Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Forum banner

New to sport bikes

3K views 25 replies 12 participants last post by  rymadness 
#1 ·
Hey guys. I'm currently coming over from a Honda vtx 1300 I just sold a couple weeks ago. I got myself a 01 ninja zx6r. I'm pretty excited to see the difference from cruiser to sport bike and am looking forward to see what this bike can do!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#2 ·
Welcome to the forum.. Where do you hail from.

Want to find what you bike can do.
There is one and only one place you will be able to. The track.
Find one and do some track days.
That was the reason I bought mine.
Still have my cruiser, 2007 Triumph Tiger 1050.
 
#4 ·
LOL,, And I didn't mean for top end speed either. You want a liter bike for that.
If you really want to find out what the bike will do for cornering it's the track or your full blown crazy to try it on the street.

You want to see how it can flick, how it can corner. Do a track day.
Can not say it loud enough, your missing out.
Taste the crack, track crack that is. :hump6


OH, :worthless
 
#6 ·
To bad,, it's like sex. You don't know what your missing until your cherry is popped.

In that case, get some gear. Budget for tickets and wish you the best staying alive trying to get even close to the limits of your bike on the street. You should be impressed.

OH. :worthless
 
#10 ·
Hello and welcome!

Some of us like to ride street and track, some just ride street, and some just ride track. It's all fun!

Congrats on the new bike!
 
#14 ·
OP,

There is very little performance wise that the 636 won't excel at compared to your VTX. But it is less comfortable overall, and by design is one heck of a lot less stable.

The 636 will feel like a 10 speed bicycle, compared to your VTX. you will have trouble adjusting to the braking..... the rear on the 636 is effectively less than 10% of the available stopping power -- the rest is all on the front. The front rotors are so big, and the mechanical advantage so great, you can lock the front wheel almost instantly if you try and grab a fistful.

One or two finger stopping is common. If you want maximum braking performance, you have to learn to let the front end compress before you ask for the max. Progressively squeezing the front, so you take at least 1/2 to 3/4 of a second to reach max squeeze will let you stop much more effectively than you can imagine.

If you stab at the brakes, and the front skids, the fork will extend and reduce the pressure between the contact patch and the road..... not good for max braking.....
 
#15 ·
Hello rymadness and welcome.

Congrats on getting a sport bike. Once you get fully accustomed to the bike you will be amazed at how well it brakes, corners and eats up twisty roads. You can have a lot of fun with a sport bike on public roads and still stay out of trouble. I have been for 15 years!

Track days are not for everyone. I had a dedicated track bike for years but sold it and have not been back to the track since. But to really find out what a good sport bike is capable of the track is the only place to explore its full potential. Once I worked my way into advanced group and began running race rubber I was blown away at what these things will do.

However that is not to say a sport bike is wasted on the street. It is just that most folks have no idea just how fast these things will go through a corner until they have been on a track where it is safe to push beyond sane but spirited street riding pace. On the street you have to be super cautious. Develop your riding skills, know the road, use your head and don't get too carried away and you will be able to take it to levels your cruiser could never achieve while putting a grin on your face so big you can swallow your ears.

Congrats on the purchase and welcome to the addiction!!!
 
#18 ·
I have taken the msf class in the past when i got my M1. I definitely think i can benefit from a track class. That being said, im not sure the track is for me. I love the hell outta commuting year-round on my zx6r. I am definitely competetive, played sports my whole life. But not really racing-wise. More so in golf, haha.

To sum it up, i am going to look into taking at least some track classes so i can become a better rider. Anyone know any good ones in The Bay Area?
 
#19 · (Edited)
I started riding by taking the MSF course also. I did my first track day about 5 months after first learning to ride a motorcycle.
I ended up taking the TrackXperience new rider course 4 times once I started doing track days. I most certainly gained a lot of confidence in my ability to judge corners and braking. To me the benefit comes from being able to repeat the same turns over and over again, trying different strategies in a controlled environment. Once you are back out in the chaos of street riding it helps to have these techniques come a bit more automatically. Understanding the relationship between corner speed, lean angle and what kind of inputs the bike can take at its current attitude was huge for me.

I know that SoCal may be a bit of a haul, but the TrackXperience New Rider School is free with the purchase of a track day and is a top notch introductory course.

TrackXperience New Rider School Info
 
#22 ·
No doubt about that ^ man. After watching twist of the wrist I noticed that my turn in points are always too early, even in my car. Pretty eye opening. Then after reading some of Pslo's posts I've realized that I'm using way way too much bar input both through the corner and on exit.

I rode to work the other day and I tried working on body position and quick smooth inputs to tip in and zero bar input to maintain my turn. Still using the bars to stand it back up but the roads are still really dirty and I'm not trying to do too much right now. There's so much to improve on though, it's wild. Can't wait to get on the track
 
#26 ·
The power is astonishing on the Ninja. The vtx had a lot of torque, where all of that torque from the Honda goes toward flat out acceleration on the ninja. Also the throttle on the vtx is fairly forgiving where on the ninja it is VERY touchy. Especially if you've got it open quite a bit already. It's also almost half the size so it's easier to turn, but the riding position takes some time to get used to. You're "hunched" over the gas tank. I'd say be careful and think about it because they are definitely more dangerous.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top