Would the YZF600 R be an alright choice for a first bike?

Question

Would the YZF600 R be an alright choice for a first bike?

Answer 1

Wrong category, so you probably won't get many responses.  This category is for bicycling.  Motorcycling is found under transportation.

But I do both, hence an answer.  The YZF is a great mid-weight sport bike.  I've owned one.  But I don't recommend it, or any other true sport bike, for beginners.  This is a very powerful, quick handling machine.

The best starter bike, unless you are quite heavy, is a Kawasaki Ninja 250.  It looks like a sport bike, but has a more upright riding position and is insured as a standard.  It is powerful enough to scoot in traffic and ride on the highway, but doesn't have so much power that it is likely to get you in trouble.  And it gets up to 75 miles per gallon!

Also, the demand is so high for smaller displacement motorcycles these days with the price of gas you can get most (or all) of your money back out of it if you decide to upgrade. It's impossible to find a used one around here right now.

In my opinion the best larger displacement first bike choice is the Suzuki SV650.  Don't get me wrong.  I like Yamaha -- a lot.  I've owned more of them than any other brand.

Good luck, and happy riding.

Answer 2

Looks like a good first bike.  Enough power to have fun, but not enough to get you into trouble, not too heavy.  Personally, I'd recommend starting with a used bike, but that's just me.  Make sure you get frame sliders...guaranteed you drop it at least once in the first year.