I wanna 10!

[Glen]

Tens are good, in fact so bloody good that if you know what you're doing they will bak you 100% and get you out of most shit the average punter can get themselve's into. I think it's slightly insane to go from a 250 to a litre bike but it's your money and you're allowed to so if you think you can do it go for your life.

I agree with the theory that it will turn you into a shit rider, certainly initially. I've always subscribed to the "ride the wheels off what you've got then your ready to go to something bigger". You're going to find it really difficult to learn how to control the thing properly and get the most out of it and have fun at the same time. A smaller bike will allow you to develop progressively and find the limits without quite as much risk. What I would suggest is that if you are going to do it then spend money on training not bits to make it go faster or look better, like the fully sick boys do. If you can get yourself on some training courses and get to the track as much as possible, you'll eventually get there.

Whatever you do good luck with it and be bloody careful. There are plenty of GSXR's, R1's, CBR's and ZX10's in wreckers for this very reason.

[wisc]

People come to him and ask him for advice when they are chosing their bike because they know he will consider all factors to suggets a bike that will suit the riders needs and tastes.

and for some reason its always the fastest one in that level of bikes or the next level! LOL. ohh forgot to say his boss with the black bird as well!
as i said i'm pretty happy with my nine anyway.

that settles it you should get a nine there great! well except that they are carb feed and gas guzzlers and starting to age.
still a good bike though.

BTW when are we doing our rider training/track day?

[ross79]

A track day rider training is a must!
At this stage it looks like it won't happen till next year as all my weekends are full, and we gotta save up for a house and I need to get the Soarer back on the road.

[javaman]

I still can't forget that feeling when dropping the shiny new (used) ZX6R into the ditch. It was the lack of experience with heavy, fast bike and a gravel scare (did not even hit it). Been riding small bikes for 10+ years or so and thought this should be easy enough ... lucky it wasn't a shiny 10 though.

Now that the bike is 100,000+ km I will no longer cry if dropping it

[ross79]

[quote="javaman"]I still can't forget that feeling when dropping the shiny new (used) ZX6R into the ditch. It was the lack of experience with heavy, fast bike and a gravel scare (did not even hit it). Been riding small bikes for 10+ years or so and thought this should be easy enough ... lucky it wasn't a shiny 10 though.
quote]

That's why you do rider training and don't ride outside you limits
ZX6R and heavy?? Did I miss something?

[javaman]

Do they teach you to "just don't look at gravel" or "just hit it it wil re-grip" in rider training

These are life's lessons I reckon

[I-K]

Wisc, you have to qualify this statement with some background information, so that people know why Ross is so influencial. You have known Ross for a long time and can vouch that he is very knowlegable with bikes. Ross has read just about everything written on just about every bike, even the slow, ugly ones

Read just about everything ever written on just about every bike, eh?

If that's the case, when my plans for an Institute of Advanced Motorcycling Studies take off, I'll offer him tenure... given how long I'm expecting that to take, he might just have enough time to ride enough different bikes with enough different mods on enough different tyres along enough different roads in enough different conditions to grow a clue by then.

<judgemental bastard>

1. Ridden over 100,000km.
2. Owned more than 10 motorcycles for an extended period of time.
3. Ridden on a minimum of two types of touring tyres, sports tyres and track tyres or slicks.
4. Carried out maintenance more complicated than changing the oil.
5. Carried out crash repairs more complicated than changing a broken mirror.
6. Carried out modifications more complicated than bolting on a Yoshi can.
7. Ridden some combination of the Alpine Way, the Bonang Highway and the Oxley on multiple occasions.
8. Used my motorcycles for commuting regardless of weather.
9. Ridden dirt.
10.Ridden 1,000km in a single 24-hour period.

If fewer than 8 of the above statements apply to you, you do not have the experience to offer meaningful opinion on bikes.

</judgemental bastard>

[I-K]

That's why you do rider training and don't ride outside you limits

Spoken like someone who's never crashed...

ZX6R and heavy?? Did I miss something?

Possibly the fact that single-track two-wheeled motorised vehicles can weigh anything from 45kg to 450kg. Compared to the vast majority of bikes in production and use worldwide, at just over 200kg wet, the ZX6 is heavy.

[ross79]

Kristy is exaggerating when it comes to how much I have read, etc. I don't pretend or claim to be an expert. If people come to me asking for advice I'll help them as best I can.
Dear Mr I-K, although i'm no mechanic I can do more than a basic oil change be it on a bike or a car. Crash repairs aren't exactly rocket science either. Yes I've done more mods than your basic bolt ons. Eg: rebuilding engines from scratch, custom turbo setups etc. I won't go into how much I've wasted on mods (mainly cars) but you can double it if I were to pay someone to do it all.
Don't know how many kays I've ridden as my dirt bike didn't have a working odo. I've tried many types of tyres, ridden in all kinds of weather even hail (dam that hurt!!!)
my bike was my only means of transport for over a year, blah, blah.
And yes, although I've had some close calls I've Never crashed (touch wood)!
Unlike you I'm not looking at turning this into a dick comparing contest
Maybe you need to post on nutrider, there's bound to be someone on there impressed with your list

[Kristy]

Read just about everything ever written on just about every bike, eh?

If that's the case, when my plans for an Institute of Advanced Motorcycling Studies take off, I'll offer him tenure... given how long I'm expecting that to take, he might just have enough time to ride enough different bikes with enough different mods on enough different tyres along enough different roads in enough different conditions to grow a clue by then.

<judgemental bastard>

1. Ridden over 100,000km.
2. Owned more than 10 motorcycles for an extended period of time.
3. Ridden on a minimum of two types of touring tyres, sports tyres and track tyres or slicks.

Blahhh bllahh blahhhh....damn I'm good!!! blahhh blahhh


If fewer than 8 of the above statements apply to you, you do not have the experience to offer meaningful opinion on bikes.

</judgemental bastard>

Dude, looks to me like the only thing you are qualified to give adivce on is how fantasitc you are! When someone else blows your trumpet, we might listen! ....

[photomike666]

I think what I.K. was getting at, is that Ross has in experience terms recently graduated from a restriced licience and got a big bike. Compared with someone who has been riding for a number of years with many thousand if not hundreds of thousands of Ks under their belt, Ross is still a noob.

One of the problems of gaining experience is the requirement of making mistakes. How can you learn if you don't make the mistake in the the first place? If you open the throttle a bit early on the exit of a corner on a 250 it will do what it always does, make a loud noise and go a tiny bit faster. On a 600 the same mistake may make the bike get a bit squirrly, but you'll come out of the corner OK. On a thou changes are it will spin, grip and high side you. A tough lesson to learn and very little chance to correct it before it gets nasty.

As for riding in poor conditions, hail is easy. Snow is generally OK and black ice is the real bitch - I grew up in England and it snowed the day I purchased by first sports bike. I'll admit I got a big bike right after passing bike test. However, I had been riding motocross for 12 years at the time and a CR500 made an FZ750 seem tame. Nothing can relate to experience, someone could tell you how to take a corner fast 100 times, and when you get on the bike you will struggle. Do the corner 100 time and you'll get the hand of it. Problem is, the 10R isn't a forgiving bike. It's designed as a high end race bike with no compromise. It isn't designed be the forgiving to a noobs mistakes. A 600 will be more forgiving. Sure you could potter around on the ten, never take it over 4,000rpm, corner one or two gears higher then nesessary, but why? You could put a tow bar and horse float on the back af a Porsche and it would pull it, but there are far more suitable vehicles for the job.

[javaman]

Interesting mike... most of the time I will whack the trottle open on the ZX6R. On dry roads I can guarantee it will never spin, or spin too much. let's say few milimiter slide. In few known commuting roads/roundabout like the one in mordialloc it will slide enough and controlably.

Are you saying that with a 10 when taking a corner only a little bit of throttle can be applied ? Is it fun then ?

[photomike666]

Interesting mike... most of the time I will whack the trottle open on the ZX6R. On dry roads I can guarantee it will never spin, or spin too much. let's say few milimiter slide. In few known commuting roads/roundabout like the one in mordialloc it will slide enough and controlably.

Are you saying that with a 10 when taking a corner only a little bit of throttle can be applied ? Is it fun then ?

I'm not saying you can't give it some, just not too much too soon.

[javaman]

is it like a six on the wet then ?

[Kristy]

I'm not convinced that a lot of years riding experience necessarily equal a skilled rider. I'm a teacher, and have never believed in the old adage 'practice make perfect', rather, 'perfect practice makes perfect' In other words if you spend a whole heap of time riding in straight lines, your 'experience' is not going to make you a fantastic rider. I know people who have ridden for 20 years and are still only average riders, and they have never fallen off! Which also makes me wonder why I-K seems to think that falling off makes you a good rider On the same note there are riders out their, like our mate Ash, who got his bike licence on the same day as me and is an excellent rider.

The thing is everyone rides differently, some like long fast straights , some like to give it heaps in the twisties , some people are happy ringing the necks of their 600's to get some action . It's a matter of style and doing what is right for YOU.