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know what grinds my gears?

2693 Views 18 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  ElCidRFM13, 
ElCidRFM13
hello everybody, like everyone on this forum. im a biker enthusiast. love being on two wheels. been riding for a almost two years, and have learned a lot in the process. im 5'7 with a 29 inch inseam. so in other words I prefer to be on two feet when I come to a stop.


throughout my short career, I have owned a Yamaha bolt, and currently own a fz-07. both great bikes. BUT. something always felt missing. For instance, when I owned the bolt, loved the looks and had great character. BUT. I started noticing I didn't like the lack of ground clearance. wanted something more sporty. so a year later I got the fz-07. still fun to this day, kinda wished I started on that one first. and here comes the BUT. it feels so budget friendly. and the looks of it is starting to look "insect" like. so I don't know if im just goin through a phase where I want to sample everything, or im just looking still for the right bike for me.


then I started doing more research, and that's when I discovered the r3. saw it in person. sat on it. and thought to myself "hmmm I like you." test ride? nahh the two Yamaha dealerships here don't offer that. but I did notice that they were trying to push the cbr600rr's, the gixxers, supersports and also liter bikes in the mix. no. no nononononononono. I would like to drive a bike to its full potential. not looking for bragging rights. not wanting to be in the same category as the dudes with supersports, with nothing but a helmet and gloves. which is very common in my area. im a firm believer of atgatt. I also like wearing hi vis gear. AND would love to learn how to do my own maintenance. getting there, im getting. got the basics down, but still want to do it all.


now here comes the point to the title.


know what grinds my gears? from time to time. ill talk to friends about motorcycles, what I like, what I don't like. which is kind of hard for them to understand since none of them don't ride. so I'll ask for their unbiased opinion. they pause, think about it. and slowly say "have you ever thought of getting a Harley?" :( sigh. so my main question is, lol do you guys get that often? you say motorcycle, they think street bobs? nothing against HD but its not what im looking for.


so what do you guys think? ill take any harsh criticism, any opinions. im still a student on two wheels, I know I have a lot to learn. im pretty sure ive missed out some things.


am I ready for this r3? even though im not able to test ride it beforehand. is it a pretty good choice vs something like the rc390 or the n300
how much is maintenance? but out of this I know I wont get all my questions answered, but I do hope to make some friends out of this, I would be nice. for once. to talk to people about motorcycles.
:D
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Kojiiro
I dont really care what others opinions are on what I should ride. I am riding, not them.I have owned 5 bikes in 2.6 years. Any cruiser for me is out of the question.

The R3 is a good bike. I will say, coming from a bigger bike its a huge downgrade in power and a few other things. The sheer lightness and nimbleness balance that out FOR ME. I am ok with the loss of power in exchange with how much fun I have on it. You might feel the same, coming from the -07.

If you are relatively proficient with the FZ, you should not have a prob with the R3.

I cant speak for the 390, I wanted one but never bought or even tested one. I tested a N300 and that bike feels really lacking. I bought the R3 without testing, but the leap of faith was worth it. I am probably going to buy another R3 next year(gotta sell this one at the end of the year, transfer duty stations overseas, and buy a new bike there), and do the mods that I didnt want to spend money on here, which to me are going to be suspension, brakes and brake lines.
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ElCidRFM13
first and foremost, thank you for responding. I think its really super cool that you replied so quickly. yea, from the way I drive, im not that aggressive on the throttle as most. so I doubt that ill be missing the extra power from the fz07. driving fast in a straight line is not as fun as cornering or maneuvering, so the nimbleness will be extra bonus. the rc390 is nice to look at, but from the sounds of it, it will only be good as a second bike, not a primary.
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Kojiiro
ElCidRFM13 said:
first and foremost, thank you for responding. I think its really super cool that you replied so quickly. yea, from the way I drive, im not that aggressive on the throttle as most. so I doubt that ill be missing the extra power from the fz07. driving fast in a straight line is not as fun as cornering or maneuvering, so the nimbleness will be extra bonus. the rc390 is nice to look at, but from the sounds of it, it will only be good as a second bike, not a primary.
Click to expand...
What grinds my gears...

Is when riders say they are "driving"...

Its riding, not driving! Knit picking aside, if you dont care too much about high HP, high strung bikes that go really fast, but want a fun bike, you probably wont regret the 300. I do sometimes miss the roll on power of the ZX6R but the R3 is a fun little bike regardless. More so on the track or a nice set of really twisty canyon roads.
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ElCidRFM13
Hahahaha I knew the title was gonna work against me. But yes sir, riding it is
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Stirz
Different riders have different backgrounds and experiences, so they prefer or promote different bikes - sometimes because of ignorance (as in, it's the only thing they know) sometimes it's just what they've come to enjoy (cruisers, go-fast bikes, dual sports, whatever). Buy the bike you want for your own reasons. The R3 is what it is, a lightweight twin sportbike that is one of the best in the 300-400 cc class. Great entry-level bike, very easy and inexpensive to maintain, easily upgradeable for track/racing, great mileage and a lot of fun - one of the best turning bikes I've ridden in a while.
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ElCidRFM13
Mr stirz you brought up a good point about maintaining it. I don't think it'll be any fun having worrying about expensive maintenance costs and also insurance. I do agree this bike has a lot of potential. For example I recently bought a 5.0 mustang. Super fun to drive, but high insurance and synthetic oil changes really kills it. And to be honest this car is overkill for every day use. That's how I see super sports and liter bikes now. Unnecessary for my type of riding. This r3 is to my liking.
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Braunbear66
My wife said the same thing and a friend about the HD. Not for me, I would have to grow a scratchy beard and get some tattoos and a beer gut and I don't drink anymore. 100 plus day now so my beer gut went goodbye. Thats one of the reasons I bought the bike as a gift to myself for going full out AA and get my **** together. Im a dad of two young girls under 8 years old and try to be the best dad. Really like my new bike and work hard to be safe out there.
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Lollingthunder
ElCidRFM13 said:
hello everybody, like everyone on this forum. im a biker enthusiast. love being on two wheels. been riding for a almost two years, and have learned a lot in the process. im 5'7 with a 29 inch inseam. so in other words I prefer to be on two feet when I come to a stop.


throughout my short career, I have owned a Yamaha bolt, and currently own a fz-07. both great bikes. BUT. something always felt missing. For instance, when I owned the bolt, loved the looks and had great character. BUT. I started noticing I didn't like the lack of ground clearance. wanted something more sporty. so a year later I got the fz-07. still fun to this day, kinda wished I started on that one first. and here comes the BUT. it feels so budget friendly. and the looks of it is starting to look "insect" like. so I don't know if im just goin through a phase where I want to sample everything, or im just looking still for the right bike for me....
Click to expand...
I always thought to myself that the FZ07 looks like a wasp. But luckily for me, I like the look of the wasp. There is always the option of the XSR700 hopefully coming next year. Not sure if you dig the hipsters retro look though.

As someone who owns both a FZ07 and R3, I enjoy both. But honestly I think I enjoy both because I know I can go back and forth whenever. Here are my pros and cons for both:

R3
Pros:
-Feel like you are planted in the bike. One with it.
-Overall better handling at speeds above 15mph.
-Obviously lighter
-Revving to redline is a very nice sensation
-Smoother throttle
-Better designed for track days

Cons:
-no power until 7k rpm range.
-Low speed handling is worse than the FZ07. Parking lot and sub 5mph riding I mean.
-Everything else other than the tail is harder to mod compared to FZ07.
-You will miss the torque of the FZ07.
-aftermarket full exhaust makes it louder, sure, but whether or not it sounds better... uh...

Fz07
Pros:
-Torque. Power available at any rpm range all the way until 8500 rpm.
-With aftermarket exhaust, it sounds MEAN and tough. Like a muscle car and not obnoxious like a harley.
-easier to mod than r3 with the exception of the tail-end.
-Low speed maneuvers are soooo easy compared to R3.

Cons:
-You feel like you are on top of the bike, not one with it.
-Revving to redline is pointless and not satisfying
-Jerky throttle (although I did get an ECU remap that smoothed it out greatly).
-can easily lift front wheel which is bad for beginners but this does not pertain to you.
-bad suspension more noticeable

I mainly do city riding. Lots of stop and go, and needing to burst through, so the FZ07 greatly matches what I use it for.

Oddly what I did notice though riding the R3, I only put on about 200 miles within 6 months (its my wife's bike) and people have tried to race me twice on it. As in, at a stoplight, they start revving their car (they take off quickly but I don't actually race them fyi). Like wtf. Over a year on the Fz07 and not one person has raced me. Go figure.
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ElCidRFM13
braunbear66, you know what I think it is my good sir? sons of anarchy. I think it became more about the image rather than riding. to be honest ive never seen the show, lol so I could only imagine.
that's good to hear about AA. my brother went through the same process, and it didn't look easy. it look like he went through **** and back. I always like to hear things about that. ha, besides. motorcycles are the best drug.
ride safe!
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Aufitt
People overthink motorcycles,


Test ride them all,
buy the one that gets the juices flowing.


Like a pet, home, or a lovelife,
Bikes choose you.
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ElCidRFM13
lollingthunder, your lucky! lol im too cheap to have two bikes. but that does help me big time hearing someone who owns both. omg yes I know! It always feels like im about to fly over the bike! its a weird feeling. and it is twitchy at times. but for sure it does sounds like a beast with a exhaust on. but now im over loud exhausts(for the moment) 1. sportbikes are high profile to cops, I don't think they can tell the difference from a r3 to a r6. and with an exhaust it wont help me much, ha even now. 2. after work I usually get home around 12 midnight, with the fz roaring all the way down to my drive way. some of the times I wake up to head out and see my Asian neighbors coming out also. you know I wave at them say hello, they smile back and wave. then they stare at each other with a straight face talking in a foreign language then look back at me, smile, and wave again. im pretty sure they're talking mess about me for being so loud at night.
I think ill be at home on the r3. on the fz I hardly ever went past 5000 rpms before I shifted. psh more like grandpa shifting. I hardly ever red lined it.
so I think when it comes to exhaust mods, yea I agree, Ive heard r3 aftermarket sound clips and wasn't all that appealing. I think the main things would be better tires, and brakes. afterwards we'll see.
ha you know what, no one has yet to race me on the fz07. im pretty sure they don't know what to make of this "wasp." so they just leave me alone. but im with you. im not a drag racer myself.
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Lollingthunder
ElCidRFM13 said:
lollingthunder, your lucky! lol im too cheap to have two bikes. but that does help me big time hearing someone who owns both. omg yes I know! It always feels like im about to fly over the bike! its a weird feeling. and it is twitchy at times. but for sure it does sounds like a beast with a exhaust on. but now im over loud exhausts(for the moment) 1. sportbikes are high profile to cops, I don't think they can tell the difference from a r3 to a r6. and with an exhaust it wont help me much, ha even now. 2. after work I usually get home around 12 midnight, with the fz roaring all the way down to my drive way. some of the times I wake up to head out and see my Asian neighbors coming out also. you know I wave at them say hello, they smile back and wave. then they stare at each other with a straight face talking in a foreign language then look back at me, smile, and wave again. im pretty sure they're talking mess about me for being so loud at night.
I think ill be at home on the r3. on the fz I hardly ever went past 5000 rpms before I shifted. psh more like grandpa shifting. I hardly ever red lined it.
so I think when it comes to exhaust mods, yea I agree, Ive heard r3 aftermarket sound clips and wasn't all that appealing. I think the main things would be better tires, and brakes. afterwards we'll see.
ha you know what, no one has yet to race me on the fz07. im pretty sure they don't know what to make of this "wasp." so they just leave me alone. but im with you. im not a drag racer myself.
Click to expand...
Haha, I hear you with the late night. Definitely don't want to slap on a full exhaust then. True story, this last summer while the wife and kids were spending a night at their grandparent's house, I was itching to ride and it was 11pm. I am an insomniac so I was just wired. I actually spent 1 hour removing my Yoshimura and reinstalling my stock exhaust and headed out past midnight for a nice one hour night time ride. I did all that just so I won't bother the neighbors. I kept it stock for another 2 weeks but since reinstalled the Yoshimura.

And here is a strange fun fact. FZ07 stock exhaust is quieter than R3 stock.
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ElCidRFM13
mr aufitt, you read me like a book.


I wish I could test ride all the motorcycles in the world. that would BOMB!


for awhile there I was overthinking everything, constant researching and looking.


but I do notice im not an aggressive driver. right now im just looking for the one I can gain the most confidence and experience on.


"bikes choose you" you know what. funny story. my brother gives me the same type of advice all the time. he'll tell me things like that. don't look for it or choose it, let it choose you. kinda gives me the chills.
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ElCidRFM13
lmao cant stop laughing when I read that. there was times when I had the stock exhaust, when I was half asleep in the morning. I had my helmet and earplugs on, and I would accidently try to turn it on while it was still on, like a drunk guy in his car. ha I would give it gas saying, "is it even on?!?!?" I felt like such a noob. insomniac myself, it would be nice to ride late at night witout causing a scene
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Lollingthunder said:
Haha, I hear you with the late night. Definitely don't want to slap on a full exhaust then. True story, this last summer while the wife and kids were spending a night at their grandparent's house, I was itching to ride and it was 11pm. I am an insomniac so I was just wired. I actually spent 1 hour removing my Yoshimura and reinstalling my stock exhaust and headed out past midnight for a nice one hour night time ride. I did all that just so I won't bother the neighbors. I kept it stock for another 2 weeks but since reinstalled the Yoshimura.

And here is a strange fun fact. FZ07 stock exhaust is quieter than R3 stock.
Click to expand...
Good Guy Lolling Thunder
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Y
If you're between the R3 and the RC390, and you're concerned about seat height, get the R3.

I'm 5'3" but 29" inseam, same as you, and I like having ONE foot on the ground when I come to a stop. That can't happen with the much taller KTM. (Two feet on the ground at a stop? I've heard of such a thing ....)



I learned on a Sportster (which doesn't count for much of the HD crowd, but it's still a HD). I got a real motorcycle in 1997 and never looked back. :)
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ElCidRFM13
I agree, enthusiastic fellow.
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ElCidRFM13
you know what, Yamamama, I just came back from the dealership and sat on different bikes. did try the rc390. ummmm yea, that one is a no go! n the seat was...I don't think there was a seat. but the weirdest part was that I was more comfortable on a zx6r than the rc. and I was able to get the balls of my feet comfortably on the ground. I love the looks of the sportster, but the idea of an air cooled engine puts me off a lil. also no fuel gauge or gear indicator.
ha yea, I am comfortable stopping and goin on one foot, but the streets on my area are bad, its not always level. and the cagers here cannot drive! a very high death rate here with automobiles. but I cant complain much. I once went to California two years ago, me and some friends just left venice beach, and it was around 9pm at night. ****! the traffic was CRAZY! ive been in dallas traffic, Austin traffic, san Antonio traffic. BUT NEVER L.A. traffic. my hat off to riders who do that on a daily basis.


the irony to this story, I went there to see what color r3's they had at the time. sadly they're out until further notice. smh smh smh. ha I asked them if they can call me when they'll get more in. ugh now im just being teased.
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