First bike - GSXR600 or 750?
Discussion
I have wanted a bike for a long time, but haven't the balls to buy one - a bit scared if the truth be known. Not of me, but more of what can happen through not fault of your own!! Well I have plucked up enough courage and I am taking my test this month! So what bike do you think I should get?
I'm 39, been driving for 22 years, love speed. I am sure I am what the insurance companies call a statistic – will have an accident on a left hand bend within 3 months! I have owned a number of performance cars CSL, GT3 etc, and can push a car round a track fairly quickly. I drive fairly quickly on the road, but I would argue safely - I won't take chances! I know a bike is very different to a car, but I am not 21 with no experience at all!
The bike is for weekends and track days - I intend to do Ron Haslems day at donnington after a few months. I really fancied a Ducati, but after research decided have to go for a Jap 600 or maybe the GSXR 750 k6?
People who know me say I may get bored of the 600 after a few months and then spend my time wishing I had bought the 750. The write ups of the 750 make it very compelling, but will the extra power get me into that much more trouble than a 600 can? At the end of the day it’s me who controls the throttle and if I am not happy then I can always back off - or am I delusional?!
Anyway all advice would be appreciated.
Oh and insurance is not an issue, 600 - £400 & 750 - £550 so not that much in it.
>> Edited by Mark_H on Sunday 7th May 20:13
I'm 39, been driving for 22 years, love speed. I am sure I am what the insurance companies call a statistic – will have an accident on a left hand bend within 3 months! I have owned a number of performance cars CSL, GT3 etc, and can push a car round a track fairly quickly. I drive fairly quickly on the road, but I would argue safely - I won't take chances! I know a bike is very different to a car, but I am not 21 with no experience at all!
The bike is for weekends and track days - I intend to do Ron Haslems day at donnington after a few months. I really fancied a Ducati, but after research decided have to go for a Jap 600 or maybe the GSXR 750 k6?
People who know me say I may get bored of the 600 after a few months and then spend my time wishing I had bought the 750. The write ups of the 750 make it very compelling, but will the extra power get me into that much more trouble than a 600 can? At the end of the day it’s me who controls the throttle and if I am not happy then I can always back off - or am I delusional?!
Anyway all advice would be appreciated.
Oh and insurance is not an issue, 600 - £400 & 750 - £550 so not that much in it.
>> Edited by Mark_H on Sunday 7th May 20:13
Playing the devils advocate; if you have had a few fast cars and you already admit that your friends think you will get bored of the 600, then you've kinda answered your own question 
I have a mate who one the brand new race prepped Rizzla GSXR thou from MCN a few years back. While he was cruising around on that he leant me his old gixer 600. I had previously owned a 750 that same year and although there is a difference in performance it wasn't overly noticeable. If your going to use it as track tool I would personaly go for the 750 cos' the engine is less stressed and gives you more. Why not just go balls out and buy the thou? Now that IS a proper tool oh
As far as you and biking is concerned, you have already got your road sense from the years of experience with a car so in that respect your half way there. The one bit of advice I cannot express enough is that you are now leaving your safety cell behind and you have now become invisible and vulnerable to every other road user.
When I am riding out my first rule I live by is exactly that: I am invisible and no one can see me
You will also develop a sense of spatial awareness
after a while and become aware of vehicles in your space. If you adopt the attitude that no-one can see you and you expect everybody to pull out on you, then you won't go far wrong. What normally happens is that riders start to get cocky as they get used to the abilities of their bikes, and become slack with their saftey.. once you have had an 'off', even a slow one, the reminder normally sticks 
Good luck and tell us what you get
I have a mate who one the brand new race prepped Rizzla GSXR thou from MCN a few years back. While he was cruising around on that he leant me his old gixer 600. I had previously owned a 750 that same year and although there is a difference in performance it wasn't overly noticeable. If your going to use it as track tool I would personaly go for the 750 cos' the engine is less stressed and gives you more. Why not just go balls out and buy the thou? Now that IS a proper tool oh
As far as you and biking is concerned, you have already got your road sense from the years of experience with a car so in that respect your half way there. The one bit of advice I cannot express enough is that you are now leaving your safety cell behind and you have now become invisible and vulnerable to every other road user.
When I am riding out my first rule I live by is exactly that: I am invisible and no one can see me
You will also develop a sense of spatial awareness
after a while and become aware of vehicles in your space. If you adopt the attitude that no-one can see you and you expect everybody to pull out on you, then you won't go far wrong. What normally happens is that riders start to get cocky as they get used to the abilities of their bikes, and become slack with their saftey.. once you have had an 'off', even a slow one, the reminder normally sticks Good luck and tell us what you get
I know it's covering old ground, but are you sure that a sportsbike, offering a relatively small margin for error, is a good choice for a first bike? Firstly you may find that it intimidates you and hinders your learning and secondly you may not be able top handle it safely! I'd been riding a year when I bought my 750 sportsbike and it still felt alien and very very scary. If you open the throttle a bit quick in the wrong conditions it'll offer much less room to catch it than, for example, a Hornet or something.
Just something to think about
Just something to think about
I would go for the 750 as i have one and love it, i was new to biking and this was my second bike after a firestorm , its great on track days as many of the thou riders are worried when coming out of corners because of high sides where the 750 is a bit more forgiving and on the road its got that bit more torque than the 600 so you can take it easy and cruise or use the revs and go mental.
Think it depends on the person, not the bike.
Both the 600 & the 750, as others have mentioned, will be amazingly quick compared to cars, however either will only go as fast as you allow it to.
I went the 600 route & am really glad I didn't get something like a bandit which certain people were advising, as I suspect I would have been bored & already traded it in. I am also glad that I didn't choose to go down the 1000cc route, as the R6 is way quick enough for me at the moment & I think anything quicker would do me no favours learning wise.
Both the 600 & the 750, as others have mentioned, will be amazingly quick compared to cars, however either will only go as fast as you allow it to.
I went the 600 route & am really glad I didn't get something like a bandit which certain people were advising, as I suspect I would have been bored & already traded it in. I am also glad that I didn't choose to go down the 1000cc route, as the R6 is way quick enough for me at the moment & I think anything quicker would do me no favours learning wise.
It does depend on the person.
I got a Bandit 600 for my first bike, but rode the tyres off that very quickly and traded to a GSXR600 K3 with 8 months.
Awesome bike however it may have scared me two much if I had this as a first bike!.
Are you sure you want a supersports bike, the Riding the bandit I could ride all day without any discomfort. After 20 mins fo riding the GSXR my back is in agony. Something to bear in mind as riding on the road is very different to sitting on the bike in a showroom. it always does me due to the weight on my wrists due to the low handlebars of a supersports bike.
I got a Bandit 600 for my first bike, but rode the tyres off that very quickly and traded to a GSXR600 K3 with 8 months.
Awesome bike however it may have scared me two much if I had this as a first bike!.
Are you sure you want a supersports bike, the Riding the bandit I could ride all day without any discomfort. After 20 mins fo riding the GSXR my back is in agony. Something to bear in mind as riding on the road is very different to sitting on the bike in a showroom. it always does me due to the weight on my wrists due to the low handlebars of a supersports bike.
hobo said:
Think it depends on the person, not the bike.
Both the 600 & the 750, as others have mentioned, will be amazingly quick compared to cars, however either will only go as fast as you allow it to.
I went the 600 route & am really glad I didn't get something like a bandit which certain people were advising, as I suspect I would have been bored & already traded it in. I am also glad that I didn't choose to go down the 1000cc route, as the R6 is way quick enough for me at the moment & I think anything quicker would do me no favours learning wise.
Spot on. What's the weight difference between the 600 & 750? After I passed my test last year, All I concerned myself with, was the weight and physical size of the bike. Surely you'd "learn" to ride more quickly and safely on the 600. I had a 600 Gixer as my first bike, and as someone else has mentioned, I no longer think ANY car is fast!
I didn't get bored of it...it was getting old, and I wanted a shiny new one!!
Cheers.
I'd go for the 750 - sure the 600 is slower and therefore easier to live / learn with but the 750 also has more torque so you could argue it's an easier ride as you can pull from lower revs and in any gear... My 1000 is easy to live with as the power management nowadays is so good - basically, I can cruise around at 40mph looking at the view with ease or... I can enter hyperspace!
Thanks for the replies guys! I am sure the “which bike..” questions has been asked a hundred times.
First off I definitely think a thou is way too much power for a beginner – top speed and 0-60 times are somewhat irrelevant – it’s the torque they produce, that is what can get you into real trouble. Open the throttle too early on a bend and you are in trouble, ride a bumpy road and catch a bump that causes your wrist to twitch and you could end up on your backside 200m down the road.
The 750 is supposed to have bit more torque than the 600, but no where near as much as a thou, hopefully just making it a more useable bike. Less banging up and down the gears – as much as that may be nice sometimes, you don’t want to be ringing its neck all the time! The 750 seems to be a more road useable bike – from what I have read?
I feel that a supersport is the bike for me, although I haven’t ridden any bike. I can only say that from the experience I have had with cars – feel, response and performance and that I want to do a few track days are what driving me to get a bike. Having said that I do suffer from a bad back now and again and so hope it doesn’t aggravate it too much – age it’s a pisser!
I suppose if I were sensible I would buy a second hand bandit 600 and have a bit of fun on it for a year – doesn’t matter (too much) if I drop it as there is no fairing, not that powerful, easier to ride and won’t lose that much money – then buy a more powerful bike! But since when has common sense prevailed?!
If the press and the dealers say that the 750 is all the bike you will ever need and rate it above the 600 AND as some of you say that power isn’t that much different then why not go for the 750? As for the weight there is 2kg in it and the physical dimension of the two bikes are identical, so its not like the you getting a large, heavy bike.
As for the advice “ride like you are invisible”- I had a older (late 50’s) couple collect something from my house last week and it turns out that he took his test when he was 45 and the instructed for 10 years and he gave the exact same piece of advice! So thanks for that! Maybe I should add that I was all for not getting a bike due to all the horror stories that friends (?) have been telling me about deaths and serious injuries. It was guy that convinced me its not as bad as some make it out to be, and that there is nothing like it! His parting words were "just do it, you will love it!"
Oh and of course Mr Nords, who seems to be on every bike forum everywhere, and is the person who steered me in the direction of the 750 – it’s your fault!!
>> Edited by Mark_H on Monday 8th May 10:07
First off I definitely think a thou is way too much power for a beginner – top speed and 0-60 times are somewhat irrelevant – it’s the torque they produce, that is what can get you into real trouble. Open the throttle too early on a bend and you are in trouble, ride a bumpy road and catch a bump that causes your wrist to twitch and you could end up on your backside 200m down the road.
The 750 is supposed to have bit more torque than the 600, but no where near as much as a thou, hopefully just making it a more useable bike. Less banging up and down the gears – as much as that may be nice sometimes, you don’t want to be ringing its neck all the time! The 750 seems to be a more road useable bike – from what I have read?
I feel that a supersport is the bike for me, although I haven’t ridden any bike. I can only say that from the experience I have had with cars – feel, response and performance and that I want to do a few track days are what driving me to get a bike. Having said that I do suffer from a bad back now and again and so hope it doesn’t aggravate it too much – age it’s a pisser!
I suppose if I were sensible I would buy a second hand bandit 600 and have a bit of fun on it for a year – doesn’t matter (too much) if I drop it as there is no fairing, not that powerful, easier to ride and won’t lose that much money – then buy a more powerful bike! But since when has common sense prevailed?!
If the press and the dealers say that the 750 is all the bike you will ever need and rate it above the 600 AND as some of you say that power isn’t that much different then why not go for the 750? As for the weight there is 2kg in it and the physical dimension of the two bikes are identical, so its not like the you getting a large, heavy bike.
As for the advice “ride like you are invisible”- I had a older (late 50’s) couple collect something from my house last week and it turns out that he took his test when he was 45 and the instructed for 10 years and he gave the exact same piece of advice! So thanks for that! Maybe I should add that I was all for not getting a bike due to all the horror stories that friends (?) have been telling me about deaths and serious injuries. It was guy that convinced me its not as bad as some make it out to be, and that there is nothing like it! His parting words were "just do it, you will love it!"
Oh and of course Mr Nords, who seems to be on every bike forum everywhere, and is the person who steered me in the direction of the 750 – it’s your fault!!
>> Edited by Mark_H on Monday 8th May 10:07
Mark_H said:
I have wanted a bike for a long time …. I have owned a number of performance cars …. I drive fairly quickly on the road …. The bike is for weekends and track days - I intend to do Ron Haslems day at donnington after a few months …. People who know me say I may get bored of the 600 after a few months and then spend my time wishing I had bought the 750.
Firstly, many congratulations on your very wise decision to move to the world of motorcycling. It’s a move I’m sure you will wish you had made sooner.
You appear to be approaching this with the correct attitude and I think you have a short list of two very nice, capable bikes.
When you drive your cars, do you spend much of the time near the red line or do you prefer to short shift up and let the torque do the work? If it’s the former then the 600 is probably the better bike for you where if you prefer to use the torque then the 750 may be a better bet. (If you REALLY enjoy letting the torque do the work then you may want to reconsider the possibility of a Ducati!)
On the road (and the track if your not a pretty good racer) the 600 will be just as fast as the 750 in all bar license loosing (jail visiting!!) long straight roads.
I notice that you have not mentioned any advanced road training. While you should NEVER drive the road like it was a track, this is even more true on a bike than it is in a car. Thus, while track based, bike handling training is good, it does not address many of the “real world” dangers you are likely to encounter. I would strongly recommend getting advanced road training which will not only teach you to go round corners quickly, but will also help ensure you don’t become one of the statistics you mention.
Whichever bike you go for, I hope you have a great time.
Ride safe and enjoy
black-k1 said:
When you drive your cars, do you spend much of the time near the red line or do you prefer to short shift up and let the torque do the work? If it’s the former then the 600 is probably the better bike for you where if you prefer to use the torque then the 750 may be a better bet. (If you REALLY enjoy letting the torque do the work then you may want to reconsider the possibility of a Ducati!)
Depends on the conditions, car and mood I am in. On some days I would red line the GT3 all the time, other days just enjoy driving a fast car at reasonable speeds. But most of the time I like to have an engine with plenty of torque to drive around in, and then to have the real grunt there when I want it.
black-k1 said:
I notice that you have not mentioned any advanced road training. While you should NEVER drive the road like it was a track, this is even more true on a bike than it is in a car. Thus, while track based, bike handling training is good, it does not address many of the “real world” dangers you are likely to encounter. I would strongly recommend getting advanced road training which will not only teach you to go round corners quickly, but will also help ensure you don’t become one of the statistics you mention.
It something I have already considered and will almost certainly do - you can never have too much training!!
What do you think?
>> Edited by Mark_H on Monday 8th May 10:43
Mark_H said:
First off I definitely think a thou is way too much power for a beginner – top speed and 0-60 times are somewhat irrelevant – it’s the torque they produce, that is what can get you into real trouble. Open the throttle too early on a bend and you are in trouble, ride a bumpy road and catch a bump that causes your wrist to twitch and you could end up on your backside 200m down the road.
You're right - it can be difficult to know how much throttle to measure out of the corners on my thousand. Borrowed an SV650 the other day and had great fun on it simply because I didn't have to worry about a massive surge of power. The 1000 is so damn quick but you can tour on it, it's not that scary
Mark_H said:
Depends on the conditions, car and mood I am in. On some days I would red line the GT3 all the time, other days just enjoy driving a fast car at reasonable speeds. But most of the time I like to have an engine with plenty of torque to drive around in, and then to have the real grunt there when I want it.
I think that makes to a “750 man”, maybe even a 1000! (Just because it can go fast, you don’t have to drive it fast!)
Mark_H said:
… advanced road training ….
It something I have already considered and will almost certainly do - you can never have too much training!!
Well worth every penny/minute invested and, as a nice “by product”, you’ll find that you will be both quicker and safer in the cars as well.
Lovely bike! I’m sure you will be very happy with it.
Just remember though:
Any time you've been in a car and you've had a bit of a skid, the abs has come in or you've spun up the rear wheels whilst existing a corner would have most likely been a crash on a bike.
Not trying to put a downer on it... Just want you to realise even I tiny skid that made you laugh in the car would probably see you down on your arse when riding a bike.
Any time you've been in a car and you've had a bit of a skid, the abs has come in or you've spun up the rear wheels whilst existing a corner would have most likely been a crash on a bike.
Not trying to put a downer on it... Just want you to realise even I tiny skid that made you laugh in the car would probably see you down on your arse when riding a bike.
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