Recently purchased a 1998 GSXR for my first bike. Not only is this to much bike for me but it is also race modified with exhaust, power commander, block is decked and heads ported. Put down 117 to the wheel on the dyno(with out the power commander). And with the ram air effect I should pick up another 5-10 hp. My buddy tells me the bike pulls r1's in 6th gear. He is no great rider and managed to run a 10.6 at 138 in the 1/4.

I wanted to start out on a 600 but my friends 98 GSXR was just to sweet of a deal for me to pass up at teh time. So I'll just try and take it easy for now.

I'm 23 and have been racing cars for years. So I was just wondering the basic do's and don'ts and what if any suggestions U longtime riders may have.

Also any suggestions to tuning the power commander? I didn't exactly get an instruction book if you know what I mean. And I know the prev. owner was not exactly an expert tuner. If anything I bet he made the bike slower. Can I get a program online and download it to the unit?

Fill me in guys, I'm new to all this, but I can tell I'm gonna love every minute of it already.


Thanks
Adam

Welcome, It sounds like you got yourself a lot of bike, to say the least. First off take a Motorcyle Safey Course, and considering buying/borrowing a poop-shooter bike to practice on. I dont know anything about programming the Power Cmd., most of the responses for that around here seem to be, spend a couple bucks and have it dynoed and tuned, using someone elses program doesnt mean it will work well. Good luck!

Well, if your already admitting it's to much that's a start, but I say get a beater bike to learn on otherwise your gonna dump that thing in no time and be pissed that it's all sratched up.

don't assume that because you've been racing cars for years that you have any experience riding bikes.

do assume that the bike will kick your ass.....

Seriously.....

Put it away for a while.

Take an MSF course, get a beater bike to learn on, get some track time on the beater even. Learn to ride a slow bike FAST, its way easier than riding a fast bike slow.

I have a 98 750, with just a little sort of 130rwhp(dyno'd at 129.7), and even after four years of owning it, 21 years of riding and ten years of (bike and car racing and 30 years of dirt riding behind me, it is easily capable of scaring the shit out of me on a regular basis.

It is simply way more bike than the majority of experienced riders need, and a lot more than almost ALL riders can not only handle, but actually utilise.

For the street at least its way overkill.

For the new rider, it is quite honestly a hell of a liability.

Its way to sensitive, way to twitchy, and way to poweful.

not to mention the brakes, and the "oddities" that they have.

to run a 10.6 I would guess that the gearing is not stock either - mine is slower on stock gearing with more power, so you haver even more of a handfull to get to grips with.

On the powecommander front, get it set up professionally - it costs about $200 or so...

but seriously - its way more bike than 99.99999$ of new riders can cope with.....

Well, thanks all for the concern. I think I'll take your advice on the MSF course. It's not like I've never rode a bike before. I've rode dirt bikes a lot I had a kx250 ninja I rode a lot in highschool, also rode my friends 600 f3 a lot recently. (that's what sparked my interest again)

As far as putting it away and buying another bike thats just not possible on my current income. If it was I wouldn't have bought this bike in the first place. I am just taking over payments. It's the only way I could afford any kind of bike my credit isn't exactly good. But mechanically it has less that 500 miles on the Eng. and rebuilt trans. It is all I got I'll have to learn on it.... I don't have any other choice.


The bike is by no means perfect. Previous owner dropped it twice, I saw one and it was less that 10 MPH and the other he was standing still at a stop light and just couldn't support it. (real little guy) so I will have to reasnd and paint it, then again I like doing this sort of thing anyway.


"Its way to sensitive, way to twitchy, and way to powerful"

I'm pretty sure this is where previous owner stupidity comes into play. He told me that he didn't like the twitchy, jerky throttle so he smoothed out the power curve with the Power Commander. ( I'm assuming this means he floods the thing out, which could be a good thing for me) Might be why I am always popping flames out my tail pipe? (hindle titanium system) Is this normal?

He had a run stand and enough know-how to be dangerous. The bike pulls pretty hard but feels just like my friends gsxr 750 until it hits around 9 grand once I get in that power band it really wakes up. It's like night and day. Feels like I just his the 100 shot of NOS on the damn thing. I tend to stay away from that area. I figure I'll grow into it.


"Not to mention the brakes, and the "oddities" that they have."

Thats the kind of things I wanted to learn about. Could you be a little more specific what "oddities"? What about the brakes? I was told to just stay away from the rears until I get comfortable with the bike, but the front brakes seem just fine? Should I watch out for anything?


The bike does have stock gearing, although I didn't mention the previous owner weighs a whopping 100 lbs soaking wet if that is good for anything.


Lastly, I don't plan on scraping my knees through any hairpins or doing any standup wheelies. I just want to cruise and enjoy the bike for now. I am more interested in keeping it mechanically sound. Assuming I don't CBD (crash burn & die) anytime soon, do you think this bike will be reliable? If treated properly of course.

Thanks for all the input again. I'm just trying to get my foot in the door here.

~Adam

OK, I'll be more specific.....

The oddities....

the part-throttle response is the major issue, its "choppy" at best meaning transitioning from closed to open is a very tough thing to accomplish smoothly, and if you are in the power band, and cranked over, a high-side is but a throttle-chop away.

The Brakes
When new, they where good.
If you have braided lines they are better
New fluid even better
HH pads - unbeleiveable.

I can lift the rear wheel on my '98 750 at over 100mph on the brakes. They are so wildly powerfull that a handfull (panic) will send you over the bars at ludicrous speeds.

Flame ?
It aint running right

Smoothing out the power delivery ?
Erm - if you have flames its not set up well, get it done correctly.

getting rid of the on-off throttle responce, or living with it, is an art...

To be honest you need the MSF course, and you need to find some none-squidly riders to ride with. My very best advice is to fix it up, and sell it on. use the money to buy something more learner friendly

"To be honest you need the MSF course, and you need to find some none-squidly riders to ride with. My very best advice is to fix it up, and sell it on. use the money to buy something more learner friendly " *quote from above*

Best advice all day for you. I would suggest the same thing...hopefully for your sake and everyone else on the road and ours... you follow it. Would hate to see you or anyone else become a casualty.

Hey Adam where in Florida do you live in??? If you live in Miami, and you have a group you hang with maybe we can all hook up, we are non Squidly riders al of us have been riding for over 4yrs now and some of us within the group have been riding for over 10yrs, apart from that we have 2 guys that race CCS in the group and we are always looking for new people to ride with, to have some fun with new people you get my drift... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/burnout.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
Let me know...

Thanks for the invite man!

Maybe I'll take U up on it after I get a little exp. I use to live in Ft. Lauderdale. I'm up in Palm Beach now. Use to hang out at Tower shops on the weekends. Unless U want to hook me up with some riding lessons! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Look for a riding school like http://www.schwantzschool.com/ after you take the MSF course. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

FInally got it and here it is.... Who wants to trade me a 600 for it http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Just joking. I finally got use to the jerky throttle, I unpluged the PCII and that helped alot. Gonna try some diff maps soon to see if it gets any better as well as a TRE mod.


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