Been reading all these forums and looking at pics, got all excited and bought an '01. Gave up the quads for kids and have only ridden street bikes, and way back when at that. Been waitin on this bike for 12 yrs and now I have it, can't quit thinking about it. Like a new gal. Anyway, don't have the ins, title transfer, and whatnot yet so just hangin out with her. Anybody got tips on characteristics, things to watch for, things to keep an I on, etc. Buddy just got a new fz6, so gaurenteed to start out slow, but ya'll know how that goes. Shoot me some advice on it.

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My advice.........be gentle with the throttle. If you haven't ridden in years or a sport bike for that matter.......it will plant you on your *** before you know what happened in 1st gear. You will be shocked at how fast things happen at triple digit speeds and how fast they get in your face. Just take it slow and ride your own ride. It may not be the fastest girl on the block, but it's nothing to scoff at.

Gear......wear your gear. You will likely fall over at some point........dress for the crash, not the ride.
Do a track day, you'll learn more in one day at the track than you will in 5 years of just riding on the street.

Enjoy it.............they are a blast!!!

Other than that, it's a solid bike. I'm sure there are things that are characteristic about the bike, but having not owned one I do not know what it is.

 

+1, this bike is extremely fast and a whole other animal than your friends FZ6. The 929 is light, very nimble, and is very powerful. Watch first through third it will power wheelie pretty easy. The 929's and 954's have a problem with tank slappers so invest in a steering damper, other than that ride it and be safe. Enjoy!

 

I was (am) in a similar situtation, though I started riding sports and race bikes.

The 929 is very easy to ride and it is very forgiving, up to a point. And it is easy to slip into a an "it's all cool" type of thinking. Be careful. As others have said, it is very powerful and fast (130hp and sub-400lbs). The first time you open the throttle in 2nd will probably be a "Holy s**t!!!" moment for you. Just take it very easily and get to know her.

You will also find that the bike is way more capable than you are as a rider (unless you missed your natural calling as a race rider). So, doing ART or instructor lead track days would be a great idea.

Above all, just enjoy it.

 

Thx guys, I'll start slow around the country a little. Originally had a deal on a r6 and the dude was running a scam, but found ths one. Biggest thing I've noticed so far is the front bake being so responsive. Throttle too. Thx, again.

 

Well, from what I have seen on the streets, the first thing you need to do is learn how to wheelie in traffic. Just kidding.

Take it to a parking lot and do circles and figure eights. Get used to the feeling of turning under accellerationbefore you ride in traffic. Sport bikes can get on top of you quick so get used to the powerband away from others, that way, your only concern is learning the bike, not dodging the trophy wife on her cell phone doing 60 in her Armada. I've never ridden your particular bike, but most sportbikes have a strong pull in the higher RPMs...watch out for that when you rev it out the first time. OH, practice stopping very quickly. That's very important.

Enjoy it. For a while, the bike can give you butterflies, but once you're comfortable, it's sex. HAHA

 

Thx to all and anyone who chimes in later. One other thing, where's a good place to put the suspension to get used to it? Or should I just leave it where it is and figure it out? I live in SC, lots of curvy blacktops and forks in the roads. Lots of knotheads drivin on 4 wheels too. Thx

 

Its best to find a race shop and have them set it your your rider weight. Suspension is not something you want to just into and start turning ****.

 

yeah and alot of crapy busted up roads to

 

Take it easy out there, bikes a handful above 7k rpms..

1st gear is a bitch to get used to also. Under 3500-4k rpms there isn't much power, but when the power hits it pulls hard and if your not careful and do that while turning from a green light or something, it can really scare you !! Just put in miles and learn the bike, which im sure you will !

nice clean bike too