Honda CBR 600RR Forum banner

CBR_GUY's 2016 CBR600RR Progression Thread

5K views 38 replies 13 participants last post by  CBR_GUY 
#1 ·
Hey guys,

This thread will be dedicated to the progress I make in both riding skill and modification on my new motorcycle.

To get started, a little about myself. I am an engineer who recently graduated from Washington State University(Go Cougs!) and have very little exposure to motorcycles throughout my life.

I am a car guy but my next car is in another league price wise. I have a 2016 Ford Fiesta SE that was doing nothing for me in terms of my vehicular interests. So in order to strop myself from going crazy while saving for my next car I decided to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course and buy a motorcycle. I took the course in North Carolina during Hurricane Matthew!! :serious: So I got early exposure to some of the worst weather you could be riding in and how important appropriate gear is.

After taking the MSF course (and getting a perfect score, woohoo!) I went straight to the DMV and got my endorsement. It took two tries on the computer test unfortunately lol Fast forward a week and I'm riding a 2016 CBR600RR off the lot in a lot of traffic and trying to get my bearing on the bike. I survived but we all know riding isn't about just surviving. So I am dedicating some time and money to taking further MSF courses as well as a couple of track schools in the middle of next year! I will be doing cornerspin and cornerspeed up at VIR.

I am a very picky guy about my vehicles so I started modifying it already. Below is my mod list so far!

Year: 2016
Make: Honda
Model: CBR600RR
Color: White/Black

Engine: Stock
Suspension: Stock
Brakes: Stock
Exterior:
TST LED Airfoil Flush Mount Turn Signals
Tripage LED Turn Signal Passenger Pegs
Tripage LED Fender Eliminator Bracket

And here are some pictures of the bike!

In the show room.



At work for the first time.



Cool night pic IMO.



Cleaned it up aesthetically.











Let me know what you think and go ahead and get your shots in about how I am an idiot for buying a new bike as my first bike, too much bike etc. I am here to learn but keep in mind I already know it wasn't the brightest idea to begin with. I just want to learn as much as possible and start dragging my knees at VIR as soon as possible.
 
See less See more
8
  • Like
Reactions: dixon cider
#2 ·
First, nice bike! Congrats!

Second, congrats on graduating!

Third, props on going the proper way through MSF.

Don't worry about dragging knee at VIR. Dragging knee is a result, not a goal. Start making it a goal, and you'll be finding yourself buying some new hard parts.

Finally, I'm curious as to what the next car is...

Good luck on the build!
 
  • Like
Reactions: dixon cider
#3 ·
Thanks man!

By dragging knee I meant riding the hell out of the bike safely and with confidence!

The next car will be a 5th generation Dodge Viper or early model year Lamborghini Gallardo Coupe (Pre LP car). Maybe....just maybe an LP560-4 or Murcielago Coupe but that would be a little on the insane side. I made the mistake of doing a few laps in a Lamborghini Aventador and it has ruined cars for me. So now I am saving to get into an entry level exotic with hopes to move up the ladder into a top tier vehicle down the road. Lots of saving for the next two years will get me there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dixon cider
#4 ·
Welcome! Well, you took the words out of my mouth already when you said you were stupid to buy a brand new bike. Anyway I'm in that industry as well so I fully understand that you probably pull in enough to justify it but it is still a move.

Well now that is out of the way good job on taking the course. I hope you have good gear in place and once you have some decent mileage under your belt you take that machine to the track at least 2 times. As for mods the best one for me was the exhaust. Adding a good quality slipon will make that bike complete as it stands but tends to make you more aggressive cause it sounds soooo intoxicating.

I am not a fan of exotics because I like my money in my wallet but if I put a GTR in my garage I would be all over it. I drove the Audi R8 and was not a fan of the turbo lag. I did also drive a Dodge Charger Hellcat and that changed my life especially for the price. It is not an exotic no doubt but it will challenge (pun intended) most of them out there for a fraction of the cost.

All the best on the bike. Take your time learning and don't get over your head cause when things go wrong it usually fvckin hurts!
 
#7 ·
Looks good so far. I really like the black/white scheme of the 2016's over the plain ol' all-black of my 2015. Although, seeing the Tripage passenger pegs has me thinking how black pegs would look on my bike. One more little thing I'll probably end up doing to the bike :smile2:
 
#9 ·
Thanks man! I love how the pegs turned out, I might have requested more LEDs if I did it again though.
I can't stress this enough. Get frame sliders. I got a CBR as my first bike too, I dropped it on a hill, everything was fine, the previous owner installed frame sliders. Nice bike btw
I will be getting some bike protection early next year. Thanks for looking out and for the compliment.
 
#11 ·
Unfortunately I popped the laying the bike down cherry this morning.

I was doing about 15mph getting onto the main road at a four way intersection. I was the only person with a green, no one in front or behind me. I leaned the bike over and cruised through the corner in first gear (just getting going). I had constant throttle but was leaned a little aggressively for being on cold tires. My rear tire found a fine layer of silt/sand at the apex of the corner and slipped out from under me. I instantly lowsided and slid across a couple lanes. Thank god, no traffic. It was very strange because I do this every morning going to work and it happened in an instant. I wasn't getting on the power or trying to be fast in any way. I am a little banged up and the bike is a little banged up. I limped the bike back to my apartment and went to work within the hour after clearing some of the adrenaline.

I respect how bad things can get in a hurry a little better now. Good learning opportunity under bad circumstances.

I'll be repairing everything back to OEM plus some upgrades while I'm at it.

Here is the damage.





















Everybody stay safe out there!
 
  • Like
Reactions: dixon cider
#14 ·
Thanks man. The bike will be back better than ever, no matter the cost!
Wrecks happen. Hopefully you had all of your gear on and are ok. Glad no one else was hurt. Take your time before you get aggressive, two wheels are dangerous enough while riding safely.
All gear on. Riding safely. Bang, on the pavement. What sucks is I've been taking my time. lol

Thanks for the advice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dixon cider
#13 ·
Wrecks happen. Hopefully you had all of your gear on and are ok. Glad no one else was hurt. Take your time before you get aggressive, two wheels are dangerous enough while riding safely.
 
#18 · (Edited)
"I was doing about 15mph getting onto the main road at a four way intersection. I was the only person with a green, no one in front or behind me. I leaned the bike over and cruised through the corner in first gear (just getting going). I had constant throttle but was leaned a little aggressively for being on cold tires. My rear tire found a fine layer of silt/sand at the apex of the corner and slipped out from under me. I instantly lowsided and slid across a couple lanes. Thank god, no traffic. It was very strange because I do this every morning going to work and it happened in an instant. I wasn't getting on the power or trying to be fast in any way. I am a little banged up and the bike is a little banged up. I limped the bike back to my apartment and went to work within the hour after clearing some of the adrenaline."

ok lets talk about this real quick. I raced dirt bikes non-professionally when I was a kid. My first Street bike (shown in sig) was this year. I got on the bike with zero experience or training. This was a huge mistake. Now, im not speaking about your experience im speaking about mine. Here's what happened...I drove in a rural area home and realized I could not stear the thing worth a ****. Turns were awkward at slow speeds and twice I ended up on the wrong side of the road. Luckily I choose a path home that had no traffic. I had yet to get my licence. My plan was to practice in parking lots until I was ready. So, after dropping my bike at a slow speed, just like you did, I did my research. I learned in two hours how to perfectly ride a bike and im about 500% better and I mean that literally. The point of this story is to send you to a guide because judging by what you said you do not know how to turn properly at slow speeds. Ill give you what I learned that Ive even taught experienced riders who had no idea: 1. Turning 1-15mph is all clutch no brake. If you press your front break while turning to slow your speed when you think your going down, you will. Period. 2. Back breaking is ok at almost all times in moderation. Take it easy with this and use only as needed. 3. When taking off from a stop at any time and ESPECIALLY in intersections you do not need to use throttle hardly at all. You can practice this in a parking lot by slowly releasing the clutch and letting the bike ride out then throttling after you lock into the gear. 4. Accelerating through a turn at slow speeds does not require much leaning if any at all. You need to find your sweet spot between slow speeds and when to initiate counter steering ( see number 5). 5. Counter steering. Obv by now you know what this is. When you're on a new bike its difficult to find the right speed to tilt and start the counter steer. This is why you went down. Your back tire slid out. I find I always initiate right after I make the turn never before. At least towards the very end of the turn. You do not counter steer at all at slow speeds. You will fall over. 6. Lastly, having confidence through your turns is probably the most important. Once you get the hang of turning like you have in this same intersection, your "weight arm" as I call it, that is holding all the turn and stopping the bike from trying to counter steer at slow speeds should be strong and flexed. This confidence will assure you dont panic and press your front break, you dont lean more than a few degrees, your clutch will be easier to release, your initiation of your counter steering will be more smooth and so on. Id like to add to this message hills and conditions change all these tips and this is just a basic guideline I have taught myself through research and experience this year. Any input from anyone reading this is welcome im always learning every time I get on a bike. Before I go I want to say: Dont let a fall discourage you at all. So many riders get the **** scared out of them on their first fall at slow speeds and sale their bikes. Keep your awesome head up and get your **** fixed and practice. Stay confident or you will get hurt. Thanks for reading.

Edit: this is where my research began:
 
#19 ·
༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つTAKE MY ENERGY;7871802 said:
The point of this story is to send you to a guide because judging by what you said you do not know how to turn properly at slow speeds.
Thanks for the tips man. I was at constant throttle, all clutch, no brakes, with a little extra lean on some sand I hadn't noticed. Bike rotated about its center and my lean actually saved me from getting thrown over the bike. Sand initiated an instant oversteer situation.

This is one of those things that can be attributed to as many things as you want because very few facts were presented. I appreciate the advice though. I'm on the forums to learn as much as I am to share.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dixon cider
#20 ·
FWIW..... rode/crashed dirt bikes as a kid, and learned the basics of traction.

Later, riding pedal bikes, the sand in corners is always watched for.


I ran over some small (peppercorn sized) garnet gravel on the CBR and had "rolling on ball bearings" type slide at maybe 5 mph.

managed to dab, keep it upright, parked bike and walked back......gravel of same color /size was spread over the surface.

After rains, I have lost traction on corners with road grit exactly the same color as the road surface.

not really using throttle much, the bike steps out a few inches, and regains traction.

sometimes, you can't see the trash on the road surface.

And I almost never accelerate briskly around town.
 
#22 ·
Just a personal opinion here but the above linked video is a horrible tutorial and there are MANY, far better ones out there; look for Keith Code's Twist if the Wrist series (very outdated setting and crappy acting but great info) and both Motorcyclist and Rider magazines have some technique videos on YouTube and their respective sites so search around for those instead of this crap.

Know your source is solid before taking advice from Internet videos: some dude on a rashed to hell bike with no mirrors or turn signals and the guy can't thread the throttle cable correctly is someone to avoid taking instruction from. You can, and should, learn to effectively use BOTH brakes, the throttle AND the clutch to safely, confidently and skillfully turn a corner at any speed. Know that body and lane positioning play as big of a role as your controls do in effective cornering, regardless of the speed.

Op, sounds like you're thinking this through which is good. Look at an "advanced" rider course or riding school to help with some of these more advanced skills and applying them. The BRC is a fine way to get you started but unless you continue with your education you can easily be teaching yourself bad habits instead of proper techniques.

Find a discount OEM vender for your needed parts. I'll suggest Honda of East Toledo who is a vender here for ordering. Give him a pm with the needed parts and your vin number and they'll help you out big time in pricing. Procaliber.com is one I've also had good luck with as well as Ron Ayers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cory Gillmore
#23 ·
Op, sounds like you're thinking this through which is good. Look at an "advanced" rider course or riding school to help with some of these more advanced skills and applying them. The BRC is a fine way to get you started but unless you continue with your education you can easily be teaching yourself bad habits instead of proper techniques.

Find a discount OEM vender for your needed parts. I'll suggest Honda of East Toledo who is a vender here for ordering. Give him a pm with the needed parts and your vin number and they'll help you out big time in pricing. Procaliber.com is one I've also had good luck with as well as Ron Ayers.
Thank you for the tips. I will be signing up for the MSF advanced course once the bike is back to where I want it. I want to take all of the classes available to me.
 
#24 ·
Hey guys, have some updates.

Picked up some Vortex spools, a Vortex rear racing stand, and Yoshimura bar ends.

I will be picking up an aftermarket fairing set in pearl white soon. I'm doing this to keep the OEMs intact for future resale, price and customization. Does anyone have a solid recommendation on aftermarket fairing suppliers? I've seen a lot of mixed reviews of all of them.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#25 ·
Hey guys,

Tearing into the bike to throw new fairings, exhaust, levers and double bubble.

I am trying to figure out what is up with my clutch lever. After the low side my clutch lever was able to be pulled up and over the grip. I'm trying to see if the perch was bent or the lever was bent. Can someone confirm if this lever looks bent?






Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#28 ·
Thank you for confirming my suspicion! I was already ordering shorties so no need to attempt the bending.

Here's a surgery picture because everyone loves pictures.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#29 ·
nice progress...

sorry about the off tho...glad that you are ok and the bike coming back together :thumbup:
seems like you got a good plans for it already.

where to get a good set of fairings have always been a good question, I have heard good stuff about monster fairings but I guess no aftermarket fairings will fit like oem so I guess its a matter of what you can live or settle with. good luck on the hunt!
 
#30 ·
nice progress...



sorry about the off tho...glad that you are ok and the bike coming back together :thumbup:

seems like you got a good plans for it already.



where to get a good set of fairings have always been a good question, I have heard good stuff about monster fairings but I guess no aftermarket fairings will fit like oem so I guess its a matter of what you can live or settle with. good luck on the hunt!

Thank you for the kind words! I'm talking to Monster Fairings about some custom fairings. I've seen good reviews so far.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#34 ·
Thanks!

I ordered the woodcraft sliders and HJC RPHA 11 Pro Venom Helmet Those should be here in a couple of days. I also ordered some stuff from Honda. That order includes stator cover, left hand mirror, gear selector lever with rubber cover, and bar end bolt.

I should be back to riding late next week, assuming the parts get here on time.
 
#36 ·
Some more slow progress made. I installed the frame sliders and test fit my helmet. It fits great! I love this thing!

Oh yah, and I rode again for the first time since my low side! Felt great, like riding a bicycle. I get the OEM replacement parts next week to fix up the scuffs and make it legal (mirrors).









 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top