New member, new to me FZ6R... Texas

[Ripley]

Hi Y'all from Texas,
Another woman joining the ranks. I'm new to the community and new to riding. I finally got off my @ss and bought my first bike, a beautiful 2009 Yamaha FZ6R. It has 723 miles on it, practically brand new. I looked at other bikes but I kept coming back to this one. Something about it spoke to me.

I have some mod plans. I have Puig sliders coming in the mail. I've already put on shorty levers, and battery tender. I will be taking off the decals except the "Yamaha" and putting on custom decals. I'm going to take any additional mods slow until I've spent some quality time riding her.

I look forward to catching up on what y'all have done to your bikes and I'm sure I'll gain some tips and tricks.

Without further ado here is Jinx....

 

[mike]

Welcome to the forum! Nice looking bike. Once you start with the mods it never stops!
Ill give you the first tip a friend told me along time ago. RIDE LIKE YOUR INVISIBLE! No one seems to pay attention to bikes they will look right at you and then pull out in front of you.
Good luck and ride safe!

 

[Brent27]

Great looking bike! Only 700+ miles is great. The bike looks brand new too. I think frame sliders is a good first mod if you're new. Hopefully you don't drop the bike but if you do it'll help. I dropped mine on accident and it has shogun frame sliders. Absolutely no damage to anything other than a scratch on the slider.

I picked up fz6r as my first motorcycle this year and it's been great. It seems very forgiving and could easily be a bike that I could keep and be happy with for 5+ years. Got mine with 3 miles on the clock and am getting close to 4K miles since April. Would have had more if the weather was more cooperative the first few months. Its no big deal riding in the rain now but those first few months I wanted to play it safe as I learned.

 

[alaskanflyboy]

I dropped mine on accident and it has shogun frame sliders. Absolutely no damage to anything other than a scratch on the slider.

It seems very forgiving and could easily be a bike that I could keep and be happy with for 5+ years. Got mine with 3 miles on the clock and am getting close to 4K miles since April.

I've dropped mine several times over the years, the first being when I unloaded it from the truck and lost my footing on some gravel. Only damage there was a tiny gouge in one of the stickers. Shortly after that, I had sliders and it's saved the bike.

The next time down was a low speed 180 turn in which I caught gravel in the intersection of a grave road. I was turning because the guy we were riding with was on a dual sport and turned down the gravel road without remembering the rest of us were on street bikes.

After that, it's been down after getting backed into by a truck, an oil slick as I was trying to park on the side of a road, and in the underground parking at my apartment because it's smooth concrete with a good film of dust that made emergency braking impossible.

Fortunately, all these have only put minor scrapes on the sliders and one bar end. They've also, fortunately, been rather low speed lay downs that I've been able to fight to set the bike down gently — with the exception of the truck backing into it.

It has 723 miles on it, practically brand new. I looked at other bikes but I kept coming back to this one. Something about it spoke to me.

I have some mod plans. I have Puig sliders coming in the mail. I've already put on shorty levers, and battery tender. I will be taking off the decals except the "Yamaha" and putting on custom decals. I'm going to take any additional mods slow until I've spent some quality time riding her.

I look forward to catching up on what y'all have done to your bikes and I'm sure I'll gain some tips and tricks.

Without further ado here is Jinx....
View attachment 34070

Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on the find. I put 10,000 miles on my Blue 2009 in its first year, but have just shy of 20,000 after four and a half years. The weather in Wisconsin hasn't been as conducive to riding as it was in Eastern Washington. I used to ride in all weather, which helped rack up the miles. I've found here it is rare to see rain without lightning, and it storms a good portion of the riding months. The salt on the roads also keeps me from riding in the colder months like I used to as well.

All in all, it's been a great bike. This has been my first bike as well and, as mentioned, I've had it four and a half years. It'll finally be paid off in May, and she's still mostly stock (I'm one of the odd ones that doesn't mind the mirrors and fender). My next major mods will be wiring in USB and a bar mount for my phone to use as a GPS, and hopefully a full set of GIVI hard cases.

 

[Ripley]

Thank you for the warm welcomes and the tips! My first experience on a bike was my MSF course, it was 32F outside and raining. So what a a way to start riding. Everyone I've talked told has said its not will you drop your bike but when will you drop it. I anticipate that I will drop it at least once if not many times. I hope that day never comes but all the planets would have to align perfectly every day for it not to. If the frame sliders do the job then I'm good, the first scratch will bring a tear to my eyes. I was reluctant to get them at first because I've heard the good, the bad and the ugly about them.

@Mike I have already had one car pull out in front of me. I was going pretty slow at the time but it definitely got my attention fast.

I almost bought the parts to wire in the USB and then thought to myself, I'm new to riding, that should be a mod for the future so as not to distract me with my minimal experience. It is one I'll do eventually.

Thanks again and I look forwarding to reading about your adventures.

 

[Brent27]

Thank you for the warm welcomes and the tips! My first experience on a bike was my MSF course, it was 32F outside and raining. So what a a way to start riding. Everyone I've talked told has said its not will you drop your bike but when will you drop it. I anticipate that I will drop it at least once if not many times. I hope that day never comes but all the planets would have to align perfectly every day for it not to. If the frame sliders do the job then I'm good, the first scratch will bring a tear to my eyes. I was reluctant to get them at first because I've heard the good, the bad and the ugly about them.

@Mike I have already had one car pull out in front of me. I was going pretty slow at the time but it definitely got my attention fast.

I almost bought the parts to wire in the USB and then thought to myself, I'm new to riding, that should be a mod for the future so as not to distract me with my minimal experience. It is one I'll do eventually.

Thanks again and I look forwarding to reading about your adventures.

It's always better to have the sliders and not use them than not to have them and need them. I hope the stars align and you never drop it. I was good for about 5 months. What got me was I was stopping in a parking area on a pretty substantial left to right incline with my front wheel turned a bit the wrong way and it got me. I heard the bad about sliders too on crashes at decent speeds... I figure if that happens I have more problems than the sliders will give me in the end. In 0 mph drops it'll do the job I need

I would say the next "mod" you should do is follow a friend with their cruise control set at 55. Motorcycle speedos are notoriously inaccurate. I noticed on the highway riding the speed limit people were passing me left and right. From what I can tell my speedo is off by about 10%. Doesn't sound like much but going 63 at an indicated 70 on the highway can be a big difference. Figuring out how your speedo works will be safer in the long run. Every motorcycle is different, some worse than others, but from what I read it's common across motorcycles in general.

 

[Ripley]

Thanks I'm going to do just that. I have no idea how accurate the speedo is. Cops are notorious around here for issuing tickets to drivers, I can just imagine how eager they will be to chock up that involuntary $200 donation to the city when they see a motorcycle coming towards them. I try never to give the city my money that easily. The drop you described is kinda how I feel my first one will go. When standing, I'm on the balls of my feet. I'm considering having someone drop the front down 1-1.5" to give me a more stable platform to start with.

 

[alaskanflyboy]

I noticed on the highway riding the speed limit people were passing me left and right. From what I can tell my speedo is off by about 10%.

From several articles I've read that have tested it — and my own observations have confirmed it — the FZ6R has an 8% error. My rule-of-thumb has been to take the first digit of the speed I want and add it to the last for my indicated. So 25 actual becomes 27 indicated (25 + 2), 35 becomes 38 (35 + 3), 45 becomes 49, and 65 becomes 71. It's within a mile per hour of the 8% error until you pass 65 (then it's still within 2mph) and the little radar carts along the roads in three states have affirmed.

Here's a table showing actual, indicated with an 8% correction, and indicated with my method of correction.

​

 

[nismos14]

Thanks I'm going to do just that. I have no idea how accurate the speedo is. Cops are notorious around here for issuing tickets to drivers, I can just imagine how eager they will be to chock up that involuntary $200 donation to the city when they see a motorcycle coming towards them. I try never to give the city my money that easily. The drop you described is kinda how I feel my first one will go. When standing, I'm on the balls of my feet. I'm considering having someone drop the front down 1-1.5" to give me a more stable platform to start with.

Once you get used to the bike, return it to stock height. It handles and rides so much better in stock height form. Mine was lowered at the triple tree and at the shock, but I wish I had removed both after a while.

 

[Ripley]

Once you get used to the bike, return it to stock height. It handles and rides so much better in stock height form. Mine was lowered at the triple tree and at the shock, but I wish I had removed both after a while.

I don't think I'll lower her at the shock just the triple tree and only about an inch. I think if I change my mind later on it would be easier to put her back to stock. Anyhow she is out of commission for a few weeks. While taking her off the stands yesterday to go for a ride and I discovered she has a fork seal leak. I'm going to try the seal mate tool first and if that doesn't fix it then she's going in to have her fork seals replaced. I'm sure its a result of her sitting so long without being ridden.

 

[karim18]

Well hello from the capital of TX! Welcome to the forum

 

[blkbrd]

I don't think I'll lower her at the shock just the triple tree and only about an inch. I think if I change my mind later on it would be easier to put her back to stock. Anyhow she is out of commission for a few weeks. While taking her off the stands yesterday to go for a ride and I discovered she has a fork seal leak. I'm going to try the seal mate tool first and if that doesn't fix it then she's going in to have her fork seals replaced. I'm sure its a result of her sitting so long without being ridden.

Welcome to the FZ6R! I had one for 4 years and put 41000 kms on it and it ran as good as new when I traded it in on my current ride.

I would highly recommend new tires for your bike, if it still has the original ones. You can check the date of manufacture on the sidewall. 7 years is a long time when it comes to tire life.

Sent from Samsung Galaxy S4

 

[Ripley]

Welcome to the FZ6R! I had one for 4 years and put 41000 kms on it and it ran as good as new when I traded it in on my current ride.

I would highly recommend new tires for your bike, if it still has the original ones. You can check the date of manufacture on the sidewall. 7 years is a long time when it comes to tire life.

Sent from Samsung Galaxy S4

Thanks! I am actually going to put new tires on it as suggested. I just don't know which ones to buy. I was looking at the pilot road 4 and the Q2. I've been reading up on both and all I've been able to come up with is that I will either love them or hate them in both cases. Doesn't seem like there is any middle ground on public opinion. So I am trying to choose wisely.

I have a little time to decide on the best ones since the bike is out of commission for a few weeks. There are a few things, that lets say the dealer failed to mention about the bike. The good news is that correcting the problem isn't all that expensive, just need the parts. I've already fallen in love with her so hopefully I she will give me as many happy hours on mine as you got on yours.

 

[nismos14]

What problems did you encounter?

 

[alaskanflyboy]

I can say — after almost five years with mine — if you take care of her, she'll take care of you.

As for tires, it will really come down to what you mainly do with the bike. It will always be a compromise. The better the grip, the more poorly they'll handle wet roads and the faster they'll wear. For now, I'd go with the tires that fit what you think you'll do with the bike. I had the luxury of sticking with the stock tires until they wore out while I got a better idea of what I was actually doing with the bike.

I mostly commute with mine and originally lived in a climate where I rode rain or shine, so I went with the PR3s. They have worked beautifully, and almost hold the road better wet than dry. I imagine the PR4s are the same.

However, I imagine Texas is like Wisconsin; if there's rain, there's lightning. My next set will likely leave riding in the rain out of the question unless I'm out west again soon.

That said, I got about 7800 out of the stock Dunlops before a nail ended the rear tire. I have about 11,000 on the PR3s and look to have another 4 or 5,000 perhaps (30 mile commutes mostly freeway in good traffic seems to have kept the wear down).

 

[Ripley]

I can say — after almost five years with mine — if you take care of her, she'll take care of you.

As for tires, it will really come down to what you mainly do with the bike. It will always be a compromise. The better the grip, the more poorly they'll handle wet roads and the faster they'll wear. For now, I'd go with the tires that fit what you think you'll do with the bike. I had the luxury of sticking with the stock tires until they wore out while I got a better idea of what I was actually doing with the bike.

I mostly commute with mine and originally lived in a climate where I rode rain or shine, so I went with the PR3s. They have worked beautifully, and almost hold the road better wet than dry. I imagine the PR4s are the same.

However, I imagine Texas is like Wisconsin; if there's rain, there's lightning. My next set will likely leave riding in the rain out of the question unless I'm out west again soon.

That said, I got about 7800 out of the stock Dunlops before a nail ended the rear tire. I have about 11,000 on the PR3s and look to have another 4 or 5,000 perhaps (30 mile commutes mostly freeway in good traffic seems to have kept the wear down).

That's really good mileage on the PR3s. I will mainly use Jinx for commuting and leisurely weekend rides. I probably will not ride in the rain for a little while as I have other options that I'm more comfortable with. Right now my garage looks more like a murder mystery. Her body parts are strewn all over while I'm waiting for parts. I don't think I'll have the heart to take her wheels off so soon after I get her back in one piece so I should probably order them by next week. Its good to hear that Michelin is getting good mileage on bikes. Its the only brand I've put on my car in the last 10 years. I have been leaning more towards the PR4s. I didn't know about the PR3s so I'll take a look at those too but I think I've ruled Dunlop out now. Thanks for the info.

 

[alaskanflyboy]

I didn't know about the PR3s so I'll take a look at those too but I think I've ruled Dunlop out now.

The PR4s are the update to the PR3. Any PR3s you find will be older rubber.

 

[Marthy]

I have no experience with the PR3-4 but I do with Q2-3. I did few track day on the FZ09 and the Q3s are better than Q2s. I had to be a bit more polite getting back on the throttle with the Q2s. Might not be an issue with the 6R.

I would consider the Pirelli Angle GT on the 6R. Those are phenomenal on the rain (track day tested!) and give good feedback too. I was able to push them to a point where both wheels were drifting and still being in good control. And you should get easily 8K miles on them, maybe more.



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[nismos14]

Seems like those tires are the opposite of what she is looking for.

 

[Ripley]

I have no experience with the PR3-4 but I do with Q2-3. I did few track day on the FZ09 and the Q3s are better than Q2s. I had to be a bit more polite getting back on the throttle with the Q2s. Might not be an issue with the 6R.

I would consider the Pirelli Angle GT on the 6R. Those are phenomenal on the rain (track day tested!) and give good feedback too. I was able to push them to a point where both wheels were drifting and still being in good control. And you should get easily 8K miles on them, maybe more.



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I don't plan on riding in the rain right now and I'm far from having the skills for track. Hopefully someday I will be confident to give it a try. Thanks for the suggestion. I may not take advantage of it now but I will definitely keep it in mind when I get some experience.

BTW, I had a chance to hear one of your exhausts on an FZ09 and it is sweet! I hope that I can get on your last batch of exhausts. I have a welder friend so I would get the DIY. I'm sure it won't sound exactly the same on the FZ6R but if it sounds half as good, I will be excited.