how can you tell your bike is too much for you?

Not posted for a long while so hi

I recently passed my test (yey) and have bought myself a '94 fzr 600 r but im not sure if its too much for me or just a case of new bike adjustment

i did my lessons and tests on a cbf600 and could handle that just fine, didn't feel too powerful and could low speed manoeuvre np

This fzr though... it feel a LOT more powerful even though its the same engine size and im having trouble doing slow speed manoeuvring, feels so big and heavy and the turning circle is non existent.

Practising in a car park i cant do a U turn within the space for the mod 1 without putting a foot down and low speed corners im having to stop to almost a crawl to go round them >.<

At speed im fine , it leans nice into long bends and im fine doing roundabouts at decent pace just low speed it feels like im fighting with it

TLDR: New Big bike feels very heavy and hard to handle at low speed, is it too much bike/too heavy for me or am I just needing to adjust?

Thanks!

I think I know what you're getting at - I had an r1100s for a couple of years and never felt at ease with it going slow/manoeuvering. My tdm850 on the other hand, I gelled with almost instantly. Every bike is different, just like riders.

Fazer will be longer, heavier and more powerful than the cbf6, so will behave a bit different from what you're used to.

So I'm inclined to suggest you just take some time - do rides cos you want to, rather than need to. It'll either come together, or it won't, but it can take a while.

Might be worth getting simple stuff checked - tyre pressures (and wear pattern), suspension setup, chain slack, cable free play, etc. If basic stuff isn't right the bike won't feel right which saps confidence.

Good luck

As said, what are your tyres like?

When I got my Bandit it felt really heavy at low speed, initially I put it down to it actually being quite heavy and new to me. I replaced the tyres and what a difference it made! I knew the rear was quite squared off but the front wasn't much better either. New rubber totally transformed the bike and while its never going to be light it certainly made it much more nimble.

Pressures can make a hell of a difference too, even being just a couple of psi down.

thanks for the input guys, the tyres are fairly new (seen the receipts) and look to be in good shape tyre pressure is good too.

it all looks ok to me mechanically from my limited knowledge, I do have it booked in for a full service and health check from my local garage next week so maybe he will spot something.

Hoping its just an adjustment period because on the Big roads its such a fun thing to ride, still getting over the wind not affecting my top speed after two years on a 125 lol XD poor cbr125 feels like a pushbike now

Just ride it and enjoy it. When you get more confidence on it and it no longer feels like a new massive bike go back and practice your slow speed stuff. Over time it'll become natural.

Just chuck the bike on the floor and get it over with ! You're going to drop it sometime anyway . We've all done it . Seriously , you've passed the test so now you can ride how YOU want . You can put your feet down and do a five point turn if the fancy takes you .

thanks for the input guys I think it is just a confidance thing so i'll take bobs advice and go chuck it on the ground then go for a spin lol

Thanks all

A quick google tells me that the weight difference between cbr and fzr is about 27/28kg so it will feel heavier. Get out as much as possible on straight or slightly bendy roads with one or two junctions and you'll get used to the feel and weight.

I think your problem may stem from the weight issue, you are subconciously afraid that you might drop it due to it being heavier than the cbr. It's exactly the same as when you went from 125 to 600. Confidence is the key, slowly slowly build this up and you'll soon find everything such as slow turns etc become easier. Until then does it really matter if you put one foot down when turning, or if you go through bends slower than usual? You've passed your test but the learning doesn't ever stop, especially from bike to bike..

Go out and enjoy yourself on it.

I don't have a great deal of experience with bikes but I'm sure that a car from 1994 would drive very differently to a car from today. I bet bikes are the same. I bought a street triple RS with 123bhp shortly after passing my test and haven't had any issues with it being too much for me.

A quick google tells me that the weight difference between cbr and fzr is about 27/28kg so it will feel heavier. Get out as much as possible on straight or slightly bendy roads with one or two junctions and you'll get used to the feel and weight.

I think your problem may stem from the weight issue, you are subconciously afraid that you might drop it due to it being heavier than the cbr. It's exactly the same as when you went from 125 to 600. Confidence is the key, slowly slowly build this up and you'll soon find everything such as slow turns etc become easier. Until then does it really matter if you put one foot down when turning, or if you go through bends slower than usual? You've passed your test but the learning doesn't ever stop, especially from bike to bike..

Go out and enjoy yourself on it.

oh im enjoying it ride it everyday since i got it lol I think your right about the weight as the differnace between the cbf and the fzr has threw me a little. i shouldnt have expected them to be the same to ride looking at it now

Appreciate all the responses folks will just need to keep at it till we gel

Its just confidence and new bike adjustment mate, we've all been there and will continue to go there every time we get a new bike! Stick with it, keep practicing and after no time at all it'll feel just like your old bike

If it were me, I'd ride it for a year and then make a decision. It takes time to get used to new bike.

every kind of bike comes with some level or another of compromise. Plenty of people have tried sports bikes and worked out, sooner or later, that this particular style of bike isn't for them. One compromise too many. rarely is this 'instant'.. it only comes with time and experience. It might not even be merely the style, it might be a particular model. keep at it and see how you get on. whether these problems you have go away or are insurmountable. Whether you can adjust to them.. or cannot.

Get a different bike with higher bars and a more upright riding position.

Sounds like the sportsbike position isn't right for you........it's not right for me or many others either.

In my experience it's rare to jump on to another bike I'm not used to and feel at home straight away ... bikes can be similar weights and feel totally different mainly due to how that weight is distributed ... the style of bike and its weight distribution will also determine what muscles you use ... getting onto another bike and starting to get pains you didn't have before is usually down to putting weight on and using body parts you didn't use on the last bike ... the body and the mindset need time to adapt to a different bike ... so a simple thing like a U turn in a car park can feel alien to both the body and the memory/mind ... so in answer to your question ... give the body and mindset time to adjust, and in the meantime try and make physical adaptions to the bike to suit you ... if the bike is too much for you it will become obvious to you.

You fall off

You fall off

I should add that offroad doesn't count!

and you finally decide you shouldn't have bothered purchasing it because its a heavy b*****d and you are not going to enjoy riding it just like i did so i sold it

I have ridden thousands of bikes, literally. Getting on "new" bike is always strange for the first ten minutes but it soon becomes part of you. Don't try and find max acceleration or max speed. Go for rides out just to become part of your bike, soon you will feel at home and learn about it.

Just enjoy the ride, and watch out for idiotic car drivers.

I think that after a few months, you feel it is still too much, then it is too much. You then need to decide, do you sell it or do you put up with the issues?