Getting a gsxr, but I'm a beginner Help!?

Question

I'm buying my first bike within a week. I've never been on a bike and have no clue how to shift when stopping. For example, I'm coming up on a turn and I'm in 4th gear. Do I have to drop it all the way to first gear before making the turn? Because once you let go of the throttle I'm sure the bike slows down on it's own. I could downshift, but from 4th gear all the way down to 1st gear then back up to 4th gear after making the turn seems like an awful lot of shifting. I plan on practicing in an empty parking lot and taking the MSF course as soon as I can get in one. So can I just let the bike go down to 15 mph in 3rd gear and after making the turn just keep riding till I have to shift up again.

I know if I have to stop then i do have to go down to first.

I downloaded the manual just to skim through it. The recommended shifting patterns are:

12mph - 2nd gear
19mph - 3rd gear
25mph - 4th gear
31mph- 5th gear
37mph- 6th gear

Now people are saying you can go up to 40-50 mph in first gear? What am I missing. How much damage would that do to your bike. Also, if I shift to 2nd gear at 20mph then how far can I go up into 2nd gear? I've looked more into the MSF course today from the link provided. Thanks for all the help. I actually expected to get flamed more than I did lol.

Answer 1

Just by your question, you are not ready to own any kind of GSXR. If you're buying a GSXR because your buddies will be impressed, or that you think its the baddest bike out there, then thats the wrong reason to buy it.

The best thing for you to do is to take the MSF course before buying a bike. Take the course and learn how to ride properly, then buy a used 500R Ninja or similar.

http://www.kawasaki.ca/content/concept.php?l=en&mpl=2&my=2007&m=1048

This is a good bike to learn on, and will not kill you as quick as the GSXR. It's a cheap, reliable and sporty looking bike that is forgiving on new riders. Once you hone your skills, then step up to a higher displacement bike.

Remember to always wear your gear when riding. It looks cool and it'll protect you when you need it.

Ride Safe!

PS: As for your question...you shouldn't be more than 1 gear away from the gear you need to be in, prior to a corner. And usually, you would down shift 1 gear before entering the corner. If you drop it into 1st or 2nd gear (depending on the corner) you'll probably lose the back wheel and end up in a ditch. Take the MSF course and you will have your answers.

Answer 2

Here is a recent story that you should read before you go out & buy a bike that will literally crap in your lunch pail in a split second.
"Today was the most tragic day of my riding career. I wanted to do a group ride so I met up with Sacramento Crotch Rockets. What a cluster**** two crashes and a fatality. I have never seen anyone die before. There were new riders mixed with faster riders some guy on a 929 had to get in front of me so I let him and then he blows the DY and almost hit the hill on the other side of the road. Then I hear people talking about this guy on a blue r6 that kept blowing the DY and he eventually crashes but is OK. There were like 30 - 40 riders. We all stopped at Georgetown and I decided to get gas at the last minute so I lost touch with the group. I was with this guy who had only been riding two weeks and he was on an 03 Gixxer 1000 he didn't even have any gloves I told him we'd take it easy and I'd try to give him a few pointers (not that I'm that great) but anyway he was in front of me and we come up to the first left hander by the lake after Uncle Tom's and there are bikes pulled over. We stop and are told that someone went over the guard rail. So I look over and this guy is laying there and two people are giving CPR. I asked if they needed help (I was a medic in the Army) and they said yes. I ran down to where it was like a 20 ft drop hung over the edge and jumped down. One guy was an EMT and carried a mask. We did CPR until the paramedics came but after about half an hour they called it. I didn't even know his name. He had a brand new Gixxer 750 no plate yet. Basically he locked up his brakes and hit the guard rail perpendicular and got launched over the fence to a 50 ft drop to cement. He had a wedding ring. Just tragic."

You may think... oh it won't happen to me, I'll be careful. Heed everyones warning. Start out with something more tame but something that has fun factor as well. A GS500, SV 650 etc...

No matter what there will be some point where you will wad your bike. I have 3 times in 20 + years.
The GSXR is a spectacular bike but it has no mercy on people.

Answer 3

In regard to your question:
If you are going from 4Th. Down to 1 St. in one jump,
you're doing something very wrong for your level of experience.
On a GSXR you shouldn't be hitting fourth, (except for shifting practice), unless that is one hell of a long parking lot.
As a rule, if your going to come to a complete stop,
Clutch and down shift, (while you're braking), so that
you always have the proper gear available if you were to resume riding. (This refers to a gradual stop, as if approaching a red light from a distance).
In a panic stop, don't worry about the gears, just clutch, brake, and downshift later. As you gain experience the shifting becomes second nature and seems to happen automatically.
PLEASE take that MSF course.
BTW.: I see an awful lot of newbies on high power sports bikes who have dropped it because of too much throttle in a turn. Gentle with that right wrist until you know what the limits are.
MSF will teach you that turning takes traction away from braking.

Answer 4

> Do I have to drop it all the way to first gear before making the turn?
Not always. You shift down to match the speed your bike is going.

> Because once you let go of the throttle I'm sure the bike slows down on it's own.
Again, not always. You're pulling the clutch lever. Your motorcycle won't slow down a lot... you need to hit the brakes too to do any significant slowing down.

> So can I just let the bike go down to 15 mph in 3rd gear
No way. You'll stall. 15mph is low throttle for second gear, or medium for first.

==
Look, you need to practice for a month before buying the brand new bike of your dreams. Ride your new bike that way, and you won't properly break it in. Also, your first bike is going to be on its side a couple of times, and get scratched. Best to make those mistakes on a used beater of a bike.

The guy who said get a used Ninja 500 is right-on. Get a used Ninja 500 first. Don't get your brand new gixxer for another six months. Do a lot of riding with the Ninja first.

Answer 5

You should only put the bike into first gear if come to a complete stop. If your turning and have a green light you probably only have to drop down one or two gears. The main thing is you want to match your engine speed to your wheel speed without overrevving or bogging down your engine.

DEFINATELY take the MSF course ASAP. There's nothing wrong with not being a motorcycle expert but making rookie mistakes can get you hurt.

You can find some basic riding tips at:
http://www.motorcyclegiftshop.com/motorcycle_riding.html

Answer 6

Wait to get on the bike until you take the MSF course, specially since you have NO bike experience at all.... I know its going to be eating you alive to wait and ride, but trust me you would rather be safe than sorry!! You can't put a price on your life... And even what you might think is the littlest mistake on a bike could end up changing your life forever!

If you are worrying about getting the bike home, try and find someone around that you can borrow a trailer from, or maybe the place you are getting it from might deliver it.

Good Luck in whatever you choose! And safe riding!

Answer 7

I don't want to harp on you but you REALLY need to do more research. The 2006/2007 GSXR (all of them) have a slipper clutch, meaning you could shift to first gear at 60mph and not lock up the rear tire. Real life result, the bike has very little engine breaking and therefore you need to use brakes more.

Great for the track, not so great for the street. There's a reason ALL of Suzuki's advertising uses the disclaimer, "The GSX-R is for EXPERIENCED riders". Becuase young ego driven newbies kill themselves on it regularly and they don't need any more lawsuits.

I often refuse to sell them to newbies and any dealer worth their brand would do the same. Unfortunately, most only care about the sale, not whether you live or die.

Answer 8

Hmmm, a 4th gear corner on a GSX-R 600 translates to about a 70-80MPH corner. 15MPH is first gear, or if you want to dog it, 2nd gear (meaning riding in to high a gear for the speed, meaning your RPMs are too low, and out are completely out of the power... so 15MPH in 2nd gear is probably around 2,700-3,100 rpms). So my suggestion to you is to brake for turns very early, shift all the way down to 1st or 2nd and let the clutch out very slowly to let the clutch grab and slow the motor down. Letting the clutch out too quickly with the bike traveling at too high a speed and the RPMs too low will cause the back wheel to skid (it will suddenly start turning at the same speed as the motor, which is much slower than your bikes speed) which could lead to a crash. Do this until you are able to rev-match.

I highly suggest taking the MSF course BEFORE buying the bike.

Also, a GSX-R is not the worst bike to start on, but the SV650S is a better choice. It isn't as 'sexy,' but it is much easier to ride, which also means you will have much more fun.

My best suggestion to you is to find riders in your area who are 1) mature [if they do wheelies through intersections on a regular basis, they are not mature], 2) experienced [min. 2-3 years of riding experience, with some on-track experience preferred] and 3) patient enough to let you follow them slowly and to follow you slowly in order to give you pointers. It also helps to ride on the back a few times with a really experienced rider to get used to the feel.

Good luck, and happy riding.

Answer 9

when you down shift to slow down let the clutch out in each gear before dropping down to the next one never go from 4th to 1st & then let the clutch out while your moving more than 20 mph your back wheel will lock up & you will trash your new bike. dont even try to ride it up the driveway until you take the safety course. you will be sure to wreck it while your trying to figure the gears out.

Answer 10

It all depends on your speed. If you are trying to collect a dime on the ground, then you will want to be in first. If you slow down to look at a hot chick while in the turn, then you could be 2nd. You could even leave it in 3rd gear if you turn and you have to escape a soccer mom in your lane. Just depends.