600 sports bikes
Discussion
I know a few of you chappies ride bikes and I am thinking of getting a 600 sports bike. In my list at the moment is a Kawasaki ZX-6R (currently top), an R6 or a GSXR. I have ridden downhill mountain bikes and motocross bikes but this will be my first real street bike (the main reason for not getting an R6). Of the three which one would you guys recommend? The 6R seems to have the whole package of being able to be ridden by a novice but being a screamer if you want it to be, be comfortable to commute on etc. Would I be right? If so I'm going to try and get a silver and black one 
If any of you have any other suggestions I'm willing to listen. Cheers.
If any of you have any other suggestions I'm willing to listen. Cheers.
You think a Gixxer 6 is better as a starter bike than an R6?? I guess you havent ridden one yet!
I'm very much against against people getting sportsbikes as a first bike, too many mates have either lost life, arms, legs or at the minimum stacked the bike. I mean to take a car example you have easily F40 performance up to approx 150mph and you want that as your 1st bike!!!
I always say get a smaller less powerful bike first, learn to ride it, thrash the pants off it and it will make you a far far far better rider.
I hate seeing a sports bike not thrashed either as why own it otherwise? get a 400 or 500 or a commuter/allrounder type 600 as ya 1st then work up.
I'm very much against against people getting sportsbikes as a first bike, too many mates have either lost life, arms, legs or at the minimum stacked the bike. I mean to take a car example you have easily F40 performance up to approx 150mph and you want that as your 1st bike!!!
I always say get a smaller less powerful bike first, learn to ride it, thrash the pants off it and it will make you a far far far better rider.
I hate seeing a sports bike not thrashed either as why own it otherwise? get a 400 or 500 or a commuter/allrounder type 600 as ya 1st then work up.
Cbr600 or Ninja600 are arguable the two best alround 600's on the market.
I think you may find the Gixer and the R6 are more race orientanted and from what i am led to believe with the R6 little cramped.
I suppose it comes down to what you are gonna be using it for.
Everyday,trackdays, wkend blasts,touring and then try and get a go on a couple to see who comfortable they feel for u.
BB
I think you may find the Gixer and the R6 are more race orientanted and from what i am led to believe with the R6 little cramped.
I suppose it comes down to what you are gonna be using it for.
Everyday,trackdays, wkend blasts,touring and then try and get a go on a couple to see who comfortable they feel for u.
BB
Well I've heard lots of reports about how the R6 is more track orientated. I didn't know that was true of the GSXR too. I think I may go with the 599cc ZX6-R, I much prefer it to the CBR. I like the way they look too, and the six pot brakes are pretty trick (my mountain bike has 4 pots so I have to go one step up 
). They seems pretty comfortable too.
Iguana, I sort of understand what you are saying and appreciate the love you show looking out for me an' all, but I need a sports bike. I'm not stupid, I always ride/drive whatever I am at the helm of within my limits. Maybe for a while I won't get it's full potential, but I'll be learning
I'm still up for advice though and any more help is greatly appreciated, cheers chaps.
Any more info from the chap with the 599cc ZX6? Running costs etc. Sorry I've forgot your name matey but I forgot to quote.
). They seems pretty comfortable too. Iguana, I sort of understand what you are saying and appreciate the love you show looking out for me an' all, but I need a sports bike. I'm not stupid, I always ride/drive whatever I am at the helm of within my limits. Maybe for a while I won't get it's full potential, but I'll be learning
I'm still up for advice though and any more help is greatly appreciated, cheers chaps.
Any more info from the chap with the 599cc ZX6? Running costs etc. Sorry I've forgot your name matey but I forgot to quote.
moleamol ive got the 599cc model here's a pic of mine (although their are others of it littering the site ) 
i did have an oil usage problem but its had a top end rebuild and had stopped drinking it although it has got 22,000 miles on the clock 
other than that swiss watch reliability ride it steady and i can get 60mpg and my insurance is £350 TPF&T with one years NCB .definatly getting another after this one 
wind it up to 9000rpm and hold on cos its like switching on another engine goes like stink also you can do 200 miles on it before you get a numb bum !
) i did have an oil usage problem but its had a top end rebuild and had stopped drinking it although it has got 22,000 miles on the clock other than that swiss watch reliability ride it steady and i can get 60mpg and my insurance is £350 TPF&T with one years NCB .definatly getting another after this one wind it up to 9000rpm and hold on cos its like switching on another engine goes like stink also you can do 200 miles on it before you get a numb bum !
I had a vfr 400 as a first bike waste of money only had it 4 months then i bought a brand new 99 zx6r g2. Very good bike cheapish to run good on tyres found dunlop 207 very good. Went to france on it great also went to conwall with the missus tent and about 20kg of make up no problem. Then i had a tl1000 big mistake broke my leg on that one 6r was much better. Now have a gsxr600 cant ride at moment but should be back in the saddle in the new year so let you no about that one then. I dont think you need any bigger than a 600 just dont have the roads over here try as many bikes out as you can then you will find the one you like denny will be glad to hear some one else likes silver
I had a vfr 400 as a first bike waste of money only had it 4 months then i bought a brand new 99 zx6r g2. Very good bike cheapish to run good on tyres found dunlop 207 very good. Went to france on it great also went to conwall with the missus tent and about 20kg of make up no problem. Then i had a tl1000 big mistake broke my leg on that one 6r was much better. Now have a gsxr600 cant ride at moment but should be back in the saddle in the new year so let you no about that one then. I dont think you need any bigger than a 600 just dont have the roads over here try as many bikes out as you can then you will find the one you like denny will be glad to hear some one else likes silver
I had a g2 6r from new for about a year and I would never in a million years suggest it's a novice bike. It turns way too quickly for that.
Apart from that I thought it was a terrible bike. I bought mine brand new and the gearbox broke and the camchain tensioner went all in the first six months. In addition to that it handled really badly... the front tyre always felt like washing out. The thundercat I had before was a much better bike although less sporty and the y2k fireblade I traded the 6r against is far superior in every respect bar none.
I'd say go for the thundercat as a novice or if you really must be fashionable the cbr600 but take it easy.
Mark
Edited to add: frankly you'll live longer if you get something a bit softer like a bandit or a cbr500 for 6 months and get some miles in on that. You'll then have some experience of your own which you can use to decide what *you* want out of a bike rather than relying on the bollocks written by magazines, bullshit talked by mates and equally ill-informed advice from us
>> Edited by dern on Tuesday 8th October 21:00
Apart from that I thought it was a terrible bike. I bought mine brand new and the gearbox broke and the camchain tensioner went all in the first six months. In addition to that it handled really badly... the front tyre always felt like washing out. The thundercat I had before was a much better bike although less sporty and the y2k fireblade I traded the 6r against is far superior in every respect bar none.
I'd say go for the thundercat as a novice or if you really must be fashionable the cbr600 but take it easy.
Mark
Edited to add: frankly you'll live longer if you get something a bit softer like a bandit or a cbr500 for 6 months and get some miles in on that. You'll then have some experience of your own which you can use to decide what *you* want out of a bike rather than relying on the bollocks written by magazines, bullshit talked by mates and equally ill-informed advice from us
>> Edited by dern on Tuesday 8th October 21:00
quote:
have you consider a thundercat , 2 m8's had them and rated very highly
This is very nice bike, my brother in law has one and I used to ride trials on a 250 and took it for a quick spin up the road (hey I'm lanky and was wearing a mirrored visor!) it's very easy to ride, very comfortable and quick too! My bro in law rates it very high as a begginners bike, good 2nd hand price too!
Here is mr lanky (me) on it!
quote:But he'll get bored with it very quickly, it'll be the same sort of thing he'll do his DAS on.
Edited to add: frankly you'll live longer if you get something a bit softer like a bandit or a cbr500 for 6 months and get some miles in on that.
The only down side of a sports bike is the acres of plastic which you'll scratch when you drop it.
The 600s just don't have the torque to get you into trouble as quickly as a litre bike, keep the revs down at first and you should be okay.
Whot can i say dern you must of had a friday night bike ive never heard any one say zx6r handles bad.I think the thundercat is probily a good first bike but dont think i would class it as a sports bike due to the seat configerion. The way some people are going mateys going to end up with a volvo.At the end of the day if you ride like an idiot does not matter if your on a scooter or a blade its going to hurt.Again test test and test some more till you find a bike that feels right
quote:
the thundercat is probily a good first bike but dont think i would class it as a sports bike due to the seat configerion.
AHA! My bro in law thought the same thing so I bought him a little doodah from Demon Tweeks for £80 (bit steep I think) which sit's over the pillion part of the seat and makes it look alot nicer I think!
lol, I still think the best thing to do is get a few lined up and try them all, everyone is different I know loadsa people who love the YZF6R and know loads that hate it! It's your opinion get a few similar ones and try em out, personally I like the GSXR's, especially the new GSXR1000 saw one the other day, drool!
quote:I just don't agree that after 3 or 4 days of training lets your explore anything that the bike can do. I agree he may possible get used to the straight line acceleration of a bike but anyone who gets bored of exploring the handling of *any* bike is just talking out of their arse. The advantage of a bandit is that you can buy a 2nd hand bike relatively cheaply and run it for 6 months to a year and then sell it for more or less what you paid for it (especially if you buy now and sell in spring) and then buy something more extreme that you'll then have more experience to exploit.
But he'll get bored with it very quickly, it'll be the same sort of thing he'll do his DAS on.
quote:It isn't the power that's the problem, it's the more extreme steering geometry that's going to cause the difficulties. It would be much easier to learn the basics of bike control (and anyone who says they have that after doing DAS is talking bollocks) on a more stable bike such as a bandit or a thundercat than on a zx6r, r6 etc.
The 600s just don't have the torque to get you into trouble as quickly as a litre bike, keep the revs down at first and you should be okay.
As for my kwak being a friday bike... the bike shop had had several back with the same problems (incl zx9rs as well as zx6rs) and the understeering front end of the 6rs was something they were well aware of... If they didn't push theirshard to enough to find it maybe they should get a cbr500 and learn on that first
Regards,
Mark
>> Edited by dern on Wednesday 9th October 09:21
>> Edited by dern on Wednesday 9th October 09:23
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