A boring 'first bike' thread.
Discussion
Hello,first timer here,so please go easy!
I have done the CBT,theory and mod 1,just mod 2 to go. Absolutely loving it, been looking on autotrader alot (dont we all?) and eyeing up potential bikes for when ive passed. Ive always been into bikes,always like the look of GSXR600,R6 etc. Ive heard mixed reviews about having one as a first, ive had the 'too powerful for a novice' which i can appreciate, and the 'go for it,be careful,be sensible etc' so what do you suggest? Id say im a sensible lad,would only be used on the odd sunny day off work (if there is such a thing) and would be looking at advanced courses after the DAS is done. If i was to go for the GSXR i wouldnt be looking for anything new as if i was to drop it its a bit less to worry about, so ive been looking at '03 600s, seem to be a few nice ones between £3-3.5k.... What do you think? Am i just convincing myself? Is it a stupid idea? Many thanks for your replies.
I have done the CBT,theory and mod 1,just mod 2 to go. Absolutely loving it, been looking on autotrader alot (dont we all?) and eyeing up potential bikes for when ive passed. Ive always been into bikes,always like the look of GSXR600,R6 etc. Ive heard mixed reviews about having one as a first, ive had the 'too powerful for a novice' which i can appreciate, and the 'go for it,be careful,be sensible etc' so what do you suggest? Id say im a sensible lad,would only be used on the odd sunny day off work (if there is such a thing) and would be looking at advanced courses after the DAS is done. If i was to go for the GSXR i wouldnt be looking for anything new as if i was to drop it its a bit less to worry about, so ive been looking at '03 600s, seem to be a few nice ones between £3-3.5k.... What do you think? Am i just convincing myself? Is it a stupid idea? Many thanks for your replies.
Its hard to say. You could be lucky/skilled enough to not have any incidents or maybe you will.
After I passed my test I had a Ducati Monster 600 (a not-very powerful machine by any stretch of the imagination) and with hindsight was quite glad as I made the usual errors - fluffed gearchanges, dropping the clutch at too high revs, locking the rear on downshifts etc - on a bike that was quite forgiving.
I particularly remember missing a gearchange while overtaking a lorry and it went into neutral. Of course the revs skyrocketed and then in panic I banged the gearlever down with my foot at which point it wheelied in a scary rather than flashy fashion. Glad I wasn't on a bike with more power to weight or I'd probably been off the back.
After I passed my test I had a Ducati Monster 600 (a not-very powerful machine by any stretch of the imagination) and with hindsight was quite glad as I made the usual errors - fluffed gearchanges, dropping the clutch at too high revs, locking the rear on downshifts etc - on a bike that was quite forgiving.
I particularly remember missing a gearchange while overtaking a lorry and it went into neutral. Of course the revs skyrocketed and then in panic I banged the gearlever down with my foot at which point it wheelied in a scary rather than flashy fashion. Glad I wasn't on a bike with more power to weight or I'd probably been off the back.
Nothing wrong with a 600 supersport as your first bike, just be aware the 600 inline fours like to be rev'd to go so they may not actually be that enjoyable on the road. Something with more lower down grunt may be better such as a twin/triple or detuned 600 (Fazer/Hornet). For your budget I'd go for an early Tuono.
eta
to be precise, this one
https://www.onyerbike.net/deals/aprilia_tuono_1000...
eta
to be precise, this one
https://www.onyerbike.net/deals/aprilia_tuono_1000...
Edited by CaptainSlow on Wednesday 28th September 16:23
CBR 600 was my first bike (DAS at 27 years old). 600's are still very, very quick machines. The first few times you pin it through the gears, your brain won't be able to keep up. Corners will arrive much more quickly than expected. So they do need to be respected. But, as long as you're not a complete dafty, you'll be fine.
When I bought said 600, I was having a nightmare with insurance (at the time I had an unspent non motoring offence, as well as points and previous claims - nobody wanted to touch me). But I did find somebody who would cover me, for a very eye watering price. End of the day, if you want it bad enough you'll cough up for the insurance!
When I bought said 600, I was having a nightmare with insurance (at the time I had an unspent non motoring offence, as well as points and previous claims - nobody wanted to touch me). But I did find somebody who would cover me, for a very eye watering price. End of the day, if you want it bad enough you'll cough up for the insurance!
Edited by m9rko on Wednesday 28th September 16:34
I have no unspent convictions,no points etc. Its just to go out for the odd ride with a few mates on the rare occasion the weather permits and the kids are with their mum. As i said im a sensible lad,wont be giving it 'billy big balls' having to show off.Just wondered whether it was the stupid idea that i have heard,or that its only as dangerous as i make it,keep aware,take my time, you're always learning etc
I'm sure I remember thinking / saying the same thing (being sensible). Don't be surprised if all that goes out the window pretty quickly, the sensation of speed is very addictive! I loved every minute of my DAS too, but riding a CB500 with an instructor is very different to being solo, on a sport bike, on your favourite road 
I had an sv650 as a first big bike and it was great at that but i was soon wanting more power so after my first year i got an r6
If i could go back i would of just got the r6 as a first bike and saved some money
Its a great bike, pretty comfy (6ft 16.5 stone). I did 1300 miles in 2 days riding upto scotland and enjoying the roads up there.
The reason i say it would be ok as a first bike is that it doesnt really wake up untill 10K+rpm so its so easy learn on and enjoy the road without being too fast, above 12k tho and its an animal.
Done 12,000 miles on mine since the begining of march and i love it to bits.
If i could go back i would of just got the r6 as a first bike and saved some money
Its a great bike, pretty comfy (6ft 16.5 stone). I did 1300 miles in 2 days riding upto scotland and enjoying the roads up there.
The reason i say it would be ok as a first bike is that it doesnt really wake up untill 10K+rpm so its so easy learn on and enjoy the road without being too fast, above 12k tho and its an animal.
Done 12,000 miles on mine since the begining of march and i love it to bits.
BlackPrince said:
You can get a 1000cc as your first bike and its fine. Insurance would be truly eye watering in that case though. All to say, other than a truly difficult bike to ride like a Harley with a suicide clutch or a Laverda Jota or something, any bike is fine as a first bike
The partners dad has one of these had a small ride on his land [private not insured etc] didn't like it one bit ! sounded gorgeous though... he frequently rides it at weekends, imported from America before I even met his daughter.BlackPrince said:
You can get a 1000cc as your first bike and its fine.
Completely disagree, unless your taking about a somebody with no interest in sport bikes or going fast buying a 1000cc adventure bike. OP is 27 and has an interest in sport bikes, he says he is sensible and I'm sure he will be. But when you do start picking the pace up (which he will, he's 27 and riding a sport bike), a 600 is far, far more forgiving than a 1000As has been said, there is nothing wrong with getting a 600 sports bike as your first bike and there’s lots right with actually buying the bike you want and not the bike other people think you should want.
Pretty much all bikes are more capable than a newly qualified rider so whatever you get you’re not going to be using 100% of it for some time. After you’ve passed your test, learn to ride properly by taking some advanced training. If you’re only doing 3000 miles a year (and I assume those will almost all be on “sunny Sunday afternoons”) then remember it will take a good number of years to get the experience that is needed to ride properly.
... and that is based on what scientific research?
It has been shown on many occasions by many different motorcycle lobby groups that there is NO correlation between accident rates and engine capacity, regardless of the riders experience.
Pretty much all bikes are more capable than a newly qualified rider so whatever you get you’re not going to be using 100% of it for some time. After you’ve passed your test, learn to ride properly by taking some advanced training. If you’re only doing 3000 miles a year (and I assume those will almost all be on “sunny Sunday afternoons”) then remember it will take a good number of years to get the experience that is needed to ride properly.
m9rko said:
BlackPrince said:
You can get a 1000cc as your first bike and its fine.
Completely disagree, unless your taking about a somebody with no interest in sport bikes or going fast buying a 1000cc adventure bike. OP is 27 and has an interest in sport bikes, he says he is sensible and I'm sure he will be. But when you do start picking the pace up (which he will, he's 27 and riding a sport bike), a 600 is far, far more forgiving than a 1000It has been shown on many occasions by many different motorcycle lobby groups that there is NO correlation between accident rates and engine capacity, regardless of the riders experience.
Personally I think it's horses for courses.
It depends on the type of person you are, what you like and how you are planning to ride. Your first bike is always a tough choice.
Some people (like me) will spends months looking for the perfect bike, no matter the perceived sensible route, buy it and keep it for years; learning and growing with the bike. Others like to chop and change their bikes quite regularly, experiencing the whole spectrum that bikes offer, learning that way and then deciding further down the line what their poison is.
Some people buy big and tend to take a steady learning curve as they don't want to risk smashing their P&J up (also me); whereas others buy something a bit cheaper and are happy to push the limits, learning quickly and a bit more on the edge.
There are probably a plethora of other routes, but these are the main two that stand out for me.
I spent ages researching, went for something with a fairly large engine and have spent the last 18 months stepping up my ability and expericence in small increments (and I still have someway to go before I would consider myself a decent rider).
A friend of mine past his test and bought a 600 Ninja within 2 days; he road it hard and had a few offs over the first 12 months, but nothing that couldn't be patched up. He's a reasonable rider now, loves his 600s and swears by his 'go hard or go home' route.
Only you can really decide on your first bike; for what it is worth, I don't think a 600 sportsbike is massively risky. Most things on two wheels have enough power/speed to kill you anyway, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.
It depends on the type of person you are, what you like and how you are planning to ride. Your first bike is always a tough choice.
Some people (like me) will spends months looking for the perfect bike, no matter the perceived sensible route, buy it and keep it for years; learning and growing with the bike. Others like to chop and change their bikes quite regularly, experiencing the whole spectrum that bikes offer, learning that way and then deciding further down the line what their poison is.
Some people buy big and tend to take a steady learning curve as they don't want to risk smashing their P&J up (also me); whereas others buy something a bit cheaper and are happy to push the limits, learning quickly and a bit more on the edge.
There are probably a plethora of other routes, but these are the main two that stand out for me.
I spent ages researching, went for something with a fairly large engine and have spent the last 18 months stepping up my ability and expericence in small increments (and I still have someway to go before I would consider myself a decent rider).
A friend of mine past his test and bought a 600 Ninja within 2 days; he road it hard and had a few offs over the first 12 months, but nothing that couldn't be patched up. He's a reasonable rider now, loves his 600s and swears by his 'go hard or go home' route.
Only you can really decide on your first bike; for what it is worth, I don't think a 600 sportsbike is massively risky. Most things on two wheels have enough power/speed to kill you anyway, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.
Edited by The Beaver King on Thursday 29th September 09:35
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