Hey I was in your shoes last year. What I great feeling isn't it.

Like somebody suggested, find a large parking lot and practice little things like throttle control, clutch control, hard braking, etc. In case you don't know, you can practically forget about using the rear brake. All you need is the front brakes.

 

You should really use both brakes to stop. Using the rear brake with the front brake will help you stop quicker than just using the front brake alone. Of course the front brake has 70 percent of the stopping force.

 

take off the fairings like he said and get some frame sliders... i was in your spot a few years ago.. but i just sucked it up and bought a bike and figured i would learn how to ride it later. sure enough it came naturally to me and within a month of riding the bike i was throwing down some small wheelies.. but this was on an R6 .. but its the same concept. i now have the F4i and it like just as much as my R6 .. dont be afraid you only have 1 lifetime to do this in .. you might as well do it now before you fall into the midlife crisis category

 

you should always try to use both brakes for stopping. For slow turning and u-turns
you gotta use the rear instead of the front it is so much easier. All you have to do
is use slight pressure on the rear brake. There is a difference in stopping distance
when using just the front, just the rear, and both. I always practice using just the rear
b/c you have to be able to use it w/o locking it up. The class I took made us practice locking
up the rear brake to know what to do and how it handles. Started at 20 mph, then 25, 30, up to
about 45 or so. First reaction when locking up the rear is to let go of the pedal, but once that tire
is locked keep it locked or you have a good chance at high siding, especially at higher speeds. (I would
say anything above 20 mph) Not all the time but once that rear tire starts to skid to the L or R and you let
go of the pedal thats when it'll happen.

anyway I'm tired, I'm going to bed!!!!

later