Dropping a tooth on the front sprocket oft street bike??

I'm thinking about dropping a tooth on the from sprocket of my r6. I hit the top speed last night and don't need it at all.. Id like some more torque for faster acceleration and for wheelies. How much of a difference will 1 tooth make for both of those? And also, how much will it drop the top speed? Hit right around 170 last night.

It's been nice knowing you David.

Honestly man, if you are going to be doing that type stuff I hope you can make it through your first year intact. Eventually you will realize its not worth it. I just pray you don't learn the hard way.

(Sorry if I come off preachy, I've just got one really good friend that I miss on a daily basis)

You will notice the difference... I Love bikes i ride a crf250R and a CRF450R I never want to go faster then that on 2 wheels you are just insane...

i just wanted to see the top speed so i can get a comparison for dropping the tooth. i by no means ever want to do 170 again. 100-130 is a normal thing for a brief second. id still like to be able to do 150. im trying to find out if it will. also, will it make it easier to bring the front end up?

Why do you need to be able to hit 150? For that matter why 130? If you want to go those speeds you need to take it to the track. Not preaching man as I loved my R6 (sadly sold it 2 weeks ago) Bad things happen at those speeds on the street. Very very bad things. At least on the track you are most likely just go sliding across the ground and into some dirt and then stop. Sliding into a guardrail or rock wall at those speeds ends with your funeral.

Now to answer your question if you really want more torque and to do wheelies easier drop one on the front and go up one on the back. Top speed should still be 120ish. Wheelies will be much easier etc.... Might want to get a new chain if you go that route as well.

I get in stupid short races all the time and I can't beat most of them at only 120. 150 and I'm golden. Normally once I hit 130 they give up. Like 2 weeks after I got this bike I already wished I had the r1 for the acceleration factor. I can still do 0-100 in a matter of seconds. But i want it a little quicker. So I thought dropping a single tooth might do it. My boss recommended it. He is big into bikes. But he rides harleys, so I wasn't sure how it would compare

Dave-
We love you and hope to know you a long time. Make it a track bike only. I hate hearing this stuff man. You are too good a kid to get hurt messin with bikes on the street. Roll by the shop soon so we can catch up.

Dropping one tooth will make a marginal difference. If you want to have some fun, drop 1 tooth in the front and add 2 teeth to the back, and switch to a 520 chain. Your 600 to come to life! Talk about fun!!

I ran this setup on both my Aprilia RSVR 1000, and on my CBR600RR. I wouldn't waste my time with anything less. You just won't notice it.

With my -1 +2 on the 600RR I hit the rev limiter 145 in 6th gear. It was the perfect configuration for street and track. I would also suggest that you buy the Speedo Healer box to allow you to recal your speedo and odo.

BTW, I agree that if you're racing on the streets, your days are numbered. The freeway is one thing. Just don't be playing around where all vehicles aren't moving in the same direction. And if you haven't tried a track day, you should. It will change the way you look at riding forever.

By the way, we're doing a 2 day track event at Thunderhill for my birthday April 23-24. Let me know if you want the info.

You around Sunday Austin? I'll be meeting up with mike to give him my winch and for some rails. If you going to be at the shop I'll stop by!

-1+2 is the way to go. I ran that set up on my GSXR 600 toped out at around 145-150 depending on wind. The low end torque was perfect, could pop wheelies all day long with little effort.

Like everyone else... save it for the track man... you may be able to handle the bike but it only takes one person on a cell phone to not see you.

Another add for the -1/+2, have it on the 600rr and haven't looked back.

ditto on the -1/+2 for a bike like that. You'll give up some MPG and will need to get to used to the higher RPMs at cruising speeds. On my CBR1100xx I dropped one on the front and it is spot on now (but I'm more the sport touring guy these days). On my old Ducati I did 15 in the front and +2 or +3 in the rear along with a super light flywheel, oh mys...

Oh ya, I have a speedo healer too. So nice having a spot on speedo.

I'm talking freeway racing. Always on 280. Only races on roads that's go both ways I've hit like 80. Looks like -1 +2 is the way to go. 150 at redline is kind of a bummer. Because tonight I hit 130 in 3rd before my light came on. In 4th I can hit 130 at about 12000 rpm and love that. What is a speedo healer? And a track day sounds awesome! Thanks for the offer. But I'm going to pass. Only been riding like 3 weeks. Not ready to take some turns that fast

You have only been riding for 3 weeks and aren't ready for the track, but you have been street racing, hit 170 and wish you bought an R1? Ease up man - you have time.

Yea right as I posted that I knew someone was going to call me out. I know it is WAY different, I realized this the first day, but I've got 10 years of dirt experience. It's not like it's the first time I've ever jumped on a bike. I've got a few twisty roads by my house i ride almost every day after work. And I hit the turns between 55-70. But I'm saying I'm no where near ready for track turns when people are on the track that know what they are doing. A guy going half your speed around a turn could be a problem. And I don't want to be that guy. When I go fast I pretty much just tuck and go straight and hold on as tight as I can. I will admit though.. You are right. And it is stupid as hell. I just hey caught up in the moment and just go for it. My dad and the guy that owns the shop I go to both tell me how I shouldn't be doing anything near those speeds. I'm pretty sure that's why the shop owner got super excited when I talked about changing the sprockets. For what I wanted re recommended -1 and +5. but he said it would only do 130 TOPS but the tire would come up with just a blip of the throttle.

The track will teach you how to turn, stop, and accelerate your bike to the limits in a safe environment. They have a C group for first time track riders that is slower paced, and monitored by instructors to help you. After one day, you'll go home a much better rider, and maybe even graduate to the B group.

Your bike is geared for street riding. Even on the race track, hitting 140 is all you have time for on a 600, unless you're exiting onto the straight with serious corner speed. 140 is fast by even racing standards unless you're a vet racer, or riding a 750-1000.

SpeedoHealer is a little box that plugs into your harness to interface with your speedo pickup and instrament cluster. It allows you to re-call after gear changes. If you swap gears, your speedo will be off, and your odometer will be racked up more miles than actual. This could be a problem when you sell it.

I meant +2 in my post. Definitely do a track day man. Ride in C group learn the proper way to corner etc.... Any idiot with a right hand can go fast on a street bike in a straight line. That takes exactly 0 skill. Learn to corner properly and you will be doing something impressive then.

Yeah man... You're never too new to be ready to go to the track. You'll learn skills there that will save your ass.

Seriously, you need to slow down. Don't be a statistic. Riding a bike is dangerous enough at sane speeds. The "racing" thing is what makes me nervous. You're on a R6. There's nothing on the street (short of another sport bike) that's faster. Ride around with that knowledge and be happy about it. I know it's hard when you're young. We're being hardasses because we've all been there.

As for the gearing... I agree/disagree with these guys. I did a -1 on my first gsx-r 600 and it made it into a wheelie machine. I never pinned it in 6th after I did that, so I don't know what it did to top speed. It still went plenty fast for me. The nice thing about going down one in front is that you don't have to shorten or lengthen your chain. It's a quick easy deal. The -1/+2 is what most guys do on track bikes. Plus the 520 chain really lightens up the drivetrain. It'll feel like a different bike like that, but it's not totally necessary for a street bike.

I'll probably be doing the -1 front for my gsx-r when I get the new tires shoe'd up.

FWIW.... Come on out to the track. I'll be there that same weekend. You'll have a lot of fun out there and will be amazed at how boring riding on the street becomes.

Incidently... to elaborate further. 1 tooth down is the same as 2 teeth up in the rear. Most people don't drop 2 teeth in the front because it makes the chain radius too tight on the front sprocket. Going up more teeth in the back usually requires a longer chain. The ideal compromise is 1 down in the front and 2 up in the rear for most people. If you go down one in the front, then you've adjusted your gear ratio 1/2 as much as these guys are suggesting. You'll also lose 1/2 of the top end speed. IMO for a 600 if you go -1/+2 you're going to be taching serious rpm's on the freeway at 80 mph. Too much for me to be comfortable. I really like the compromise of just -1 in front for a street bike. A litre bike will turn much lower rpm's on the freeway and will be less noticeable.

"-1/+2 you're going to be taching serious rpm's on the freeway at 80 "

I was worried about this initally, but it wasn't an issue at. I don't recall exactly where I ended up for RPMs on the freeway on the RR, but the change was insignificant..... to me. I definitely didn't regret it.

You could always drop the front tooth and see how you like it. Then buy the bigger rear sprocket if it's not enough.

I think I'm going to try -1 in the front and see what i think before I do the rear. That way I don't have to buy a chain because mine is immaculate as is. My bike looks like it just came off the showroom so I'd rather not change expensive parts that are in good shape. Im going to my shop after work and talking to him again. And as for the speed thing. I know nobody can touch me besides another sport bike and speed takes no skill. I just get a crazy rush watching my rpm guage climb as fast as it does. And seeing the speed climb so quickly. The acceleration factor is an insane rush. And as for cornering take more skill I agree. I bought a 600 over the 750 I wanted for the cornering and weight factor. Cornering is the reason I bought a crotch rocket. I love leaning the bike over in a corner. Most of my riding is twisty roads. Just when I'm going to a destination a lot of people try to race me and I normally accept. Maybe it had to do with a dirtbike helmet and goggles and they don't expect me to kick their ass? Haha. Don't worry, finally bought a legit street helmet today. Thanks for all the info you guys

David I wasn't going to comment on this thread because I thought it was laughable. But now I feel obligated because of your safety and because you dig a deeper hole the more you comment.

To give you a little history. I rode sportbikes (don't call them crotch rockets) for about 12 yrs. I rode on the streets very little and enjoyed a good stand up wheelie as much as the next guy. I started doing track days and years later became an instructor for sportbike track time. I did that for about 5 yrs. My favorite thing in the world was getting a newbie on the track and having them dragging knees by the end of the day. You will never truly understand what your bike was made for unless you get it on the track and get some instructions. Also, it will make you 10 times the rider on the streets.

As far as the streets go. SLOW DOWN. Get your speed fix on the track. You don't have to worry about cars trees dogs or cops. I have lost friends due to old ladies crossing intersections and high speed wheelies gone wrong. Its a motorcycle. You ride long enough and you will go down. I promise. I have had my fair share of get offs and it was usually during the times where I thought I was bullet proof. I have another friend that is in a wheel chair from now on because he loved taking curves at high speeds and never thought about what would stop him if he low sided in a turn with trees and a brick wall on the outside of the turn.

I know I know. I hated hearing these stories when I was riding. I get it. I'm just telling you man because I hope it saves your life. Riding on the roads like that is not worth it. Take it to the track. You can't control what other drivers on the road do. Ride your bike like a virgin on the streets. Ride it like a whore on the track.

You don't have to have any experience what so ever to go to the track. There are guys out there that live to tow newbies around and teach them what their bike can do. I was one of them. Also, look up the term squid. You fit it to a T. After you look in to that you will stop saying the things you are saying. Keep the rubber side down man. Be safe. At no matter what age you pass away, no one will give a crap how fast you were on a sportbike or how far you could carry the front wheel.

Dude, you're going to be a story on SFGate. Take it easy.

Yes respect your laws, there is a place and time for every thing. 170 on the street is trouble waiting to happen. Watched a friend bust out on I-5 years back, hit about 165 and got bar slap and their was no pulling out of it. Every one has limits, not cool to do it on the streets. Hard lessons learned.

If you want to play to it off the highways and have fun, don't put others in harms way.

My 02 GSXR750 has a bigger rear sprocket and it will flip over in a heart beat, Why I don't let others ride it. I like a lil play time just like the next guy. Just make sure you do it in a safe area.

I read this earlier today and couldn't believe what a dumbass. Then I realized I really hope it is an early April fools joke. I have never heard of such a stupid ass as this. No doubt he is a young, dumb, and might as well be considered dead. If I remember right your Dad comes on here which makes me think this can not be true. I hope you take everyone's advice and take it to the track. Oh so I would love to hear about the rest of your gear if you are wearing a MOTO helmet and goggles, let me guess, flip flops and shorts.

If you can't get your front wheel up with the clutch, you're not experienced enough to be doing them.

Go buy some life insurance so at least someone will benefit from your stupidity.

Death Pool- I call June 16th, 2011.

You are the exact reason I sold my last sport bike.

Never again.

You ruin it for everyone.

wow. It just got really harsh in here.

I use this site for my gearing questions. Great tool.


http://www.gearingcommander.com/

Not trying to hate but you are coming off sounding like a SQUID. Just be careful, you will notice one tooth down in the front but might as well do at least one down/one up or as some people have suggested one down/two up. Will def make a difference in bringing the front up in first like you probably want to. I did one down/two up at first and then put it too one down/one up because at 75mph an hour (normal highway speed) it seemed a little too rapped out for my taste.

dang you guys. calm down. who cares what i do with my life. im not asking to be yelled at because i think its fun riding fast. my choice not yours. im not weaving through traffic racing. i only screw around if noone is around and i dont have to change lanes so im not putting others in harms way. and my dad knows. he isnt thrilled about it. but he doesnt get mad.. so idc if he sees this. no i dont wear sandals and shorts. i wear normal shoes, jeans, and depending on weather, a riding jacket and if its raining my snowboard jacket over the top of it. (guilty of running around in a tshirt this weekend due to hot weather though, still jeans though. not trying to burn my legs) ALSO if you read the post at all.. i said i dont ever need to go that fast again, so i want to change the sprockets which will make it slower and give more torque which is what id rather have. i understand your concern. but i know the risks and accept it.

and getting it up with the clutch. ive been trying to figure it out and cant quite get it up more then 2 or 3 inches. if you want to tell me how or give pointers on how to use the clutch to get the tire up id be happy to try it. ive been brining my rpm's up to like 7k slipping the clutch bringing it up to around 11k and popping it out. hasnt worked to well. actually i asked my dad how to wheelie. (he can go for ages on the back tire, on his ktm 525 though) he does them all the time. and he doesnt use the clutch at all. he said when you start using the clutch it will just cause damage. he told me to use the power band to bring it up then use the back brake and throttle to keep the tire where i want. he says that how he does it on his bike.

and by the way, i had never heard the term quid before. i looked it up and it made me laugh a little. (espically since in almost every defination they say they ride r6's or r'1s) ill give you guys that. i am coming across as one. but in the defination it says they come near a stop on a turn then go like hell going straight. i can corner and lean the bike over fairly far, but i was saying im not ready to be on a track with guys dang near dragging their knees. i cant do that. and dont clain to.

basically i was trying to figure out how far i should go changing the sprocket. i didnt come to get lectured. so we can just drop this thred unless someone has some usefell advice and not just saying im going to kill myself. or if someone wants to give pointers on clutch wheelies. but i doubt it.

thanks everyone that gave some usefell advice and not just talked crap.

sorry for typos throught this post. posted it from my iPhone.

Your clutch wheelies sound about right. Probably just need to pop it out a little harder. Won't lie, almost $hit myself the first time I popped the clutch on my older R6 (don't have anymore) hard enough to bring it all the way up. If you do your gear conversion powering it up in first will be a lot easier. Don't know if you already said you do this but on your power wheelies to help bring it up, you can "blip" your throttle to cause the front to bounce, then on the up swing of the bounce give it the throttle to bring it up.

Here is a pic of my older R6 before I sold it. Loved that bike was just so damn "flickable" into the corners. You can the "520" conversion which is on in the pics.
Like you want to, I went to an R1 a few years later and then a warrior for a little bit more of a laid back ride. Always miss that R6 though. Probably preferred it over the R1 just because it was so much damn fun to ride.

Clutching up wheelies is hard on equipment. There's no doubt about that. I've never gotten really into it for that reason alone. My old 900rr would roll up wheelies using the same bounce method mentioned above. I would get it to around 7k, roll off the throttle hard and roll back on hard. The front would come right up. When I had my DRZ I was just getting to the point where I could shift gears on the back wheel. The balance point is quite a bit higher than you think. Power wheelies are easy, but when you get the bike straight up to where you can shift and really keep it there just by rolling lightly in/out of the throttle then you're getting there.

Have fun... Try not to wrap your new bike. Keep your back foot over the brake. Usually just rolling out of the throttle will give enough engine braking to get the front back down if you go past the balance point. One of the guys I work with can do stand-ups on the freeway on his gsx-r 1k. He says they get easier over 70mph. I'll take his word for it.

thats clean man, i really like the bike. i think id like the acceleration of the r1 more, but the r6 i think id have more fun with because its lighter. but who knows. ill give the throttle a try like you said. and in first, i can clutch wheelie or power wheelie like its nothing. im having problems figuring out how to do it in 2nd gear. i can wheelie my bike in 1st with the clutch at 3k rpm all the way up to around 8. havnt tried higher then that. just have to lean back pretty far on low rpm.

in 2nd i can get the tire up about 6 inches just with the power, but i have to bring the rpm to like 8k while standing up, let the throttle off push down and snap it back and pull up at the same time. and its only for a split second. cant get it to stay up even a little bit. and with the clutch i do the same but rev it to around 10-11k and pop the clutch. and itll come up maybe 2-3 inches but itll sit there for a few seconds before it sets back down gently. not sure at all what im doing wrong. and i dont know anyone at all that knows how to do wheelies on a streetbike. ive watched tons of youtube instructionals and no matter what i try i havnt been able to figure it out. i went to a costco parking lot yesterday after they closed and played in there for a good hour and a half. i was starting to hold my 1st gear wheelies further and get them higher. but 2nd wasnt happening.

Your bike should rip the front wheel up in 2cd no problem. Try pulling in the clutch at about 9K and dropping the hammer. It shouldn't be an isssue.

If you try really hard you might be able to get the wheel up in 3rd, but this is tinkering with the limits of a 600. You'll have to bounce it, rear gear it, or stand up to get a 3rd gear wheelie going.

I'm not trying to be one of those guys that lectures you, but if you saw what happen to my leathers during both of my crashes, you'd think twice about leaving the house in jeans. They will do almost nothing to protect you.

this has GOT to be a ****ing troll.. right?

dang you guys. calm down. who cares what i do with my life. im not asking to be yelled at because i think its fun riding fast. my choice not yours.

There is no way that anyone, any age can be this ****ing stupid, right? Umm... Let's see... The people who have to pay for insurance and get absolutely ASS raped because of little SQUID ******s like you?

How about people with kids who don't want some little piece of **** kid doing a buck70 down the local freeway?

How about people who have to pay for health insurance and have to pay exaggerated premiums because of some little ******* like you who is wasting insruance dollars getting pebbles of sand BRUSHED out of your skin cause you high sided your bikes..

How about responsible people who are targeted constantly by cops and the general public because of the image that little ****ing cock****s like you create for the sport bike scene?

You are the exact reason I hate sport bikes and everything associated with them. **** you and **** everyone like you.

Yep, that just happened. If this isn't a troll thread - then post it on sportbikes.net as a troll/e-thug and all of your little 18 year old groupies can laugh.

I used to be young and stupid. But I made it through to the other side. Hope you do too.

damn dude your straight up tripping. calm yourself down. i pay my own insurence on my truck and my bike, have my own medical policy, make my payments on my bike. im not just a little rich kid with daddy buying me toys. i work my 40 hours a week at 18 about to be 19 years old and pay for all my hobbies and toys. so ill do what i want with them. if i get hurt or have to pay to fix my bike, thats on me. im not screwing it up for the rest of people. yea full coverage is 5,000 a year on my bike, or you can get liability and pay 300$ a year like i do. if i total my bike, thats my problem. im not screwing it up for other people. you cant blame "people like me", you honestly think that the mojority of people that buy sport bikes expect to hop on the freeway and do the speed limit? i cant think of one person who does. if i wanted that id go buy a scooter or a ninja 250. the point of one of these bikes is to go fast, they are not meant to go 65 pinned. and yea i know, your about to pull a comment out sayin take it to the track. pay attention man, im saying i DONT need to do 170.. i did it to find out top speed so i could find out how much sprockets would affect speed. i did it once and that was more then enough. it was at 11:30 at night, on 280 with a 2 mile straight away and not a single car in my path or behind me as far as i could see. i didnt ask your oppinion and honestly, i dont care. im just going to start ignoring comments like that. im not asking for it. and am tired of hearing about it. and john, i can understand your comment. and i apprecite that, i do know its dangerous and i will admit im young and do stupid things. not going to deny it. but jeff went way over the top. not called for. not asked for. and dont care that you dont like sportbikes. i do. its what ive wanted since i started dirtbiking 10 years ago. now that im of age i bought one.

thank you very much jarrod, ill have to try it. i guess im just scared to loop it with the rpms that high, but if thats what you have to do ill give it a go. my normal freeway cruising rpms are 8k ( i have a loud pipe and like to make a fair amount of noise just as a saftey thing for other cars to me, i get cars changing lanes into me all the time when im at normal speeds) anything over that i normally only use on a hard acceleration. ill give it a go next time i hit a empty parking lot.

Originally Posted by lfrider92

john, i can understand your comment. and i apprecite that, i do know its dangerous and i will admit im young and do stupid things. not going to deny it. but jeff went way over the top. not called for.

If I gave any lectures I'd be a hypocrite. I bought a Kawasaki 750 Mach IV in 1973 when I was 17. Later on I got a Z1. The speedo on that once saw 135. It may not seem fast but the handling on both those bikes were horrible. The Z1 had a violent speed wooble between 110 and 115 at the slightest provocation (like a puff of wind). If you could nurse it past 115 then it was fine. The 750 was wheelie machine.

and Jeff wins for angriest post on Wakeworld....ever.

Originally Posted by jeff_mn

this has GOT to be a ****ing troll.. right?




There is no way that anyone, any age can be this ****ing stupid, right? Umm... Let's see... The people who have to pay for insurance and get absolutely ASS raped because of little SQUID ******s like you?

How about people with kids who don't want some little piece of **** kid doing a buck70 down the local freeway?

How about people who have to pay for health insurance and have to pay exaggerated premiums because of some little ******* like you who is wasting insruance dollars getting pebbles of sand BRUSHED out of your skin cause you high sided your bikes..

How about responsible people who are targeted constantly by cops and the general public because of the image that little ****ing cock****s like you create for the sport bike scene?

You are the exact reason I hate sport bikes and everything associated with them. **** you and **** everyone like you.

Yep, that just happened. If this isn't a troll thread - then post it on sportbikes.net as a troll/e-thug and all of your little 18 year old groupies can laugh.

Originally Posted by jarrod

and Jeff wins for angriest post on Wakeworld....ever.

See why?

Originally Posted by lfrider92

if i get hurt or have to pay to fix my bike, thats on me. im not screwing it up for the rest of the people

.
I wasnt going to comment on this thread until i read this.
David, i cant sit on here and lecture you because i was your age once and did the exact same stuff. Now, i am older and much wiser. That is only something you can decide.
However, i have been in he motorcycle industry for over twenty years and have seen my fair share of accidents, seen lots of injuries and lost alot of customers( some of them good friends). If you think for a minute that getting " hurt " is on you and doesnt affect anyone else you are sadly mistaken. I dont care if you ride under the speed limit, this comment makes me think you are too irresponsible to own a streetbike. If something happens to you on the bike everyone you know will be affected for the rest of their lives. I've known people who have waaaaay more experience than you could ever fathom who always thought it couldnt happen to them. Until it did. The street is very unforgiving, and any mistake you make could be your last. You can be damn sure the last thing your boss wants to do is spend the rest of his life knowing he fronted the cash for your coffin.
Think about that. And good luck dude, I hope in a few years you'll be able to look back on this and laugh. Be safe bro.

David,

I have read this entire thread and you do what you want but think of it this way. My son (17) last September decided to be a typical 17 yr old know it all decided to go an hang with a friend instead of coming out on the boat with his mom and I. His friend has street bikes and they decided to go on a ride from Dublin down to Santa Cruz then up highway 1 to La Honda which I have been told is a very nice ride. He was riding a Ninja 500 or something small like that but it doesnt matter. He had some experience riding but not enough to make this kind of a journey. We were not aware he was doing this because we went out on the boat.

My wife and i came got home around 7:30 from the lake and hadn't heard from him so we were a bit concerned but I told my wife he said he was going to a movie with his GF so he probably couldn't answer his phone. By 9:30 my wife was getting more worried and I didnt think much of it since I am a Dad and figured he was just being a typical 17 yr old. At 10:30 pm we got a call from Stanford Hospital informing us he was in an accident was was in the ER and we needed to get there. We live 50 miles away so they said to get there when we could and to not break any laws on the way but get there as quick as possible. We arrived at Stanford around 11:45 pm and got escorted into the ER by a family counselor because he was under 18. As i walked in the nurse looked at me and asked if I was his dad and I said yes and he said come with me so I did. His exact words to me were "you look like you are goinge to F ing kill him", my response was I was and he told me his was not doing well and this was not the time or the place. We consulted with the Dr. and we were told he was moving to ICU and he ruptured his spleen. Incidently he did not have a scratch on his body but the helmet had huge gouges in the forehead. Long story short he spent 14 days at Stanford Med Ctr. 9 of those days were in ICU, he lost 2.5 ltrs of blood. Good news is he was home 2 days before his 18th birthday They had to remove his spleen so now eveytime he takes his shirt off he is reminded of this accident. The incision goes from your sternum to your waistline. Not to mention the 350K it cost our insurance co. Good thing I have great insurance.

He had a ship date of 12/13/2010 for the Marine Corp which is now on hold and he is unsure if he can get in at all now. The military has been his goal since he was 8. His records are in there hands now and they may not take him. He will have a pretty normal life in the end.

I guess the reason why I responded to this is to say there is more to your life than just you. You have parents, siblings ??, grandparents and friends that love you so just be as safe as possible and doing 130 on the street is not safe. Our situation has turned out good but I can tell you I was tearing up writing this just thinking about how we almost lost our son. As others have said take it to the track where you can still get hurt but atleast you are in a controlled environment.

Alright I'll give it a shot on the wheelie instructions because all I ever owned and raced was R6's with the exception of a zx6-r. First things first. Don't ever use the clutch on a first gear wheelie. You don't need it, plus it is super easy to loop it out that way. Alright, in second gear clutch that thing up. It is really easy to do coming out of a corner. Smoothly roll into the throttle until you are close to 8-9K. Once you are there remember that sound of the bike and begin to learn the feel of those RPM's. You need to learn to feel the timing so you are not looking at anything but the road. Once you are there pull the clutch and rip the throttle, then smoothly and quickly let the clutch out. Keep doing this over and over until you feel everything happening. Take baby steps with the speed of letting the clutch out. The key is in the pull of the clutch and rev of the motor at the same time. You can control the speed at which the front wheel comes up by how fast you release the clutch. As mentioned above, don't be afraid of looping it because simply releasing the throttle will bring it back down with engine braking (normally, not promising anything. I guess if you really raped it and let the clutch out really fast it could). You really don't need to fool with the tooth changes. I could wheelie my stock r6 for as long as I wanted to. At Road Atlanta and Barber I could wheelie the back straights standing on the pegs looking down onto my number plate. Just take baby steps and remember to simply listen to the bike. Also you really don't have to pull the clutch in to the grip. Just pull it a little so that it slips as you rev the motor. Good luck and be safe.

Just a heads up. I also have the S version. Not sure if it matters. But I only use the clutch in first gear if I'm going below 15. I could totally see looping it. And as i was leaving work today I thought about how far I was pulling the clutch in. And realized to get the motor to disengage I had to pull it a little over half. I was thinking that might be part of the problem because using 1 finger pulling the clutch in it would hit my fingers right as it was starting to disengage. I adjusted my clutch before I left so I pull the lever about a half inch and is disengaged. I tried it at higher rpm's that what i had been doing and it made a noticeable difference. I'm going to take baby steps like you said and start to play with it and try to figure it out. Hopefully I'll be able to get them up and hold them sometime soon. Do you recommend standing up or staying seated? I feel awkward standing and leaning so far forward but i could see that while the tire is up it would be more comfortable. What's the best way to start? Thank you very much. I really appreciate the advice. The only person I'm friends with that has a bike rides a Harley 1200 sportster so hr doesn't know a thing about any of this. And then there is my boss, but he is all about harleys as well and is very very against me going above 50 on the freeway let alone anything else. (he bought My bike and I'm making payments to him)

Thanks again

No doubt, start sitting down. Stand up wheelies will come later. I always slid as far back in the seat as I could and sit straight up and down to get your weight back. Once the momentum of the bike is coming up it really doesn't matter. At this point you are just controlling everything with the throttle. As far as the bike you are good to go. That bike has more power than you will ever need on the street. Unless you get into drag racing which is just plain stupid if you ask me. Not what these bikes are made for. Which I guess neither are wheelies. But they sure are fun. On the first gear wheelie just get your rpm's up and blip the throttle. There is more than enough torque there to bring it up.

That's what I thought. Sweet. I could half ass do them on dirt but it was pure power wheelies and it was all the pipe(2 stroke) but I had to be standing. That's why i asked. At 8k rpm in 2nd I'm doing about 45- 50. Is that where I want to be at? Not many places around here with enough room for that besides city streets.

Man I really couldn't tell you. I never really looked at speed. I kept a piece of black tape over my speedo just to keep me from looking. When on the track I never ever looked anywhere but where I was going or at least wanted to go. Ha Ha.

David you can say what you want, but if you are doing it on the street you are putting some one or some thing in harms way.

Damn Dan. I glad he is alright. That must have been horrible.

By far the hardest thing we have gone through as a family. The good new is he is ok but looking at the incision everyday is going to keep him off of bikes. He posted on his FB page about a month ago that said he found the hoody he was wearing that day and he got goose bumps remembering how scared he was lying in the hospital for 14 days.

I remember getting the call that my 70 year old father highsided his Harley back in '06 when a truck pulled out in front of him. He was ok, but being 70, it broke his arm, hip and leg. He still rides and I hate it.

Dang Dan.... I thought your story was going to end much worse. I'm glad it didn't. Thank god it was his lucky day.

If you ride, then you know somebody that was injured or killed on a bike. That's really all there is to it. Riding is like being addicted to a drug. I try to get away from it every year, but always find myself missing a bike. There is no feeling in the world like going for a cruise on a bike. Being out in the open and the adrenaline rush. It's really great. That said... it can go bad in a hurry.

Be smart. Be vigilant. Ride like everyone out there has painted a target on your back. Take the speed to the track, and enjoy. You're only young once. Hopefully you can look back on your indiscretions and laugh.

you guys win. totaled my bike.

I knew this would happen. Are you ok, or typing from a hospital bed?

Ouch! Hope you're ok. I guess your typing hand is alright.

Lol, not even a month. I hope you're not too badly hurt and that the month of fun was worth it. Kids these days, should listen to your elders .

Went to 4 corners. Idk where I was. But the ironic thing is I was doing the speed limit (50). Came up to a stop sign where I could turn right or left on another road doing 50. Had next to no front brake. Got scared and locked ip my back tire and had it in a controlled skid but blew by the stop sign and got t boned dead on by an suv doing 50. While I was doing about 30. Flipped off the bike into another lane where a car swerved off the road to avoid hitting me. Never blacked out. The car that hit me had on star so they sent an ambulance, helicopter, fire department and police. Driver of the car was un injured. Ambulance showed up first and since I wasn't complaining if neck back or head pain they called off the hellicoptet and took me to Stanford. Was there from 630 Tuesday night til 330 wednsday morning. Broke a bone in my left hand it's in 3 pieces. Tore ligaments in both legs. Not broken though. Can't walk. Nobody knows how I survived and if I survived a crash like that thru said I should have pretty much been in a body cast. My dad is picking the bike ip now. Said it's in like 5 pieces and almost nothing is saveable. Bringing it home now to try to sell every little thing I can. Over all I got crazy lucky and I know it. I'll post pictures of the bike and x ray when my dad gets home snd we Can take some of it

David, hope you are doing okay. That you are typing is a good start.

David hope your alright,

It only took me two week to total my first GSXR 600

Man, glad I sold my bike. Every time I get the itch to buy one again I'll pull up this story. Sounds like you lucked out - glad things didn't go worse for you.

No need to be a douche. I knew the risks.

ouch. hope the bike was paid for and you have good insurance. I don't even want to know how much they charge for a helicopter ride.

I have amazing medical. Owe a lot on the bike and just have liability.

Not really Jeff. It sounds like David had technical failure in the brake system.

Sorry David. At least you're alive and still have use of your limbs. Any idea why the brakes faded? Were you riding hard in the moments leading up the the accident? Lot of hard braking?

ouch

To be honest man, the roads leading up to the turn where very straight, or long sweeping turns. Very mellow lean to hit the turns at 70. I was flying through there and thought to myself I was riding really well through there. I saw the intersection and pulled the clutch in and started coasting toward it to shed some speed. I was doing 50 and started to grab my brake to cone to my stop and had almost nothing. Lever pulled in like nothing was there. I started to panic and didn't know what to do and covered a lot of ground before I locked my back tire up and slid through the stop sign where I got hit. Looking back I could have done a lot. But in the moment I didn't have time to think. My trip miles where getting close to where my fuel light comes on and I had no clue where I was or where to get gas. So I wad in a high gear to keep rpm's low. I could have quickly down shifted through them to slow me down. Or lay it on it's side to stop me before the intersection. ( had leather jacket helmet gloves and frame sliders so I think damage would have been much less. My dad just called me again, and said I was in 5th gear when he wad checking out the bike and said the front brake grabbed on fine when he tried it and said the fluid was full. So I really don't know. I never blacked out ( never hit my head, few very minor helmet scratches) so I thought I knew everything that hsppened. But who knows. I saw the intersection way early which is when I started coasting. Scary stuff you guys. Easy to look back now and think. Hard then

Man.... I hate to say I told ya so, too. Kids will be kids and not listen to anyone. Glad to hear you're alive.

We just got back from the track last weekend. Railed all weekend long. Saw 148 on the front straight lap after lap. Safe, controlled environment where you can go as fast as you possibly can and it was only $220. This is where you should be if you want to find out how fast you can go. I ride super slow on the street now knowing in my own mind that I could own almost anybody that I'd be put up against if I were dumb enough to give it a go. There's just no need.

As for brake fade.... I kinda doubt it on a new bike. You can hammer these brakes in every possible way. I bet it was more of a brain fade issue and not knowing where you were riding.

This is what we saw coming. A loan from your boss and only liability insurance. Who's the a$$hole now. You owe him a grip of cash and are un-able to work for a long time. If you buy something you can't afford at least get full insurance. I wont set foot on a bike unless it's got full insurance. It's too easy to total one.

Again... Glad to hear you're alive, bud. Good luck getting this thing behind you, getting back to work and getting your boss paid back. Life's short, you've gotta have fun, but take calculated risks. Riding a RACE bike fast on the STREET isn't a good call. Funny how the old guys end up being right a lot of the time.

Glad you are alive man! Can't say we didn't see this coming.... Take it as a learning experience and just try to grow as a person from it.

You guys are all delusional..

Brake failure? Mechanical failure?

Not being a douche?

The douche is the 18 year old kid with the huge attitude talking about endangering peoples lives on the street riding like an *******... You're lucky to be alive.. Sport bikes are to be RESPECTED.

Glad you are ok man, truly. But your attitude leading up to this ENSURED that the outcome was inevitable...

Heal up and stay off a bike for a while.

I've had on brake fade on both of my 600s. If you have old fluid or thin pads, it will happen. I had to adjust my lever out 3 clicks at the track last weekend, and that's with new HH pads and new motul fluid.

I'm just trying to give the kid the benefit of the doubt. Only he knows what happened. It doesn't do anyone any good to be a Dick at this point.

Brake fade on the streets at 50mph on a 600 street bike?

Stop being such an apologist...

Homie is throwing stones from his glass house calling someone a douche for trying to look out for his best interest (and those around him)...

I'll bow out from this, obviously I'm in the minority here..


STREET RACING IS FOR THE STREETS... YOU EARNED YOUR STRIPES NOW KID, TIME FOR THAT TURBO BUSA.. GIDDY UP!!

/ wakeworld

this is far too ironic to be a true story...

agree. I think we've been trolled

Glad to hear your ok but I have to agree with Jeff on this. Sometimes you just have to let dumb people be dumb. The idea of natural selection only makes us stronger as a human race. There is no reason to feel sorry for you. Far too often society feels sorry for a loser no matter what the circumstances are. Feel sorry for the person/family who is in a bad situation because of no fault of their own. Not the person who knowinly breaks laws and endangered innocent people who is now in a ****ty position. I say ridicule them and let them know they did something dumb and their are consequences for being dumb.

Please never touch a motorcycle or fast car again. You should have to drive something like an 85 s10 blazer with a 2.8 for the rest of your life. Top out at about 85 and takes downhill and a tail wind to even get that.

I don't necessarily disagree with Jeff, nor do I think he's the minority here. But there's a difference between sharing your wisdom as someone who has been a kid with a street bike, and being a dick. Insults won't get your mesage through. I think David gets it now.

Looser? Natural Selection?

We were all kids with bikes at one point, and we have all done stupid stuff.

I had to sell my bike because I had a hard time not doing stupid crap.

I'm glad to hear you are okay David. I totalled a bike too when I was younger, nothing as sever as your wreck but it was enough to give it up. It was 94 Honda CBR 600F2 I laid it down going hot into a corner and slammed it into a curb. Fortunately I just slid as did my passenger. I've been on a bike a couple times since but I doubt I'll ever own one again. Take it for what its worth.