OK, guys, help me out. First, yes I'm going to riding school before I buy it. Yes, I'm going to be taking it really easy. No I have nothing to prove to anyone at all, I get to whip up on guys on the track in my Z06 Vette, so no big deal, not gonna do that on the road.

But, what should I expect? I've never ridden a 600RR before?

* I need some pointers, tips, tricks.
* I need some of your insight on initial sensations, feel of the bike, throttle response, brake response, clutch feel, etc.?
* What are the your "Best Practises" in riding these RRs? The habits that keep you alive & well??
* Any best riding books recommendations?
* Any best riding magazines recommendations?
* If you were with me in person on my first day, how would you teach me to ride & respect the 600RR?

I teach guys how to drive cars (especially Corvettes) really fast & well. That's been my world & I know it well. I realize that the quickest way to learn a new hobby is to go the the good guys who are already doing it & get tips & tricks. That way you leverage what they've learned to accelerate your own learning process. Hope you guys don't mind teaching me & giving me a jump start into the 600RR world!!!

ANY IDEAS/INSIGHTS MUCH APPRECIATED!!!

 

I got my 600RR this past August and it is my first bike. I had roughly 2 hours of riding experience prior and that was over 5 years ago. My experience is it takes a bit to get used to sitting on the thing and being comfortable. My wrists and fingers would usually get numb after riding for a half hour or so. Part of that is due to carpal tunnel, the other is finding the right position to keep the blood flowing. I find the clutch easy to work with. You don't have to pull it all the way in to engage it so shifting can be done quickly. I'd say best practices is to take it at your own pace and slowly push yourself to get more out of the bike. Also when riding on the freeway watch out for those pesky drivers that think they own the road because they have 4 wheels and you have 2. Oh and if you see any mean looking bikers with Mongols written on the back of their jacket, well I wish you luck.

 

Honestly the bike is very kind to you until 8k....then it wqants to rip your arms off

You really get to test this much until 600 miles anyway (recommended break in period) also vary the rpms for this too.

Next, don't need to worry about front wheel coming up much...weight distribution set up perfect by Honda.

Oh yeah, and don't go after it until tires warm up....cars can carry so much more speed in the middle of the turn and if you go after it on cold tires...you'll see what I mean...but coming out of the turn there id nothing like it

gittee-up!!!!!!!!!!!!! (spelling??? don't know, not a hick -- but just feels right, right here)

 

Well just for general well knowing, always check your mirrors and look back alot.. being paranoid like me and watching everyone (vegas is a dangerous city) kept me alive from side-swipes and being rear ended.. might of not been a RR bike but still..
but if your going to take a riding course, you will learn so much more then trying to teach yourself.. plus i think you just skip the DMV and get your lics. if your pass the course..

besides the riding school, the bike will be different on ya.. keep yourself in a safe eniroment before taking to the street. and dont think because your getting a bullet bike, your just going to be an a**hole on the road, we all get the need for speed sometimes.. that why most people in cars think bikers are what they are stereotyped as.. bullet bikes were made for speed, if we were here for freedom and comfort - i think everyone would have a Goldwing or a Harely..

Good luck in the school..

 

"i think everyone would have a Goldwing or a Harely.."

well at least the Goldwing!! ahahahahahha

or a custom VTX1800

 

Ride like everyone is out to get you! when your rolling down the street and either the car in the left hand turn lane or to your right turning left is getting ready to turn anticipate in the back of your head that they are going to cut your *** off and you have very little time to respond so be ready, they don't do it on purpose but they are so trained to look for bigger vehicles that they just don't register us bikers as being there all the time. So be READY.

Also if your not framiliar with motorcycles don't let your pride take over and skip the course(not you inpraticular just a general statement) it actually has some helpful information although the actual riding part may be a complete bore the class time is worth it. It's only 3 days long and it could save your ***.

when you have an open road roll up to around 8k on the tach and see what everyone means, don't go on it hard just roll on it gradually and you will see what everyone says about how it turns into a complete animal after that point.

As for the brakes on the bike you will love them you can stop on a dime with these babies.

But most important of all.........HAVE FUN! and enjoy your new ride!

 

oh yea, first time over 8K on the tach was fun.. love to rev at a stoplight just to hear that beautiful engine.. just like all cars on there red-lines, they get cranky.. the bikes are less in weight so you feel the jerk so much more...

and the brakes got me out of some sticky situations, but i braked too hard one time (remember to not just jam on the brakes), you (just like i) skidded it, and luckily i had enough room.. long story short, guy infront of me didnt use a blinker and just decided to turn right into the apartment complex.

always think what might happen, because it could.. remember to wave at every biker too, it's tradition (just another tip)..

 

first off, i don't own a 600rr and ive only ridden one a handful of times. so my pointers are aimed more towards riding style and techniques that worked for me as a new rider.

-first things first. take it easy. don't do anything that you feel uncomfortable with. that is common scense stuff but important. take it to an empty parking lot or lightly traveled backroad. or hell, if possible, take it to the track that you use to train cars on. learning the basics before dealing with traffic is very important.
-do not immitate motorcycle racing from tv. keep your knees tucked tight against the tank while turning. this will help you feel at one with the bike.
-look through the turn. never focus on the road directly infront of you. focus on the point where the turn ends and the straight begins. the bike will follow your sight line and your line through the turn will be more fluid.
-practice the friction zone before attempting your first ride. in case you didn't already know, the friction zone is where the clutch starts to slip and power is allowed to travel through the drivetrain. practicing this will ease your starts and inspire confidense. a bad start sticks with you long after you take off.
-practice with the controls until you can use them without looking. knowing where your turn signals and levers are will make you feel more at home on the bike. and don't hesitate to loosen and rotate the levers to where they feel the best to you.
-ride with a friend. make that a good friend. if you have a buddy that rides and understands that you want to learn, sometimes following an experienced rider can give you the idea of proper body position and lane postition. these are things that are only learned over time.
-use the front brake. there are 2 rotors up there and they are larger than the single on the rear. if i remember correctly, 70% or more of a bikes braking force should be used with the front brakes. they will stop you quicker and safer than the rear brake alone.
-and don't forget that motorcycling is fun. that's why you are looking to buy a bike in the first place!

 

The hardest part is modulating the clutch at take-off and matching revs to keep everything smooth before a turn. Your other post said you had bicycle experience, and that will definately help with your turning. If the rear end steps out on you, you will probably get scared and let off the gas suddenly. You know that this is bad because of your racing experience in your vette. Letting off the gas suddenly in your car in the middle of a turn while the rear end is coming around will cause the rear tires to instantly regain traction, which combined with your countersteer will send the car fishtailing the other way. This is the same thing that will happen with a bike if you do that but with the fishtail comes you being thrown off the bike (a highside). Instead what you should do is let off the gas slowly or continue to power through it, slowly feeding in more countersteer and let the bike settle itself. But your bicycle experience should be good for your weight distribution in a turn and when the rear tire loses traction, just dont put your inside foot down which is a hard habit to break if you have a lot of dirt experience on a bicycle or moto. Taking the course prior to buying your bike is a good idea. I didnt do it but its a good idea. It will teach you the basics of motorcycle operation and you really shouldnt have much trouble riding your bike. As time goes on you will get more and more comfortable and will go faster and faster. With sportbikes I think that the brakes are just as dangerous as the power output. Make sure you are fully slowed down before you enter a turn so you dont have to be on the front brake while leaned over, which can cause the front wheel to lose traction and cause a lowside. As time goes on you will be able to hold the brake longer and deeper into a turn, this is called trail braking. This allows you to go deeper into a turn with speed and it also compresses the fork, shortening the wheel base and increasing turn in. Its an advanced technique that is learned through seat time and by getting to know your bike so at first just make sure your going slow enough to make a turn and over time you can practice the technique. Watch the rear brake. The rear tire is easy to lock up with the rear brake at slow speeds because there is not much "feel" for the brake through your shoes and because the weight shifts to the front under braking, unloading the rear tire. Some people dont even use it at all. I use it all the time even though at a fast pace it really doesnt help much. At slow speeds I use it because it doesnt compress the fork, allowing for slow speed turns in parking lots to be a lot easier. You should also set up your suspension just as you would on a car. If you weigh over 170 than you will probably need to put the preload on the highest setting and adjust rebound and compression to compensate. But that is all too lengthy for me to type down and I suggest you research that on the interweb or in magazines like sportrider and motorcyclist.