Can a beginner really not handle a 600cc sportbike?
I'm a beginner and i've taken the MSF course, got my license and now i'm buying a 2003 yamaha r6. I have seen alot of ads with people saying that a 600cc sportbike is too much for a new rider, you will definately crash it,it will get you killed.....etc, but i think a motorcycle is a motorcycle no matter what and anybody can learn to ride it safely even if its a 600cc sportbike. Also, buying a smaller bike like a 250cc, i think its a waste of time and money because after a while you will want to sell it (it depriciates) and you will want a bigger one that you can actually use on a highway and enjoy. Any opinions?
Beginner motorcycle, sport bike 250cc vs. 600cc?
You are thinking about this all wrong. People are under the impression that Sportbikes are all the same except 250s are for beginners 600s are intermediate and 1000s are for experts. Theres much more too it than that. Motorcycles are highly specialized tools. A shotgun is for fouling, a .270 for deer hunting, a .45 for defense etc. There are no beginner guns, though there are user friendly ones. Bikes are the same way. You are looking into R6, 600RR GXS-R, ZX-6R etc right? They are highly focused track tools. You want a fun transportation device. Thats like using an uzi to hunt deer. Without knowing your proficiency, intended use or budget its hard to make a suggestion. Look into The Suzuki GS500F and GSX650F. They are stylish, pretty entertaining, comfortable and frugal.
What is the best sportbike for a beginner?
I agree with CLASSQM--there are no good beginner sport bikes and, sadly, Honda doesn't offer a reasonable alternative. Now, I'm not saying you are going to kill yourself--no, not at all. I'm saying the 600cc sport bikes will do 10-second quarter miles and top out above 150 mph. Now, if you have above average intelligence--and it sounds like you do--you will understand the risk there, get some education and control your need for speed. Also, to get good performance, you'll need to ride the bike in the 8-12,000 rpm range. Most beginner will be very uncomfortable with that kind of engine speed--and the rush of power that goes with it. The OTHER problem with sport bikes is they are just, plain, darned UNCOMFORTABLE. These are racer replicas. The AMA super bike race I watched this past weekend ran 20 minutes. That's about as long as the best athletes in the world can ride and maintain maximum control of these torture devices. So, I recommend buying a CBR600 and a trailer and making it your track bike. For real world riding, commuting and getting to the mountains so you can play a little bit, I recommend a sporty looking standard motorcycle. The Suzuki GS500F, Suzuki GSX650F, Yamaha FZ6R (my favorite), Kawasaki Ninja 500 (you don't need the 250 since you are taking the class) or the fine Kawasaki Ninja 650R. These are all sporty bikes with good looks and a "standard" riding position. The lower pegs, higher bars and thicker seats will give you a MUCH more comfortable ride. These bikes will actually FEEL faster in the real world because they have more torque (acceleration) in the rev range and at speeds you actually ride on the street.
600cc sports bike good for a beginner? gsxr600 or zx6r?
No offense, but as someone who is also looking at getting my first bike (and is probably way bigger than you in height and weight), I think you're CRAZY to be looking at those bikes. CRAZY. I know a bike dealer, and SOMETIMES, he might tell a rider to consider a Ninja 650 if they did very well with the MSF course, they are tall, strong, big, etc, but 95% of people, he even directs them to the 250's for starter bikes. He would NEVER even sell a 600 to a new rider. You're out of your mind. Are you crazy? Do you realize how much torque and low end power are in those bikes? Do you think people who get in accidents were just idiots who didn't think like you did? Who didn't plan like you're planning? First off, you're probably going to drop the bike, and the cost of fixing that plastic is A LOT. So why not just get a new 250 for $4000, or a used 250 for like $2000 and call it a day? Ride it til it falls apart, then upgrade. The fact that you said "first summer" shows me that you live in a climate that doesn't allow year round riding. So you really want to spend $11,000 on a bike you can only ride 3 months a year? Your insurance has to be paid 12 months a year, and it will be A LOT because you're probably under 25, plus you have no experience. Did you factor that at all? So just from a financial factor, you're talking over $10,000 for the bikes, THOUSANDS on the insurance, and what about gear? Do you realize that REAL helmets cost around $400 and up? REAL boots will be over $300? REAL protection will cost hundreds more? Did you budget for all of that?
What is best beginner sports motorcycle?
there is no good answer for this. What is the best???? The one you have access to would be my answer. Some will say that NO sports bike is for beginners. I wouldn’t argue with them, but I would debate it. My answer is that it always “depends”. It depends on the size of the rider, level of maturity, budget, sense of style, what kind of rides they want to do, where they live and the market they live in. And a lot of other things. I’d say the best beginner bike - Sport or not - is a used bike that is smaller and lighter and inexpensive. Something you wont mind falling over on and scratching. Easier to handle, doesn’t cost a lot and something you can hopefully sell to the next new person and not lose money on - or at least not lose a lot of money on.By the time you have experience on a bike you may decide that you’d rather tour on a motorcycle or do adventure riding - or that you don’t like it at all. You will have enough information to pick your next ride and now have enough knowledge to know what you are looking for and ask the right questions.Take a lesson - Please.
250cc vs 600cc for beginner?
600cc is not that much bigger than 250cc. The problem is that these are two completely different kinds of bikes. The Ninja is designed as a trainer, to be easy to ride. It's a general-purpose motorcycle, a 'standard'. The GSX-R is a very special-purpose bike, really a track bike more than a street bike. It's not easy to ride, not forgiving for a beginner. It's not the size of the GSX-R, it's not even the power, it's the kind of machine it is, its purpose. A Ninja 650 would be better. It's a little bigger/heavier than the 250 but it's got the power to cruise at highway speeds, in case you ever want to go out of town. So long as you can sit on it with both feet on the ground. Or a Suzuki GS500 or SV650. If you really want one of these hot sportbikes, I can't say as I blame you because they are wonderful machines for what they are. But you should see it as something to work up to.
Would a 900cc kawasaki zx9r be too much bike for a beginner? I've had some practice on a 250cc (no comparison)?
Dude, it's painful to read some of these posts. 600cc so you won't grow out of it? Really? Is that becuase you'll be dead? Would you start learning to drive a car in a high end Porsche? Ok, maybe if you're like Prince Phillip or something. Is a ZX9R too much? No, not at all. 130hp motorcycles are excellent beginner bikes, grocery fetchers. After that, maybe you could progress to a 800hp pro stock drag bike. Put signal lights on it. Only makes sense. God, stick with a 250 for at least a year or two, maybe a mundane 400 for awhile?
What's the best starter sport bike?
I have no issues with KTM RC 390, but I’d like to suggest that there are better solutions for a starter sport bike for the following reasons. The KTM is new and finding an old, cheap version of this motorcycle is not an option. The reasons to pick an old bike is that as a beginner, you have a much higher probability of an accident which could damage, or destroy the bike. Save you money for the bike you buy after you get through your time as a learner.In the US market, there is only one bike I can recommend and that is the Kawasaki Ninja 250/EX-250. The old models are still around in abundance and they can take a lot of abuse. I spent four years on a 2006 model before I transitioned to a Honda Interceptor (VFR800). I just helped a work colleague find a 2004 model that still had very little usage.Yamaha, and Honda also offer bikes in this size range, but they were introduced relatively recently into the US market and have similar cost issues as the previously mentioned KTMObviously this answer may not apply to your part of the world if there are restrictions on which bikes qualify for learner status. There are also places in the world where this is a big bike, but I believe it would still serve you for a long time.