[5forty2]

I think you've gotten about all the safety advice there is man. listen to these guys, they know their stuff. Welcome and be safe.

[travg]

Welcome man, everyone on this site is great. Lots of help and support await. I will say what everyone else has, go out and sign up for a motorcycle safety course. Out here on phoenix, and I'm sure elsewhere, the course last an entire weekend for the beginner course, and I think runs around 250-300$. Cost shouldn't matter for this. Take it, you won't regret it, and you'll be better off because of it. Also get your gear asap before jumping on the kat again. Too dangerous not to have it. Finally, sorry that you layed it over in the parking lot. That sucks but now you've broken it in Good luck, and be safe

[Syndacate]

Its sad to know that you dropped the bike.. Atleast for the starters, I would suggest you to get accustomed to the nuances of your motorcycle slowly.. A MSF training is definitely recommended even if you consider yourself as an experienced rider..
Try to practice their basic techniques in an open parking lot such as feeling the weight of the bike, knowing the gear release technique... slow riding with your feet on the ground etc..
I do have some trouble turning my katana 600 in the parking lot., however I am getting used to the bike and feel comfortable now.. I had a V Star 650 which was probably around the same weight but was low..

regarding the damage on the plastic.. the best fix without spending much of money would be to put some sticker that looks cool..
however it might make things worse and make it stand out.. The center of gravity on a sports bike is much different., and in case of Katana's because of their handle bar design, the turns should be made by leaning your weight to hand which is on your turn side..
Its all in the game of learning something new.
So I would say., just accept your bike and your current riding technique and slowly learn to tame it your way.. No two bikers technique are the same.. What works for one may or may not work for you..
Try not to show off on the bike for now.. dont try racing through a blind corner..
Again these are things I learnt during my 10 years into Riding motorcycles..

Good luck!

Thanks, yeah, as I said, I'm keeping it covered from now forth since that incident, but when I get gear and my permit I plan on practicing in big parking lots. I didn't know that there was so much variance in riding styles of the same bikes/same styles. I'll have to remember that. Also, yes, I do plan on taking an MSF ASAP. I don't plan on pushing it or showing off for awhile, so there's def. no worries there.

Hey welcome to KR, and yes, please please please take a basic rider course with your local department of transportation. I have been riding for barely three years and NEVER rode any kind of motorcycle before. They literally taught me how to ride from the ground up at that course. Oh, and about dropping you kat, sucks but almost everyone drops their first bike. I dropped my first bike three times in the first year, and that was after taking basic rider course. So, yeah, take the course.

LoL. Gotcha. I'm hoping to keep my tips at what it is now.. Def. good to know other people out there coming form blank backgrounds - as it seems like everybody I talked to "grew up on bikes" - that **** gets annoying, fast, especially when they tell you that you "can't just learn." I gotta find out when the MSF is offering courses.

hello and welcome....sounds like everyone has already given you the much needed info you were looking for....be safe

Yeah, seems that way. I didn't realize the MSF was so important before posting here, even though a few people at work mentioned it.

the way i look at it, if you have a bike and not all the gear to go with it, then you shouldnt have bought the bike. A NFL player wouldnt go to a game with just a tee-shirt and flipflops and no gear, neither should a smart rider. Ive always wanted a motorcycle but im glad i waited until i was 29 to finally get one. if i would have gotten one when i was 20 when i really really wanted one i think it would have ended really badly since my decision making skills were very poor.

remember
1.never ever ride outside your personal limits.

2. Always wear full gear no matter how hot or short the ride is

3. Never try to show off because this is the time you will do something stupid

4. Never ride right after it starts raining, the roads are like ice from the oil

5. Never ride behind junky cars.-had a muffler fly off one and almost kill me.

6. Don't be afraid of the front brake- 70% stopping power here, just do not use when leaned over in a curve

7. Learn how to master counter steering- sometimes much better than braking in an emergency.

8. Always assume you are invisible to cagers

9. have fun! - with great risk comes great reward!

All make since 'cept 8. Many of those are just common sense but sometimes poor decisions counter common sense . As for 8, cagers?

First glance it looked like the front was one of the Cheng Shin tires. Made in Taiwan, and if you spent the next year looking for a cheaper, crappier tire... you would be very hard pressed to find one. Upon closer inspection, looks like you have the Metzler Lasertechs...

That good or bad?

Clutch zone would be refering to the point between fully released, and fully engaged with the clutch. Learning to use that comfortably helps alot, especially with low speeds and smooth starts/stops.

Krey

Yeah, I think I have to adjust my clutch some :-\. I'd like it closer with less travel...but then that also means you're letting it out faster..I'm not sure if I should adjust it (pull it in more) or learn with it out a decent amount.

Whether or not someone grew up riding dirt bikes has absolutely no significance in learning how to ride. There are folks who grew up riding on dirt but are horrible and seriously unsafe street riders. Any honest biker would tell you that the minute you jump on the bike the first & foremost thing that's running through your mind is "be safe!" Taking some kind of formal bike training like MSF can be a life saver when riding. Trying to learn on your own will cause you develop serious bad habits and may actually shorten your riding career in a very bad way...trust me on this!

Eh, I'm not sure if one could claim no significance - sure they'd know how to handle a bike better. Regardless, if I had a nickel for every time somebody brought that **** up I'd be quite rich. Though yeah, I feel you're def. right when you talk about what should be going through your mind when you get on - mindset is a lot of it, I'm sure.

Hey Greg, Big SoCal welcome!

I gotta concur with the rest of the folks with all that they've said but here's a few things I'd like to point out or reinforce:

If MSF works the same way out there as it does here I don't believe you have to have your full license to enroll. You just need a DMV permit which usually is given after passing the written test. No roadwork needed.

Repeat after me: "All Hail the Parking Lot. The Parking Lot is my Friend". It is better to wear out welcome in an empty parking lot mastering low-speed maneuvers than any public street no matter how desolate.

Weight, balance, and head position are just as important to low speed turning as speed and clutch control - maybe more so. Learn to move your body, sliding your butt off the seat. Think about when you were a kid and walking along a brick wall. If you started to lose your balance on one side you instinctively stuck your foot/leg the other direction to correct your balance. Same with a slow turn. Learn to counterbalance the weight on a slow turn the same way by sliding your weight to the opposite side of the turn. May feel weird at first because it's exactly opposite of what to do when riding at speed, but it works.

Look up and look where you want to go, not looking at where you are. You will go where your eyes tell you. That means not looking down at the bars or gauges when you're maneuvering. That means trusting your bike and inputs - muscle memory and bike awareness. And THAT comes from time in the saddle. It will take a while for those riding inputs to become instinctual. Give it some time and don't rush it. Let it come naturally with riding time. Right now you're thinking about everything - shifting, clutching, riding position, braking, turning, etc. Information overload. Makes riding seem, frustrating. It's normal. Like telling a guy who knows how to connect his BestBuy PC to the home WiFi network to now network 50 remote workstations to a secure VPN. In principle it's the same but in application, uh... NOT.

This is something that I STILL do:
Every once in a while I get up on Sunday morning and ride to my nearest DMV and do about 30 minutes on the test course. Good practice (Until the cops kick me off. Liability issues. ) I got a big bike so it doesn't hurt to practice no matter how much experience I have.

The only real advantage of knowing how to ride a dirt bike before riding a street bike is understanding the mechanical fundamentals of shifting and throttle. Other than that, they're two different riding styles. I've never ridden a dirt bike (though wanted one as a kid) and I've been riding since '85.

Nice to hear that you understand that a Busa is a bike that's a future aspiration. The Bus will still be around when you're ready. No need to bite off way more than you can chew.

Take it easy and learn at your own pace. You'll be fine.

Thanks for that, lot of input to take in, there, but a lot of it makes sense. I'm not sure what the permit/licensing policy is for the MSF, but I know my local branch doesn't have a dedicated course..it'll probably more along the lines of cones in a closed parking lot, I'd assume. Though yeah, I get what you're saying, besides the MSF, much of it is learning through experience, and it's more important to learn slow and learn true than to rush things and pay with your life. I've heard that more than a few times, that where you look is where you go, and out of the couple of times I moved it from the parking lot (which as I stated, I'll never do again until I get some legality and safety going on) that has proven 100% true, because I still can't explain how I got around that long sweeping curve although looking at it while standing really makes me wonder. I also find it a bother to look at my gauges...not sure if tha'ts good or bad, but I'm sure my ability to look down without dropping the bike will improve as time goes on.

Also, been quite some time since I worked with VPN's, but I got the analogy , thanks.

You could also take the plastic's off for two reasons (1) Learn to ride without more damage. (2) Give you a chance to fix the damage already done. Welcome to KR ride safe. Nice looking bike

Yes, I've considered pulling the plastics, although I'm probably not going to try to fix the damage already done quite yet, maybe at a later time. Not sure if I'll pull the plastics quite yet.

welcome to KR...practice makes perfect!!!!

So I hear!

Welcome. I'm super new too and yup, came from a family of medical practitioners and they're not at all happy with my new bike.

I took the course. I'm still super nervous when I get out there but I think the nervousness also is a good thing, keeping me humble and thinking hard in advance of what is coming up next. When I drive my car, I visualize the whole ride as if it were my bike and run through upshifting, downshifting, coming to a stop, checking my mirrors, my best line, the lane I should be in and my position in that lane, hazards etc. I believe visualization helps huge from my days of racing giant slalom. It's nearly as good as being able to physically practice.

The very first thing we worked on in the course was clutch control. If I read you correctly, you're risking a stall by not giving it enough throttle. Practice in a straight line with your feet down/out for balance giving it gas and controlling the bike's speed with the clutch - letting it in and out of the friction zone. In the course, we'd do lap after lap (literally an entire day) of the figure 8s and low speed manoeuvers entirely in first gear using just clutch and throttle. Rev it too high and let the clutch out to fast and it gets ugly. If you panic, pull in the clutch.

But find the course and stay off the bike until you have. I'd hate to hear you've gotten hurt and given those relatives more fuel for their motorcycle statistics chats...

Yeah, being nervous probably is a good thing - keeps you on your toes. I'm aware of the stall risk, but have been dealing with standard transmissions for quite some years now, well before I got my license. It's more of an issue that it revs too fast for me to now be comfortable giving it some juice while letting out the clutch, I feel better when I got the full weight on it (completely in gear) giving it throttle. I'm sure that'll ease over time, though :-\. Yeah, I do intend on looking for a MSF when I get a chance - maybe tonight if I get my work done in time..

Welcome to KR

Thanks, it's been very welcoming opposed to a lot of other forums..guess it's the riding community in general which seems very tightly knit..

I googled "visualization in sports, ski" and found some articles. This one explains it well in terms of sports psychology and the prevalence of it in pro-sport.

http://skiingsnowboarding.suite101.com/article.cfm/visualization_in_sport

But I was nowhere near pro. I crashed in my last year of highschool (didn't really visualize that part...) and didn't race after that due to knee damage. I wasn't actually planning on skiing or snowboarding again until I got desperate for a co-op job while at the University of Waterloo so I took a job as a ski instructor... forcing myself to "get back on the horse". (That and the liquid courage got me back into the sport). Watching the Olympics, I wish I'd made more of it...

Ironic, I skiied since I was 4 - but never in slaloms or any formal competitions. Had to stop though when I came to college. Nearest mountain was a ways away and costed a ****-ton. Never had a bad crash though - glad you got back in it :thumbup:.

Welcome to the KR family! First order of business....get gear...period. Any damage to a bike can be repaired, but what damage we do to ourselves can't always be "fixed". BTW your's is a simple enough fix, trust me, I've been there. If it's any consolation, most of us on KR have probably dumped our bikes more than we care to remember. It's all good......but do take the safety course.

Yeah, I'm going to look at gear this weekend, I don't plan on touching the bike at all until I at least get gear, and hopefully get it registered. Glad to hear others have done the same, almost feels like I'm the only one when I think about it, also glad to know it's easy to fix - can I just buy the mirror shroud someplace and re-attach it to the arm?

And yes, the MSF is quite high on my to-do list.

1. GET A HELMET! If it's about money then borrow one while you're practicing in the parking lot but don't get on a bike without one. if you're even thinking about it, ask your folks how much damage you can do to your brain by just falling over while standing still. There's been too much brain damage out there and if you're going to RIT then you need every brain cell you can get.

2. Don't wait until after you've got your license to take the MSF course. Matter of fact, most states will accept a certificate from the MSF in lieu of the riding portion of the exam. The class is that good.

3. If you absolutely must play with the bike before you take an MSF course then strap on a helmet and practice starts and stops. Staying in first gear, bring the RPMs to about 2000 and slowly let out the clutch. Keep the RPMs around 2000 and feather the clutch out, feeling for the point where the engine just barely starts to move the bike (the friction zone). As soon as you've started moving then pull the clutch all the way in and brake to a stop, putting your left foot down as the wheels stop turning. Do it over and over until you get really smooth and can do it all in a straight line without wobbling.

4. When you get really good at 3, try going from one end of the parking lot to the other as slow as possible without touching the ground with your feet. Again, keep the RPMs around 2000 and feather the clutch, keeping it in the friction zone. Don't worry about burning up the clutch. A motorcycle clutch is completely different from a car's. You won't kill it like this.

You'll notice neither of these exercises involves going faster than a walk. Riding slowly is much harder than going fast so that's where the MSF course focuses. Take the class and when you're done you'll be a lot safer and more confident in your skills.

Yeah, I got 3/4 down (decently), but without throttle until the clutch is completely disengaged - it only went bad when I tried to pull a U turn. Got a bit ahead of myself - it wasn't planned, I just saw it as an opportunity to practice what I'd need to do on the road test, and tried it - it ended badly, obviously. I'll have to practice some in the parking lot with giving it some throttle once I get it registered and get some gear. I can go pretty decently in a straight line as far as stopping/going goes, a bit over walking speeds, though...even letting the bike pull itself is over walking speeds..it simply idles too high..

Ha, at #1, yeah, you're right. I do gotta get on that. As for #2, I'll see if it's accepted in lieu of a test but I doubt it - I live in NY - if you ever wanna see a royally ***-****ed DMV/DOT system - come here, to NY, where everything automotive related is 10x a pain in the *** as most other states (exclude cali I suppose).

I say just get on it and go!!
Welcome to the site!
Edit: posted before reading everything...
I just bought a HJC CL-15 for $75. Dot & Snell Rated with a cool graphic. I would suggested looking for the cl15 because they are discontinued and should be on discount.
BE SAFE & don't ride unless you're legal!

Hrm, I think the 15 is '05 Snell approved, not '10 - but whichever, I guess that's good - I didn't really think about it, the CL-15 doesn't have the anti-fog visor that the CL-16 does, right?

?

That's a BS meter and it's pegged. In other words, I think your advice to the OP is pretty poor.

Just getting on a bike and going is a good way to end up a statistic. There are so many variables involved with riding that you have no control over. It doesn't make sense to not control the ones you can, like gear and education. Why would you encourage someone (even joking) to put themselves out there without every possible advantage?

I said that before I read his entire post. I do not encourage riding without a helmet or permit/license. I agree with you. Sorry if I was giving bad advice.

No worries, a lot to read, I know. =)

hey, i am new to this forum also. but, i do have a back ground and experience riding for many years. its just that this is my first year riding on the roads legally and on a sports bike. i read alot of good advice so far on this post. defenatly think about your safety first. as for riding, nothing really comes natural. it does take practice. the bike will move and turn in ways that may not feel natural to you at first. its becouse the center of gravity is so high in the chases. but the wheels also act like gyroscopes. essentually, the faster you go, the cyntrifical force keeps you from falling over.(ahmm, more or less) one thing to always remember though, always keep your head up.when you look down, youll probably GO down. keep looking through the turns, corners,anticipate obsticles and dangers. and another thing that helps.... sit on your bike(with out the engine running) and memorize all the controls with out looking at them. the better you can manipulate the controls with out looking at them, the better it helps your handling the bike. and as every one has said prior.... an msc is always a good idea. an msc teaches throttle, clutch and break control. one thing very important to learn is proper breaking. i hope my two cents helps. oh, and once you start riding..... theres no going back! lol

Hrm, good advice (memorizing the controls) - I'll have to make sure i can do that - I'm pretty sure I am currently able to as I don't really look at anything south of the windscreen at all, but can't be 100% certain.

I definitely have to learn proper braking, though. I hear so many different stories. My first inclination is to treat it like a car, typically running a prop valve with a 60/40 or 65/35 distribution F/B - but I've heard from a few people that you should try to stay off of the front brake unless coming to a complete stop (slow speed braking). I'm assuming I'll learn more about that at MSF.

Welcome to KR!

Thanks!

Greg!
That Kat is mint!! WOW..
Please, if you don't take a class take off those plastics! We don't see too many Kats in that shape. And we see a lot of Kats.

If you don't take the MSF, look and see if there is a community college that does a class.
Most of the classes provide a bike (I think MSF usually does too.) that is a good thing because I guy like you isn't likely to drop a 250. The big mistake you made Saturday was that you tried some low speed turns without having good clutch control. Good clutch control is vital under 30 MPH or in a small area..

http://www.learn2ride.net/

http://www.smartridermsp.com/default.aspx

http://www.rctc.edu/community/motorcycle/index.html

Here are a few classes in your area,. Most of these classes pretty much guaranty you will pass your license test.

Good luck and welcome to Katriders.

Awesome, thanks a lot, man. I'll check them out. Appreciate the good words of my Kat, too .

I think you've gotten about all the safety advice there is man. listen to these guys, they know their stuff. Welcome and be safe.

Yeah, definitely (to both parts).

Welcome man, everyone on this site is great. Lots of help and support await. I will say what everyone else has, go out and sign up for a motorcycle safety course. Out here on phoenix, and I'm sure elsewhere, the course last an entire weekend for the beginner course, and I think runs around 250-300$. Cost shouldn't matter for this. Take it, you won't regret it, and you'll be better off because of it. Also get your gear asap before jumping on the kat again. Too dangerous not to have it. Finally, sorry that you layed it over in the parking lot. That sucks but now you've broken it in Good luck, and be safe

Thanks, yeah, I'm going to look into it quite soon, as I'm sure they're jam packed already.

TO ALL:
I plan on taking the MSF ASAP, and I don't plan on riding again until I get some gear

(Just for clarification on that ).

Thanks for the warm welcomes. I'm surprised at how friendly everybody is here, in most i-net forums everybody's a dick.

[tdrcomm]

Well, we can't say that the newbie isn't thorough!
That is the very first time I have seen someone answer each and every post in a thread! This is a classic!!

Syn, you're gonna do just fine.

[beachflyer]

cager= person in car. They have a cage around them.

[Wild-Bill]

Awesome, just awesome! Yeah, this forum is a bit different. I haven't met too many of the other members face to face but it's easy to feel like you know most of them pretty well and to think of them all as friends. I'm sure you've noticed we're a chatty bunch. If you don't mind that then you've found the right place.

[LONG TECHNICAL EXPLANATION FOLLOWS]
As for your trouble with stalling the engine, that's why you need to keep the RPMs up around 2000 and let the clutch slip. With most bikes, you come up off the idle jets around 1800 RPM and then you're on the main jets. This means more power and since you're on the main jets, as the engine starts to load up from the added load, the increased vacuum will raise the needles out of the jets, allowing more fuel flow to compensate. This will provide the additional power needed to help keep the RPMs, and resultant power, constant. Since you've now got more constant power, the engine doesn't stall as easy and it's way easier to manage the power put to the rear wheel through the clutch.
[END LONG TECHNICAL EXPLANATION]

IOW, keeping the RPMs up around 2000-2500 keeps it from stalling and makes the bike easier to control at low speeds.

[Syndacate]

Well, we can't say that the newbie isn't thorough!
That is the very first time I have seen someone answer each and every post in a thread! This is a classic!!

Syn, you're gonna do just fine.

Ha, I try to answer all people who say something to me - if something needs to be said in return. That being said, this thread is kind of about me.. Luck of the draw I guess .

cager= person in car. They have a cage around them.

Ah, makes sense.

Awesome, just awesome! Yeah, this forum is a bit different. I haven't met too many of the other members face to face but it's easy to feel like you know most of them pretty well and to think of them all as friends. I'm sure you've noticed we're a chatty bunch. If you don't mind that then you've found the right place.

[LONG TECHNICAL EXPLANATION FOLLOWS]
As for your trouble with stalling the engine, that's why you need to keep the RPMs up around 2000 and let the clutch slip. With most bikes, you come up off the idle jets around 1800 RPM and then you're on the main jets. This means more power and since you're on the main jets, as the engine starts to load up from the added load, the increased vacuum will raise the needles out of the jets, allowing more fuel flow to compensate. This will provide the additional power needed to help keep the RPMs, and resultant power, constant. Since you've now got more constant power, the engine doesn't stall as easy and it's way easier to manage the power put to the rear wheel through the clutch.
[END LONG TECHNICAL EXPLANATION]

IOW, keeping the RPMs up around 2000-2500 keeps it from stalling and makes the bike easier to control at low speeds.

Yeah, I got the gist of how carbs work - I've cleaned many.

So 2-2.5k is the sweet spot for parking lot rolling for this bike, eh?

What about the fact that it was jetted to match the exhaust/air box?

[Cap N Jones]

Someone recommended in another thread, reading "Proficient Motorcycling", by David L. Hough. I just got through with it...easy and helpful read...lots of pics. I would recommend it, along with the advice of others.

Check out EBay for some deals on gear and use a Paypal account to make purchases. Do your research beforehand and ask the advice of others. This site is super helpful!

Buy a motorcycle cover. If you have nowhere to store your Kat, a cover is better than nothing.

I have the HJC-CL SP helmet and would recommend it...reasonable price, DOT/SNELL, comfortable, and looks great. I added the silver shield and relegated the clear, factory shield to back up duty.

I found the Cortech GX Sport 2 jacket for about half price on EBay and added Apex leather pants...have to tailor the zippers to make the jacket/pant attachment.

Finished safety gear with Oxtar TPS boots and AGV Gauntlets.

This gear was all purchased on EBay and was new or slightly used...totaled well under $500. Safety gear is a must! I have experienced road rash, first-hand...brutal lesson learned about 20 years ago while riding my FIRST BIKE!

I wish you all the best and WELCOME!!!

[Wild-Bill]

2-2.5k is pretty much the sweet spot for just about any bike. Exception is some very low idling V-twins. Jetting doesn't matter. All that's doing is compensating for the changed airflow (presumably increased) caused by the alterations in the intake/exhaust. Big thing here is you want to bring the RPMs up to the point where you're off the idle curcuit and into the low end of the range where the diaphragms are starting to regulate the fuel flow.

[2006MI]

Welcome Greg

Another Software Engineer here (Davenport University - '93 Computer Information Systems) Currently managing financial/payroll software for the Kent County Gov't in west Michigan. Try checking for a MSF course through your local community college. I took mine at Grand Rapids Community College, $25 dollars 2 nights of class, 2 half days of riding a course and they provided the Honda Nighthawk. It was money well, well spent. Having said that <groan> I dropped my 2006 Katana as well.

[beachflyer]

$25 dollars 2 nights of class, 2 half days of riding a course and they provided the Honda Nighthawk. It was money well, well spent.

Wow that is cheap! i paid 250.00 for the MSF here in florida and it is mandatory here to get your motorcycle endorsement

[Apathy]

I think I paid $100, but had to sit on a waiting list. The course is well worth the money because you get to learn some of the fundamentals on a much smaller bike with experienced riders watching your back.

[Syndacate]

Someone recommended in another thread, reading "Proficient Motorcycling", by David L. Hough. I just got through with it...easy and helpful read...lots of pics. I would recommend it, along with the advice of others.

Check out EBay for some deals on gear and use a Paypal account to make purchases. Do your research beforehand and ask the advice of others. This site is super helpful!

Buy a motorcycle cover. If you have nowhere to store your Kat, a cover is better than nothing.

I have the HJC-CL SP helmet and would recommend it...reasonable price, DOT/SNELL, comfortable, and looks great. I added the silver shield and relegated the clear, factory shield to back up duty.

I found the Cortech GX Sport 2 jacket for about half price on EBay and added Apex leather pants...have to tailor the zippers to make the jacket/pant attachment.

Finished safety gear with Oxtar TPS boots and AGV Gauntlets.

This gear was all purchased on EBay and was new or slightly used...totaled well under $500. Safety gear is a must! I have experienced road rash, first-hand...brutal lesson learned about 20 years ago while riding my FIRST BIKE!

I wish you all the best and WELCOME!!!

Ah, thanks for the advice. I'm actually heavily (very heavily) considering a CL-15 if I can find it, and I'm leaning towards the Cortech GX-2 Air, but gotta talk to some guy who has one tomorrow (he already left for the day) - I'm not exactly a fan of the leather...if it's an issue I might just go with the GX-2 Sport. Not sure about gloves or boots yet, probably going with smaller cortech gloves, probably not gauntlets, and realistically have no idea about the boots at the current time..

2-2.5k is pretty much the sweet spot for just about any bike. Exception is some very low idling V-twins. Jetting doesn't matter. All that's doing is compensating for the changed airflow (presumably increased) caused by the alterations in the intake/exhaust. Big thing here is you want to bring the RPMs up to the point where you're off the idle curcuit and into the low end of the range where the diaphragms are starting to regulate the fuel flow.

Ah, I see, gotcha.

Another Software Engineer here (Davenport University - '93 Computer Information Systems) Currently managing financial/payroll software for the Kent County Gov't in west Michigan. Try checking for a MSF course through your local community college. I took mine at Grand Rapids Community College, $25 dollars 2 nights of class, 2 half days of riding a course and they provided the Honda Nighthawk. It was money well, well spent. Having said that <groan> I dropped my 2006 Katana as well.

Yeah, I found one as my local CC - Only problem is it's backed up until August...not sure how long the waiting list is for standard tests..either way, I realistically gotta wait for this paperwork to clear so my permit can go through before I sign up for anything...and *winces at the dropping of your '06 kat* .

Wow that is cheap! i paid 250.00 for the MSF here in florida and it is mandatory here to get your motorcycle endorsement

Yeah, that's what the prices were for my CC's MSF. I think it was $275.

I think I paid $100, but had to sit on a waiting list. The course is well worth the money because you get to learn some of the fundamentals on a much smaller bike with experienced riders watching your back.

Yeah, looks like I gotta wait awhile on that list as well..the line will probably go faster for standard road tests than MSF course waivers, even though it is Summer...

I'll still take the MSF at some point, but I don't really want to wait until August to get my license...Maybe driving a bit can circumvent the situation some..if I can find a town with less densely populated MSF's..or look for cancellations on my CC's MSF. Else if I gotta wait until August .

[LAsunbird86]

My gmax68s, shift jacket, icon pursuit gloves and no name riding boots cost about $225.00 from iron pony.

I rode there with a goodwill helmet, MECHANIX gloves, vans and a hoodie on, left fully equipped

[Enjay386]

Welcome! It's all fixable stuff, it's a good way to learn