[Mi_Black_Pearl]

So I've just recently given up the sport of off-road racing/riding with my atv by selling it. I've been doing it for years and it was indeed hard for me to let go. But there's very little places to ride anymore here in the northeast coast, no time with being in college now and away from home, and gas prices skyrocketing thus all bringing the motorcycle idea i've had in mind for a while now to more of a reality at this moment. With all of that expeience in the past though, with an atv that is, I do feel pretty confident in getting the hang of it with a motorcycle. Although, I hear it's much harder to go from 4-wheeler to 2-wheeler rather than the vice versa order. Nonethless. for me and for all those in the same position of getting into motorcycle riding, would the guys with experience on here tell us the basics of getting into it and what kind of bike really suits for a beginner rider. I have in mind a 600cc, preferably used, to last for a year or two until it's outgrown, unless it's new and supreme for all my riding needs and desires. They say even a 600cc bike is at most used only to 75% of its full potential and the rest only capable for the track. So I wouldnt mind haning on to it for a while because im not looking to go tracking or racing it, just some daily driving and the occasional rides. I have sat on both a sportbike type and an upright position type bikes and still cant tell which i'd rather prefer yet. These are what I have in mind (2005 and/or newer):

Yamaha R6
Yamaha FZ6
Suzuki GSX-600R
Honda CBR600

Thanks for any advice guys!

[Rdrcr]

For a beginner motorcycle, I suggest;

*Kawasaki Ninja 250R
*Buell Blast
*Suzuki SV650S

IMO, those bikes you have listed are not beginner motorcycles. They can be, but I don't recommend them.

Mike

[Tbagger]

I've given this advice to plenty of people and its all been the same.

I'd pony up and get a GSX-r 750. The reason is for the money it is a great bike to learn on and has enough power to keep you satisfied once you become comfortable. My first bike was a 600 GSX-r (2001). I loved it but within the first month of owning it I had not mastered riding a bike but I was very confident. I had never riden a dirt bike or motorcycle and this was my beginning bike. I bought it in May and in July I was wishing I had gone up in size. That fall I sold it and the next spring I had myself a 954RR.

So to put it in short, 600's are great to learn on, they're smaller easier to handle and for the price they're pretty sweet. Looking at litre bikes now adays 180chp is a getting scary with a bike that weighs 320lbs. The 750 is a big enough bike to both learn on and keep up with the big boys once you get some confidence on the bike.

The 600s of today are definetly not the 600s of yesterday and have some grunt to them, but trust me you'll be wishing you bought a bigger bike by the end of the summer.

The only reason why i suggested this bike over the 600s or even the ninja 250s that a lot of people learn on or a 500 would be the fact that you have prior experience. I went from riding nothing to a 600. Just be very careful and respect the machine and it will respect you back.

[DjChieNa]

cbr600 f3

My beginner bike and aboslutely loved it

[god5337]

How economical overall is a bike? I would like to use one to commute to work (about 10 miles to base) but heard the gas savings is not a much as i had hoped. Also, a friend said you lose the money you saved in gas, on tires. Was thinking about a bike or a beater in the 3-6k range

[Mykl]

Originally Posted by Mi_Black_Pearl

Yamaha R6
Yamaha FZ6
Suzuki GSX-600R
Honda CBR600

Thanks for any advice guys!

The FZ6 is easily the best beginner's bike of that group. The other ones, IMO, aren't for beginners.

[Mykl]

Originally Posted by god5337

How economical overall is a bike? I would like to use one to commute to work (about 10 miles to base) but heard the gas savings is not a much as i had hoped. Also, a friend said you lose the money you saved in gas, on tires. Was thinking about a bike or a beater in the 3-6k range

It really depends on the type of bike. If you buy something cheap like a KLR-250 it's incredibly economical, because tires and brakes last forever and it gets good gas mileage. If you get a supersport, you may as well just drive a car. Liter bikes might get high 30's for fuel economy on a good day, but they do it on high octane fuel and you've got to change the tires on them every few thousand miles. The money you spend on tires alone basically kills what little you save on gas. Then there's the insurance on a bike like that...

So basically, yes, you can save a lot of money by riding, but you've got to be picky about the bike you get. Look for something that gets good gas mileage, is very easy on regular maintenance, and can use crappy/unsticky/brick tires that wear like iron.

[matadorCE]

If you want to die, by all means stick to the bikes on the list you made or other 600cc+ that others are recommending.

The real list is: Ninja 250R, Ninja 500R, Ninja 650R, and the Suzuki SV650 and GS500.

[Mykl]

The FZ6 is really not a bad bike to start on. If you've got dirt experience you'd be right at home on it. The handling dynamics are close to that of a 650R, SV650, or GS500, it just has a little more top end horsepower.

[cusco]

the r6 and cbr600! those are the first 2 i would buy! planning to get my moto lic and pick up one of those. they both are sexy!

[viperguy]

Well, having riden most of the bikes on your list I must ask why are you coming up with these? Are you going to pay cash? How old are you? What type of riding are you planning? whats your body size?

And a little bit of advise on taking the advise from others when it comes to bikes. 90% of folks riding on the street today cannot out-ride their machines. With that known when someone says "believe me you will outgrow a 600 in your first year" they are full of Sh1t!

Without more info I cannot give a recommedation.

Post up a reply and I'll help you out...

A little background on myself..
Carried an "A" sticker with NESBA
and Expert/Advanced with Desmo,SBTT and Cornerspeed.

My bikes..
'95 Honda VFR 750
'94 Kawi ZX-7
'96 Kawi ZX-7R
'96 Kawi ZX-7RR (Race)
'-- Muzzy ZX-7RR (Race)
'02 Yama R6 (Track/Street)
'-- Muzzy Raptor (SBK)
'99 Ducati 996SPS*
'02 Kawi ZX-7RR WSBK (Yanagawa)...No Really
'95 Honda RVF 400 RR nc35*
'91 Suzuki RGV*
'-- Suzuki RGV-GP Hybrid*
'08 Ducati 848(R) (On Order-June)

*-still in the stable

[viperguy]

Originally Posted by matadorCE

If you want to die, by all means stick to the bikes on the list you made or other 600cc+ that others are recommending.

The real list is: Ninja 250R, Ninja 500R, Ninja 650R, and the Suzuki SV650 and GS500.

I'm guessing your an older fellow.

[Mykl]

Originally Posted by viperguy

I'm guessing your an older fellow.

I'm not old and I mostly agree with him. Because I've been around long enough to see people get hurt or killed by starting out with a bike they couldn't handle.

Sure, some people do just fine, but the failure rate is just too high.

Like I said in the other thread, if you want to actually learn how to ride well, your best bet is to start off on a mid range standard style motorcycle.

If you just want to twist the throttle and go real fast in a straight line, get a Hayabusa.

[Wolverine 250R]

I came from atv's too and bought a bike 2 years ago- '99 ninja zx6r. I went with an older 600 because I thought a 500 would be too slow and that the newer 600s would be less forgiving. You won't have any trouble riding a 600cc bike. However, you will most likely get yourself into trouble riding a 600cc bike.

I tried to respect it and "ride smart", but I could not have fun on the bike unless I was pushing my limits. The limits on a sportbike are quite high and exploring them on the street is likely to kill you or someone else. Luckily, I laid my bike down at 80 into someone's grassy yard and only ended up with a bit of road rash and a bruised ego.

If I get another bike, it will be track only or a supermotard. If you ride a sportbike on the street you are either a moron who is likely to hurt someone else or a poser who just rides the bike to look cool, but has 1" chicken strips on his tires.

Look into the supermotards, those things are supposedly a lot of fun, more forgiving and very nimble, but their limits are lower than a full on sportbike. YouTube - super motard

If you're buying a sportbike to save money, you are kidding yourself. Its a toy, a very fun toy- probably the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

[Mi_Black_Pearl]

im appreciating the tips and advice so far, however, i think some of the ideas are starting to get somewhat controversial here...i really didnt mean to stir anything here in this thread which can really occur when the actual rider is considered over the ride itself...just like looking at the driver over the car...a person makes up the rider or driver, and let that person be, we all have to be different right? a person chooses his or her path, but enough philosophy...just as with our car considered to be somewhat a street nemesis (and more appropriate for rally or track) doesnt mean those who are mature and strong enough to control it cant appreciate out on the street....same deal with a sportbike...you wouldnt call us morons for driving our sti's out on the street now would ya? (exception to some out there who abuse it, obviously making the possibility existent due to the number of drivers out there-it's all proportional)...nonetheless, everything ends up coming out moderate, there are those who can handle it and those that cant, shame for those who cant and learn the hard way but thats just life...back to topic, it's the bikes that should be compared like the way we would compare our sti's to other related cars...if the sportbike was not to meant to be on the street, than neither is our sti