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Commuting on the R6 - HELP???

33K views 25 replies 15 participants last post by  SLeRoux92 
#1 ·
Hi all. Just joined the forum, so hello from sunny London. Have had my 2009 R6 2 weeks and loving the looks and speed of this bike! On the open road and country lanes I am soooooo loving it!!!!!

Can anyone advise me how to ride it commuting to work? So far I've been hating the clutch and throttle control. The clutch is almost on/off and the throttle has delayed reactions. Slow cornering and negotiating traffic is very difficult compared to my last bike (SV650s).

Cheers
 
#5 ·
The wet clutch system on the R6 is a really durable and long lasting setup. You see people clutch wheelies a million times on these bikes and the clutch isn't even phased. I personally like to take it easier on my bike, but if I am in traffic, I do whatever it takes to keep the bike moving smoothly. It often requires a little clutch since the bike doesn't really go any slower than 10 MPH. I put a -1/+1 sprocket setup on my bike, and it lowered my rolling speed making traffic a lot easier to deal with. And I have yet to ride an R6 that didn't have that either on the gas or off the gas feeling.

Just make it happen bro, and you'll get a lot more used to the bike and how to handle it at low speeds
 
#6 ·
When I picked up my R6, I was having the same problem...I was coming from a Ninja 600. It just took practice man. I was very uncomfortable in both slow speeds and riding position. Now though, I love it. I can ride 150 miles round trip without problems and I used to commute ~40 miles round trip to school in sometimes heavy traffic. It just takes time. Once you get it though, you won’t have any problems.

I do admit, the R6 is not the most comfortable commuter. I plan on restoring something else in the near future for that.
 
#7 ·
As others have said, youll get used to it...

But try adjusting the clutch in a little more. Adjust it to where theres a little more free play maybe? But dont adjust it to where it engages almost immediately, you want it to engage about 3/4 the way out from the grip...

Good luck, youll be fine...and this is coming from a daily 84 mile commuter...
 
#14 ·
The stock lever is huge, more leverage but I wasn't grabbing it out at the end to get more leverage, I was further in and using less of the lever. With the short adjustable lever I can adjust it in, use it at the end and actually have a longer usable lever length. If your fingers can be on the bar and reach the stock lever out at the end than carry on.
 
#15 ·
I loved my shorties and only hated them in long period of times when I had to pull the clutch lever in. Made my hand cramp up and became rather annoying after being stuck in rush hour traffic a few times when there were alot of time with the lever pulled in. No matter how far or close I adjusted them. If I am going to get levers again I will get a stock length clutch and shorty brake
 
#16 ·
I'd go with long adjustable clutch levers. You can use all 4 fingers to keep the clutch and and to feather it out, this keeps your fingers from fatiguing and cramping up. While I love my shorty levers, there are times where I wish I had long levers.
 
#18 ·
yeah staying in second is key. When I go to take a turn, I usually keep it in 2nd, as out bikes don't like to be riddin in 1st gear for very long
 
#23 ·
:werd ^^^

That's terrible and especially from an "instructor". Whenever I come up on another biker (even those cute little scooter riders...LOL) I never ride that close. Everyone rides their own way and to try and make someone go a bit faster because it's not your style...dangerous.

Don't even sweat it man...just ride like you want to (safely)!!!
 
#24 ·
What an e-jit! Fellow bikers should not intimidate others. That was not cool. Don't worry about it dude, ride your ride
yeaah, no doubt. at first i was lke damn, i gotta speed up. but then there was a corner coming up, and i'm not too well at them yet so i go at a slower speed. he took it easily, but just when he did his hand gesture i was like, the heck?

would've been cool if he talked to me and helped me though..BUT HE DIDN'T.:lmao
 
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