[SnapRolls]

Motorcycle.com has reviewed the 2006 Yamaha FZ-1 recently.

They liked the bike but had a couple of nits... vibration and throttle response.

I decided that I wanted fuel injection, but the FZ-6 throttle response from idle to "power on" has been somewhat disappointing. Disappointing in the same way that Gabe described the FZ-1 response (unsettling, not smooth, but abrupt).

I've been thinking about playing with idle speed and the dead band to see if I can not improve things. It seems there should be a simple solution to this problem.

 

[redoliander]

yeah a pc

 

[segue00]

Motorcycle.com has reviewed the 2006 Yamaha FZ-1 recently.

They liked the bike but had a couple of nits... vibration and throttle response.

I decided that I wanted fuel injection, but the FZ-6 throttle response from idle to "power on" has been somewhat disappointing. Disappointing in the same way that Gabe described the FZ-1 response (unsettling, not smooth, but abrupt).

I've been thinking about playing with idle speed and the dead band to see if I can not improve things. It seems there should be a simple solution to this problem.

There is a real simple solution! Learn to control the FZ6. Find the sweet spots to the clutch, throttle and brakes and learn to use them all together to fine tune your control inputs. It takes a bit of getting used to. The engine is designed for higher RPMs and throttle response is almost instantaneous to rider input. It's actually a simple case of a rider adapting to the bike, rather than the bike adapting to the rider. Find all the sweet spots!!!!! They exist on these new bikes!

 

[klouseau]

I find no trouble at all with throttle/clutch/acceleration response on my 2004 fz6. When I want to wind her up, she goes real good

 

[SnapRolls]

I've been stewing over Segue's response...

I think of the clutch as an aid to shifting gears. The throttle response abruptness only bothers me when I roll on the throttle after slowing to do a sharp turn (like a 90 degree right turn onto a street). Maybe I just need to squeeze the clutch as I bring the power up. I'm in the correct gear (2nd or 1st) so I just never dreamed of squeezing the clutch. It might just make the abruptness a little more predictable.

Thanks for making me think, Segue. I can not wait to try this on my next ride!

 

[derf]

Maybe I just need to squeeze the clutch as I bring the power up. I'm in the correct gear (2nd or 1st) so I just never dreamed of squeezing the clutch. It might just make the abruptness a little more predictable.

He's right. Mastering smooth clutch control to control acceleration will really make all your riding smoother. An experienced and skilled rider commonly 'feathers' the clutch, especially at low speeds.

Give this a try.... Practice tight slow speed u-turns and figure 8's by keeping the throttle at a constant, while controlling speed with the clutch only.

Lotsa fun!

 

[jazzcatt]

There is a real simple solution! Learn to control the FZ6. Find the sweet spots to the clutch, throttle and brakes and learn to use them all together to fine tune your control inputs. It takes a bit of getting used to. The engine is designed for higher RPMs and throttle response is almost instantaneous to rider input. It's actually a simple case of a rider adapting to the bike, rather than the bike adapting to the rider. Find all the sweet spots!!!!! They exist on these new bikes!

I'm with ya' on this. After I put some miles on the bike and was starting to feel real comfortable on it, I noticed the throttle response issue the rag testers were talking about - abrupt transition to power-on from a closed throttle, typically when exiting a sharp corner like a 90-degree intersection. I found that by using a neutral throttle position and being in the right gear to keep it there, I could exit corners much more smoothly and avoid the jerky power-on from a closed throttle. I had to think about what I was doing for a while and it took some getting used to, but it was worth it and overall I think I'm smoother through corners than I used to be. I never thought about clutching as a way of smoothing it out, to me it was a throttle issue so I adjusted my throttle technique to fix it.

 

[SnapRolls]

I found that by using a neutral throttle position and being in the right gear to keep it there, I could exit corners much more smoothly and avoid the jerky power-on from a closed throttle. I had to think about what I was doing for a while and it took some getting used to, but it was worth it and overall I think I'm smoother through corners than I used to be. I never thought about clutching as a way of smoothing it out, to me it was a throttle issue so I adjusted my throttle technique to fix it.

What do you mean by "Neutral throttle position?"

 

[SnapRolls]

Give this a try.... Practice tight slow speed u-turns and figure 8's by keeping the throttle at a constant, while controlling speed with the clutch only.

Yeah, I can do the U-Turn thing all day long. But when you're rolling along with the revs well above 2000, and "you just want some power... now" it seems counter-intuitive to use the clutch.

Feathering the clutch in the low speed u turn situtation is removing power from the wheel to inprove control... the revs are low to begin with...

Using the clutch to modulate the smoothness of power delivery at the rev range I'm talking just doesn't seem right at first glance... but I'm going to try it today (I hope).

 

[jazzcatt]

What do you mean by "Neutral throttle position?"

A throttle position where the engine speed exactly matches the bikes ground speed. As I understand the terms from reading ride reviews, "trailing throttle" is where engine braking/decelleration is happening but the throttle is not necessarily fully closed, "leading throttle" is where it's accelerating, and "neutral throttle" is where the bike is neither accelerating nor decellerating. As I approach a turn I brake and downshift to the speed I want for the turn, find the neutral throttle position for that speed (you might say I "pre-open" the throttle without actually accelerating), turn in, execute the turn, then roll the throttle on to accelerate out of it. Kinda goes against the natural instinct to keep the throttle closed 'til you're ready to accelerate on the exit, but it's really just like a higher speed curve in a road - decellerate to the correct entry speed, maintain a steady throttle through to the apex, then roll on as you exit. It's just happening at a lower speed. And I think that's what segue00 was getting at - learn how to control the bike at low speed stuff. But to do that you need to work with each bike's own personality.

 

[Metric]

There is something interesting about this conversation. I know not everyone riding a motorcycle would think to do this or even understand it if they haven't been riding long, but you would think that the guys testing the bikes would do it without even thinking about it. It should be second nature. I know that every bike is a little different and their job puts them on multiple bikes in the same weekend over and over again. Yet they still keep pointing out that these new bikes have such touchy throttles. Maybe I should just give them the benifit of the doubt and say that they are making this comment for the average joe looking for a first machine.