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Yamaha FZ-07, Very First Bike, Very First Ride


ornery

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I usually try to contribute to forums, at least as much as I receive from them.  Unfortunately, ultra-noob that I am, I will not be able to contribute much at all.  So, here is a video of my very first ride on any bike... Ever!  At least in this post I can contribute a laugh or two:
 
 
[video src=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a5pVNfLuaY]
 
If you're wondering how I ended up with an FZ-07, the answer is simple.  I wanted a maneuverable bike, well capable of freeway use, upright seating, smooth and quiet.  No used bike, because I know nothing about repairing them.  Cars, no problem.   Bicycles are a snap, but motorcycles zero experience.  This is actually the first new vehicle I've ever purchased, and I'm 58 years old!  My research for which bike to buy jumped from the BMW 800GS to other dual sports, the Suzuki Gladius, Honda NC700X  and finally the FZ-07. 
 
I honestly thought a motorcycle would be easy to ride.  That notion was crushed when I first felt the weight of it.  Well, I have close to 300 miles on it now, and am scheduled for a safety course on the 11th of June.  I'm looking forward to it, and glad I'm not going in cold.   While I'm extremely impressed by what

can do with these bikes, I'm even more interested in the moto gymkhana.  Hoping this safety course will touch on that.   

“The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.”
— Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values)

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hippiebikerchick

Welcome ornery! You made the right choice from your list of candidates. Glad you joined our little group.

Illegitimi non carborundum

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Great choice and color for a first bike :D

2015 fz-07- Hordpower Edition...2015 fj-09- 120whp- Graves Exhaust w/Woolich Race Kit- tuned by 2WDW
 

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That's a nice area you live in, very green. you chose the best bike color!! Watching your video and I think I saw that the dealer didn't set you up with a full tank of gas, the heck? I think you can benefit from the motorcycle class, though they keep it basic - nowhere near stunting or gymkhana. I just took it after riding for a month and a half prior to and it was painfully slow at some points, but don't rush the process. Rushing is when you make mistakes.
 
Something else the rider course teaches: ATGATT. All The Gear, All The Time. Everyone buys a helmet but don't overlook armored motorcycle gloves, jacket, and some sturdy over-ankle boots.
 
Stay safe and welcome!

'15 FZ-09 Cadmium Yellow
'15 White Fz-07 - Sold

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howworkclutch

Great first post. Welcome to the F zoo 7 forums and thanks for introducing me to moto gnueblarkityparfle or whatever it's called. It looks like fun.

-HowWorkClutch

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Thanks or the replies and welcomes!
Just wondering what you think of using this bike as a "cruiser"? That's really all I wanted, but can't see trying to park a full size cruiser in my barn/ shed. That would be a bit cumbersome. But, when you look at this bike, it says everything but cruise!
I find myself putting my left hand on my waist to relax a bit more. It doesn't sit full upright.  I don't want my feet out front, though.  That's a bit too relaxed to suit me. Anyway, I'll wager there aren't too many on this forum just loafing along on this puppy :)

“The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.”
— Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values)

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howworkclutch

A lot of new riders are choosing the fz07 as their first bike and I think its safe to say there is much cruising going-on.
 
With a taller, narrower bar and drop-pegs it would be a fine little cruiser. The seat foam may need to be reworked a bit though, as the seat is quite firm.
 
What makes this bike better than a standard sit-up-and-beg cruiser is it has brakes and enough power to get out of its own way. Most cruisers are just horrible bikes.

-HowWorkClutch

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Welcome! That moto gymkhana would be a great way to get any newb off to an excellent start. Would probably help experienced riders as well. Anyway, good luck, be safe and hang two!

Beemer

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Welcome ornery! 58 and riding a bike for the first time, that's terrific! I liked the video. I didn't laugh. I felt a little nervous for you. I'm so glad you're taking the course. You picked a good bike. 8-)

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Eastern Kayaker

Welcome! Enjoy your new ride and be safe out there.

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snowdriftless

Welcome! Glad you got the FZ-07. I was going back and forth between lots of different models. Don't worry about being an ultra-noob, there is plenty of information on the forum. Taking a safety course is the right thing to do. Take it easy the first few weeks and focus on one skill set every time you ride.
 
Remember to vote for your favorite color and drop a pin on the Map!

P1: Vice? I have no vice, I'm as pure as the driven snow!
P2: Yeah but you've been drifting
 
All the gear all the time!

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We're going to be getting rain this afternoon, so I found some light reading to pass the time:
 
[div align=center]MC_Guides.gif
[/div]
Planted my flag on the map, but it looks like I'm all alone here in the rust belt. :( Guess I'll go back to reading...
 

“The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.”
— Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values)

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I gotta ask, what's under the tarp in the garage? A Rolls Royce? ;)

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That's my baby:
 
_DSC7233a.jpg
 
While I know near nothing about bikes, I could go on for days about Ford's Panther platform. To make a long story short, Ford made the ludicrous decision to discontinue this platform in 2011. I felt compelled to buy my retirement car before they were all used up. That's a 2006 'Designer' purchased last August. I will keep it till I'm dead, and be buried in it! :)

“The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.”
— Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values)

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If you feel the need to share more, we have a car thread here   ;)

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Oh no, leave that to the cagers, I'm being steeped in biking knowledge now.  Made a video of my latest ride, showing much improvement!
 
[div align=center]Ornery's Quest For Motorcycling Proficiency
 
[video src=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_4NPntHRn0&feature=youtu.be]  
[/div]

“The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.”
— Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values)

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roadrunner

I admire your humility in sharing your progress.. Including the mistakes! I dont think I ever dropped my bikes at low speeds, but I do remember dropping my scooter lol.
 
On second thought, might have dropped my second bike at low speed too but dont remember. My safety course was on rainy days... So it prepared me well lol. Keep it up man! Hoping to get my own fz-07 soon too

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  • 3 weeks later...

Here's my first month anniversary video.
 
[video src=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9kLIzdsyyA&feature=youtu.be]
 
After one month, 675 miles and completion of a Basic Rider Course, this is an average ride. One half hour's worth of riding and rambling. No crashes, no mishaps, no angry drivers or much of interest at all. Simply a log of my progress over the first month of riding a motorcycle.
 
For some reason my shifting is abysmal. I was able to up shift smoothly after only a few days. No idea why I'm so sloppy in this vid. Down shifting has never been smooth, but I think I can get there eventually. In my car I always stop smooth as silk. On the bike, not at all. Don't really try to, but it's a habit I should develop.
 
I could have cropped the video shorter, but I want all aspects of my current riding habits displayed, warts and all. The biggest lessons I've learned so far, are to ride within your limits, and leave as little to chance as possible.
 

“The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.”
— Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values)

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For some reason my shifting is abysmal. I was able to up shift smoothly after only a few days. No idea why I'm so sloppy in this vid. Down shifting has never been smooth, but I think I can get there eventually. In my car I always stop smooth as silk. On the bike, not at all. Don't really try to, but it's a habit I should develop.

Maybe check your chain slack. New bike chains tend to stretch quite a bit in the beginning which makes shifting louder and clunky. 
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Oh no, can't blame the chain, I've adjusted it. It's just me being lazy and sloppy. I notice after I said I was going to put my foot down, and get in the habit of stopping correctly, that I still only paused or actually coasted through a few stops. What a knucklehead! I'm going to end up with a ticket and nobody to blame but myself and poor habits. I'm just going to buckle down and do everything as perfectly as possible, till it becomes second nature.
 
I'm still not clear on the quick stops, though. I was told to use both brakes (no problem), and shift into first as I stop. Not doing well with that at all. Can't seem to get that left foot into the routine. Why? I don't know. Seems so simple, but it's something I still have to work on.

“The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.”
— Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values)

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Oh no, can't blame the chain, I've adjusted it. It's just me being lazy and sloppy. I notice after I said I was going to put my foot down, and get in the habit of stopping correctly, that I still only paused or actually coasted through a few stops. What a knucklehead! I'm going to end up with a ticket and nobody to blame but myself and poor habits. I'm just going to buckle down and do everything as perfectly as possible, till it becomes second nature. 
I'm still not clear on the quick stops, though. I was told to use both brakes (no problem), and shift into first as I stop. Not doing well with that at all. Can't seem to get that left foot into the routine. Why? I don't know. Seems so simple, but it's something I still have to work on.
That's the key -- continuing to work on it.  Regular practice is essential, and I don't mean just riding more.  Find an empty parking lot and practice quick stops, quick lane changes, low speed turns, etc.  Do this regularly (like at least weekly).  Even guys with many years of experience should be doing this to keep these (hopefully rarely needed) skills sharp
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Welcome Sir! You are gonna love this bike! You made a fantastic choice :)
 
- Paulie

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  • 1 month later...

Well, I'm at 1,400 miles and about 75 days.  Basically just commuting and running errands.  No more time spent going in circles around the county, "learning how to ride."  I'm still learning, just not going out of my way to do it.
 
Been watching videos about why people ride motorcycles.  Many different reasons for different people.  One I found to be very entertaining and well done was by Secret Garden Project.  You've probably seen it, but it's always worth watching again:
 
[video src=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRQyEBY5YjQ]
 
WHY WE RIDE: mid-life crisis philosophy & motorbike riding
 

You can see from the title why I initially thought it may pertain to my situation.  Hah!  Not quite.  While I would LOVE to ride anywhere near as well as these blokes (that's Australian talk), I'll be content just to get where I'm going without incident.
 
So, they have their reasons for riding, and I'm sure you all have various reasons, but it took me a few days to put my finger on what the attraction is to me.  I sort of knew, but couldn't articulate it.  Well, I managed to vlog it after all:
 
[video src=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL2q6zqKL4I]
 
That was my third or forth attempt.  During that video (and the other two or three) I'm jabbering away for a half hour or more.  As you can see, there ain't a half hour's worth of thought there!
 

“The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.”
— Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values)

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