VermilionX wrote:...just resist the temptation to blast off.
LOL, even I can't resist that feeling sometimes on my old ride! LOL.
VermilionX wrote:...i crashed last weekend but it's bec i was trying more advanced stuff in the canyons and i wasn't prepared for the combination of road hazard + a decreasing radius turn.
so basically, i rode above my skill and preparation level so that's why i failed.
Been there and done that myself myself. Its a trap that many new and newer riders fall into, don't feel bad about it, at least you walked away from that class in the School of Hard Knocks. We all learn by our mistakes.
VermilionX wrote:if you just take it easy like what i did when i was very new to my bike, it'll be alright. just resist the temptation to blast off.
It's not just temptation to "blast off" that can mess ya up bud. It's situations that you're simply not prepared for. Hit a bump in the road and twist that wrist a little too far and you're doing 100+.
On a beginner bike hitting that same bump and twisting that wrist isn't going to launch you like it does on the RR bikes...
Mike, find a dealer and try sitting on Kaw's new little ninja 650. It's pretty comfy! I'm 6'1" and it felt good to me. Plenty of favorable reviews out there on it now, too. Suzuki's SV650 is definitely worth a look (or the SV650S if you want the fairing). Given your background I think those may be two bikes you might enjoy riding.
V4underme wrote:Mike, find a dealer and try sitting on Kaw's new little ninja 650. It's pretty comfy! I'm 6'1" and it felt good to me. Plenty of favorable reviews out there on it now, too. Suzuki's SV650 is definitely worth a look (or the SV650S if you want the fairing). Given your background I think those may be two bikes you might enjoy riding.
I would agree with V4underme's suggestions. Try out the Ninja650R, even for me at 6'4" I was surprisingly comfortable on it! The SV650 ans SV650S which I'd love to own just didn't fit me as I was too tall.
Remember Mike, with a 500-650cc you can really do anything with it. I own a 1982 650cc standard for the past 4 years and it is a great jack of all trades bike. Remember though that a new 650cc will have a lot more power to weight ratio than a 650cc from 24 years ago... (mine is about 510lbs wet, and has around 80hp).
kabob983 wrote:
It's not just temptation to "blast off" that can mess ya up bud. It's situations that you're simply not prepared for. Hit a bump in the road and twist that wrist a little too far and you're doing 100+.
On a beginner bike hitting that same bump and twisting that wrist isn't going to launch you like it does on the RR bikes...
i've hit bumps like you mentioned, didn't over rev w/ those.
on my 1st time in the freeway, i've caught a little air since parts of the freeway wasn't flat, didn't over-rev either.
but anyway, each prson in different, diff people have diff weaknesses. my most obvious weakness is xtremely tight turns.
Kabob isn't saying that everytime you hit a bump you are going to over rev it...... He is just saying that it is more likely it wil happen with a newer rider than someone experienced, and if it does happen, the newer rider is screwed.
If you already know exactly what bike you want i say get it other wise you will never truly be happy with whatever else you purchase, if your not sure then by a used 500 and learn and try out some other bikes and see what you like. For me i knew before i started riding that i wanted an R6 but i went an got a GS500 i rode it for 3 months and while i am probably a better rider because of it, i wish i would have just bought the R6 to begin with.
While the R6 is a high powered bike if you take the MSF and takte time to practice and learn your bikes tendencies and ride within your limits you should be just fine, This is just my opinion however and i know most here will disagree
Chris8187 wrote:Kabob isn't saying that everytime you hit a bump you are going to over rev it...... He is just saying that it is more likely it wil happen with a newer rider than someone experienced, and if it does happen, the newer rider is screwed.
Good point. I would file that under throttle control experience. As a new rider gains experience, everything (hands, feet, eyes, brain, balance and more) work in unison so riding becomes more enjoyable, less stressful, less "oops" prone and smoother overall. Different types, styles and sizes of motorcycles will make these lessons easier and shorter or harder and longer to learn. That's why a small bike is the ideal starter bike as a new riders learning curve is much higher and faster than a bigger bike to learn on.
It's not just the "bumps in the road" that can screw you over, there's a ton of different situations that can do this. Here's a real life example:
A security guard who works in my building bought himself a 20th anniversary GSX-R750. One day while riding to work he noticed a car slowing down in front of him at a green light. He decided to change lanes and go aronud the car, but when he did this he realized why the car was stopped. A fire engine was flying towards him with lights a'blazing. Foolishly he did what probably 90% of new riders would do, he gave it gas...ALOT of gas. The bike did like it was told and accelerated so fast that it literally shot out from under him, he slid for 30 or 40 feet and finally came to a stop. His bike went a little further and hit something, had to get all new fairing, straighten out his chassis, and fix some other stuff on his bike. This was also the one day he choose not to ride his leather jacket, just his security guard uniform. His right side was literally one giant scab for a few weeks. Apparently this phenomenon we know as "road rash" hurts quite a bit!
First off, he was stupid for not checking to see why the car was slowing down, but secondly, had he been on a "learner bike" when he gunned that throttle, he would have accelerated, probably very quickly. But I doubt that the bike would have accelerated so quickly that it tossed him.
As a new rider most people have not learned throttle control, as Mike mentioned. A more experienced rider on the Gixxer would more likely have given it gas, but not all out. This is why they make forgiving beginner bikes, so that you're not trying to master all these different aspects at once.
A common throttle gaff that I have witnessed many times goes something like this. New rider accidentally applies too much throttle, could be because of a road irregularity, or just general inexperience with a high powered bike. A few guys even told me they hit the throttle when they were trying to slow down. They were just momentarily confused.
For whatever reason, too much throttle has been applied and it comes as a lurching surprise to the rider. Instinctively the rider hangs on for dear life, to avoid being dumped off the back. This results in even more throttle being applied. By now you should see where this is going. Oh yeah, right about the time of the first surprising lurch, expect to see the rider's feet come off the pegs, exacerbating the situation.
I've seen this at least a dozen times over the last few decades. Most recently about 2 weeks ago. My noob neighbor on his Speed Triple, had a lot of the neighborhood bikers stopped at his house to check out his ride. As he pulled away from the curb, a bit too much throttle netted him a little tire spin and pulled his feet off the pegs. He proceeded in a nice diagonal across the street (thankfully no cars were coming) with legs flailing, over the curb, and directly into a tree in his neighbor's front yard. Fortunately, he wasn't hurt, but the new bike now has some new battle scars.
