What can I do with this beast. Do tell

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brantdw

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Ok, I bought my 03 FZ1 (stock) middle of last year and I really dont think I have opened it up hardcore. What will this thing do before is bites me? When will it flip me on my back or slide the back tire out? Im afraid to spank it as hard as it wants. Give me some pointers.

Tell me some stories on what I can and shouldn't do.

-Brant
 
I can tell you that she will surprise you. What you need to do is learn her limits as well as yours and then you'll learn to respect her.

What you need to do it start exploring her limits. You know yours (at least I hope so!) thus learn hers. Don't try for WOT when you do not know what to expect, just roll the throttle smoothly to WOT and see what she offers. Get her to the REV limits in each gear in a secluded area with no traffic and no curves. Once you see how she responds, then you can better judge what amount of fuel to offer her when you're in the fun stuff.

Take it slow and easy... turn up the volume a little at a time and listen for all the unique tones. You'll soon be one with the machine and never need to look at the gauges because you already know what she is up to at each given RPM.

Be one with her. She'll fill your every need.

*EDIT* Should I drink less Sam Adams when I post this stuff? :disturbed
 
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About the first time your following some dithering driver at 40 and drop it into 2nd and nail it and pass like your a titan rocket you'll know. You don't have to prove anything, just take it as it comes, it'll probably be a couple months before you get the hang of it, and then only partially, it'll come.
 
Just remember that once that tach needle reaches 8,000rpm, you'd had better be sitting forward and have a firm grip on the bars. Thats when she really wakes up. When I first got my 01' I thought that 5 and 6 grand was insane. Then after about three months on her, I brought her up over 8k and nearly crapped my pants!
 
No reason to wot in the twisties. So the back should stay in line, but might spin a little. g2, at 9/10k rpm, is like on steriods. Have to grip the tank with knees and keep loose on the bars, (not easy) to let the bike ride out the little shakes nicely. Yeah, it's a rush.

If close to the tank, front will stay down on this bike, unless ya hit a little knoll. Just settle the throttle and it comes down nice before the next turn.

If you have tour tires, get rid of them. Our bike like's the regular powrs.
 
I have the roadsmarts. They seem fairley sticky. I have had it up in the high rpms a couple of times. Im still trying to get my brain out of my ass hole.

Im not good a hunkering down on the tank yet and do get the front tire up a little here and there. The cornering under power really freaks me out mostly.

But it a fun as hell bike, I cant see why anyone in their right mind would want more power. This think scares the crap out of me (in a good way) when it winds up.

-Brant
 
brantdw said:
I have the roadsmarts. They seem fairley sticky. I have had it up in the high rpms a couple of times. Im still trying to get my brain out of my ass hole.

Im not good a hunkering down on the tank yet and do get the front tire up a little here and there. The cornering under power really freaks me out mostly.

But it a fun as hell bike, I cant see why anyone in their right mind would want more power. This think scares the crap out of me (in a good way) when it winds up.

-Brant
Click to expand...

Ya don't want to feel like you're going too fast, because if you feel this way, then you are, as your perception is overwhelmed. When this happens, the rider is outta control. Must slow to get into the comfort zone and let the brain catch up. For instance, do you ever feel like the twist is too tight when you FEEL like you're going slow? Nope. Next time take the twist maybe 100 rpm faster. See how ya feel there, and so on. I sometimes take the same twist at the same speed several times before I figure out what to try to take it a little faster, but inside the comfort zone.

'Corning under power.' Here's my take. Come into the known twist, look for the flick spot, throttle back, look where I want to go (kinda remembering where the flick spot is), flick, and apply constant throttle, but gradual, depending upon how severe the lean is, (the more lean the more gradual the throttle) and use more throttle as the bike stands up. Play with this formula, slowly.

It sounds like your tires are tour tires, but don't know for sure.

Get the keith code booklet, Twist Wrist II, and go through it many times.

I love talking about riding twists, and when I write about it, helps my riding by cementing it in my brain. We all love talking about riding tech stuff, so please ask if you think about something on a ride.
 
My experience has been our FZ1 steel steed's behavior is predictable. Her longish wheel base adds stability. Front breaks are a bit spongy but strong enough for the job.
My suggestion is to find some sandy, or gravelly surface and practice locking up the breaks-front and rear, separately. Accelerate and feel the real wheel loose traction. Obviously, do all at slow and manageable speeds.
Practice short, medium and long cornering. She is a powerful yet sophisticated machine.:sport12:
 
I ride an 07 and raced a guy on an 04 now obviosly carb vs efi came into play but i spanked him. but i have pc3 akrapovic marchesini's and velocity stacks so im guessing about 130-140 hp to the wheel.. <-- what i mean is i have some experience with the bike. even before i did all that, when i first got the bike it was really fast. Just take your time, learn the bike, be easy in 1st. If your goosing it in corners itll probably slide out on ya, if your tire pressures right it wont light up the rear unless you drop the clutch, im 145 lbs so if im not sitting on the tank all the way through 1st, i gotta let off before i go over. if your headed in a straight line dont be afraid to "just roll the throttle smoothly to WOT and see what she offers"- (fz1inNH) but you gotta be careful on the turns. My main close calls have been when my tires are cold- your riding a compltly different bike when your tires are cold. so basically after you go to wot and redline it through 1st 2nd and 3rd a few times youll have a much better idea of what your dealin with. Dont rush it though. One more thing-- KNOW YOUR BRAKES you dont want to lock up your rear at 130. and also what someone else said- know YOUR limits, the bike is limited by you, its when you surpass your limits that your rear slides out or you loose it on a turn.
 
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