Matt300ZXT
Member
Well since I've never ridden a motorcycle, and this is the first bike I've owned that runs/drives and can be ridden as it sits, I got to try it out today.
Granted, I was only just getting myself familiar with the controls, starting it, etc. I pulled the choke up, turned the key on, flipped the fuel switch, gave it a few twists on the throttle, and then hit the switches on the handlebar. I'm used to my Benz just blipping the key and the starter takes over. Well, since this bike doesn't do that, I held it again and after half a second or so, it fired right up and idled great. After a minute or so and the engine sounding healthy, I took the choke off and it lowered the idle but sat there and purred like a kitten, a very large pissed off kitten. I had the bike in neutral, so I scooted it back with my feet towards the end of the garage, popped it in first, and slowly let the clutch go so I could feel out the clutch lever. It actually starts engaging pretty quick and was very predictable. I don't think I'm going to have an issue with feel as far as letting off the clutch when riding it. After rolling forward 6 or 7 feet, I pulled the clutch in, scooted it back, and did it again several times. I was having a blast, though I'm sure my neighbors hate me now with that motor and Kerker exhaust firing off in my garage to amplify the noise. I only killed it once, which isn't bad in my opinion since I've never shifted a bike, and it's been a long time since I've driven a manual anything. I did try having my right foot up and only using my left leg to hold it up and just kinda dragging it along as it rolls forward under its own power and can tell I'm going to need to play with that a little more in a parking lot or something until balancing it comes natural. Plus, with a very smooth slick garage floor surface and just old worn out tennis shoes on, I was glad I was only rolling forward a few feet. I didn't ever feel like it was going to tip over, but I think that after I get a friend to ride it to a parking lot for me and I get to take over and just give it a wee bit of gas in a straight line so it'll balance itself, all the years of doing stupid shit on a bicycle as a kid/teenager will come back to me and it'll feel natural again. After about 5 or so minutes of playing with it, feeling it out and all that, I can tell you my left hand was a lil sore from holding the clutch in and slowly letting it go. That'll take a little bit of time to build up the strength but I'm not worried about it.
I did find it's pretty hard to find neutral while it was running. It's like I'm allllllmost in it, then it skips right past it and goes into second. However, when I shut the bike off, it was super easy to pop it into neutral. I do have fluids on the way to give the bike all new juice in every hole and hopefully I can get the balls to try and tackle any kind of clutch adjustment it may need myself in case something like that is the issue.
On a side note, now my clothes and I stink like burned gas and it's glorious lol
Granted, I was only just getting myself familiar with the controls, starting it, etc. I pulled the choke up, turned the key on, flipped the fuel switch, gave it a few twists on the throttle, and then hit the switches on the handlebar. I'm used to my Benz just blipping the key and the starter takes over. Well, since this bike doesn't do that, I held it again and after half a second or so, it fired right up and idled great. After a minute or so and the engine sounding healthy, I took the choke off and it lowered the idle but sat there and purred like a kitten, a very large pissed off kitten. I had the bike in neutral, so I scooted it back with my feet towards the end of the garage, popped it in first, and slowly let the clutch go so I could feel out the clutch lever. It actually starts engaging pretty quick and was very predictable. I don't think I'm going to have an issue with feel as far as letting off the clutch when riding it. After rolling forward 6 or 7 feet, I pulled the clutch in, scooted it back, and did it again several times. I was having a blast, though I'm sure my neighbors hate me now with that motor and Kerker exhaust firing off in my garage to amplify the noise. I only killed it once, which isn't bad in my opinion since I've never shifted a bike, and it's been a long time since I've driven a manual anything. I did try having my right foot up and only using my left leg to hold it up and just kinda dragging it along as it rolls forward under its own power and can tell I'm going to need to play with that a little more in a parking lot or something until balancing it comes natural. Plus, with a very smooth slick garage floor surface and just old worn out tennis shoes on, I was glad I was only rolling forward a few feet. I didn't ever feel like it was going to tip over, but I think that after I get a friend to ride it to a parking lot for me and I get to take over and just give it a wee bit of gas in a straight line so it'll balance itself, all the years of doing stupid shit on a bicycle as a kid/teenager will come back to me and it'll feel natural again. After about 5 or so minutes of playing with it, feeling it out and all that, I can tell you my left hand was a lil sore from holding the clutch in and slowly letting it go. That'll take a little bit of time to build up the strength but I'm not worried about it.
I did find it's pretty hard to find neutral while it was running. It's like I'm allllllmost in it, then it skips right past it and goes into second. However, when I shut the bike off, it was super easy to pop it into neutral. I do have fluids on the way to give the bike all new juice in every hole and hopefully I can get the balls to try and tackle any kind of clutch adjustment it may need myself in case something like that is the issue.
On a side note, now my clothes and I stink like burned gas and it's glorious lol
I'm going to have to buy all that stuff pretty soon as my MSF course is in mid May. 
