What to get

[pittster]

I am also vertically challenged and have gotten used to the tippy toe action on my bike.

If im coming to stops i pick a leg i want to put weight on and slide over on the seat and and get full weight on that foot. Or balance between both legs on my toes, Slow speed stuff is practice and the rear brake and throttle is awesome you do 0.1km/h with that method and not fall over. ( what else do you use the rear brake fore? )

Guys I ride had a heart attack once when i stopped on gravel and my foot slips and there all yelling shit ahhh, then my foot gets grip and i look at them and go What? Hahah

As said already practice just assume that whenever coming to a stop or slow speed that the bike is trying to kill you by throwing you off at slow speed, that way you will always be ready for it.

[MrWasabi]

This bike is actually quite easy to keep steady at slow speeds in a straight line, U turns have always thrown me off a little as they are a little harder on this bike than my previous ones (96 zx6 and ZZR250). I can remember coming off restrictions from a somewhat upright riding position, to a hunched over position, it was as if the steering was locked in place. Position your arms so that they are perpendicular to the road, and push the bars up towards the front of the bike, then you will notice it turn a lot better.

Being a more hunched over position your arms tend to come at the bars more from the top so if you dont have your arms in the right position, you will be pushing the bars down towards the ground more than forward...hard to explain in text but i hope you get the picture.

As for U turns, you would have had to do one during your P test (unless Vic is different, dont know) and they should have given you the basics there. But if they didnt...
Dont use the front brake when doing low speed maneuvers, keep the revs up and use the rear brake to control your speed.
Look where you want to go, dont look down and in front of you (or the oncoming gutter, try and use your peripheral vision for those things)
Put more weight on the opposite side you want to turn into, shift slightly BEFORE the turn
Keep your lower body rigid, avoid taking your feet off and on the pegs (if possible)
Grip the tank with your knees

Other than that, as others have said...practice!
Good luck!

[Rossco1]

Thanks for the valuable information and advice Mr Wasabi.

Yes they did teach to do u turns etc but i did them on a cruiser style 250cc where my feet could fully touch the ground and the bike was light enough for me to control completely and then i moved to this bike where I am in a different position and a much heavier bike and more power than i am used to so i am still trying to find the throttle and back brake balance for this bike and trying to learn how tight i can go with the turning before i lose the balance. THey did mention the counter balance when i did my restricted test but they did not actually show it and the proper way to do it.

I have a mate who has been riding for many years and rides an R1 and is going to come out with me on boxing day and we are going to go to an industrial area and he is going to teach me tsome pointers with the bike and spend the whole day going through and learning the correct techniques and see what i am doing wrong and where i need to practice more on.

[Leanne]

Hey sorry this might be the wrong area to post this but i want to continue from my thread.

Went for my first long ride today on the ZX6r and all went well in the morning.

The evening a different story. Lucky for the crash knobs as i managed to drop the bike on its side 3 times with no damage or scratches as i was able to place it down.

The first 2 times was maneuvering a u-turn at slow speed and the bike tilted beyond the balance point that i could control. the third was when i pulled over to the side of the road and the camber of the road made the bike lean too much to the left once again going beyond the point of me being able to keep the bike upright. Luckily people were able to help me in all situations.

My question is if there is a way to stop this happening? what advice can people give on slow u turn or cornering knowing that i am only 170 cm and i have trouble putting my feet flat on the floor which is why i have trouble keeping the bike upright when it is about to lean too much.

Cornering and u turns is so much different on this bike compared to my EL250 cruiser.

I'm only two centimetres taller than you and I have no problem with touching the feet down when stopping on my 6 or 10. I think once you practice a bit more you will be fine. What the guys have said already is the go. Just keep practicing that slow speed throttle and manouvering and the stopping in general will become more comfortable as well.

[Rossco1]

Thanks Leanne, makes me feel much better although walking up to the bike scares me a bit now loool. i have to learn the lean point of no return with the bike, remember to stop on an even surface and use one foot flat on the ground. I think my mistake with the U-turn from reading previous post and remembering back is that i might have used the front brake so i will try slow riding with using throttle to keep the revs up and use back brake to stablise the bike more.

One of my friends said that i might have tried too much of a turning cicrle when i first dropped it but i thought these bikes could be turned on very tight areas.

[StuMiller]

Ditto with the course and counter lean. Honda (HART) do some great courses. Well worth your while!


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-42.818061,147.608117

[born green]

Thanks Leanne, makes me feel much better although walking up to the bike scares me a bit now loool. i have to learn the lean point of no return with the bike, remember to stop on an even surface and use one foot flat on the ground. I think my mistake with the U-turn from reading previous post and remembering back is that i might have used the front brake so i will try slow riding with using throttle to keep the revs up and use back brake to stablise the bike more.

One of my friends said that i might have tried too much of a turning cicrle when i first dropped it but i thought these bikes could be turned on very tight areas.

Practice, practice, i was a riding instructor for 7 years in QLD, one girl i taught was 4ft 11.... and i spent a lot of time with her just doing 1st gear stuff, round and round we went, when turning in a tight circle ect, a little rear brake works well, ride the clutch a little, keep the revs up a bit, and this is where the rear brake comes in, it will hold the bike on line, and u can control the speed with the rear brake as ur turning. allso u can adjust ur body by leaning a little on the outside of the bike,as ur turning.
this girl i taught became a quiet a good rider, as i spent a lot of time with her, just doing these things.
As she came up to lights, stop signs ect, she would move her weight to the left, as most camber's would be on that side, and just before stopping slide her bum over and put her left foot down, she became quiet good at it.
As most here will know, with practice u can put most bikes on full lock and move ur body to the outside of the way ur turning, and turn it in a very tight circle. confidence is everthing, and practice will give u that.

[Rossco1]

Thanks Born Green for the advice. I should get you to come down and teach me . I find i have no problem coming to a set of lights and stopping and using my tippy toes to stabalise the bike or to raise the leg to change into first, although 99% of the time when i come to a set of red lights i down gear into 1st and hold the clutch in at the lights and use my right leg onto the back break and have my left foot fully on the ground.

My main issue is slow U turns and i will keep practicising what you mention. I still have my 250 eliminator so if i feel intimidated i can practice on that until i get the sequence right them move back onto the ZX6R. It is quite funny how you mention tight turns etc because one of my experienced friends saw the turn i was making and said i was making too sharp of a turn at the end of the dead end street but my understanding is that if you get the throttle, back brake control and clutch synched correctly and lean on the opposite side you can nearly make a sharp 180 degree turn at a snail pace without dropping the bike at all.

[born green]

Thanks Born Green for the advice. I should get you to come down and teach me . I find i have no problem coming to a set of lights and stopping and using my tippy toes to stabalise the bike or to raise the leg to change into first, although 99% of the time when i come to a set of red lights i down gear into 1st and hold the clutch in at the lights and use my right leg onto the back break and have my left foot fully on the ground.

My main issue is slow U turns and i will keep practicising what you mention. I still have my 250 eliminator so if i feel intimidated i can practice on that until i get the sequence right them move back onto the ZX6R. It is quite funny how you mention tight turns etc because one of my experienced friends saw the turn i was making and said i was making too sharp of a turn at the end of the dead end street but my understanding is that if you get the throttle, back brake control and clutch synched correctly and lean on the opposite side you can nearly make a sharp 180 degree turn at a snail pace without dropping the bike at all.

yep, u can with practice. getting the balance, between throttle, clutch, rear brake is the key.
I had a arguement one time with another instructor about turning the bike on full lock, as in against the stop, he
said it was to hard, crap i said and jumped on his bike and showed him, its all balance, and just to prove my point, i did it one handed.
We had a offroad setup where i ran them thru a figure of 8, as they got better i would bring the cones in, untill it became tight.
That stuff can be all done in a carpark ect, but when on the road, u just need to be alert, and read the road ahead for camber's ect.
where do u live? allways happy to help..

[Rossco1]

I live in Mitcham near Doncaster.

[born green]

I live in Mitcham near Doncaster.

I live in blind bight, just south of cranbourne.
The EL is prob ok to practice on, its low, but quiet long in the wheel base, and dont steer that well. sports bikes are harder becauce of the ride postion....
We have a large, sort of, carpark at the boat ramp. but any carpark is ok, tho there all full now, xmas shopping..
if ur out and about, and down this way, let me know.

[Rossco1]

Ahh yes i know the area. along the coast between hastings and tooradin.

I might just have to take you up on the offer .

I agree with the EL. while it is low steering is not the best.

I would like to practice with someone around as i get scared of dropping the bike as it is quite heavy for me to pick up myself.

[born green]

Ahh yes i know the area. along the coast between hastings and tooradin.

I might just have to take you up on the offer .

I agree with the EL. while it is low steering is not the best.

I would like to practice with someone around as i get scared of dropping the bike as it is quite heavy for me to pick up myself.

Thats it, u would be suprised by the number of people that ask where it is...
u will find it a lot less stressful with someone standing there talking u thru it, as ur riding, i have done this thousands of times back then.
It will make it so much easier to learn with someone watching and picking up the things ur doing right and wrong, then once u know the right way, its lots of practice... with that comes confidence, and confidence is everything.

[tim]

Gday mate. Hope riding is beginning more fun for you and you're getting more confidence.

One thing which i don't think anyone has said is something which Glen taught me to do and is VERY effective.

Do constant right hand circles in a big clear area.

Start nice and big, and focus all your attention on 2 things, relax your arms and look over your shoulder and keep your eyes HIGH, almost behind you. Keep moving your eyes around behind you. Do it until you need a break, then go again and get progressively smaller as you're comfortable.

Then, stop and go again another day etc you get the idea.

Hth.

[Rossco1]

Gday mate. Hope riding is beginning more fun for you and you're getting more confidence.

One thing which i don't think anyone has said is something which Glen taught me to do and is VERY effective.

Do constant right hand circles in a big clear area.

Start nice and big, and focus all your attention on 2 things, relax your arms and look over your shoulder and keep your eyes HIGH, almost behind you. Keep moving your eyes around behind you. Do it until you need a break, then go again and get progressively smaller as you're comfortable.

Then, stop and go again another day etc you get the idea.

Hth.

THanks Tim. I have gone for a couple of rides and had a friend with me who has been riding for many years and taught me a lot. We went to an industrial area and found a court with a larger than normal round court at the end and he first showed me what to do then i got on the bike and he stood in the middle of the circle guiding me trhough it.


He got me to put the clutch in, engage first gear then to slowly put a little throttle on and release the clutch once i got a low speed i let the throttle go back and just feathered the clutch to control idle and speed and got me to look at him in the middle all the time. Eventually the turns got sharper and sharper without me realizing it and i never once dropped the bike. He then got me to go the other way and practice that as much as possible. Ithen had a break and then got back on and he started getting me to do figure 8's. I found going left was easy but struggled a bit going right as i could not get as sharp of a turn going right so i need to practice that more often.

Overall it was really good learning and i now have the basics to go off and practice.

After that we went off for a drink and we parked our bikes and i learn from reading on here to get off the bike and push the bike where i needed to go when heading off instead of getting on the bike and trying to push the bike with my feet which would have resulted in me dropping the bike.

Now it is just practice, practice and more practice.