Your Rider Resume

[cp04]

I started out with a 98 Honda VTR 1000. Not the best choice for a first bike, but I made it work. The R/R went out on the bike and I had to have someone with a trailer come pick me up. The bike wasn't tied down good enough and the bike took a spill off the trailer. So I got to do alot of work on that bike. Replace right side case, brake pedal, rear set, front fairings, windscreen, brackets, ect. Had that bike for awhile and eventually got an R6. Had that R6 for about 5k miles, and did a couple mods to it. Ended up selling the VTR 1000 and shortly after trading the R6 to the FZ6. I just didn't want a super sport bike anymore. I mainly commute now on the FZ6 and occationally do trips. I also do all the maintenance on my bikes except any internal engine work. Or anything I don't feel comfortable with. Well that's my resume.

[blchandl2]

Owner and rider for 33 years. MSF Instructor for 7 years. Never done a track day. I have owned 18 motorcycles of various brands. I am on my second FZ6.

I do most of my own maintenance, but have no formal training. If I am not confident I can perform the repair properly, I take to a trained mechanic. If I am not sure about my comments, I keep them to myself.

I ride to work ~45% of the time (I live in Indiana). I am an engineer so I am anal and chart the days I ride to work for whatever purpose it may serve. I ride between 10K & 12K miles per year depending on ability to get away for trips.

[racerws]

I guess I'm the "old guy" of the FZ6 Forum at age 56. Got my first bike at
age 14 a Yamaha YG1 80cc, and have been riding ever since. Did not ride
when my children were young but back in full swing now. I have mostly
Classic bikes but ride my FZ6 and FJR1300 most of the time. Drag raced
Super Pro Mustang for 10 years. I am a poor racer also, so I did most of
my own work. Have restored many old bikes including 79 CBX Honda,
76 Kawasaki KZ900, Suzuki PE 250, two 305 Honda Superhawks and
a CB160. I know a little about alot of bikes, but don't know alot about
any one of them. This forum has helped me alot on my Fizzer. Just love the
bike but the larger Feejer is alot better on the road. Yamaha and Honda
are my favorites. I will help with limited knowledge anytime.
Oh yeah, I am an intermediate rider and have brittle bones, so I don't
run on the edge all that much.
Wally aka racerws

[ozzieboy]

Learned to ride road bikes in 93. Did A ridersafe course here in Adelaide and spent 18 months riding a really cruddy cbx250 4 stroke.
Then virago, then a slapped together sticker licker bike.
A mate owed me for some work I did for him knocking almonds so he slung me a number of boxes of bike parts and pigeon droppings along with a bare frame. Went to a bike shop and after searching through the books on the shelf I found it. XS400 Yammy.
I sand blasted everything back to bare metal (everything...lol.). Picked up a huge quantity of stainless bolts and bits. Got the forks hard chromed, bits gold pacifated....yatta yatta yatta.
Frame powdercoated black, Tank and plastic sprayed red and road this beast for 5 years (2 of which I didn't set foot in a car at all). Done lots of night riding, wet riding and commuting. This is my first fuel injected beast and by far the fastest. Also my first sportsbike. So I've got loads to learn but I'm sure I can help some folk out here and there. Should have about 100,000km+ on my clock.
Cheers
Mike

[Wolfman]

Originally Posted by ozzieboy

Learned to ride road bikes in 93. Did A ridersafe course here in Adelaide and spent 18 months riding a really cruddy cbx250 4 stroke.
Then virago, then a slapped together sticker licker bike.
A mate owed me for some work I did for him knocking almonds so he slung me a number of boxes of bike parts and pigeon droppings along with a bare frame. Went to a bike shop and after searching through the books on the shelf I found it. XS400 Yammy.
I sand blasted everything back to bare metal (everything...lol.). Picked up a huge quantity of stainless bolts and bits. Got the forks hard chromed, bits gold pacifated....yatta yatta yatta.
Frame powdercoated black, Tank and plastic sprayed red and road this beast for 5 years (2 of which I didn't set foot in a car at all). Done lots of night riding, wet riding and commuting. This is my first fuel injected beast and by far the fastest. Also my first sportsbike. So I've got loads to learn but I'm sure I can help some folk out here and there. Should have about 100,000km+ on my clock.
Cheers
Mike

Is that a killer Mullet i can see happening in that first photo? Lol!

[ozzieboy]

LMAO, I admit it's probably a little mullet-like but the front reached my chin if I pulled it down so it probably doesn't really fit the bill...lol. I'd not too long left the navy and it was nice to own my own head again...lol.

[Wolfman]

Originally Posted by ozzieboy

LMAO, I admit it's probably a little mullet-like but the front reached my chin if I pulled it down so it probably doesn't really fit the bill...lol. I'd not too long left the navy and it was nice to own my own head again...lol.

The Yammy 400 looked like a nice bike by the way. Lots of modding, are we going to see the FZ get a bit of the same?

[ozzieboy]

The mods on the XS were in a lot of cases necessary due to availability of parts, although the mufflers bars and eventually mirrors (after some communication with a dude in a blue uniform) were my own choice. Also the seat was rebuilt as 2 levels from the ground up and was way more comfortable than any other bike seat I've had. Three layers of different density foam, sculpted and formed. I had to buy a wrecked bike for the carbies and a few other bits and some other stuff was fabricated for me by my brother who is a tool maker by trade. The FZ is such a beautiful machine right off the bat that I am certainly in no hurry to make any purely cosmetic changes, but I'm starting to get used to the power to some extent but it's got more than I'm quite ready to go beyond yet (previous biggest bike was my XS400). Luggage on the other hand. I miss my gearsack rack and huge bag. Also good for passengers, after I padded it. I don't want to ruin the good looks of this bike with the wrong addition so I'll be taking it slow.
Cheers
Mike

[kalel3914]

Well, I've been riding since September '05, when I took the msf course and bought a slightly used GS500k2. 5 months ago I upgraded to the FZ6 (raven). 300 miles into that bike my friend and I (he was on the GS) got cut off by some 80 year old coffin stuffer and dumped, totaling the bikes. Healed and ready to rejoin the ride force, Saturday I bought a new Raven FZ6. All in all about 5000 miles (the second year my son was born and I only put on like 200 miles, and this year, I'm up to 370 on 2 FZ6's). Next year, barring any unforeseen medical emergencies, I'll actually get back to riding like I did my first summer as a motorcyclist!

[opds9091]

Well, I have been riding since July of 07. The 07 FZ6 is the first street bike that i have owned. I am very happy with it. Thanks to all the guy's here they help to answer any questions or give idea's. I have done a few mods like,

Painted the hugger, belly pan, and coolant covers. PC111, K&N filter, -1 +2 520 conversion (red chain), frame sliders, dual head light, red body and engine bolt kits, Puig red windshield, Red led kit, metzler tire's, red foot pegs, YAMAHA swing arm stickers ans red rim strips, rear seat cowl and painted that red and that it for now. I live in Cape Coral, FL and drove the bike from FL to NY twice, also to West palm beach, Miami. And thats it, so in a nut shell I LOVE THE BIKE, AND WAS A WISE CHOICE.
And since he was born (named my bike after my son) I have put 9780k's on it.