[SantaCruzRider]

For some of us, it’s the closest we come to having friends!

On the other hand, I support what owlie said. The FZ6R is a great bike, but there are better choices for beginners. You’ll get better advice if you give folks an idea of what your experience is and perhaps why you’re not considering some of the other bikes recommended for beginners and written about extensively on this site.

[SantaCruzRider]

All great feedback, but I’m wondering if what you’re asking is: if I get a flat while out on a ride in the boonies, will I be able to fix it on a bike with spoke wheels?

Short answer is: probably not. Here’s why.

Spoke wheels: As mentioned, spoke wheels have tubes and loss of air means the tube has blown or has a hole. To fix it, you’ll need to removed the wheel, remove the tire, put in a new tube and then put it all back together. Adventure riders live for this stuff, but most of us are not prepared or wanting to do this kind of thing. Typically, this means a call to AAA or your BFF with a truck.

Cast wheels (no spoke): No spokes usually means no tube, so it’s just like a car tire. If you’re lucky, the flat was caused by a nail or something similar. Pull the nail with pliers and then use a glued tire plug to seal and you can be back on the road in a few minutes. It’s wise to treat the tire gently and I’d probably cruise back home or to the nearest cycle shop to get the tire inspected and either replaced or properly patched on the inside. As megaspaz said, a puncture in the sidewall (too muh flexing) or a slash means you’re toast and puling out the cell phone.

As for spoke tightness, you should occasionally inspect the spokes by pinching then together in pairs (with your fingers) to see if they are uniformly tight. If you find a few that are significantly looser, it may indicated that your rim is going out of true. This is an easy fix at any cycle shop. If you’re out of the road, unless you just hit a curb, I wouldn’t fret about the spokes.

[SantaCruzRider]

Again, I don’t know the specs, but I doubt that your powerband drops off at halfway to redline. It’s more typical of a sport bike that it doesn’t even strart until your around 6-7k.

You will needt to shift out of 1st before you hit 25 because 1st is not set up for range, it’s designed to get a stationary object moving. But beyond that, you shouldn’t need to shift anywhere near what you’re doing.

You may actually find that the bike is smoother cruising at 7k than it is at 4k (mine is). As for the decibels, get some ear plugs. If that doesn’t work, get a cruiser — we can’t all be uber-cool sport bike riders )

[SantaCruzRider]

I don’t know the specs on the ZZR, but my rule of thumb is that if you shift before you’re halfway to redline, you aren’t really getting much range out of each gear. I think your 600 redlines at 14,500 rpm, so you could easily take it to 10-12k before shifting.

It will take some getting used to because the engine will be screaming, but it’s a normal novice mistake to not be using the higher end of the power range. Some folks hate that upper range, but those folks do not typically stick with the sport bike class for very long.

I would bet that you should be able to hit 35-40 mph in 2nd gear. It shouldn’t be where you cruise, but you should be accelerating in that range.

If it’s not accelerating when you turn the throttle and you’re hand is off the clutch, you have a mechanical problem.

[SantaCruzRider]

I think it’s unfair to lump all of us together as sucking for giving advice about riding safely. If you’ll re-read my response, you’ll see that it didn’t really offer advice, it was more mocking in tone and was meant to point out your profound ignorance.

[SantaCruzRider]

I think it should apply equally to stunts. You should probably not do any wheelies or stoppies until at least 30 minutes after eating. A full stomach could dramatically increase the mess of a big crash, plus many people puke when doctors push meds, so it’s safer to have an empty belly.

[SantaCruzRider]

Problem with the SV650 is that it is almost universally regarded as a do-anything, best-in-class bike. That makes it a great buy if you’re shopping new, but a tough one to get used at a decent price. They have high resale, which means you often end up paying a premium over similar bikes.

If you’re seeing bikes disappear super fast of CL, it’s often dealers who are snapping them up (at least here in the SFBay area). You’ll need to check often, be fast with your response and willing to jet over and put down your cash if you want to get a great deal on a used one. You could probably find a better deal on another bike, but if you’re heart is set on an SV650 (and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be), it will be worth the extra work.

You might also try posting your own CL ad for “SV650 wanted”. I’ve done that for other items and had success. Some sellers see it as a good alternative to having a bunch of tire kickers calling them and wasting their time.

[SantaCruzRider]

I could be wrong, but my read of the advice given on this site regarding the SV650 is that it might be a good first bike for someone who’s has some experience on small bikes, is level headed and who has their ego well in check.
Does that feel like a good description of yourself?

[SantaCruzRider]

but you sure aren’t giving yourself much competitive advantage.

Personally, I don’t have a big issue with beginning riders who buy GIXERs, just like I don’t have an issue with people who smoke a pack a day in their own homes or drink themselves blind every night (in their own homes). They all drive up my health insurance rates, but whatever, it’s part of the price of organized society.

But I do have to wonder about folks that come to this site, read the posts and articles and then conclude that the GIXER or Duc is the perfect beginner bike for them. I have to assume it’s a cry for help and you’re hoping someone will talk you out of it. Otherwise, you’d probably just go buy it and be done with it.

I truly do hope that this all works out for you. Take it real slow, and don’t be deluded into thinking the drive-mode selector is a safety feature.

Also keep in mind that you’ll find plenty of “I beat the odds and learned on a GIXER” stories on the web, but you’ll never see the balancing “my first bike was a GIXER and I died in my first year riding” or “I was a newbie who bought a GIXER and now I’m in the hospital paralysed.”

Hope you beat the odds.

[SantaCruzRider]

Kidding — you should keep it since your next bike won’t come with one. Why won’t it, because your next bike should probably be rat bike that’s been dropped on both sides. If there are any unscratch fairing parts, you’ll add a few strips of gray duct tape for effect. And the only shiny part will be the giant steel chain you use to moor it to convenient light poles at night.

Best of luck with the insurance. Sounds like you’ll come out with some cash.

[SantaCruzRider]

I like Munch’s idea of the used 500:
1. A bike that fits
2. Safe powerwise
3. Something you can use for years to come and then sell for close to what you paid and move on to what you’re ready for.

I do like where you’re going on the rev limiter. Some bike makers use a similar set up on their kid’s dirt bikes and ATVs. It probably could be used to avoid some of the high risk acceleration issues. But lots of other intro-phase issues are caused by not being used to a bike’s weight, balance or negotiations of turns. In a lot of these situations, acceleration is not the prime issue (speed may be, but a governor won’t solve that). In most situations, a smaller bike is more forgiving.

[SantaCruzRider]

New bike dealers can’t usually offer test rides because the bike can’t be legally ridden on the street until it’s registered, and once registered, it’s a used bike.

The issue with used bike dealers is that you don’t insure the rider, you insure the bike. So if you take a used bike out for a test and crash it, it’s the dealer that is stuck trying to get his insurance company to pay and then not raise his rates. Then again, if you’re Joe Respectable who comes into a used shop several times (and especially if you arrive on a bike and don’t drop in the lot), sits on a few bikes and is then serious about buying a particular one, you have a fair chance of convincing the guy to hold your deposit while you take a test ride.

Personally, I would never buy a used bike without a test ride. But you do need to realize that alot of sellers get frustrated by hordes of wannabees who are out killing time with test rides. Some these tire kickers can’t ride and when they drop the bike, they walk away.

[SantaCruzRider]

If you do get a payout, make sure you they are giving you what you feel is the fair value of the bike and then send your payoff to the lender.
If you do decide to get another bike, you may want to give strong consideration to a going used. It sounds like from other posts that this bike was more than you could afford. Used bikes are just as fun to ride as new. Heck, you may end up riding half of your old bike when it gets out of the chop shop and is put back on the street

[SantaCruzRider]

I seriously doubt that a defense attorney would allow the jury to include anyone who rides. Sorry!

[SantaCruzRider]

Did you hit a dog or something???
Ride it and don’t sweat the grime.
If you’re too anal for that, try spray Pledge. Works for me.

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