Everyone says 600cc too much for beginner bikes...?

Question

Everyone on Y! A seems to think that a 600cc sportbike is too much for a beginner, but I've seen several people I know start out on a GSXR-600 or an R6 just fine, I've handled dirt bikes for years, and just completed the MSF course, and I'm gettin ready to get my first bike as well, 08 R6, and just wondering if there's anyone that agrees with me that given the proper precautions, an entry-level sportbike can be a starter bike?

Answer 1

i started on dirt but my first street bike was a cbr 600 and i'm still alive  

Answer 2

the simple fact is that %99 of super sport riders on the road would be so much happier and more comfortable (making them more confident and eventually better riders) with a more street oriented (read: not race bike) motorcycle, but their egos and need for appearances won't let them ride anything less than the "Best most fastest "

  take some test rides, check out some real world motorcycles.  

sv's, fz6's, etc. easily keep up with the supersport bikes on the road, but are much much more comfortable

Answer 3

A glib answer maybe – with your level of experience, how can you tell what the ‘proper precautions’ are?

GSXRs, R6s, CBRrrs are not marketed as entry-level sportsbikes, they are sold as what they are very good high performance sportsbikes.

The good reasons why people don't recommend them are on two levels, first that a beginner will not have the experience to ride any one of these bikes at anything like their potential, however they will have the inexperience to launch themselves into all kinds of trouble. Second, financial, the first reason – inexperience – contributes here, you could end up taking a very expensive trip (there are two schools of thought, one says that if you haven't gone down you're going to, two says that if you are careful you won't go down, I, based on my experience, subscribe to the first – I do not know any bike-riding friends who haven't at sometime had, at least, a slight accident – at times not their fault, although most were contributed to by the rider in some way), the other financial reason is that you are not going to use the full potential of the bike (or as much as you could on the road) until you gain experience and in the meantime the value of your bike is draining away every time you swing a leg over it. If you had a less expensive bike you could gain the experience, sell it and still afford a 2010 model, which will have more bells and whistles than the 08 model if current manufacturing behaviour is anything to go by.

Nobody has anything to gain by saying that a particular bike is not suitable for beginners (apart from everyone's increased insurance premiums every time a beginner riding one makes a claim), I am basing it on my experience, I know that in your position I would not be able to restrict myself from at least trying to find a top-speed on a sportsbike, I also know that at some point I would make a stupid error and drop it, even a minor drop can spell the end of fairing sections and brackets – guess where the manufacturers make most profit.

Answer 4

Yes, I totally agree that it "can" be fine. Can being the operative word. The problem isn't that most new street riders couldn't handle a 600 if they show some restraint. It is that when you do get that wild hair up your butt one day, and it will happen, there is enough power there to get you in trouble. It is the same with a car. Yes a 16 year old could drive a 450HP Corvette, but many guys that age would try something stupid at some point and wrap it around a telephone pole. So hopefully you see my point, you will be good as long as you don't try to show your a$$ on it, but that is easier said than done. I bought a Ninja 600 when I was 16 and I'm still here to talk about it.

Answer 5

PEOPLE HERE ARE BEING TOO TOUGH ON YOU

sorry I had to shout, but it is true.

The 600 GSXR would be a fine choice....if you alreadyhave dirt bike experience you have many great riding skills already..like sense of balance/speed/distance/use of your body weight.

Whilst they are not the same skills as road riding, they are still great skills...a bike is a bike, yes ?

The new GSXR has a 3 way engine power switch/full power/medium power/low power.Great chassis and brakes. Fine handling.

It would be fine as your first road bike...it sits in the middle between the R6 and the Kawasaki performance wise.

Don't let your choice be governed by fear, otherwise what is the point of riding ?

Good luck..you will be fine.

Answer 6

The kid rides and R6 and agrees that it is not a suitable first bike.  Its not an "entry level" bike, either.  Finding people who agree with you doesn't change that.

Answer 7

Many people now think too big or too small. You know how to ride from dirt. If you're big enuf to hold it up flat footed then go for it. Tell everybody that talks to you that you've been riding for years.

Answer 8

I think the consensus is that a 600cc SPORT bike is too much for a beginner. Too much power and too easy to be tempted by other riders to do something you don't have enough of saddle time for. Start small or with a dual purpose bike and the temptation will be less to try to show off. Most, including me these days, think you should start on a bike you're comfortable with as long as you realize that you ARE a beginner and don't make stupid decisions. A large bike is a lot of horsepower to try to handle and can get away from you before you can bat an eye. Many are thrown into dangerous situations by not realizing the bike can literally run out from under you.

Answer 9

Ride safely and learn and you will be all right the MSF was a good choice but it was a start. Remember lots of the people who are quick to tell  people start with a 250 are kids and do not realize not every one can run to mommy and get another bike. If you ride like a normal safe person you will have a lot of fun.  

Answer 10

Yepp, some 600's are too much for beginners like the R6.

Even I was intrested in the R6, most suggested me to stay away from that for atleast 6 months and practice on more friendly 600s.

Always we riding a bike is better than the bike riding us.

Also have the insurance in mind.

Thanks to all who guided me.

Answer 11

I am a beginner also. I read and researched and asked countless opinions as to what I should buy. I always wanted a Ducati, so I bought the new Monster 696. It's light and has the lowest seat height of the Ducati's (it still had to be lowered for me, I'm 5'2") And anyway, a motorcycle is only as fast as you let it go right? Well enjoy your moto and ride safe.

Cheers!

Answer 12

Yes, it's alright, you'll be fine IF you ride safely and resist that temptation to go too fast before your skills catch up with you!!  Have fun!

Answer 13

Sorry, I think a GSXR or R6 as a first bike is wrong.  

The old saying.  you have to learn to crawl before you walk, just came to my mind.  

While your dirt experience helps a heap my guess is an R6 has little in common with dirt bikes.

EG: A difference in the riding.

On the road the only time your feet touch the road is when you start and next when you stop.

You tell us.  On the dirt are they not always up and down

In addition on dirt you stuff up and you land bum up and face down in the dirt,  while all your mates laugh.  

Please be very honest with your self when I ask.

How many time have you bitten the dirt on the track and of  them how may times did you look up to see a semi about to clean you up?  

You see on the road yes you could do the same if lucky.  Yet the reality is  maybe slide under a truck or a car or cut in two by one of these stupid new wire fences things.  

The road is just not forgiving. Bikes like R6 have just two speeds.   Stop and flat out.  It takes a lot of self control not to live at these extremes.  Be honest with your self. Will you be like a kid set free in the lolly shop.  



I have a mate much like you.  A bit of dirt experience although only part time. He has just got a Suzuki GS500.  

Ok A GS500 don't have the s*x appeal of the sports bikes but it does have a realistic level of power.  And its happy to cruse between stop and flat out with out trouble.  

With that said and done.  I don't personally have a dislike of you.

Yet equally so your not my mate or my kid. Your loss, be it your life or just a body part, wont cause me a lot of pain.

Answer 14

EDIT: I answered the question without reading the description. I gave my usual answer to this question pasted below. After reading the description I can say you will be fine. The 600CC is the beginner sport bike. You have to understand many posers I mean posters here are bloggers not riders so their opinions are weird. I've been street riding sport bike 4 years and I've seen only one person with a 250CC anything. The standard beginner bike is a 600CC. Even if it's a little weak Katana, it's a 600.

If you already know and understand how to drive a manual transmission, it helps learning a motorcycle because it's one less thing you have to focus on when learning. The common saying is that if you can drive a stick and ride a bicycle, learning a motorcycle will be easy. If you can practice discipline and restraint when riding, you may be fine. It's not all fun and games on a sport bike. Even if you ride perfect you need to know how to react when other cars and bikes and trucks don't drive so perfect. That comes from building new instincts and reflexes, and driving habits. While I definitely recommend the class, the class doesn't usually teach all you need to know. Many, many riders go down every summer due to overconfidence gained by taking the class.

The first time I ever touched a motorcycle, it was a 1997 ZX6. I rode it around a parking lot for 5 minutes to find out how to shift, then rode 100 miles home on the interstate. I’ve been riding ever since with a clean riding history. (Thanks to God) So it is possible to start on something other than a 250. Generally speaking, a 600 is a beginner’s sport bike. The internet is the only place I’ve heard of anybody starting on anything other beside people who grew up riding dirt bikes.

When I ride on the highway, I assume that every car I pass or that passes me, doesn't see me and is looking to come into my lane. I'm ready for any move that car makes half a second before he makes it.

You have to learn aerodynamics. If you get to close behind a rig, the wind can trap you there. When you pass along side of a rig the wind will pull you closer to the truck at one point and push you away at another. You have to learn all this and have counter balance and movements programmed into your body reflexes. There is so much more to it. You need lots of practice.

People recommend smaller CC bikes for beginners because most newbies are into it for the speed and flashiness of it and often underestimate the seriousness of riding safe. The temptation to tap into that power is usually too great to overcome. If you know you can and will respect the bike and get at least a thousand miles of practice before hitting the highway, and before group rides, then maybe you can start on a 600cc bike. Otherwise, help yourself out and start small.