1st sportbike (riding advice for new sportbike rider)

[ZX600]

Forum Sponsor

Just testing the waters

Before you sell it, if you want we can go riding together, once you got a few km in it yo may change your mind

pm me if interested, I can help you get used to it or at least give it a try

Once you do a couple of long rides, your small muscles that probably never been used will get used to. I have done 1000km rides and so do most people in here with SS's

 

[frekeyguy]

Yeah, I took around the block, and I don't know if I can Handle 300 - 400 km rides on it. but for short scoots its prolly really awesome 45 minute runs.

300 - 400kms rides? That's a afternoon ride for me....

1000kms + day is easy! on that comfy bike!!! with a wide seat!

 

[murf]

Looks like he flaked out lol

 

[rinomato1]

300 - 400kms rides? That's a afternoon ride for me....

1000kms + day is easy! on that comfy bike!!! with a wide seat!

maybe my muscles need to get used to it. I almost got take out by a car cause I made a wide right turn on my block doing 40

 

[ZX600]

Looks like he flaked out lol

Its not easy for someone not used to, I almost did as well the first time, it doesn't feel natural coming from other types of bikes, but now I couldn't go any other way...until a few years from now when I get a bike with a cappuccino maker

 

[rinomato1]

Its not easy for someone not used to, I almost did as well the first time, it doesn't feel natural coming from other types of bikes, but now I couldn't go any other way...until a few years from now when I get a bike with a cappuccino maker

Exactly!! thank you zx600 this is one tough nut to crack for someone not used to it. I have no Idea what I should or shouldn't do in terms of how to tackle this animal. people say track / people say wing it / people say 50 /50. I just want to be able to feel comfortable and confident on it. without getting taken out by a car when taking a right turn

 

[zakarov]

I just want to be able to feel comfortable and confident on it. without getting taken out by a car when taking a right turn

I believe that lower speed is the most important thing to practice on sport Bikes. I took 10 hours of low speed riding.... it was just amazing. You learn how to make U-turn without loosing control/balance or speed. I believe that you should practice some counter-balancing. It helps you to stay smooth on your right or left turn, w/o needing to push on gas.
Really nice bike and I’ll suggest (as others said) to give it sometimes before selling it. (It’s like kicking off your new girl-friend after the first night … because she was too hard/Rough …. ;-))

 

[rinomato1]

I believe that lower speed is the most important thing to practice on sport Bikes. I took 10 hours of low speed riding.... it was just amazing. You learn how to make U-turn without loosing control/balance or speed. I believe that you should practice some counter-balancing. It helps you to stay smooth on your right or left turn, w/o needing to push on gas.
Really nice bike and I’ll suggest (as others said) to give it sometimes before selling it. (It’s like kicking off your new girl-friend after the first night … because she was too hard/Rough …. ;-))

Couldn't agree with you more

 

[Baggsy]

You might be interest in the Humber Pro Rider course. They do slow speed stuff and braking in the morning and then work on cornering in the afternoon. Make sure that they know that you want to do the slow speed stuff.

There is also an entire aftermarket devoted to modifying sport bikes to make them more comfortable.
Try the bike for a while first and adjust the levers, shifter and brake to suit you. If it is still an issue you could look into bar risers or peg lowering kits.

 

[murf]

Exactly!! thank you zx600 this is one tough nut to crack for someone not used to it. I have no Idea what I should or shouldn't do in terms of how to tackle this animal. people say track / people say wing it / people say 50 /50. I just want to be able to feel comfortable and confident on it. without getting taken out by a car when taking a right turn

You know how to ride a bike. All these different responses have freaked you out. I swapped bikes with my father .......he took my gsxr1000 and I took his virago 1100. Yes it was weird, but after 5 minutes everything was fine.

 

[ZX600]

You know how to ride a bike. All these different responses have freaked you out. I swapped bikes with my father .......he took my gsxr1000 and I took his virago 1100. Yes it was weird, but after 5 minutes everything was fine.

Yep, opinions are like ***holes and everyone has one.

 

[fastar1]

Exactly!! thank you zx600 this is one tough nut to crack for someone not used to it. I have no Idea what I should or shouldn't do in terms of how to tackle this animal. people say track / people say wing it / people say 50 /50. I just want to be able to feel comfortable and confident on it. without getting taken out by a car when taking a right turn

Hey, remember the very first time you rode a motorcycle and the discomfort and uncertaintly that came with that? Well you overcame it before so you can do it again. Probably isn't as bad this time anyways.

Think of it as being able to relive your youth!

 

[rinomato1]

Hey, remember the very first time you rode a motorcycle and the discomfort and uncertaintly that came with that? Well you overcame it before so you can do it again. Probably isn't as bad this time anyways.

Think of it as being able to relive your youth!

Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm going to be honest with whay kinda spooked me out was when people said that jumping on a large sportbike is wrong without starting off on a smaller 250/500 etc.. before working my way up, others say track-day, others say sport-bikes are dangerous and that they should be ridden by professionals. I was so confused/afraid/intimidated that when I sat on my own bike all these fears just came onto me and pretty much stuck with me as I tried to progress further. But I see people riding sportbikes all the time, so they can't be that bad.

 

[fastar1]

There are TONS or terrible sport bike riders, and not only because they push the performance envelope. A little situational awareness and self-control is all you need, and it sounds like you have plenty of both.

 

[Gpz900]

I think this is one of those situations where you're over analyzing things. Like others have said the bike will feel somewhat foreign and strange to you at first. Take it slow and give it some time. After you have some miles under your belt you' have a better idea of what you want to adjust. Maybe the shifter, the hand controls, the rear sets, bar height are off for your personal riding preference and you don't even know it yet. Like I said, you'll have a better idea once you've ridden it some more. I drive a standard car, if I hop into a different standard it takes me a few miles to get the feel of the clutch etc... I had never ridden a cruiser until this summer. It was a little awkward going from a sports bike to a cruiser, I just gave it some time and it was fine. A bike is just a bike.

 

[rinomato1]

I think this is one of those situations where you're over analyzing things. Like others have said the bike will feel somewhat foreign and strange to you at first. Take it slow and give it some time. After you have some miles under your belt you' have a better idea of what you want to adjust. Maybe the shifter, the hand controls, the rear sets, bar height are off for your personal riding preference and you don't even know it yet. Like I said, you'll have a better idea once you've ridden it some more. I drive a standard car, if I hop into a different standard it takes me a few miles to get the feel of the clutch etc... I had never ridden a cruiser until this summer. It was a little awkward going from a sports bike to a cruiser, I just gave it some time and it was fine. A bike is just a bike.

couldn't be more right! in the words of the storage warrior dave hester "YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!!!"

 

[dricked]

[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Right hand corners are going to be the biggest change, just ride around a parking lot at slow speed to get used to the new riding postion and you'll be fine, it's just a bike.

I re-posted this from pg 2, I guess you didn't see it. Any bike should be "adjusted" as much as possible to make it comfortable. I've ridden cruisers at demos and it just takes a little time to adapt to the new position.[/FONT]

 

[Golluk]

I personally think your best experience is having ridden at all, you should have a good sense of how defensive and pre-emptive you should be while riding.

It sounds like its the low speed stuff that is difficult on a new/different style of bike. Find and empty parking lot, and practice figure 8's using the lines. You should quickly get a sense for it, and practice with the throttle/clutch/rear brake when your going for really low speed. Eventually you should be able to complete a figure 8 within a rectangle of 8 parking spaces fairly easily.

 

[Mina]

Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm going to be honest with whay kinda spooked me out was when people said that jumping on a large sportbike is wrong without starting off on a smaller 250/500 etc.. before working my way up, others say track-day, others say sport-bikes are dangerous and that they should be ridden by professionals. I was so confused/afraid/intimidated that when I sat on my own bike all these fears just came onto me and pretty much stuck with me as I tried to progress further. But I see people riding sportbikes all the time, so they can't be that bad.

I know exactly what you're talking about and don't worry about what others say.
It's all about you and how comfortable you make yourself feel.
Don't worry about keeping up with faster riders or learning how to drag a knee, just enjoy your bike whichever way you want to.

I started riding on a 2006 GSX-R 750 and I had no previous riding experience what-so-ever! (Other than the two days on a dr200 at the M1X)
You on the other hand are familiar with how a motorcycle works and I'm certain that you have logged enough miles to know how to ride safe.
It's all about practice, just don't get too carried away too fast or you can get yourself in serious trouble.

Forum Sponsor