Stalling the engine

[CanadianFZ6]

+1 and +2 :thumbup:

throttle w/ no clutch control sounds like an accident waiting to happen. I would practice rolling away from a complete stop on flat ground with zero throttle for a while until 2-finger clutch control become second nature....this should be extremely easy to do with idle at 1,300 RPM.

Yes, but sounds like he is letting off the throttle as the clutch begins to engage. Common beginner issue. He needs to learn how to keep the throttle up while feeding power to the rear wheel via the clutch (yes clutch control too). I tried (and failed) to teach my ex how to ride. She eventually took 2 courses (she failed the first one). She makes my point clear about not giving it enough gas. Every time the clutch started to engage, she let off the throttle and stalled the bike...

 

[FizzySix]

I had a problem with stalling too when I first got the FZ6...this after driving manual transmission vehicles most of my life, and having had a motorcycle previously! The friction point on the clutch on this bike seemed paper-thin to me at the time.

+1 to the practice comments, some quality time in a parking lot feathering that friction point helps tremendously.

+1 as well to CanadianFZ6 comments, you'd normally be rolling on some gas as you start moving. You can take off on level ground with the bike only at idle just like I can in my standard-transmission truck, but that's for self-amusement or practicing clutch control, you wouldn't actually do that in traffic (or maybe I'm just impatient ). That was one of my problems at first as well, too timid with the right hand.

The other thing is that the ever-popular mod of dropping a tooth in the front sprocket helps as well. The bike seems to launch itself from a standstill with authority now, rather than tentatively making its way through the first few thousand rpm as it used to.

 

[davcro]

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. My first concern was if I did harm the engine by stalling it every now and then but you said it cannot really harm the engine. I haven't noticed any changes in sound or such things so it has to be allright with it. I'm just being paranoid as I'm always with new things.

 

[Scorphonic]

I was wondering because it has happened to me more than 10 times( I've stopped counting ). So you say no damage, great, I've started to worry that I had damaged the engine and I hate that feeling of doing something wrong especially to my Fazer.

When I divide it with the mileage it it comes out that I stall it approximately once every 100-120 miles. Nothing to worry??

Here's a tip for you mate:

Sit on your bike but dont use the throttle. Hold in the clutch and put it into gear. Now without using the throttle release the clutch...SLOWLY! you'll learn where the clutch "bites" pretty quickly this way. With our bike the clutch doesn't have to be pulled in too far in order to change into the next gear so expect the biting to occur near to where the clutch is fully released.

Dont bother using the throttle while doing this...it'll teach you to use the clutch without stalling! Once you've nailed that...start using the throttle.

 

[wildman]

My stalling story:

Happened yesterday. I just got the bike on friday.

I was riding around town with my wife on the back... I never stall it when I am by myself, because I'm not really afraid of what it will do (wheelie, etc)... But my wife is just starting to be a passenger and wants me to really take it easy. So I find myself trying real hard to be easy when just starting out in first gear. I lost count the amount of times I stalled it out yesterday with her on the back. I think it was a mixture of wanting to be easy for her comfort, and the added weight to the bike. Either way, i still need to learn the friction point a little better. And yes, I was not giving it enough throttle as well.