What's going on people? I'm new to the site, and joined up to get all the information I could to assure my riding experiences goes as well as possible. Saved up a little and grabbed a used '06 F4i over the weekend, and am currently in the process of getting used to riding it. Gonna tinker with a few mods, but the bike itself is stock at the moment.

Thanks for all the information shared, and the future insight I may gather here.

 

Welcome, and I hope you have as much fun as I do.

A few thoughts for you.. Check into the MSF cources in your area. You won't regret the
time/cost and it could save your life. Find a nice empty/clean lot somewhere and practice
your braking and slow turns, until you are smooth. If you can do the slow stuff, the fast
stuff is EASY. It's also more forgiving of mistakes to you and machine. ;-)

Something else, you really can't afford to NOT get the gear. Helmet/jacket/gloves and
boots are the minimum. Armored pants are a good idea, although sturdy jeans are fine,
short-term. I say this from experience, road-rash is the same thing as a 3rd degree burn.
It might not kill you, but there are few more painful things to be endured.

If you're gonna do the wrenching, get the factory manual, for starters. I like the Haynes,
as well. Before you start, read and familiarize yourself with the procedure, take notes,
get all the parts you need, take pictures BEFORE you take the doomaflog off the wezer-magig. "That hose goes where!?"

Before you dive into a bunch of mods, learn all the basic maintenance jobs, first.
Start by changing all the fluids-radiator, oil, brakes, forks. Don't assume the PO,
was anything but a tight-fisted couch-hugger. By the time you attend to those tasks,
you'll be up to speed on your confidence/skill and tool set to begin to really tackle
the more complex procedures and/or mods.

Good luck and, again, Welcome!
Ern

 

Thanks a lot for the insight. I've taken the MSF recommended course before I got my endorsement. I'm planning on sticking to the high school parking lot for a while before I do too much on the road. Gonna basically take myself through the practical exercises we learned in the course, and repeat those until I get it down packed there before I venture off onto my own. I've got the factory manual, as well as a Clymer's (sp?) so I can get the repair work in. I ordered brakes off of d2moto, along with K&N oil and air filters. I didn't consider the forks yet, but I will look into those right now. Gonna sign up for a safety inspection, maintenance, and repair course as well. I can find my way around a car with no problems, but have never worked on a bike before, so I'm trying to get all the knowledge I can. I bought all the gear, and hope to never have any of it road tested. Got a few people in the house I'd like to make it home to.

Thanks again, and safe riding!

 

Welcome to the forum Cybertank3!

You picked up a great bike! The last year of the F4i, the top of its game. Congrats.

+1 to MadHattr059's post...excellent info & recommendations. Also, there are links to the online version of the factory Honda service manual. Download it & refer to it when doing maintenance.

Good to have you w/ us.