HELP!!! I think I am going to Kill myself

[Capt. Bob]

I'm not sure if Kawasaki still makes the Z750S but there's probably plenty used ones around. Just a thought.
SR-71

My son has an older model. Still a pretty sporty bike.

Art, what you need is a Kawi W650.

Still make um' but haven't imported them since 2001 (?)

Two cylinder parallel twin, 44 hp +/- about 460lbs (something like that).

It was (is) a Triumph clone made by Kawi. Great electronics, smoooooth shifting tranny, and not too vibey.

Will run all day at 80mph, handles like a dream (considering its old style suspension and frame) and ain't half bad to look at.

Many guys getting back into riding chose this platform because it reminded them of their younger days except without the mechanical hassles.

You can ride it confidently on just about any surface and service is a breeze. Technically it's "old school" but hey, that's how you learn.

I'm sorry I ever let mine go.

 

[NMRoadRunner]

Art, putting a time line on experience like 10,000 miles or two years may sound good on paper, but you never quit learning on a motorcycle! You have to factor in alot of variables as well. Weather, road coditions, other traffic etc...etc... Bottom line is not all people can ride motorcycles. Some should not be on two wheels period. I'm not saying your one of those but..... I've been riding for more then 30 years, I raced AMA flat track, owned several Harleys, lots of mid range street bikes, put 123,000 miles on a ST1100, and have 12,000 miles on my 07FJR, an I still get in over my head once in a while with the FJR, It's ALOT of motorcycle. We don't need to read about another biker getting hurt. I lost a cousin when she high sided in a turn by herself. She was riding a bike that was too big for her, "but she was learning to ride it" her boyfriend and instructor told me at the funeral. I'm still angry that he let her ride a bike that big. I miss her :dribble: She did love motorcycles, but that didn't translate into She could ride motorcycles.

 

[06FJRAEPILOT]

I went on my first official ride today (2007 FJR AE).
I rode about 1/4 mile when the bike was delivered in the rain. I drove the bike up and down our private road on Super Bowl Sunday and only dropped it once in the gravel.

Today I geared up and I was going to ride it officially. I guess I am a head case because I dropped the bike before and couldn't lift it. I think my previous issue was footing in the gravel, but the net effect was that I couldn't lift it. I am a pussy - I admit it. I have no confidence that I can lift the bike (maybe I can with the right footing), but my last attempt at the end of the world resulted in hurting my lower back and there I was with a fallen bike and a hurt back. i contemptlated calling 911 on myself. So I have that in my head.

But today is a different day isn't it?

The bike is tall and heavy for me. I am 5'10" and I weigh 130 on a good day. I back the bike out of the garage and and I take all the time it takes to make the bike point in the "goes out" direction from my house. I start it and let it warm up.

I head out on the driveway and all is good. I take a right on the gravel road and then another right on a semi-paved road and I wait to make a right on the real road that is posted at 50 mph. I want to wait until there are no cars to be seen in any direction, but after 5 minutes I realize that the best I can do is no cars in the left direction.

So I proceed to take the right and I am on and off the throttle. I am jerking myself all over the place and I get really close to the traffic coming from my right. ****, it is hard as hell to start out on this bike. I realize that you are supposed to look where you want to go, but the Cagers were really close so I had to look.

Shifting to 2nd and 3rd and 4th were easy. I needed to get gas so I stopped at the gas station 2 miles from my house. I was really shaken and the pump kept clicking off before it was full and I was Ok with it. Perhaps the additional weight would help me. I re-geared up and decided on a wide right swing out of the pumps. A Suburban beat me out of the hole and I allowed them to go. Man, the cluctch is hard to modulate. Again I am jerking myself front and back trying to maintain a low speed.

I take a right out of the gas station without a problem because of no traffic. I then needed to take a left. There were cars coming so I rolled back and I think I was in 2nd. I was just trying to pause a bit as the cars passed. **** this is hard too. I jerked myself forward and backwards as the cars that I was taking a left to looked to be laughing.

I then had a few miles of twisties and I enjoyed that. The shifting was smooth. I will get better.

The twisties were good and I was thankful that I didn't want to go one hundred. Sixty was good for me. So, at least I am partially sane.

I make it home without much problem and I park in the driveway as if I was going out again. I end up perpendicular to the the garage and I shut it off and let it cool down. I am so uncertain on this bike.

I come back out later and I want to aim the bike out the driveway. It is hard to move the bike forward or backwards for me even on relatively flat ground. I am on my toes although I am close to flatfooted when sitting on the bike. FYI, your feet move forward when trying to move the bike backwards and backwards when trying to move the bike forwards which decreases their length.

Since the bike doesn't have reverse (it is all on me), I tried starting the bike and letting it warm up for any forward movement. The throttle was still too on / off for me and any slight grip on the front brake would stop me immediately and abruptly. I might have looked stupid out there, but I didn't drop the bike. It is hard to be proud of.

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I got the G2 Throlle Tube coming this week. I have read all posts about this issue for hours. Days. I will get used to it? Or I will die first?

I am not sure what to do.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Art

 

[zorkler]

I agree with NMroadrunner it is very easy to get in over your head with this bike even with many years under your belt . Play it with your head not with your heart on this one .