I'm scared of my bike
 

Came from the katana 600 to the 954rr. I almost killed myself test riding it. I either stall or almost slide out pulling off a complete stop. It's so bad I don't stop at stop signs I roll stop. Previous owner said all setting is where it should be but I think there's a issue with the throttle. I love to ride but just being able barely twist the throttle and feeling hella power is scaring the **** out of me. I went from a 250 to katana 600 and was exited about the power but going from the 6 to the 954 have be thinking, why aren't these bikes banned. Who need this much power. I love the look of the bike but scared to ride it. Wtf should I do. Was it this bad for you guys. How long should I'd expect to get use to it before I give up and get another 600

Might the bike have a throttle modification to make it more 'touchy'? (there's a name for that mod, but I can't recall it...reduces the amount of twist needed for full throttle)

The 'almost stalling' when stopping and feeling like you have to do a rolling stop is concerning. I'd take it to a Honda dealer (or a bike mechanic who knows THIS model well) and have him give it a test spin. Something's wrong...while the 954 has gobs of power, it should be easily manageable. I've ridden a few, and had NO issues just casually puttering around. That 'scary' power should be there only when you want it.

Might be difficult. I haven't sold a bike in a while, but with a sportbike, no test rides unless full purchase price (in cash) is in my hand.

Maybe it's different down under, but here test rides are just not a thing unless you know the buyer. I'd sell a sportbike with a provision that I'd take it back in 1 hour or 10 miles, whichever came first, provided that its returned in the same condition as delivered. But NO test rides. People just do too much stupid sh*t and it's not going to happen on MY bike.:icon_rant:

Still think it's a good idea (and covers the 'safety' base as well) to have an experienced mechanic check it out.

Oh...the 'mod' is called a Quick Turn Throttle Kit. Some are 1/5 turn, and there's even a 1/8 turn. :icon_hyper:

Hi , I think its more about confidence ,and your riding style, the 954 is a lot lighter than the Katana so it cant be the weight , think its more about the thought of the power you have, remember the power is in your right hand, just try going smoothly through the gears, think about what your doing and your confidence will come, got one of these myself , don't really notice the power until I wind it on

There is lot of sense spoken here. Perhaps you're trying too hard to go fast, concentrate on riding as smoothly as you can, be gentle with the throttle inputs and braking (use a bit of rear brake to slow down), get into 6th as soon as possible and keep the revs down so you just end up riding at slower, safer speeds, this will build up your confidence and improve your riding skills.

These are still brutally fast bikes, and need to be treated with respect, they don't respond well to violent or sudden rider inputs so just keep it all as smooth as possible.

Well all thanks for the advice. The issue was me just being nervous and adapting to the extra power. I been doing pretty good. Just can't wait till tomorrow to ride again.

+1 with a lot of comments here

FWIW, I was riding my uncle's old VFR800 and he had a very aggressive set of sprockets on it. I think he was -1 front +3 rear. He also had the throttle set with way too much free play. It actually made the bike tough to handle at low speeds where it wanted to stall real quick. Plus the speedo was way off. Took me a while to get used to it. If the previous owner were trying to squeeze a lot of acceleration out of it, he might have done something similar so could be worth counting your teeth (generally stamped on the sprocket itself) and you should be able to adjust the throttle free-play as well

If I were you, I'd take it to an empty parking lot and just practice finding your clutch's friction point, as well as the throttle. Do a few starts and stops and spend some time getting comfortable with the bike in a safe environment before hitting the streets. Get a feel for the front and rear brake too. Practice gradual application of each. Where the katana would forgive a lot of mistakes, the inputs on a litrebike are a matter of precise control. Even small movements can translate to sudden changes, especially at speed. That said, they can be very polite machines, especially at lower revs. I've always said that they have a unique gift for delivering exactly what the rider wants at any given time, for better for worse

I'd think a bit of practice will do wonders here, but if it doesn't feel right, there's plenty of fish in the sea

Good luck