Owning Multiple Motorcycles

[gogoKawi]

After I got the ZX6, I found myself not riding the 250 that much. But lately, I've been trying to ride the 2 an equal amount of time. What I find difficult is getting adjusted to one after riding the other. Sometimes the adjustment period is just a couple of minutes. Other times, it's like half the day or the entire ride. My biggest problems are with throttle control and turning. I can't seem to get used to the throttle on the 250. And turning... It feels like I am just slinging the 250 over when going through the twisties. I don't have any problems go to the ZX. I'm not sure why. There is also the state of mind issue, where the 250 mellows me out and the ZX puts me in an aggressive mode. But, that's a whole other post. How do you cope with switching between bikes? Is there a secret, or is it just a matter of sucking it up?

[izmail1215]

Dang, you can afford insurance for both bikes? I got 3 bikes only one insured the 250r the 05 ZX-6r is just for mods and parking lots plus I got it for $1K form a friend. the 2009 650r was my dads but he doesn't want it so he left it for me =)
The 650r is the same colour as the 250r so I just change plates when I go out.

[KTRacing38]

Originally Posted by gogoKawi

After I got the ZX6, I found myself not riding the 250 that much. But lately, I've been trying to ride the 2 an equal amount of time. What I find difficult is getting adjusted to one after riding the other. Sometimes the adjustment period is just a couple of minutes. Other times, it's like half the day or the entire ride. My biggest problems are with throttle control and turning. I can't seem to get used to the throttle on the 250. And turning... It feels like I am just slinging the 250 over when going through the twisties. I don't have any problems go to the ZX. I'm not sure why. There is also the state of mind issue, where the 250 mellows me out and the ZX puts me in an aggressive mode. But, that's a whole other post. How do you cope with switching between bikes? Is there a secret, or is it just a matter of sucking it up?

I think you just have to suck it up. I used to ride a GSXR600 on the street and race and RC51 - two totally different motorcycles. I always has trouble getting comfy on the RC51 again after riding the GSXR. But not the other way around... after a session or two, I was fine with the RC51.

K.

[Xoulrath]

Well, I don't have any serious issue jumping on my wife's TU250X, but I do have to remember to slow a bit for corners and brake a bit earlier. I guess it is probably more a mental thing. Take it easy and make the adjustment. If you aren't feeling it that day, then you probably weren't riding in your zone anyways. Be safe out there.

[welcome2thedawn]

when you mentioned turning, and said that you don't have any problems go to the zx...were you saying that you don't have problems going from the ninja to the zx? i have a 73 honda cl 200....it sat for probably about 20 years, and still has all the original parts, including cables so everything is really stiff...rode that for a week, when i first jumped back on the ninja i was a bit abrupt for a second, as i had gotten used to the clutch being stiffer, the brakes not working as well, and having to give it much more throttle to get it going...i tried out my boyfriend's cbr1000, and i felt way less confident turning, not being used to the handlebar position...and putting my feet up and down felt awkward with the rearsets being higher and further back...you are probably on the right track with alternating back and forth....the more experience you have with bikes that feel different, i'm sure will help you adjust faster

[pedaltothemetal]

Just rode my 250 for the first time in a couple months. Been riding the ZX-14 for 4000 miles. 250 now feels so slow, I first thought something was wrong with it! Took forever to warm up too and had to use a choke!
Guess you never notice these traits of the 250 until you get used to a bigger fuel injected bike!
Still fun to just flog the hell out of it like I used to! It's a tough little bike that just keeps on ticking!

[dubojr1]

I guess I'm kinda the opposite. I ride my 250 most of the time commuting to and from work. I jump on the 1000RR when I have the "need for speed" or just want a reminder of what 0-84 mph in first gear feels like.

[Sailariel]

Inadequate throttle response has been brought up a number of times on this forum. My read on this issue is that many of our participants are afraid of RPM. There is absolutely no need to be going 45mph in fifth or sixth gear. The Ninjette is all about RPM. I never run my bike under 7500 RPM. In that range, 7500 to 9000 RPM, the bike comes to life. For road riding in groups, the Ninja is fine, and will keep up with the bigger bikes. You just shift a lot more on the Ninja. Going from the ZX6R to the Ninjette would pose less of a problem if the Ninjette was revved higher. I regularly ride with people riding Honda 1000s, a 999 Ducati, 1100 BMW Dual Sport, a couple of Suzuki 650 Dual sports, Suzuki Boulevard 900, etc. I am usually the small bike.

[spooph]

polygamy has never been easy.

How do you adjust for the various rides? Um, practice practice practice. The more experience you have with each bike, the more solid your frame of reference will be, and the more unique each relationship will be, becoming easier as time goes by and experience increases.

You could speed this process up by trying to ride as many bikes as you can. If you have friends who would trust you with their bike, ride their bike, switch half way through a ride...

Tis good training to be able to ID a bike's character in the first few turns.

A massive factor in all of this is also how hard you'll be riding each bike. If you're just putsing around town, the amount you have to adjust is significantly less than hauling balls on the track with both, for the limits of each bike are very different, and therefor the consequences of not knowing them significantly greater.

Best of luck!

[thurt88]

Originally Posted by dubojr1

I guess I'm kinda the opposite. I ride my 250 most of the time commuting to and from work. I jump on the 1000RR when I have the "need for speed" or just want a reminder of what 0-84 mph in first gear feels like.

This is the same for me. Gonna teach my wife to ride the 250.

[dtyndall]

Originally Posted by pedaltothemetal

Just rode my 250 for the first time in a couple months. Been riding the ZX-14 for 4000 miles. 250 now feels so slow, I first thought something was wrong with it! Took forever to warm up too and had to use a choke!
Guess you never notice these traits of the 250 until you get used to a bigger fuel injected bike!
Still fun to just flog the hell out of it like I used to! It's a tough little bike that just keeps on ticking!

Amen to that. Grranted your ZX-14 has about sixty ponies up on my newest bike, but I went from the 250R to the 2011 Ninja 1000 and I can't even push myself to take the 250 out anymore. I pull back on the throttle on the 250 and find myself waiting for the engine to kick in.

[Xoulrath]

Originally Posted by dtyndall

I pull back on the throttle on the 250 and find myself waiting for the engine to kick in.

I traded in my Ninja to get my ZX as I was offered a good bit over KBB so it was easier to deal with the dealer than to sell it (I had to to get the new bike). I still ride my wife's TU from time to time and I actually rode it to the store tonight to get a few two liter sodas. I have only had the ZX for a couple of days now, but I find the power to be quite addictive. I ask the bike to move, and it does. That TU is fun and it sounds great, but I can't see myself riding it for any other reason than a quick errand or a test ride after maintenance.

[Peanut_EOD]

I have my ZX-6R for riding on the street and I bought my 250 just to be a dedicated race bike. I have no problem switching. Maybe you should just make your 250 a race bike.

[ztrack157]

My 250 is fast. But then again after riding on one of the 1000's the 250 feels nimble and slow.

[Hitman]

My Ninja 250 is my daily bike. I ride my GSXR 600 mostly on the weekends. Cant beat the gas milage of the Ninja and I have it geared up to cruise at higher speeds on the freeways. Plus the Ninja 250 is so much easier/quicker to turn.

[Xoulrath]

Originally Posted by Hitman

Cant beat the gas mileage of the Ninja

I loved my little Ninja, but my wife's TU kills it in fuel economy. I was averaging about 50 mpg mixed riding on the Ninjette, but I haven't ever seen the TU drop below 65 mpg. As fast as the Ninja 250 it isn't, but the damn thing handles pretty well, and it's a great commuter bike for my whopping nine mile trip.

Apparently it can get as much as seventy-plus miles a gallon. It would probably require me not riding it, and some flat ground somewhere.

[KGar]

My little Ninja was intended to be my commuter but I went crazy with all the mods like full exhaust,jet kit etc...now it gets about 49mpg . So now I have a fun little light weight bike with 30hp but my 1200 BMW with a hundred more ponies gets around 45mpg so I find myself choosing it more often. It's my fault for modifying the 250 to be something other than what I originally bought it for. Don't get me wrong I still like riding the 250 because it half the weight but I should have kept it stock. As far as getting used to the difference in the two it's only a few minutes and I'm good to go .

[sowega]

At my last trackday, I switched back and forth between the 250 and my S1000RR. At home, I switch up from the BMW to my old 748 to my 70cc Zuma all the time.

Ride whatever you feel like riding. If you don't ride one of them, get rid of it.

[Nemesis]

Funny thing, somethings I feel I can corner faster on a 250 than on my 600. What sucks about having multiple bikes is that you tend to ride one more than the other. Well, at least in my case that seems to be true. I've ridden my 600 only once this year whereas my 250 got around 4 or 5. Sad...truly sad.

[Havok]

The issue i have is with turning, i tend to take turns to close on the 250 now that i ride the fazer, i forget how much tighter the turning is on the 250, all most hit my exaust on the curb last weekend, i had to play it off to the guy riding behind me like it was noo big deal as i felt like a dolt lol.

[dtyndall]

Originally Posted by Nemesis

Funny thing, somethings I feel I can corner faster on a 250 than on my 600. What sucks about having multiple bikes is that you tend to ride one more than the other. Well, at least in my case that seems to be true. I've ridden my 600 only once this year whereas my 250 got around 4 or 5. Sad...truly sad.

I know what you mean. While my Ninja 1000 is in the shop, I'm driving my 250R around in its place, coming to the realization almost immediately how much fun the 250 still is, and how it feels so good to ride due to its lack of weight, forgiving brakes, etc.

[GeorgiaHooligan]

Are you guys happy with the zx6r? Iv only been on a cbr600 besides the 250 and dont have much to compare it too. I like the seat height on the honda though.

["A"]

I have a great empty office complex just 1/2 mi. from my driveway. Within the office complex there is a 1 3/4 mi. loop that I warm up my tires before every ride, take two laps if I really feel the need.
Two to three times a month I would take all my two-wheel vehicles out and ride a few laps on each of them.. Keeps me sharp on each and every one of my rides.