Took her for my first ride!

[ArmyOfDarkness]

AWESOME! Totally, effen, AWESOME!

As many of you know, my first ride was postponed for a few days because I was hit by an SUV on my bicycle this past Monday. I got a chance to take it around the neighborhood tonight. Well, that is what I planned, just around the neighborhood. An hour later I was all over my section of town, haha.

Last weekend, I took my MSF course and I learned on 2013 Ninja 300 and I thought that was powerful. HOLY, MOTHER TRUCKER! This thing has WAY too much power for me. I don't think I will ever get out of 2nd gear in town, which is fine with me.

What I love:
I was riding by the courthouse and I came to a stop sign. At the intersection there were two motorcyclist and they looks and waved. You don't get that while you are riding in your car.

I also love the way this feels in comparison to the Ninja 300. My nuts hurt on the Ninja after about a half-hour. My hand would get numb too. Not on my FZ Sixxy. I love the upright sitting position too. I think I am in love :Flash:

My main gripe:
I can't figure out this damn clutch! I only killed it once on the street, but I made it sputter several times. I had an awesome time regardless.

I work at 7am tomorrow. So I am going to bed early...not because I work early, but because I want to ride my Sixxy a little bit before work :rockon:

 

[Erci]

Nice! Practice the friction zone just like you were taught in msf and clutch will become second nature.

 

[darius]

Great to hear. You'll love this bike.

• The clutch is tricky at first but easily managed with experience and muscle memory.
• It is short which has advantages, too.
• Don't be in a hurry to let it out all the way. From stops, clear the intersection/complete the low speed turn before letting it out all the way.
• Ensure your levers are in line with the top of your hand and feel comfortable in your riding position.
• Set the adjuster to roughly halfway out as a starting point then adjust to personal preference / size of your hand

Check out the recommended shift points in the owner's manual. You really don't want to be going everywhere in 2nd

 

[Botch]

Congrats! Yeah, I got to know my neighborhood really good, after I spent a couple dozen weeknights in the local church parking lot.
The clutch took me forever to get used to; I was still stalling her a year later. I finally learned to give her more gas up front, and use the clutch to actually accelerate.

 

[derek533]

Congrats. Fun isn't it?!

 

[lytehouse]

My nuts hurt on the Ninja after about a half-hour.
My hand would get numb too.

Never experienced the first problem you mentioned

And my biggest gripe about the FZ6 was my hand going numb

 

[Verharen]

Never experienced the first problem you mentioned

LMAO. Me neither!

 

[lytehouse]

LMAO. Me neither!

I get a sick joy outta poking the guys when they whine about this....so mean of me :sinister:

 

[trepetti]

Congrats. This is my second year with my fizzer and I had the same clutch concerns as you. And I have been driving only manual card for over 35 years. Two clutch observations:

1- you WILL get used to it.
2- after you get used to it, add the killernoodle clutch lever, an adjustable handlebar lever (I used the 2-wheels set) and lube the cable.

I did these things over the off season and it results in a fully adjustable and forgiving clutch.

Ride safe.

 

[ArmyOfDarkness]

Never experienced the first problem you mentioned

And my biggest gripe about the FZ6 was my hand going numb

I told my instructor about my hand going numb. He said that I need to engage my abs more to maintain great posture. What is happening is that my upper body is getting lazy and my upper body weight is being held up by my arms which puts pressure on my wrist joints.

The solution, as my MSF instructor told me, is to grip the gas tank with your knees a little more, this will naturally engage the ab muscle. For me, this ended my wrist numbness/pain. Maybe that will help you too

 

[odachi13]

I agree that swapping the lever for an ajustable one will be more useful.
I put on some last week so I brought the biting point very close to releasing the lever - great for launch control!

 

[Nelly]

Well done on taking the MSF course. One thing that will help the stalling issue is to ensure that the engine idel speed is set correctly 1250 - 1350 rpm.

Good luck

Neil:thumbup:

 

[Verharen]

AWESOME! Totally, effen, AWESOME!

I work at 7am tomorrow. So I am going to bed early...not because I work early, but because I want to ride my Sixxy a little bit before work :rockon:

How did ride 2 (and more?) go? Your enthusiasm is contagious!! You may enjoy looking back a year from now and reviewing the experience. I can't remember all my little victories from when I first learned, but I'd love to hear about yours!

BTW, stalled starting from a stop yesterday for the first time in a lonnng time - my first thought was your thread!!!

 

[rumblestrip]

Re: Re: Took her for my first ride!

I told my instructor about my hand going numb. He said that I need to engage my abs more to maintain great posture. What is happening is that my upper body is getting lazy and my upper body weight is being held up by my arms which puts pressure on my wrist joints.

The solution, as my MSF instructor told me, is to grip the gas tank with your knees a little more, this will naturally engage the ab muscle. For me, this ended my wrist numbness/pain. Maybe that will help you too

That's good advice, man. I had preexisting problems in my left wrist before ever riding. Concentrating on my posture and knees/waist helps alleviate pressure on it. You really should try to keep your arms a little bit relaxed anyway. :thumbup:

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[ArmyOfDarkness]

How did ride 2 (and more?) go? Your enthusiasm is contagious!! You may enjoy looking back a year from now and reviewing the experience. I can't remember all my little victories from when I first learned, but I'd love to hear about yours!

BTW, stalled starting from a stop yesterday for the first time in a lonnng time - my first thought was your thread!!!

I have been really effen busy. But, I haven't ridden my cage for at least a week. All I have been doing is riding my Sixxy because my bicycle is in the shop.

Ride two went really well. I was a little nervous because it was the first time on a very busy street. 5 lanes of traffic, sometimes 6 lanes. I love it. Best decision ever so far. I get lectured by the ladies at work about how there was some jerk weaving in and out of traffic and that person almost got hit. But, I better get used to that because the few idiots out there make a bad name for all of us I guess.

I have only killed it once since my first night out. And that was after my chest/triceps/biceps workout and my body was just exhausted.

I really do love this thing. People ask about it when I walk in somewhere and I have my helmet. It is a pretty good conversation starter. Oh, it helps I am in a college town. I get a lot of looks around campus from the ladies. Gonna have to pull over one of these times.