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Can anybody help me on how not to get hat jerking sensation.


woodykillo

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I have had my bike for almost 2 weeks, only ridden it 4 times I never been on a motorcycle, yet I decided to buy it. I pretty much learned off of YouTube and other riders advice. As I'm changing gears there is two things that scare me
 
1.
the loud noise that comes from holding on to the clutch (and trying to let go but getting that jerk)
2.
The jerk that comes from releasing the clutch (I accidentally did a wheelie)
Can you guys give me advice on how to change gears at higher speeds
How fast do I let the clutch out because I think I'm burning the clutch
Thank you guys for taking the time to help :)
 

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Rev matching and blipping the throttle are the keys. I am not sure what this loud noise in point one that you are referencing is.

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You really should take the MSF course, they will show you all this and it will reduce your insurance but here's a vid. I quickly pulled up off you tube that should help you a bit. It's probably not the best vid. out there but it should get the job done. As far as the hat jerking sensation it sounds like you're probably popping the clutch/releasing it too fast, getting off the gas and then back on it. It's a common noob mistake. You have to be smooth on the clutch and gas. Watch the video and your head snapping should be a thing of the past. One thing I saw in the video that I thought I should point out. The guy shows you how you can get the bike moving without giving it any gas and that's fine, it teaches you clutch control but after you get the hang of that you should practice giving it a little gas and releasing the clutch smoothly. If you try taking off all the time without giving it gas you are going to be killing your engine a lot on grades, etc. and taking off too slow under normal riding conditions. You may experience even more bucking if the engine strains when taking off so learn to give it a little gas. 
 
 
[video src=https://youtu.be/W22SwZQH1JU]

Beemer

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@beemer thank you, I am taking my course in two weeks hopefully I don't do wheelies there, do they have low cc motorcycles ? Also can you guide me on an average mileage where I would do maintenance ? Ya all over the place with people I see on the Internet , some say 200 others 500 mi. What's your advice

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@beemer thank you, I am taking my course in two weeks hopefully I don't do wheelies there, do they have low cc motorcycles ? Also can you guide me on an average mileage where I would do maintenance ? Ya all over the place with people I see on the Internet , some say 200 others 500 mi. What's your advice
The course I took provided all little 250 cruisers so the seat height is super low, they're light and very easy to handle. Don't worry one bit about that course, the instructors are good, pay close attention to what they say and do and you'll be fine. Piece of cake, bro! I'm sure most would provide bikes. Just call them and ask if it's eating at you. An owners manual should've came with your bike, you should talk to your sales person about that but to answer you question, according to the manual your first service comes at 600 miles. Since you don't have your manual, the manual says during the break-in period of the first 600 miles don't ride at constant speeds for extended periods, fluctuate the speed a little and I believe it also says not to go over 55 mph.  
My personal advice is not to ride your bike until you get some good instructions at the MSF course, it's dangerous out on the road and until you are smooth & quick/know what you're doing you shouldn't be on the road. Sorry for my brutal honesty, I just don't want to see you get hurt. Take care.

Beemer

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1. MSF course
2. MSF course
3. throttle control (it's not an on/off switch, as opposed to what many think)
4. MSF course
5. ignore a lot of what you see on the youtubes (there are a lot of morons with video cameras out there)
 
 
Good luck and be safe! And never assume anyone can see or hear you -- you are responsible for your own safety on the road.
 

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1. MSF course 2. MSF course
3. throttle control (it's not an on/off switch, as opposed to what many think)
4. MSF course
5. ignore a lot of what you see on the youtubes (there are a lot of morons with video cameras out there)
 
 
Good luck and be safe! And never assume anyone can see or hear you -- you are responsible for your own safety on the road.

This!!! Also others on the forum recommended this read which was really helpful to increase my awareness of the road hazards, understanding traction, and overall improving safety for street riding. Ride safe!  http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1620081199/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457462415&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=profiecent+motorcycle 
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1.
the loud noise that comes from holding on to the clutch (and trying to let go but getting that jerk)
 
I don't fully understand what you're asking but I'll take a guess.
 
With this bike, I believe it has some sort of adaptive fueling and/or a pump accelerator. I say this because in gear, with the clutch fully disengaged the bike idles at its lowest rpm. If you gradually let the clutch out, you should notice a distinct point where the rpms jump up by a few hundred rpm. This increase in rpms comes before the actual clutch begins to engage.
 
As I said, I think it's an adaptive fueling measure so newer riders are less prone to stalling. Strictly speculation on my end.

Everything went braap.

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The FZ is not the ideal bike to be learning on using YouTube videos. I would not ride your bike until you take the MSF course. They will provide you with a small 125-250cc bike to learn the basics on, you can bring your own but it has to be 500cc or smaller.The only loud noise from pulling the clutch in is if your not releasing the throttle and over reving it. That would explain the jerkiness and accidental wheelie.
Don't worry about burning up the clutch, unlike a car most bikes have a wet clutch system. When taking off You can ride the clutch through an intersection no problem.
 
 

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1. MSF course 2. MSF course
3. throttle control (it's not an on/off switch, as opposed to what many think)
4. MSF course
5. ignore a lot of what you see on the youtubes (there are a lot of morons with video cameras out there)
 
 
Good luck and be safe! And never assume anyone can see or hear you -- you are responsible for your own safety on the road.

MSF Course... also the MSF Course... Also, go find a place to take the MSF course.
 
I took a course a year before I even bought a bike. Best 500 I have ever invested into a bike. Simply because I learned on an underpowered small bike that if I dropped I wouldn't feel bad or get yelled at.
 
While you wait for the MSF course to start (assuming there is a waiting list) you should find a nice big empty parking lot and just practice letting the clutch out no throttle. Both feet down to maintain balance just let the clutch out and move forward. This bike has the torque to be able to accomplish this if you clutch out slow enough. Do that until it becomes muscle memory. Then add a little throttle.
 
Remember, the skills needed to ride a developed through practice. It took me 3 years now to even come close to calling myself competent.
 
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It can't be praised enough, the MSF Course is what you need; however, to address your questions:
 
1. The loud noise...I'm not 100% sure, but from your experience level I can only assume the loud noise is from you pulling the clutch in and continuing to hold the throttle open. Timing is everything when it comes to switching gears. It takes time and experience of course, but you have to find the sweet spot where you can pull the clutch in and release the throttle, shift gears then ease the clutch out and try to match your RPMs for a smooth transition, which takes us into your [HASH]2 issue.
 
2. The jerk you are feeling, and again I am assuming without seeing you ride, is from the same issue that is causing [HASH]1. If you are pulling the clutch in and not releasing the throttle then the RPMs are revving way up, causing a loud noise and also a major jerk when you release the clutch after shifting. Again, timing is everything here...if you release the throttle before pulling the clutch then the bike will jerk forward, so be sure and pull the clutch in first and then release the throttle. Shift gears and then do those same steps backwards by easing on the throttle and releasing the clutch at the same time.
 
Again, it takes practice and experience so don't expect to get it right the first time. Go slow in an area without traffic and feel and listen to the bike. If something doesn't sound right then it's probably not and if you are jerking back and forth then start over and try again. Be safe out there man.

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hippiebikerchick

When you take the msf course they should teach you a concept called "feathering the clutch". This will solve your problem.
 
BTW, welcome to the forum!

Illegitimi non carborundum

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twowheeladdict

I have been riding over 30 years and have owned many bikes. I will say that the clutch engagement on this bike is not the most forgiving. Hydraulic Clutch is definitely a lot nicer but is usually not on budget bikes.
 
As you are learning, you should shift a lower RPMs and give very little throttle input. You are definitely moving the throttle too far if you accidently wheelied.
 
Fast acceleration, and even riding fast should wait until experience is built up.

2015 FZ-07

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I have been riding over 30 years and have owned many bikes. I will say that the clutch engagement on this bike is not the most forgiving. Hydraulic Clutch is definitely a lot nicer but is usually not on budget bikes.  
As you are learning, you should shift a lower RPMs and give very little throttle input. You are definitely moving the throttle too far if you accidently wheelied.
 
Fast acceleration, and even riding fast should wait until experience is built up.
Exactly! My way of riding when I want to get better mileage is to just barely crack that throttle open for each gear and hold it there and the bike will accelerate, (I usually shift around 4 to 5 k rpm when riding like that) you don't need to keep twisting the throttle to accelerate. It will accelerate like that but not too quickly, perfect for a beginner. If you do need to accelerate faster roll on the throttle smoothly and just enough to achieve your desired speed/acceleration. If you snap it suddenly to half throttle in 1st or 2nd gear you may be in Wheelieville again and your head may snap off.  ;)  No help on any forum for that.

Beemer

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Hey I'm new here too. Also pretty new to forums in general, but I'll give this a shot.
 
Taking off from a light should take minimal throttle input. Just enough to keep engine a few hundred rpm above idle really until clutch is fully engaged. It's a pretty torquey engine so not a huge stall threat. That being said, this is my 6th bike and I stalled mine today, so it happens. No big guy. Go to a mall after hrs and practice in the parking lot. 
 
As for shifting at high speeds you shouldn't be using the clutch. Just let off the throttle enough to take the load off of the drivetrain and toe into the next gear. Think of it as just beginning to coast and thats the right time to shift. Sometimes I clutch to downshift, but that's usually only when I'm fighting rush hour traffic in Dallas. 
 
Your bike has a sequential gearbox basically. So all gears are engaged at all times. You don't have to clutch because you aren't meshing gears together like you do in a car. 
 
All this his takes a little bit of practice, but don't stress. It's all easy to master. Parking lots are your friend for this type of stuff. Just watch for parking logs and idiots on 4 wheels!
 
 
Glad you came over to the bike world! Have fun!
 
 

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phicurious86
 
As for shifting at high speeds you shouldn't be using the clutch. Just let off the throttle enough to take the load off of the drivetrain and toe into the next gear. Think of it as just beginning to coast and thats the right time to shift. Sometimes I clutch to downshift, but that's usually only when I'm fighting rush hour traffic in Dallas. 
 
 
 

The op is pulling accidental wheelies because he doesn't know how to properly use a clutch yet and you're suggesting that he just advance to clutchless shifting? Dude... Grasshopper has to walk before he can fly.
 
Ignore that advice OP, do not at all concern yourself with clutchless shifting at this point in your motorcycle riding life. Pull that clutch in every time you want to shift up or down. Then someday when you're comfortable with potentially sending your transmission to an earlier grave, you can think about not using the clutch to shift.
 
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So the trans is actually designed to shifted without a clutch. That's how motorcycles work. If you go easy it's not even intimidating. Plus you don't run the risk of having too many rpms when shifting. In my opinion it is easier to shift clutch less and not wheelie. You risk no chance of shortening trans life and you actually wear clutch faster when you use it to shift.
 
 
OP - not trying to get you hurt I promise. Try it easy in a parking lot. Obviously don't get crazy with throttle but it's very easy. You don't have to rev match like if you were driving a heavy truck, or even a car without using clutch pedal.
 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequential_manual_transmission
 
Third paragraph down describes maybe a little better than I can.  
 
 

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phicurious86
So the trans is actually designed to shifted without a clutch. That's how motorcycles work. If you go easy it's not even intimidating. Plus you don't run the risk of having too many rpms when shifting. In my opinion it is easier to shift clutch less and not wheelie. You risk no chance of shortening trans life and you actually wear clutch faster when you use it to shift.  


Probably confusing this "The transmission is designed so that it can be shifted without the use of the clutch by a skilled rider." for this "The transmission is designed to be shifted without the use of the clutch." Different claims, only one of them is true for the FZ-07. If the bike came with a quick shifter that'd be a different story, but it doesn't.
 
Suggesting that the OP switch to clutchless shifting to address a serious issue with throttle control and clutch engagement is not going to help the underlying issue. It's a bandaid, and a bad one.
 
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Granted, practice makes perfect. You definitely need to practice clutch control just like any other skill on a bike. Not knowing how to use it could get you in trouble. 
Also, I agree you can get yourself into a lot of trouble by shifting quickly. I'm not suggesting this. Simply stating the transmission is designed to be shifted without using the clutch after the bike is under way. This is also an easy way to shift without overspeeding the engine. Overspeediing the engine can lead to premature clutch wear and in my opinion makes it easier to wheelie. Hence the term "clutch up" when referring to wheelies. 
 
We we obviously have different opinions about this. That's awesome. Makes the world go 'round. 
We probably have different riding styles too. I'm almost 40 yrs old, and I'm a lot more calm behind the bars than I used to be. This is a very simple method, albeit not the only one.  
 
OP - again, try it in a safe environment. Don't get ham fisted with throttle with either method. Try both and see what works. ALSO, don't be scared of any method just because you heard one guy say otherwise. Everyone has a way that works for them.
 
Phi - please understand I'm not trying to argue with you or anyone else. We are on the same team here. I don't want to see anyone hurt, especially a new rider picking up new skills.   In the interest of not hijacking this thread you can message me if you would like to discuss our methods more in depth. Maybe we can both pick up new skill/knowledge. 
 
 
 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Just completed the MSF course. Well worth the time and money. The bikes provided are smaller and you get tons of practice time.

Alex

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I accidentally did a wheelie
Booyaa!  If that didn't totally freak you out, you'll be fine as soon as you take the MSF class or equivalent.
 
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This is a jerky bike for sure. I still have not gotten the hang of it, and down shifting is horrible. I hope there is a break in period where this bike mellows out. Right now it is not that fun to ride. I guess I need to remap it, any suggestions?

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This is a jerky bike for sure. I still have not gotten the hang of it, and down shifting is horrible. I hope there is a break in period where this bike mellows out. Right now it is not that fun to ride. I guess I need to remap it, any suggestions?
My suggestion is practice. After a while you will get used to it. I remember thinking that the throttle was somewhat jerky when I got it, now it is fine and I rev match on downshifting without even thinking about it. 
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  • 4 weeks later...
This is a jerky bike for sure. I still have not gotten the hang of it, and down shifting is horrible. I hope there is a break in period where this bike mellows out. Right now it is not that fun to ride. I guess I need to remap it, any suggestions?
This bike indeed has jerky on/off throttle transitions and the only way around it is to feather the clutch. Even while doing slow turns at an intersection in 2nd or 3rd gear, I have to feather the clutch before giving it throttle. I came from a 600cc carbed bike that didn't have this problem at all.   For down shifting you just have to rev match before letting out the clutch, you will feel heavy engine breaking, but shouldn't be jerky. 
Also I recently flashed the ECU and it did drastically improve the throttle transitions but it is still there and doesn't bother me at all anymore, engine breaking is also reduced but feels normal and not excessive now.
 
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