Classic CBR 600 as first bike?
Discussion
I bought a '91 VFR750 off ebay for £550. It had 60k miles and was faded pink! I rattled-canned it myself, powder coated the wheels, sprayed the forks and it looked really good. Sold it 4 years later for £950 privately.
There's loads of 'big' bikes on eBay for around £500-750 if OP is looking at that price.
I could recommend a VFR750 but they aren't that easy for a new rider to manouvre at low speeds. A CBR600F is lighter with similar performance (a bit peakier though).
The day I passed my test I forgot about my CB125T and went and bought a '91 GSX600F and rode the wheels off it for 18 months.
You soon get used to the speed and power and start looking for something bigger & better.
I would say an early CBR was a fine choice. Easy to shift when you want to sell too, there's always a buyer for a CBR600.
There's loads of 'big' bikes on eBay for around £500-750 if OP is looking at that price.
I could recommend a VFR750 but they aren't that easy for a new rider to manouvre at low speeds. A CBR600F is lighter with similar performance (a bit peakier though).
The day I passed my test I forgot about my CB125T and went and bought a '91 GSX600F and rode the wheels off it for 18 months.
You soon get used to the speed and power and start looking for something bigger & better.
I would say an early CBR was a fine choice. Easy to shift when you want to sell too, there's always a buyer for a CBR600.
boobles said:
Zakalwe said:
Provided you’re 24 or older when you take your test, and you do it on a minimum 55bhp bike, you can ride anything you like straight away
I seriously didn't know this. Always been tempted myself. 
Had a wander to M & S Motorcycles in Newcastle on my lunch hour and spoke to a couple of really helpful fellas.
They seemed to echo what I've read on here. They had a 1998 CBR with only 13k on the clock which was immaculate, a new 650 Ninja and a 3-month-old Suzuki SV650.
The SV650 seemed slightly more comfortable but it's hard to tell sitting on the bike for 2 mins. They did say they'll let me drive a few when I've passed my test.
They seemed to echo what I've read on here. They had a 1998 CBR with only 13k on the clock which was immaculate, a new 650 Ninja and a 3-month-old Suzuki SV650.
The SV650 seemed slightly more comfortable but it's hard to tell sitting on the bike for 2 mins. They did say they'll let me drive a few when I've passed my test.
evotion said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa2s3aHXSlM cover it well.
But he only has three months experience. How many other bikes has he ridden? That'd be like me reviewing my first car. Having ridden a 96 CBR600 for a while in between Ducatis, I'd say that the steel framed ones would be a really good choice as they go well, stop well and corner well without too much drama so you can get some experience on something relatively quick.
I went back to Ducatis because I one I had been looking for came up at the right price and the CBR left me a bit flat as it only went well, stopped well and cornered well...
A £1000 can get you a good one, mine cost £1000 when I bought it, had relatively low miles (less than 20k) I serviced it, put tyres on then eventually sold it for £1000 sometime later.
There are a lot of sheds out there but if you take your time you can find a garage queen - a quick 'ebay' search shows that there are quite a few from £1-2k, buy one, run for 12 months until you find out what you want from a bike, sell it for what you paid and move on up
I went back to Ducatis because I one I had been looking for came up at the right price and the CBR left me a bit flat as it only went well, stopped well and cornered well...
A £1000 can get you a good one, mine cost £1000 when I bought it, had relatively low miles (less than 20k) I serviced it, put tyres on then eventually sold it for £1000 sometime later.
There are a lot of sheds out there but if you take your time you can find a garage queen - a quick 'ebay' search shows that there are quite a few from £1-2k, buy one, run for 12 months until you find out what you want from a bike, sell it for what you paid and move on up
S2r said:
Having ridden a 96 CBR600 for a while in between Ducatis, I'd say that the steel framed ones would be a really good choice as they go well, stop well and corner well without too much drama so you can get some experience on something relatively quick.
I went back to Ducatis because I one I had been looking for came up at the right price and the CBR left me a bit flat as it only went well, stopped well and cornered well...
A £1000 can get you a good one, mine cost £1000 when I bought it, had relatively low miles (less than 20k) I serviced it, put tyres on then eventually sold it for £1000 sometime later.
There are a lot of sheds out there but if you take your time you can find a garage queen - a quick 'ebay' search shows that there are quite a few from £1-2k, buy one, run for 12 months until you find out what you want from a bike, sell it for what you paid and move on up
Good advice I think the challenge is finding a decent one, I know very little about bikes so I'd be leaving myself open to buying a dog. I went back to Ducatis because I one I had been looking for came up at the right price and the CBR left me a bit flat as it only went well, stopped well and cornered well...
A £1000 can get you a good one, mine cost £1000 when I bought it, had relatively low miles (less than 20k) I serviced it, put tyres on then eventually sold it for £1000 sometime later.
There are a lot of sheds out there but if you take your time you can find a garage queen - a quick 'ebay' search shows that there are quite a few from £1-2k, buy one, run for 12 months until you find out what you want from a bike, sell it for what you paid and move on up
Stu-nph26 said:
evotion said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa2s3aHXSlM cover it well.
Cheers will give it a watch https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ylnGp9LSgws
It’s a video made for you.
I would say go for it. It will seem very quick which is good, that's part of the excitement the first time you open the throttle going f
kING HELL!
I had various 125's in my youth, had a 7 year break due to other commitments then bought a GSXR600 SRAD. It was a great machine and I quickly got used to the power of it. I did have a couple of near misses going into corners too sharp and once ended up down a farmers track as I bottled the bend but that can happen on any bike if you're silly and not confident enough. I still ride a 600 now, although I'm tempted to look at a Z1000SX as I would like to do a bit more touring and also take my lad on the back I'm never really wanting for power. The only thing I do crave is the excitement of new power as my bike doesn't surprise me any more.
kING HELL! I had various 125's in my youth, had a 7 year break due to other commitments then bought a GSXR600 SRAD. It was a great machine and I quickly got used to the power of it. I did have a couple of near misses going into corners too sharp and once ended up down a farmers track as I bottled the bend but that can happen on any bike if you're silly and not confident enough. I still ride a 600 now, although I'm tempted to look at a Z1000SX as I would like to do a bit more touring and also take my lad on the back I'm never really wanting for power. The only thing I do crave is the excitement of new power as my bike doesn't surprise me any more.
Google [bot] said:
That's a great video with some good experienced advice. 
CB600F Hornet - same engine as the CBR but a naked bike. I bought a naked on purpose to try and keep me at realistic speeds.
I'm 6'1" and no problems being comfy.
I bought an early 98 as my first bike back in November and I have ridden it at least once a week since. Very tame in the first half of the rev range, goes like hell after. Mine has an aftermarket exhaust and bigger jets so not sure how it compares so a standard one. Just for the valve clearances checked and there were fine at 52k.
Buy what you want, and spend money looking after it. Dont end up putting stty tyres and chinese chain and sprockets on.
Early Hornets have a 16" front, which limits tyre choice but dont let that out you off if you find one you like - Bridgestone in particular still cater for the correct size.
I'm 6'1" and no problems being comfy.
I bought an early 98 as my first bike back in November and I have ridden it at least once a week since. Very tame in the first half of the rev range, goes like hell after. Mine has an aftermarket exhaust and bigger jets so not sure how it compares so a standard one. Just for the valve clearances checked and there were fine at 52k.
Buy what you want, and spend money looking after it. Dont end up putting s
tty tyres and chinese chain and sprockets on. Early Hornets have a 16" front, which limits tyre choice but dont let that out you off if you find one you like - Bridgestone in particular still cater for the correct size.
wormus said:
I really wouldn’t consider the more extreme GSXR 600/track focused stuff, you’ll be in agony and hate riding it in traffic:
Also the Yamaha Thundercat or Fraser 600, from mid-late 90s are cheap and worth a look. Get to about 1998 and all bikes suddenly shrunk and became only fit for midgets. I blame the R1.
Really? "Agony"?!...Also the Yamaha Thundercat or Fraser 600, from mid-late 90s are cheap and worth a look. Get to about 1998 and all bikes suddenly shrunk and became only fit for midgets. I blame the R1.
Edited by wormus on Tuesday 18th June 07:26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9A6ctjHAxE&pb...
It was comments like this that almost put me off getting an old GSXR.
If, like me, you're in excess of 6'3", you're legs will be a bit more bunched than if you were on a Z750, SV650 or VFR, but after you set off you won't give a fraction of a f
k. Back ache, wrist pain, severe cramp... I've experienced none of these even after several hours on the bike, but if you're a man who has, at any point, practised making a baby, you'll have already endured far, far worse in the pursuit of entertainment than you'll likely experience on a sportsbike, and that's not nearly as exiting nor lasts anything like as long.Avoid paying more for anything too shiny as a first bike, especially if it's to be used daily - I like and can also recommend all of those bikes above. I tried to convince myself sports tourers and nakeds would suffice, and resisted the lure of a sports bike for a long time. But if it's a sportsbike you want, it's a sportsbike you should get.
CrankyCraig said:
Really? "Agony"?!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9A6ctjHAxE&pb...
It was comments like this that almost put me off getting an old GSXR.
If, like me, you're in excess of 6'3", you're legs will be a bit more bunched than if you were on a Z750, SV650 or VFR, but after you set off you won't give a fraction of a fk. Back ache, wrist pain, severe cramp... I've experienced none of these even after several hours on the bike, but if you're a man who has, at any point, practised making a baby, you'll have already endured far, far worse in the pursuit of entertainment than you'll likely experience on a sportsbike, and that's not nearly as exiting nor lasts anything like as long.
Avoid paying more for anything too shiny as a first bike, especially if it's to be used daily - I like and can also recommend all of those bikes above. I tried to convince myself sports tourers and nakeds would suffice, and resisted the lure of a sports bike for a long time. But if it's a sportsbike you want, it's a sportsbike you should get.
Great post Craig thanks for sharing your experience. I think I’ll take a look at the GSXR too if I can find something decent for sub £1500 this is the way I’ll go rather than financing a new bike. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9A6ctjHAxE&pb...
It was comments like this that almost put me off getting an old GSXR.
If, like me, you're in excess of 6'3", you're legs will be a bit more bunched than if you were on a Z750, SV650 or VFR, but after you set off you won't give a fraction of a f
k. Back ache, wrist pain, severe cramp... I've experienced none of these even after several hours on the bike, but if you're a man who has, at any point, practised making a baby, you'll have already endured far, far worse in the pursuit of entertainment than you'll likely experience on a sportsbike, and that's not nearly as exiting nor lasts anything like as long.Avoid paying more for anything too shiny as a first bike, especially if it's to be used daily - I like and can also recommend all of those bikes above. I tried to convince myself sports tourers and nakeds would suffice, and resisted the lure of a sports bike for a long time. But if it's a sportsbike you want, it's a sportsbike you should get.
CrankyCraig said:
wormus said:
I really wouldn’t consider the more extreme GSXR 600/track focused stuff, you’ll be in agony and hate riding it in traffic:
Really? "Agony"?!...Edited by wormus on Tuesday 18th June 07:26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9A6ctjHAxE&pb...
It was comments like this that almost put me off getting an old GSXR.
If, like me, you're in excess of 6'3", you're legs will be a bit more bunched than if you were on a Z750, SV650 or VFR, but after you set off you won't give a fraction of a f
k. Back ache, wrist pain, severe cramp... I've experienced none of these even after several hours on the bike, but if you're a man who has, at any point, practised making a baby, you'll have already endured far, far worse in the pursuit of entertainment than you'll likely experience on a sportsbike, and that's not nearly as exiting nor lasts anything like as long.I ride Daytona 675 in traffic, it is absolutely brilliant
Back pain? Maybe beginning of season, just need to ride more and it's gone.
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