Just realised how big the Falco is.

Message

blinkey501 · #16 Post by **blinkey501** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 4:20 pm

I have asked pete what the music is called, skaramanga was his reply

Aladinsaneuk · #17 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:13 pm

:)

I was saving the details of our initiation ceremony....

blinkey501 · #18 Post by **blinkey501** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:23 pm

I look forward with anticipation

#19 Post by **mangocrazy** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 7:51 pm

bigearsbilly wrote:november is always a rotten greasy month.
I always seem to buy my bikes in november!

That said I reckon the SL is a great machine on crappy roads.
It feels like it wants to stay rubber down, bubble up.
I only just got mine but it don't scare me like some have.

Don't even try to take on an Impreza this time of year!

Completely agree. At least we haven't had the salt spreaders out yet, although I doubt it will be long before they're around.

'Big and heavy' is all relative, I suspect. If you're used to modern 600s, yes they are big and heavy. But compared to some of the 70s, 80s and even 90s monsters, they're fairly trim. But a lot of the 'heavy' feeling is down to how quickly they steer. As standard they're set up to be pretty slow steering. But drop the forks through the yokes (I have 5 rings showing) and jack the back up and they steer beautifully.

FalcoJock · #20 Post by **FalcoJock** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 8:05 pm

Re the very start of this thread. I was blasting along one of my favourite roads on my Falco a few years ago when I was aware of a Harley catching me. That can't be right I thought and pressed on. But it was right and he went passed me and I couldn't stay with him. Partly because he was a maniac on overtakes, and partly because he was really smooth and quick.

I was very demoralised by the experience. My solution (and I'm not being evangelistic here but it worked for me) was to join the local IAM group. They use the police system and it has transformed my riding, so I'm a big fan. I passed the advanced test in 2008 and it's one of the best things I've done.

I believe I am both much quicker, smoother and safer than before (cue for Monty Python sketch - there are three things I am better at) and I happily ride all year round (four things I am better at) (that may sound evangelistic, but I'm trying not to).

Would the Harley stll catch me? Possibly, but I'd give it a much better run for it's money.

#21 Post by **Kwackerz** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 8:08 pm

If the Harley was ridden by Sheebee, you wouldnt stand a chance. She'd give <insert racer's name> a run for his money when she's on pootling on her Harley..

FalcoJock · #22 Post by **FalcoJock** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 10:54 pm

A well ridden Harley is a thing of great beauty to see. It looks super smooth and flowing and deceptively effortless. And I wouldn't doubt for one moment that Shebee and many others would leave me for dead. It's the fact that I would't be quite as dangerous trying to stop it happening, and I'd be further along the road before being caught in the first place.

Ok, i'd still be a bit gaulled by the experience...

HowardQ · #23 Post by **HowardQ** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:18 pm

What's all this talking about the Falco and using the words "big and heavy".
What a load of bollocks, up to two years ago I kept my old CBR1000F alongside the Falco as a winter bike.
Now that was big and heavy and long.
It was very stable at speed on good roads, but in slow turns it always wanted to nose dive into the tarmac.
I had it 7 1/2 years in total, (5 years alongside the Falco, now replaced by the 9R).
Never really rode it in snow, but in some snow storms and on lots of crappy "ready salted" roads, including the latest sugar sludge.
Just had to treat it with respect, the Falco is generally much easier, but the sudden V/Twin urge means you have to watch that side a bit more than the CBR or Kwack.
The 9R is probably just the best in winter because if you keep revs down, it will pull from about 2k, is a big pussy cat and very gentle as long as you don't turn the right hand too far, when it is very different!

HisNibbs · #24 Post by **HisNibbs** » Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:43 am

It's all relative I supose but to me my Falco is light , nimble, balanced and beautifuly stable at speed so its just a question of where you want to put it and how fast you want to go.

In standard trim the front end doesn't give good feed back and it is very what I'd call rear end biased. Get a shock with ride height and wind that right up and drop the yokes down the forks. I have 5 rings showing and the front end feels much better. Also the OZ wheels help and though they make the bike feel noticably lighter, I would have made the same comments before I fitted them.

As far as matching other bikes on the road is conserned I think it is rarely down to the the ability of the bike. It's more a function of risk taking and experience. An inexperienced rider can go quite quickly on the road if they take a lot of risks. Would they be able to change line and avoid the patch of diesel, horse crap, gravel, tar strip or idiot coming the other way on the wrong side of the road?.......Certainly its not good practice to encourage them to think you are "racing" them.

I read the police system manuals of about 40 years ago and the road positioning made a lot of sense. Few riders seem to understand how to join bends together. Then there is the use of the "vanishing point" to ensure you adjust your speed to a manageable level based upon where your sight lines of the inside and outside edges of the road, coverge. I learn't that trick somewhere along the Yugoslavian coast road again nearly 40 years ago, and I think its part of the documented advice these days. So always ride this bend for the next and be confident you can stop for the vaishing point. Don't worry about keeping up with other riders. Give it time and gain a bit of experience and they'll probably worry about keeping up with you.

I've used the Falco through 5 or 6 winters now but last year I mostly used the BMW RS. The Falco clip ons , weight now biased to the front and the instant pickup is not ideal for icy conditions. Not only is the weather protection much better on the BM but the motor is very soft and forgiving making it ideal. It even comes with built in stabalisers!

blinkey501 · #25 Post by **blinkey501** » Tue Nov 22, 2011 2:45 am

I might have been slightly mis understood about the falco being big and heavey, and my reason for that is ...... In consideration to the fazer 600 that i had and the CBF 600 when i have to move the falco about there is a noiceable difference in weight. the 600s kind of remind me when i was 17 years old and the sort of weight a 125 would have been with the fazer now having five times the power. I dont re tract my statement about the falco has in my expierience having to try and lift the back end of the bike around in my garage it is bloody hard work and nerve racking trying not to tip it against the wall, the falco is more fun and rewarding on the road to the fazer with spontanious amounts of bottom end grunt but it is also the heaviest thing i have ever ridden and so that is why i did put the comments i did. sorry if i was mis understood

D-Rider · #26 Post by **D-Rider** » Tue Nov 22, 2011 4:55 am

I think the perceptions of size and weight probably depend a lot on what you have become used to. Ride an Aspencade (or that FJ that BG posted up) and the Falco will seem like a lightweight but if you come from a diet of small bikes it'll seem big and heavy.
It's always felt a bit on the big and heavy side to me.

What Keith says about the lack of front end feel in standard trim is (of course) spot on. It was even more so with those awful MEZ3 tyres that it was delivered with. Mine is set up very similar to Keith's (max rear ride height and 4 rings on the forks) and the front end feel is much improved. I was going to go for the 5 rings on the forks but at that point I put the carbon wheels on and that changed the speed of turn in so much that I didn't bother. I'm back with the OZ wheels for the winter but given the winter roads I'll leave the fork settings alone.
The changes have made it much better but the feel and flickability are still not as good as a smaller bike .... or maybe as I've got older I've just become a little less brave (actually, I know that's part of it)
Overall the Falco is still a brilliant bike. The combination of handling (as now set up) and engine make it a delight ..... though in certain conditions those things can make it a handful.

bigearsbilly · #27 Post by **bigearsbilly** » Tue Nov 22, 2011 7:28 am

Coming from a lardy (but lovely) old ZX7R I thought the falco was light and nimble I must say.
It certainly turns a lot quicker.

According to bikez.com an FZ6 is the same weight as the SL thou.
Now... my old Z550
>lights pipe<
>puff<now>puff wheeze<which>puff<
have I left the gas on?

blinkey501 · #28 Post by **blinkey501** » Tue Nov 22, 2011 8:21 am

bigearsbilly wrote:
According to bikez.com an FZ6 is the same weight as the SL thou

I find that hard to believe but it must say it for you to quote.
Please believe me the back end weight is different i could lift the fazer, I have to jump with the falco holding onto the grab rails

. And the falco definatly feels heavier when moving the bike about.

Tonyunn · #29 Post by **Tonyunn** » Tue Nov 22, 2011 8:44 am

(max rear ride height and 4 rings on the forks)

Is the front fork adjustment a simple task or is it a lot more involved than it sounds.

Aladinsaneuk · #30 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Tue Nov 22, 2011 9:06 am

fairly straight forward

I would enlist the aid of a friend just in case - when I did mine I had a mate help by hold the bars as i slackened everything off

i think you could do it a ring a time per side though....