"valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option" (valsidalv)
06/23/2016 at 21:45 • Filed to: None
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"valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option" (valsidalv)
06/23/2016 at 21:45 • Filed to: None | 3
| 6 |
Just over 2 months ago I picked up my most questionable single purchase to date - a 2015 Kawasaki ZX-6R. I say questionable because a bike like this in the hands of a young male is usually a death sentence but I’ve managed to make it this far. Here’s what it’s like to own a crotch rocket.
I want to preface this by disclosing that there are other Opponauts who have way more experience with riding than I do, so if you have some serious questions you should seek their guidance. I’m just a guy who bought a fast bike. It’s been a fun learning experience.
How I got here
A little under 2 years ago I did my motorcycle safety course and soon after purchased my first bike, a Kawi Ninja 400R. A less potent version of the popular sports-tourer Ninja 650R, it has a good amount of power for someone just starting out and by the end of my first riding season I felt comfortable pinning the throttle. As I put her away for storage over the winter I was already thinking about what my next bike would be.
The 400R in question
Next spring I joined a riding group and found myself surrounded with bikes far more powerful than mine. Triumph Daytonas and Ducati Panigales... I wanted in. Some guys were talking about how 600's have no power at lower RPMs and so began my research. I wanted - no, needed - something more than a 600 because I didn’t want a bike with a compromised powerband! Eventually I found the Suzuki GSX-R750. It’s weight is comparable to the GSX-R600 but has way more power and I figured it was a good choice.
And then I went on a proper ride with that group. 5 hours of riding (plus rest stops) that took us well out of the city and through some fun twisty roads. It was on those backroads, where I had trouble breaking away from a rider on a 300, that I realized I don’t need a 750. Straight-line speed and corners are very different things and I still had a lot to learn at that point. However, I still wanted a proper sportbike so I reevaluated things and decided that a 600 would be enough for me.
As one can imagine, motorcycle dealerships do not get a lot of business in the winter unless they also sell sleds. I took advantage of that fact by placing a down payment on my ZX-6R ABS 30th Anniversary edition in December after generous incentives by the dealer and Kawasaki were applied to the MSRP.
First Impressions
Even though our previous winter was mild it was quite drawn out. I waited patiently until the temperatures were conducive to riding and picked up my new bike in April. I was equal parts excited and nervous. After all, this new bike weighs the same as my former Ninja 400 but makes literally 3 times as much horsepower and has a redline of 16,000 RPM.
I left the dealership on my new set of wheels and rolled onto the throttle as gently as I could. Vvvooooom! The 636cc 4-cylinder engine came to life and I was doing the speed limit without having to shift into 2nd. It felt insane! I was giggling inside my helmet while in total awe of the power. I had an interesting ride home as I focused on fine-tuning my motor skills to work with the twitchy throttle. Having been taught to operate a bike’s clutch lever with all four available fingers I was consistently missing the engagement point and would unnecessarily race the engine. Things to work on, I noted.
Everday Riding
Trunk sold separately
The next day I took it to work and... let’s just say I arrived earlier than usual. I wasn’t trying to set any speed records but this is the nature of this kind of bike. It wants to go quick, it knows that it’s faster than almost anything else on the road, and it’s all really tempting. I was breaking in the engine so I limited myself to 8k RPM. I began using two fingers to pull in the clutch lever and that helped a lot with my shifts and rev-matching. As I gained confidence I also became complacent, thinking that the bike isn’t that fast . And then I would increase the RPMs a bit, or get on the throttle a little harder than before, and that same feeling I experienced when I first picked up the bike would return to me. It just kept offering more.
After a few hundred kilometres of city riding I went on a solo journey out of the city. 2.5 hours... a decent ride where I got to open things up a bit. I felt a little sore after I returned, and my back was nearly out of commission for the following week. Although I enjoy the tucked position of a sportbike more than the upright seating position of a sports-tourer I didn’t realize it would take such a big toll on my body.
The bike is quite easy to handle at low speeds which is an added bonus when in traffic. You can actually get it rolling without any throttle application and it won’t stall.
Present Day
Tank grip applied
I have accumulated approximately 1,300 km on my bike. I recently sent her in for the 1000 km checkup and received a clean bill of health. The plan now is to go on some longer rides. Sometime this season I also want take some track lessons. Nope, not on my 600 but on little 125cc bikes the school provides.
Burbly exhaust
I want a fast bike! Any advice?
Don’t let others get to you. When I was talking to some people about purchasing a 600 I heard the phrase “well why not just go for a litre bike?” more times than I would have thought. I’m probably several years away from exploiting the capabilities of the ZX-6R, and that’s assuming I get the aforementioned track days in. If a 600 can let me reach ludicrous speeds on the road with almost no effort I can only imagine what a more powerful bike is capable of.
Also, this probably should not be the first bike you start out on. Yup, this topic has been beaten to death but the usualy reason focuses on the power that these bikes have. Well I believe if you are sane you can keep a supersport at low speeds and not crash instantly. However I have rarely heard the argument of comfort come up. Imagine you walked around everywhere bent over as though you’re ready to sprint a 100 metre race. These bikes put you into such a position and it’s physically demanding to ride one. Taking a motorcycle out on public roads is a daunting task for a beginner and you should eliminate any factors that make the experience tougher.
Monkey B
> valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
06/23/2016 at 23:18 |
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I’m 41, I still can’t get every bit of performance available from bikes under 1000 cc. I’m fine with that. The only reason I see the reason for more power for the average experienced rider is 2 up riding and that usually comes with different style mounts. Wringing out a 600 cc sport bike is more than most anyone could need and fewer can handle. Glad you are enjoying yours. More power is fun, using the most of your available power is even more so.
Years ago I met a guy at the Dragon with 4 bikes...an impressive stable and I was jealous. A Ninja 250 was his preferred bike for the Dragon...I then started to understand and now get it.
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valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
> Monkey B
06/23/2016 at 23:30 |
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True words. My boss races an older Ninja ZX-6R and he tells me he is only a few seconds behind the guys with litre bikes. He loses them on the straights but catches them in corners.
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Monkey B
> valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
06/24/2016 at 00:25 |
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I don’t hate a liter bike...just am a practical person and acknowledge the law of diminishing returns and recognize why people get hurt on liter bikes when they should be on less power. Nobody should learn to drive in a V12...it’s kinda the same. Hell, even some “experienced” drivers should only drive 4 cylinders!
Unfortunately riding consists of those that love and respect it and those that want to be seen on a Busa...not much in between.
DynamicWeight
> valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
06/24/2016 at 12:08 |
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Don’t let people fool you with this liter bike nonsense. I had a 600 and I loved it. It was stolen and when it came time to get a new sport bike I thought, why not get the liter? I went and checked out the cleanest CBR 1000RR I could find thinking I was purchasing my forever bike. Taking it for a test ride... well... there are no words. Where the first time I ever rode a 600 had my giggling like a school girl, the 1000... I’m still not coming up with words. So fast. 100MPH in first gear fast. So loud. I broke through to the other side. Drifting, floating in a vast emptiness, no thoughts. I bought it.
Fast forward a couple years... I hate it. There is absolutely no way to ride this bike on the street in an enjoyable manner in anything that even starts to sort of resemble something legal. Doing 1.5X the speed limit is boring. 2X the speed limit (yes, even 65 on the freeway) is starting to get interesting. You talk about it hard to keep the speed down in your 600? Imagine twice the power . It’s stupid and useless.
It’s going up for sale. Next week. No, not like I said last week. This time for real. I’m gonna sell it. It doesn’t have a hold over me. It’s pointless, I hate it.
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valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
> DynamicWeight
06/24/2016 at 15:08 |
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Sounds like you love to hate it.
I can imagine the feeling you’re talking about and I’d like to experience it for myself one day... maybe a test ride. For the time being I’m gonna stick with the 600 and it’s enough bike for me.
Are you gonna get a different bike once your CBR is gone?
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DynamicWeight
> valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
06/24/2016 at 16:27 |
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I have a FZ-6 that I think I’m going to keep for a while. Once I sell the CBR, I might look for another 600RR. I really liked the F4i I had, but they are getting old. Or I might go to the 90s and pick up a carbuerated 600. I really hate injector noises on a bike. I have automotive ADD.