struggling with a zx6r

[jimbobs]

I have ridden bikes since I was 5 years old
I have had maybe 40 bikes in my life
I am 44 this year and have got back into bikes in the last 6 years since I have been back in Thailand
I have bought a zx6r which I thought was a wise choice I had a retail car 1000 on my radar and nearly bought by a z800 but a friend of mine had apristine zx6r with ok only 4000 klms
I am not ashamed to say it I have had a couple of near misses .my skills are not as good as I thought that they where
I ride my versus and klx with confidence but my breaking and revving leave me sideways and I have wheel spin and recently nearly went over the handlebars
Is there a school I can go to before I bend my pride and joy I love this bike but I will eventually trash it
If there are people out there who can help me or a school that can help
Please advise as I will not sell the bike I just need schooling
I am happy to pay
Thanks guys

 

[David Learmonth]

If you can ride your two other bikes 'with confidence' then there is no reason why you can't do the same with the ZX.
Sounds like you may need to adjust your 'style' of riding to suit this bike.
Think - 'hands of a midwife & feet of a ballerina' & this should make a lot of difference!
Practice your throttle control.

 

[DavidFL]

You could check with Kawasaki for track training days.

 

[TonyBKK]

Try to hit one of the Pirelli / Dainese Track Day / Riding Academy events.

These events have become so popular that theres even english language instruction now from Graham Knight and Ian Edmonson (sp?) for all the foreigners.

 

[yankee99]

Agree both the above as track days will do you wonders. You also need saddle time and outside the city will probably be best. No need for speed just work on getting comfortable with throttle control, braking and counter steering.

 

[jimbobs]

Thanks for your feedback
I have a tendency to throttle it,but I wouldn't say I'm a hooligan
The road surface in Thailand seems to be very slippery,I am thinking ABS may help and obviously some track training,I will defiantly be going to Buriram when it's open
I have had a wake up call because I was convinced I was a good rider
Do you think ABS is a good idea
I will also post some adventures when I find some guys in Issan to ride with,I have not done ant tours yet
I think I will have to get all my equipment sorted so I can get to BKK that seems to be when e 're it is happening
Thanks again for you help chaps

 

[johngooding]

ABS is an excellent safety feature that may sometime help you to stop in tricky conditions and avoid a skid. However it is not going to help you to learn to get good feel for your grip and improve your braking skills. It is for emergencies and it will not be of any help with throttle control during acceleration. For that you need traction control, but again that is not a learning aid, but for most of us just a safety feature. Your zx6r is a small supersport bike that is more difficult to control and has sharper responses during acceleration and braking than the Er6 or Versys range of bikes. One just has to more more gentle with smaller movements, the angle of the clipon bars also gives less leverage and a lower position which favours cornering at speed more than it does gentle touring or navigating dense town traffic. This type of bike can be great fun, especially on track or on tight twisty stuff, but not so suited to 2 up longer distance, luggage carrying touring. Take it gently, keep the revs in the lower half of the range most of the time, use the engine braking to slow down where possible, learn to keep the weight on the footpegs and off the wrists, which helps throttle, clutch and brake control and see if you enjoy the bike. If not then a change away from the supersport type is in order

 

[jimbobs]

Yes John you are exactly right
i need to adjust my riding style
I really enjoy the bike I just need a bit of fine tuning and I new the GT guys would give me some positive feedback
You hit the nail on the head about the wrists my 1st few days where agony but I have improved in the last couple of weeks
I will definitely do some track training days also
Thanks to all the guys for the input
i will definitely be keeping the bike I love it

 

[BojoMojo]

Give me a shout if you decide to put her up for sale ;-)