agree with the smaller bike first, i was on a 50cc geared yamaha at 16 loved it but soon got bored of the speed as i was a frequent passenger on a R6, fun times! Then at 17 i found out about the catogory A route (here in UK) where i could ride any bike of my choosing aslong as it was restricted to 33bhp, thats where the FZ6 came along as my dad had brought it for my mother who then later decided not to do her test so we had a bike sitting around. Thats when we decided to get it restricted for me, and i got to admit it was awesome even restriced, i still had scorpion cans on it so it sounded the part and it went very well, it was the best learning curv of my life. i got to learn on a bike i loved with a 1/3 the power (so it felt). 6 months of this probation and i got bored so i located the restriction kit (a tiny metal plate, restricting my throtle coil from fully opening) and removed it, for the last 18 months i been fully power, before i was legaly alowed, i know this is naughty :spank: but i am still in one piece!

One last point to add, after removing the restriction the bike changed, due to the power i now had and i will openly admit i had 2 accidents in one year, only minor drops, little bit of cosmetic damage, but there was so much to learn. i do not reccomend the FZ6 as a first bike as described!

This bike deserves respect as does any other 2 wheeled machine.

Very sorry for the long ass post

Dan :thumbup:

 

[zigzagg321]

I agree with the article, thanks for posting it, I hadn;t ever seen it or heard of it before.

I started with an '86 Yamaha XT250LC, rode it for a year.

Then I got a '02 DRZ 400S(Athena 440, FCR carb, pipe...etc...) I rode it for about 3 months and I thought it was quite a jump up from the XT250, more power than I could handle really. I would have kept it but the engine locked up after the oil pump failed, so I parted it out.

I was looking at bikes for a few months and had my mind set on a Versys...until I saw one in person...ugly. sorry...its ugly tho.

Then a few months went by and I had my mind set on a Suzuki GSX650F...until I saw it...ugly. sorry...its ugly tho.

There was also an 08 FZ6 in dark blue on the floor... It was done, that was the bike I was getting..and I got it.

It's more bike than I know how to use for sure, and it will be for a long time. It's the fastest vehicle I have ever owned.

I started small, and worked my way up...fast though, too fast. I've been down on my fizzer... stupid rookie-with-to-much-bike mistake. I got lucky, and so did the bike...barely any cosmetic only damage (thank you frame sliders) I tore a ligament in my shoulder (good lesson)

Start small folks, and the FZ is too much for a first bike, or a third bike in my case lol.

 

[steveindenmark]

I am 52 years old and passed my FULL motorbike test 4 years ago. Up until then I could ride bikes up to 125cc on my car licence, I lived in England. I stopped riding in 1991 after a bad bike accident, not of my making. I did not start riding again until I travelled from Denmark to England to take a weeks intensive training before taking my full bike test. I decided to go to England because in my opinion it has the best setup for training motorcyclists anywhere in the world.

After passing my test my first bike was a Suzuki Intruder 800 which was a nice bike and I toured several countries on it. I then bought the FZ6 purely because I wanted a change and to see what another bike was like. The extra power and speed made no difference to me and again we toured several countries on the FZ6, it was just another bike to transport us around.

After 2 years I sold the FZ6 because it was causing problems with my old injuries and bought a Moto Guzzi California 1100i which I love and last year we toured the UK, France, Switzerland and Italy on it.

I could have started on any of these bikes as a beginner because although age and maturity do not always make you a better rider, I think it makes you a more careful rider.

I do not necessarily think a FZ6 is a bad bike to start with, it all depends on the mentality of the rider and the training they get before they get on the bike.

If you get on this bike, at any age and think it is a racing bike, then get off it and get another bike. This also goes for those experienced riders without the required training. You only find racing bikes on a track not on the street. At the end of the day it is a piece of machinery and will sit and tick over quite happily as long as it has fuel it and will not hurt anyone.

It is when you add the next ingredient that the trouble can start.

The Fz6 is a great starter bike in the right hands. It is one of the most versatile bikes around, but the rider needs the right mindset and training from the beginning.

I don`t know about the mindset, but from what I have read on here in the past, and without offense, the initial training sounds to be seriously lacking in the USA.

Steve

 

[Budha59]

In 100% Agreement

You first need to understand the intricacies of riding in traffic and controlling the motorcycle before you can think of going faster.

I started on a Suzuki GS500 and had to change bikes after a month to a Honda CB400 after the suzie's motor grenaded. I rode the Honda for about a year and a half and 15000km then upgraded to the FZ6.

If I hadn't ridden the 400, I would not a F**k have survived the power of the FZ6.

An old school friend of mine came by last Saturday and mentioned he wanted to get into motorcycling and was looking at a 600cc Race rep with 10-15kw more then the FZ6. I took him on the back of the FZ6 to show him what the bike can do in a straight line even with two of us on (me about 120kg and him about 90kg) and he was shocked. I managed to convince him NOT to go with a race rep and he is very glad that he didn't buy one!

600's are only beginner bikes if they are trailies like the KLR600 or GS650

 

[Fz6Daveg]

My FZ6 S2 naked is my first "REAL" bike.
What i mean is.........riding a 125cc bike is so unsafe IMO. They are too light, some are not powerful enough to get out of situations.

I love the FZ6 and in a way I'm glad i never bought the FZ1. I have done 16,500 miles in my first year with the FZ6.
I had an FZ1 for a courtesy bike last year and it was so powerful compared to the FZ6, because i class myself as a careful rider i could cope with the power but i know you could easily make a mess of things if you got carried away.

I think the FZ6 is a perfect First Bike, especially the newer S2 version with the smoother fuelling :thumbup: