[plomme]

Hello everyone.

A little bit about me. When I was a teenager I used to ride dirt bikes in a motocross and supercross setting. Had an instructor and all that jazz. I would also ride around on one of those street legal Yamaha DT125 mid 90s dirt bikes that I couldn't flat foot for the life of me (only off road as I was too young for a license in my country. aka under 18). Worth noting I've gone riding with some friends on the occasional bachelor outdoor session since then as one would.

Fast forward some 15 years later and I want to buy and ride a bike. I have mixed feelings between aiming for a standard/naked or a sport bike but alas at the moment I'm only looking towards my own flavor of a first bike.

Now it's been a long time since I've ridden, but I'm pretty sure I can still ride a clutch no problem and will be doing an MSS course as a refresher anyways. Given all of that I was wondering if more experienced riders would recommend I skip straight to the 600 class?

I've been considering getting a second hand R3 or maybe a ninja 300/400 but am just worried that it will be a very short lived experience before I want to upgrade to say an R6. Should I just go straight to the R6 as I can see myself keeping that for a longer period of time?
I have no clue how different an experience it's going to be. No clue if I should swallow my pride and consider myself an absolute beginner in this endeavor. No clue if an R6 would eat my face off at the first sign of rain.

Any and all advice is welcome!

Thanks guys (and girls)

 

[UlfrsFang]

ive been on a motorcycle from 4 years old till now and im 21 now ive had one of about every type of bike , Yzf600 Yamaha, 93 Honda 750 nighthawk, 81 1100 Honda gold-wing, 883 sportster, 79 Yamaha xs1100. only thing that changes is how fast it goes, how fast it takes off and how it cruises (like ya let the handle bars go and it wants to keep up going straight or fall on its side). if i was you id look for a 500-750 cc bike weighing around 500-600 lbs in a standard class(naked bike) buy it when winter hits it'll be cheaper start getting use to on nice days and ride through spring, and what thatll do is give ya a basic bike that is almost a perfect median, for you to decide if ya want something more wild or more cruising orientated, and if your a semi decent rider and ya didn't crash/fall/or lay it down you should be able to sell it at the end of next season for what ya bought if for

 

[JAM1968]

I've been riding for about 35 years now and IMHO an R6 is to much bike for a beginner even a beginner with some motorcross experience. How about a 500cc sportbike? They have considerably less power than a 600cc but way more than a 250 or 300. Enough power to keep you satisfied for awhile I would think.

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[Stablefull]

Maybe consider an SV650. It's a twin and is more forgiving than an inline four. I had a 2004 and it was a lot of fun. You will not be bored on it at all. A year on it and you would be fully ready for any bike you want. I had mine for a year and sold it for $200 less than I paid, and it needed tires when I sold it.

 

[chesterdawg]

I would go with a standard like a V-Strom 650. It's a great Dependable bike and good comfortable ergonomics. You can get them cheaply and after riding it for a while you will know which direction you want to go in a motorcycle.

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[3crows]

If you want a sporty middleweight something like a Yamaha MT-07 should work. Very light and skinny, peppy 690cc engine.

You know, the size of the motorcycle displacement does not really indicate beginner or expert, I wish we could get away from that thinking. I have a Triumph Street Triple 675cc along with the aforementioned Yamaha and it is hardly a beginner motorcycle. Let's see, a top speed pushing 150 MPH, zero to 60 at or under 3 seconds. The acceleration is extreme. Of course a liter bike like the similar Speed Triple is even more extreme, even brutal, at an expense of a heavier machine.

I like middle weight, middle class motorcycles of 450cc to 750cc because they are typically nimble, narrow, light(er) weight and simply more fun to ride and throw around. These are not beginner motorcycles, few riders could take either to their limits and especially on a pubic roadway:



I am not really a beginner, a rider all my life with a few extended hiatus, but that KTM Duke 390 would make me awfully happy. My MT-07 is fun and wonderfully snappy to ride. I have owned two Suzuki SV650s and would recommend them as well.

I am assuming you are not a sporty motorcycle rider and not a cruiser type guy. If you like cruisers then a Honda Shadow type machine would be appropriate.

James

 

[Stablefull]

If you want a sporty middleweight something like a Yamaha MT-07 should work. Very light and skinny, peppy 690cc engine.

You know, the size of the motorcycle displacement does not really indicate beginner or expert, I wish we could get away from that thinking. I have a Triumph Street Triple 675cc along with the aforementioned Yamaha and it is hardly a beginner motorcycle. Let's see, a top speed pushing 150 MPH, zero to 60 at or under 3 seconds. The acceleration is extreme. Of course a liter bike like the similar Speed Triple is even more extreme, even brutal, at an expense of a heavier machine.

I like middle weight, middle class motorcycles of 450cc to 750cc because they are typically nimble, narrow, light(er) weight and simply more fun to ride and throw around. These are not beginner motorcycles, few riders could take either to their limits and especially on a pubic roadway:



I am not really a beginner, a rider all my life with a few extended hiatus, but that KTM Duke 390 would make me awfully happy. My MT-07 is fun and wonderfully snappy to ride. I have owned two Suzuki SV650s and would recommend them as well.

I am assuming you are not a sporty motorcycle rider and not a cruiser type guy. If you like cruisers then a Honda Shadow type machine would be appropriate.

James

I absolutely agree with this point. My Triumph Scrambler is an 865 and you could give me a 5 minute head start and still beat me across the street with that Speed Triple of yours. The SV650 I used to own had twice as much power

 

[plomme]

A big thanks to everyone. I haven't responded in a while but I did take in all the info given out here.
I've given it some more thought and my brain has taken me down the path of the gsxr600. Do you guys think this is a wise choice?

My reasoning is the following: There are several modes available on some of the more recent models (2008 and up). one being a limited power one (mode C), from my reading it's about ~50% depending on model. I feel like this would be a good match while I get used to the bike, the grip, varying road conditions, etc.

Does anyone here have any experience with these modes and whether or not this is a decent compromise?

 

[harbiggy]

It's a fast bike. There are only A & B modes on the newer GSXR 600's. Yes, B modes reduce power but there is still a lot of power. And trust me, you'll be tempted to ride it in the faster A mode, and you will. It's also not a good way to learn as a beginner riding in any mode that impedes the natural performance and feel of the bike. Many riders will tell you, "It's not the bike it's the rider." If you're responsible in the way you ride, you can learn on anything but a GSXR as your first bike is dangerous.

 

[plomme]

I agree, I know people who've started on gsxr-750s with no prior riding experience and who did fine.

Honestly, I'm not going to push it. People on the road make me nervous enough without me dicking around. The only reason I want to bump it up on my first bike is that I do not want to feel like I want to switch bikes after a few months. Or even a year.

Lets just say that I trust myself fully with a 300 but I've never had an opportunity to ride anything larger so I don't really know what to expect. For some reason I'm concerned the throttle/power band would be so aggressive I might slide the bike out of a corner in wet conditions just because I'm not fully used to it yet. I feel like B mode would dampen that a bit. Same thoughts go through my head regarding sharpness of front breaks.

 

[Calculon]

Some people can start on more powerful or heavier bikes and do fine. The power and weight require more skill to manage. Whether you can do it probably depends mostly on you and since we just met, it's kind of hard for me to give an insight as to whether it'll work for you.


I think the smart money would be on getting a used Ninja 250 or CBR250R, which are more than capable street bikes. Ride it for six months or a year while you get your sea legs, then sell it. Chances are you'll be able to get most of your money back when you sell it. The bigger bikes will still be there when you're ready.


Fit is also very important on a motorcycle. It may look great on paper, but when you go sit on it, it doesn't work You should probably visit a dealership and sit on some bikes to see what works for you. Sportbikes like the GSX-R750 have a more leaned over riding position, which is great for controlling your bike, but less comfortable for longer trips as the pressure on your wrists from being leaned over can be annoying. A naked bike like the FZ-07 has plenty of power, but the upright seating position is probably more comfortable for the long haul, which is something to consider. Good Luck.