Bike Suggestions

[vroom]

I will be a first time rider and everything. I already took the safety classes and stuff and got my lisence. I weigh like 140lbs and im 5'10". I really had my mind set on either an R6 or a gsxr 600, but from all the reading I have done here im not so sure anymore. Would I be alright to start off on a 600? Also does Frank ride with you guys? He was the guy who taught the safety course. Thanks for any and all advice you guys can give thx.

[melonheadR6]

yea man, i bought an r6 for my first bike. lemme say, it was scary as hell when i first started riding it. and many hypercycle members have seen my "mistakes." it happens, learn from it.

WELCOME TO HYPERCYCLES!

[deathblow]

First off, welcome aboard. If it is your first bike, look into a used bike. A used F[2 or 3] is a great starter bike along with any YZF-600R or used SV650. Try to get something you know you won't worry to much about as you just want to develop your riding skills and not worry about the bike having way too much power. Those bikes I mentioned already have way more power than you will need. As soon as you get used to it and are confident in your skills, move up to a newer 600 :).

[Gixxer_6]

I would say the same thing that allan said. start off with a used 600 and learn on it before you get something that would be a real shame if you dropped it the first day you had it. Also the power issue, if you have never rode before then that is a lot of bike. For example, my first bike was a ninja 600 way back in 91. I wrecked it three times in the first six months. Of course I was retarded back then too.

[cbrsmurf]

+1

[Phamous]

Any 600 i think is way too much power for a majority of people, but you have to start somewhere. Just be responsible and respect the bike. When you get to the point where you are testing limits of the bike is when you need to think twice. The rest of the time you just need to be aware of whats going on around you. I started off on a 98 ZX6R which was a great bike..but like mentioned earlier, the more you read, the more you will hear that the CBR600's are great all around bikes to learn on.

Welcome to the Forum!

[AWP]

I would say 250 ninja, small [300 lbs], builds confidence quickly, great mileage [60 mpg], and all the other good stuff. I have been riding mine since winter quarter, and have no regrets yet.

[redhead4u]

I would say a 250 or 500 as well, my first bike was a 250 and I was really happy with it. Great to learn on and they're cheap and easy to resell if you want to upgrade once you get comfortable.

Elizabeth

[Crayziness]

i was lookin at the GS500F but it's got a seat height thats 31.1' and theres no way im gonna be able to reach much more than my toes on it... how much would it cost to get the seat shaved or get it lowered?

[redhead4u]

For you I would definantly recommend the 250, the 250 is a little lower and quite a bit lighter than the GS500.

The Seat heat on the GS500 is 31.1 in. and it weighs 396.8 lbs and the 250 is 29.3 inches and 304 lbs.

I was actually seriously thinking about getting the GS500 but after looking at one at HoM I didnt really like the look of it.

[AWP]

Originally posted by Crayziness
i was lookin at the GS500F but it's got a seat height thats 31.1' and theres no way im gonna be able to reach much more than my toes on it... how much would it cost to get the seat shaved or get it lowered?
If you go to UCSD, your more then welcome sit on my bike to see how it feels, oh and you dont really need to be able to touch the ground fully, if you lean to one side you should tho.

[BioTek]

The SV is a better starter bike than an R6 for sure. Still find mine has more ability than me when it comes to the tight and twisty stuff. I would highly recommend it as a first bike to ease you into biking. :D Theres still enough juice to get you in trouble but nothing like the inline 4 600's.

[swll360]

Welcome to the board!....Like deathblow said, a SV650S is a great bike. Thatz what i ride and i have No regrets. It may not be able to do a buck 50 plus but it can sure hang in the twisties. Torque Machine!:rockon:

[Sentinel]

Ditto on the SV650. You get your choice of faired or naked. Start small, then progress. Whatever it is you buy, I'm sure won't be your last. The trick is, to learn and increase your skills. Better to have a small bike and ride it well than... you know the rest.

Yes, bikes can be lowered or the seats trimmed down. An upholstery shop in El Cajon did it for me for $15.

[Knightshade]

SVS was..is my first bike...and I'm doing alright...I guess. ;)

And..I had to pay like $60 to get my seat trimmed..with shipping and everything..dammit.

but at 5'10"..I dont' think you'll need to shave the seat on a SV. I'm only 5'6", and while I probably didn't "need" it..it does make it easier when I'm on steep driveways...or parking lots...whatever.

[redhead4u]

Imagine how I feel only being 5' 4 1/2" tall on a GSXR600. =) Still thinking about getting it lowered but dont want to lose any handling. Always had a problem getting it out of my driveway, now I just back it out and sideways so that I can go down front first.

Elizabeth

[speedster1219]

sv........nuff said.............


























more post whoring






:-p

[deathblow]

Originally posted by redhead4u
Imagine how I feel only being 5' 4 1/2" tall on a GSXR600. =) Still thinking about getting it lowered but dont want to lose any handling. Always had a problem getting it out of my driveway, now I just back it out and sideways so that I can go down front first.

Elizabeth

A guy I know bought a Gixxer 1000 as his first bike, and he was freaking 5 feet tall! Of course he dropped it a couple times, but he actually became a pretty competent rider on it after a while, not that I recommend anyone ever doing that.

[cbr619rr]

Originally posted by deathblow
A guy I know bought a Gixxer 1000 as his first bike, and he was freaking 5 feet tall! Of course he dropped it a couple times, but he actually became a pretty competent rider on it after a while, not that I recommend anyone ever doing that.

i also know someone who's about 5'3"? and has an 03 R1... he's actually been to the bike nite at eastlake... he cant back his bike out with him on it... he always have to move it when he's off the bike... you'll probably see him tonite... he's got the red powdercoated wheels and high mount devil exhaust...

[deathblow]

Originally posted by cbr619rr
i also know someone who's about 5'3"? and has an 03 R1... he's actually been to the bike nite at eastlake... he cant back his bike out with him on it... he always have to move it when he's off the bike... you'll probably see him tonite... he's got the red powdercoated wheels and high mount devil exhaust...

Hehe, cool. I think when you develop the right technique to stop and move the bike around, on or off of it, height doesn't really become an issue.

[Knightshade]

my dad has relayed me a funny story a couple of times...when he was in Japan..back in the day...70s..how funny it was..to see riders, stopping at the curb so they could put a foot up on it for stability. Being 1/2 Japanese, and not really tall himself, he could relate, but that didn't make it any less entertaining.

[deathblow]

Originally posted by Knightshade
my dad has relayed me a funny story a couple of times...when he was in Japan..back in the day...70s..how funny it was..to see riders, stopping at the curb so they could put a foot up on it for stability. Being 1/2 Japanese, and not really tall himself, he could relate, but that didn't make it any less entertaining.

LOL, well with those super tall platform shoes...

[Phamous]

Originally posted by deathblow
Hehe, cool. I think when you develop the right technique to stop and move the bike around, on or off of it, height doesn't really become an issue. :stupid: :lol:

[beej]

I would say just find a used bike that feels comfortable to you when you are on it...as a new rider it won't matter that much about the performance.

[SST_COBRA619]

yes comfortable

[mrdangle]

honda is generally a good starter bike ... it's forgiving to a lot of mistakes you will make. I started out with the F4i two years ago still have the bike ... i gave it to my gf for her first ride hehehe... but now that im on the 1000 RR i say it's easier to ride than my f4i hahaha go figure :)

[GPTECHMAN]

I think that you should start off with whatever you can find a deal on....this is an expensive hobby/money pit.

You might drop your bike, and if you do get a new bike, the resale values drop a ton.

you gotta get insurance and depending on your age and Cc of your bike you really want to factor this into consideration

I think that getting a fast bike like the GSXR or R6 would be fine, but I would compare it to getting a 6'1 shortboard for your first surfboard. Its great if you know how to ride, makes great bottom turns, snaps off the top, good drive, and light. On the other hand if you dont know how to surf, you're not gonna be able to use all the features the board is designed to do. On the other hand if you start off with a longboard/funboard which can teach you the basics by allowing you to catch the wave easier, therefore increase time for you to concentrate technique. Once you've mastered that then you could go into a shorter board, or more technical bike.

There are people on this board that have gone that route and you can tell who they are because they are usually the more proficient riders....they were able to harness all the power out of a less powered bike and learned to really control it. I think that if you start out on an SV, CBR F2/3, YZF, FZR, 250, or 500, you will most likely have more than enough bike and have fun riding it.

this is just my opinion and if you do decide to get either thegsxr or R6 you shouldn't having a problem reaching the same level, but it takes a little longer. You can always buy and sell really fast...its essentially a liquid asset, so if you do get one, you wont be stuck with that bike forever if you're not feeling it

[GPTECHMAN]

sorry for the surf analogy...just was thinking about the surf earlier

[sputnik13]

I'm not much above squid level myself, but I'd like to put in my 2 cents about starter bikes and the 250...

Getting a bike like an R6 or GSXR600 could be ok, if you keep yourself under control and you're lucky to never hit a bump that makes your throttle hand jerk or come to a stop too fast and not get your feet down soon enough to keep your bike from falling or never getting in to any possible scenario where you could flip your bike over (vertically).

But chances are you will be encountering at least one of those or many other possible scenarios where you might drop your bike at best, and die at worst.

Even a Ninja 250 has more power than most first timers can handle, at least for the first couple of weeks. I know, I was scared out of my mind when I got wide open on the throttle and hit a turn just a little too fast, drifting in to the next lane.

I'm still on the 250, it's my first bike, and I've been riding only 5 months now. However, I feel that I'm still not pushing the bike as far as it can go. With a different front sprocket and better tires (still running stock tires) I know I can go even faster than I am right now.

Now, if your thing is straight line acceleration, you'll tire of a 250 pretty darn quickly. Personally, I like hitting the twisties up at Palomar and anywhere else I can find (only know Palomar right now ^_^;;). For that, a 250 is more than I need right now.

[JohnTL1]

my neighbor is selling his 03 yzf 600r for $5800 (I think) and it has less than 6000 miles on it.Great buy for first bike.

[spy98]

Originally posted by sputnik13
I'm not much above squid level myself, but I'd like to put in my 2 cents about starter bikes and the 250...

I'm still on the 250, it's my first bike, and I've been riding only 5 months now. However, I feel that I'm still not pushing the bike as far as it can go. With a different front sprocket and better tires (still running stock tires) I know I can go even faster than I am right now.

I had a '03 250 ninja for about 6 months; and just this week went and bought a '02 F4i. I can tell you, there is a HUGE difference between the two! If I had gotten on the F4i first, I know I would be dead by now. You need to learn how to control the throttle and brakes very well before you start on something bigger. The first time I got on my F4i, I went from 5-75 in the length of a freeway onramp in carlsbad; now that seriously freaked me out. Getting off the same freeway in mira mesa blvd I went from an undisclosed (very fast) speed to about 5mph in the space of 50' or so!

If you make a mistake on the ninja it won't be nearly has bad as making one on a much more powerful one!

[Jelco]

my first bike was a 91' cbr F2, i loved it. it was affordable and durable. once i learned how to ride that, i upgraded to a f4i.