I was recently contacted by an individual who was looking to buy his first bike.

He had decided to buy an R1 or a GSXR1000 for his first bike and had come to me for advice

I have not included his e-mail to respect his privicy. But you can figure out what was said.

If you are looking to buy a sportbike of any kind, please read this first:

Here is my responce:

Hi *****,

I'm glad you are interested in getting a sportbike. But I can tell from you comments that you have never ridden one. Sport bikes are not toys. They are not for everybody, and to ride one correctly and safely takes years and years of training and practice.

Unfortunately in the US any body can get a motorcycle license with little or no training and buy and ride any motorcycle they like. You can thank Harley Davidson and the cruiser mentality for not putting a displacement cap on motorcycle learner licenses. In the rest of the world they have what is called a graduated license. This means that you have to start on a 125cc or 250cc motorcycle and then after a certain amount of experience and training you can move up after passing a series of test. This saves lives and keeps bike and insurance costs down.

I don't know what your back ground is or want your driving or riding experiences are. But I raced cars for several years before I got into bikes. I have driven some extremely fast cars in some very demanding conditions. None of that prepared me for the first time I rode a motorcycle. A motorcycle is inherently unstable (it only has to wheels) and is capable of speeds and acceleration that rival supercars and race cars. I don't care what car you drive, it is not capable of sub-3 second zero to sixty times and is won't flip it self over backwards in the process. R1's, 954's, ZX9r's, Gixxer 1K's, and CBR6's even will.

Modern sportbikes are so fast that it's not funny. ALL OF THEM!!!! 600's, 750,s and liter bikes. 4's, triples's, and twins. It doesn't matter. They are all fast. Some are just a little faster that others and those are A LOT harder to ride. The easier a bike is to ride the more YOU will learn from riding it. SV650's are easy to ride. That's why they are such great beginner bikes. You can find the limits of an SV and that's where you learn to ride. And there is a difference between surviving and riding. You can buy a Gixxer 1K, but you will just be surviving.

You motioned 400's........ I LOVE 400's. They are the most fun you can have on two wheels. They are great. My first bike was a 400. It was an 89 Honda CB-1.( I included a picture) The Cb-1 was a great bike. It was fun, it revved to the moon, it sounded good, it had theses cool gear driven cams, and it handled GREAT! It didn't look good, it didn't go very fast, it sucked on the highway( it tuned 8000rpm @ 70), but it was fun. I could ride the living shit out of it. I could ride it as hard as I could and it took work to make it go fast. I used to ride to work every day like I was at a Grand Prix. You could leave every stop light a pin the first 3 gears to red line and not even break the speed limit. And I embarrassed a whole lot of people on R1's and Gixxers in the twistys who didn't take the time to learn to ride. It was great.

You can't do that on a modern sportbike. They are too fast. The only place where you can ride a modern sportbike that hard is on the track. That's really the only place I ride any more. I still go out on the weekends when the weather is nice every once in a while. But the majority of my riding is at the track.

The other main problem in the equation is the manufactures. They do not import small displacement bikes to the US. None of the big four manufactures import a sport 400, they claim they don't sell in the states. Suzuki makes the Katana and bandit 600's and Kawasaki makes the ZZR600. But all of these bikes are outdated, heavy sport 600's The are not good beginners bikes either. They all have full fairing that are expensive to replace if you drop it and EVERY BODY DROPS THERE FIRST BIKE! This a rule. If you buy some thing naked (or with minimal fairings) then when you drop your bike in the parking lot, it won't cost you $1200.

SV650's are not shitty. My Friend Chris Norman took a third in the last AMA Pro thunder race of 2002 on a basically stock SV650. That's against Buells and Ducatis with twice the displacement. Go to a Club race in your area, see how many people race SV650's. I bet you see more SV's than any other single bike. SV's rock. You may be a fan of inline fours, but V-twins are not shitty either. Do you watch World SuperBike????????? The series has been around since 1989 and a inline four has only one the title twice...........V-twins rule.

If you are serious about getting into bikes, then use your head not your ego. Take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation class http://www.msf-usa.org/ I'm sure they offer it in your area. Find a good group of people to ride with. Guys who will show you how to ride, not pressure you into riding over you head. Take track Schools. You can learn more about bike control on the track (in a controlled environment) , then apply it to the street. Most importantly, buy good gear and wear it. Good gear can save your life. It has saved mine on many occasions. EVERYBODY CRASHES AT SOME POINT, IT'S JUST A MATTER OFWHEN AND HOW BAD. BE PREPARED!

You still may not listen to me. You may still go out and by an R1 or a Gixxer, because you like the way it looks. You may buy it because you think you are billy badass and you can handle anything. You may buy it to impress chicks or some other stupid reason. You may not even be interested in motorcycles. This may be a passing fad for you and you just want something to impress your friends with. That's cool.

But Remember, Someone who can ride a slow bike fast is a lot more impressive than some asshole about to fall off of a fast bike going slow.

I see the same shit every spring. Because I work at a large motorcycle shop I see more of it. As soon as March rolls around a new crop of kids comes in here and buys bikes that are over there head. They wobble around on them in a t-shirt and shorts, trying to pop wheelies and then about June or July they are all gone. They have all wrecked. The bikes are all totaled and they all got hurt. Some them even got Killed. It doesn't have to be that way.

If you have anymore questions, shoot me an e-mail and I will be happy to help.

Chip Spalding
RonAyers.com
1800-888-3084

Thanks for reposting that Chip! graemlins/thumbup.gif

graemlins/thumbup.gif Great Response, Chip! And excellent advice to all reading it! Newbies - pay special attention to those words!

It's super-cool that you addressed the fact that smaller bikes don't necessarily mean shitty bikes!

I'm afraid that there is a segment of the population that would be turned away from excellent 'beginner bikes' by defining them solely as 'easy to ride, easy to handle, and made for a beginner'. I know I was (and still am, in other ways) part of this group...

My first bike was a CBR600F3. And while it's not a literbike, in retrospect, it was still a bit much for a beginner. But, at the time, I was convinced that I was 'special'... surely I was capable of learning just a bit quicker than the average Joe. Hell - I had a good head on my shoulders. Why should I settle for a lack-luster, back of the showroom floor, underpowered 'beginner bike', when I could have the sexiest 6 (OK - I wasn't into gixxers then images/icons/wink.gif ) made? All I had to do was be careful, right?

Needless to say, I went down, more than once images/icons/wink.gif I was wrong. But it took experience to teach me that. And if I had the chance to do it all over again, I'd still choose the higher performance bike.

But that's the catch. What alot of newbies (and some experienced riders as well) don't realize is that many of the bikes we recommend to start out on are just as adept on a racetrack as they are on the street. They ARE high performance bikes!

Back to the SV650... I used to call it a beginner bike. Until I rode one. Now I see it as a light-as-hell, easy to flick, high-corner-speed race bike! What it lacks in power it makes up in light weight and extremely nimble, quick steering and handling. What it lacks in drive coming off the corners it makes up for on corner entry speed. For the price, you couldn't do better. And even though I'm now racing a 750, if I had the money, I'd add an SV to my garage in a heartbeat. To be honest, I wish I had started out on one. But now I have so many 750 parts in stock, it wouldn't be cost effective to switch bikes.

Just to put performance in perspective, newbies... one of my good friends & race partners races an SV-650. On our local track, he puts down consistent 1:09 - 1:10 lap times. Oh yeah - and he's still an amatuer. The expert racers winning expert races on GSXR-750s are putting down 1:03 to 1:04 lap times. Most of the amatuers are running 1:06 or worse. And I'd say probably 70% of the guys at trackdays here on big bore bikes are putting down times worse than 1:10. Usually much worse.

Hell - It wasn't very long ago that had a hard time keeping up with this guy - him on his SV650, me on my GSXR-750 images/icons/rolleyes.gif And even now, I only beat him because my bike has more power on the straights and off the drive of the turns. On turn entry, he always gains some ground on me.

So keep this in mind, newbies. There are good choices out there for you that don't require you to 'settle'.

And one more thing... if you haven't seen the look on someone's face when you pass up their 1K Gixxer on an SV-650, you haven't lived! graemlins/laugh.gif

[ 01-13-2003, 09:04 AM: Message edited by: leanangle_750 ]

Chip? What in THE HELL are you doing? You didn't tell him that the Gixxer 1000 is THE BEST starter bike out? I didn't even see you mention the R1. Don't you know it's all about the nookie? That's what's important these days. Hell, in a matter of minutes and $10 grand or so, you can be the fastest, coolest guy on the planet! Throw in a replica helmet, a tank top and some sporty new sun glasses and you're real close to being faster than The Hand of God! And it only takes minutes and $10 grand or so. Forget wasting YEARS learning how to ride the bike. It'll pull a wheelie RIGHT OUT of the dealership, impressing your friends and family right from the get go. Yup, he'll be on his way to Moto GP success aboard the 1k or R1. Now, if he'll just print his name, sign and initial the waver below, he'll be on his way to Godliness in no time flat.

I____________________ being of sound mind and judgement do here by leave all my worldly possesions, including all parts and pieces of any motorcycle and/or gear that I possess to Devilman. Further more, I impress upon the courts to here by order my girlfriend/wife to give a daily alotment of blow jobs equalling NO LESS than three per day to Devilman as well. In conjuction with that order, I would also like to see my little sister at the age of 18 to be given soley to Devilman to do with as he sees fit. I thank you in advance and will see you all in Hell.

_____________________________
PRINTED NAME

_____________________________
Signed

_____________________________
Initial

_____________________________
Date

Go ahead and sign it, images/icons/wink.gif
Devilman

Why do I feel the need to pray after reading your posts, DM? images/icons/frown.gif

And I'm not even religious graemlins/laugh.gif

Originally posted by leanangle_750:
Why do I feel the need to pray after reading your posts, DM? images/icons/frown.gif

And I'm not even religious graemlins/laugh.gif <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Because you recognize a Demigod when you see one? lol!

Sign the waver, give your soul to me and kiss your ass good bye,
Devilman

Nice post, did he ever get back to you on what his purchase was, just wondering if he took your words of wisdom.

Oh, sorry........

He wrote me back and told me he was Billy Badass and he could do any thing. He said if Troy Bayliss could learn to ride in 12 years then he could learn to ride in 6. blah, blah, blah,....

He ended up getting an SV650S.

Yeah, SVS, but then again, we're not riding our 120+ HP bikes away from the Hash bar after bong-hitting enough Northern Lights to put down a mule images/icons/grin.gif

Just kidding images/icons/wink.gif

[QUOTE]Originally posted by leanangle_750:
[QB]Yeah, SVS, but then again, we're not riding our 120+ HP bikes away from the Hash bar after bong-hitting enough Northern Lights to put down a mule images/icons/grin.gif

graemlins/bounce.gif graemlins/laugh.gif graemlins/bounce.gif graemlins/laugh.gif graemlins/bounce.gif graemlins/laugh.gif graemlins/bounce.gif
I'm still cracking up on that one...

Regarding restrictions:
Here in Denmark we have quite hard restrictions on drivers licenses. At 16, all you can get is a license to ride a moped - restricted to 30kmh~20mph - after you've had the obligatory training and passed your test. At 18 you can take your license for bikes up to 34 hp. This is also the age where you can get licenses for cars, trucks etc. For each category on your license, you have to have 21 (!!!) lessons with an authorized driving teacher, plus some time on a closed track, plus a theoretic and a practical test. For each category...
One lesson typically costs 250-400 DKK ~ 40-60$!
At 21 or when you've had your motorcycle license for two years, you can ride bikes with more than 34 hp.
Another factor restricting bikes (and cars for that matter) is the high tax on vehicles. A new GSX-R 600 for example costs 165,000 DKK ~ 25,400$!!! On top of that comes prices on fuel (about 5$/gal) and ensurance.

By this post I want to say two things:
1: You Americans have, to say the least, pretty loose legislation when it comes to who can ride which bikes - you decide whats the better solution, and
2: Don't complain about your prices!!!

Originally posted by leanangle_750:
Yeah, SVS, but then again, we're not riding our 120+ HP bikes away from the Hash bar after bong-hitting enough Northern Lights to put down a mule images/icons/grin.gif

Just kidding images/icons/wink.gif <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">WTF graemlins/icon_wtf.gif hash bars??? You must have Denmark confused with Holland... graemlins/bitchslap.gif You stupid South Canadians think Europe is one country. Dammit... graemlins/bash.gif

J/K... graemlins/flipoff.gif

Originally posted by SVS:
graemlins/icon_wtf.gif hash bars??? You must have Denmark confused with Holland... graemlins/bitchslap.gif You stupid South Canadians think Europe is one country. Dammit... graemlins/bash.gif

J/K... graemlins/flipoff.gif <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">graemlins/laugh.gif Maybe it was me who's done one-too-many bong hits graemlins/laugh.gif South Canadians... graemlins/laugh.gif

Originally posted by leanangle_750:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by SVS:
graemlins/icon_wtf.gif hash bars??? You must have Denmark confused with Holland... graemlins/bitchslap.gif You stupid South Canadians think Europe is one country. Dammit... graemlins/bash.gif

J/K... graemlins/flipoff.gif <font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">graemlins/laugh.gif Maybe it was me who's done one-too-many bong hits graemlins/laugh.gif South Canadians... graemlins/laugh.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Yeah - or smoked crack... images/icons/rolleyes.gif

Thanks for somw good advice. My girl and I will put it to use this month. graemlins/thumbup.gif

bump and resticky please

Great posting on the initial. Hopefully this will save at least one kid and Gixxer from the graveyard.

my first bike was going to be a zx-9, then i ended up an sv650 (what the hell was i thinking). now i got a gix 750 and happy. didnt know why it took so long before i got one but im sure glad i got one. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/banana.gif

Chip -
Great post...after talking with all my buddies, they all agreed that the SV650 ws the PERFECT bike to start out on. I'm sure it has been mentioned elsewhere but http://www.svrider.com is a great resource for current or future SV owners.

Wes

I totally agree, If you've never ridden before MSF is the way to go. Read my thread about what could happen to you if you try just a SV650S with 0 experience. http://www.gixxer.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=UBB3&amp;Number=553361&amp;page=0&amp; view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=&amp;fpart=1

-L8ter

I think everybody who knows someone that will become a rider should direct him or her to this post.Ive known people in which they bypassed the consequences,And ended up with a big dawgs bike.Conclusion is the bike being destroyed,and rider severely hurt. GREAT POST!

Thanks for all the info... this will really help me in deciding my first bike

Wow great write-up man. I'm looking to get into motorcycle riding, but I'm going to do a shitload of reading up on things before I go buying anything. I'll check into that SV-650 as well. I don't really care what bike I get as a first bike really. I've already accepted the fact that I'm going to lay it down at some point, so I don't want to bang-up a nice new bike. Thank you.
http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/applause.gif
Dave

Glad I found this site certainly learning alot.

Oh and don't let Dave88LX get near your cars!! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I've had my SV650S for a year and It's pretty hard to drop one. I haven't dropped mine yet.

Wen't riding in the twisties recently and the TL1000R and my SV were kicking a$$ and taking names. We had to wait for 1K4s every time. Of course it was the other way around on the freeway going home.

Just wanted to add to the posts so far and say great write-up, along with the other one's that are stickies.

I've been reading through all of the them the past few days and those posts alone have made me think about my decision to get a sport bike and what I want to start out with.

Right now I'm a cadet at the US Air Force Academy and while enrolled here, one of the rules is that we cannot own/maintain/ride a motorcycle of any kind. When I first heard that I could only think of how stupid a rule it was. But the more enlightened I get, I realize how necessary of a rule it is, the Air Force doesn't really want to waste money on someone for 4 years only for them to get mangled/killed on a motorcycle.

Once I graduate, however, one of my first major purchases will be a sport bike of some kind. Now before anyone gets any ideas, let me be the first to say I"m not going for the Tom Cruise "Top Gun" look, I'm not doing it just to be cool or try to get the girls or try to fulfill the "fighter pilot" look. I race cars and love the speed and adrenaline and want to take it a step further. I've been reading all of the sport bike magazines for some time now, trying to learn as much as I can. I've never ridden a motorcycle before other than a friends old moped. But I have no aspirations of jumping on a bike, riding for "600 miles" and saying, "hey, this is cool, this bike is just right for me, I'm not in over my head." I know the dangers associated with the sport, but with the lifestyle I'm entering into I'm accustomed to risks and danger, its a matter of rationalizing and accepting the risks. The way I see it, if you can't accept the risks that come along with riding any kind of motorcycle, you shouldn't own one.

Going along with the advice of many of the experienced riders on here, I've been eyeing the SV650 quite a bit. I saw one here on base the other day and was hoping to talk to the rider some, but I never saw anyone around. I realize that by the time I'm ready to get a bike there may be better options out there, but so far, from everything I've seen, that seems to be the bike for me. On another note, one of the advatages of owning a bike in the military is the Academy offers a safety course above and beyond the MSF that some many of you have talked about. I will definitely enroll in that when the time comes.

So basically, in a long winded way, just wanted to say thank you for the great wealth of information and insight here. I just wish many other new riders would heed the advice and not get in over their heads.


Tristan

About a week ago I went out and bought my first bike....a GSX-R 750....and two days later, I find this site. After reading the stickies on tips for new riders, I'm kind of kicking myself in the ass for buying this bike. Maybe should have gone with something smaller. So far the bike has not left my garage after my friend brought it home from the dealer for me. I'm waiting to take the basic riding course next week before I even think of taking it out to a parking lot. And even when I'm in the lot, I'm not rushing to get out into the street with it. I paid a lot of cash for this bike and I plan on keeping it in good shape and enjoying it.

In 2000 my first bike was a 91 Katana 750 and it had lost some power when I got it. Put 28k miles on it and I'm glad that it was my first bike even though it was a little heavy, it didn't have the power to spare like the normal Rs. I had also taken the MSF course before I got my first bike. That made a lot of difference.

- thats why im getting the GSX-R 1000 as my SECOND bike after only 400 miles of riding experience on my first bike (which was a 750) HI CHIP! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

First bike was and is still the 2003 Sixxer... i believe if you can control the throttle (2 stroke dirt bikes), and you have enough common sense to know that you cannot, i repeat cannot show off on these then you will be fine. Start on a smaller bike and work your way up... the liter bikes will always be there. "Stay Safe and Enjoy the Ride" - MSF class Carrollton, TX http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

SV-650 is a great starter bike, and what's more, It's hell of a lot of fun for a veteran rider. Less power but I don't miss it as much when I ride one, just because of the ... light torquey attitude it has. Remember it will still kick a sportscars ass.

If you do get a GSXR for your first bike, get the 600 and be happy. Lots of 1000 guys have 600's for their second bikes and ride them more often....

You are so right!! This should be posted at every bike shop in town.

Coming from sunny old portsmouth in England i had to go through the long ladder of progression,i think its F crazy that an unexperienced rider in America can go out and buy a Gsxr1000 orR1 having maybe just a few lessons on his mates,50cc moped with go faster stripes.i had a right laugh starting on a small bike,and working my way up,learning about different aspects of motorcycling,the temptation is to great though,motorcross is a good way of understanding the power and how to use it,when i was 16 board of borrowing my dads fz50 i brought a 490 yz two stroke to take off road,blew me FKIN mind as well as throwing me off the back each time i rode it,Gsxr1000 owner tuned,harris pipe,spectraflair paint,

SVS said:

Another factor restricting bikes (and cars for that matter) is the high tax on vehicles. A new GSX-R 600 for example costs 165,000 DKK ~ 25,400$!!! On top of that comes prices on fuel (about 5$/gal) and ensurance.

By this post I want to say two things:
1: You Americans have, to say the least, pretty loose legislation when it comes to who can ride which bikes - you decide whats the better solution, and
2: Don't complain about your prices!!!




I will never complain again!!!!!!!!

That's all good advice. I remeber when I bought my first bike (F4). I thought it was real fast and all the other 20 year olds where laughing at me. Well needless to say most of them wrecked, and I just sold my bike to get a new Gixxer 600. I have a buddy with a 929 who can;t even see me unless we're in a straight line. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

Its tough to learn how to ride with a 600 for any learning beginner. MSF trains you with a 250cc motorcycle. I learned without taking the MSF but thats just me. Others have different ways of learning. You can buy a bike and get some one to teach you or you can take the MSF course. A GSXR600 is actually pretty strong for a first bike. Any bike thats chosen, just becareful newbies.

I learned how to ride on a Gixxer 600. I purchased the bike and didn't know how to ride. I learned on my own by reading books, magazines, the owners manual, and anything and everything that had anything to do with motorcycles. I also received a few tips from friends that have been riding for years. It was tough at first cuz I was nervous and a little scared of the bike. I took it slow and at my own pace until I felt comfortable riding. I have been riding for 2 years now and love it. I think a 600 is more than enough to have as a first bike. Whatever bike you start on, it all comes down to being responsible on it.

hi, new here......lotta of good reading here at the forum.

I will say this.....I learned on dirtbikes, because real men do it in the dirt!
But there is far more road than trail by far.

Steet is a whole new ball game &amp; I would have been soooooooo ticked off had I settled for the 750.

I knew the GSXR1000 was the bike for me due to my love for the CR500 (dirt) my friend owned when I had a measily 125



passed the drivers test on the 1000 too...doh!

http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/wtf.gif Devilman u r a nut! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif LMAO!

I have to agree... I just traded in my first bike for a GXSR 600... My first bike was a 2003 SV650. I have always wanted a GXSR... but I knew it was more than I needed the first time around.... and now after driving the GXSR.. I am extremely happy that I learned on the SV650 first.. (and those SV's can keep up trust me on this)...

Good write up!

Ello, new here been reading alot of posts regarding new/first bikes since i got into this whole deal, when the bug first bit me i said i had to have to gsxr1000, then after reading around i settled with the idea of getting the gsxr750, but now i think what im gonna do is

a. Take msf course
b. Get crappy but decent bike to play around with for a few months to learn on, while saving money for a nicer bike
c. get either a gsxr600 or 750, all depending on how things go with the first bike, im leanng towards the 600 though

and of course wear appropriate gear =)

I mean to tell ya the truth im a pretty safe person alert and aware of things and am not reckless, im sure id do fine on a 750 and respect the power it has but id rather not be spending my time worrying about not gunning the throttle, and use that time for just having fun and being safe..

and i mean im only 19, i got the rest of my life (hopefully many years to come) to get the bigger faster bikes..

Joeac said:
Ello, new here been reading alot of posts regarding new/first bikes since i got into this whole deal, when the bug first bit me i said i had to have to gsxr1000, then after reading around i settled with the idea of getting the gsxr750, but now i think what im gonna do is

a. Take msf course
b. Get crappy but decent bike to play around with for a few months to learn on, while saving money for a nicer bike
c. get either a gsxr600 or 750, all depending on how things go with the first bike, im leanng towards the 600 though

and of course wear appropriate gear =)

I mean to tell ya the truth im a pretty safe person alert and aware of things and am not reckless, im sure id do fine on a 750 and respect the power it has but id rather not be spending my time worrying about not gunning the throttle, and use that time for just having fun and being safe..

and i mean im only 19, i got the rest of my life (hopefully many years to come) to get the bigger faster bikes..



Smart kid!!!!! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

dut said:
- thats why im getting the GSX-R 1000 as my SECOND bike after only 400 miles of riding experience on my first bike (which was a 750) HI CHIP! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif



For all of those '1000cc's are easy to handle' you may want to follow the links to his web site.

400 miles into a 750 (first bike) decides that he can handle it, and buys a 1K.

A few miles later - its smashed.

I wonder if this is a lesson that anyone will learn, or if everyone will assume that they are smarter ?

fRaGgLe said:

dut said:
- thats why im getting the GSX-R 1000 as my SECOND bike after only 400 miles of riding experience on my first bike (which was a 750) HI CHIP! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif



For all of those '1000cc's are easy to handle' you may want to follow the links to his web site.

400 miles into a 750 (first bike) decides that he can handle it, and buys a 1K.

A few miles later - its smashed.

I wonder if this is a lesson that anyone will learn, or if everyone will assume that they are smarter ?



As far as I remember, it was him who painted that (brand new) 750 solid yellow just about right after he got it - never admitted to crashing that, but you don't paint a brand new bike a solid color... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/squid.gif

Anyway - long time no see, Fraggle - how you doing? http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

Just did a little search on that Dut chararcter (who hasn't been here for some time, BTW):

- Buys a 750 for his first, after acting like a little brat when good advise was given to him - I was one of the guys trying to help him, so I remember what a little bitch he was...
- Paints it a solid color shortly thereafter (solid color on a new multicolor bike = crashed)
- Sells it after 400 miles because...
- Gets a 1K
- Crashes it shortly thereafter by looping it (BTW, I've rarely seen that wide chicken strips as on those pics... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif)
- Says this in the same thread:

dut said:
- if it IS totalled, I guess a zx10 would have to be the next bike...



Dut, if you're still around to see this:

http://www.gixxer.com/uploads/YOUTOOL.JPG

If your really serious about a bike call your agent for an insurance quote for whatever type of bike you are thinking and that might make up your mind. If you are 19 and have a spotless record you will still be amzazed at how expensive it is. For full coverage it will be over 2000 a year guareenteed.

That Dut guy disappeared along with UltraKoolSquid. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif Both crashed their new 1k's I suppose.

appleripper said:
If your really serious about a bike call your agent for an insurance quote for whatever type of bike you are thinking and that might make up your mind. If you are 19 and have a spotless record you will still be amzazed at how expensive it is. For full coverage it will be over 2000 a year guareenteed.



Yeah, that sounds about right. Unless you have a company that will hook you up on bike insurance if you have your car insured there too. A friend of mine has an RC-51 and couldn't afford the insurance on it at over $3,000 a year...I told him to insure his car and bike thru Country Companies and all of a sudden his bike insurance dropped to around 800 a year I believe. I have my Camaro insured there, and my bike insurance is 520 a year with 1 wreck and 1 ticket on my record. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
EDIT: Oh, and I'm 21 on the age side of things.

Man you cause just help me not make the biggest mistake of my life. I have been riding my friends motorcycle over the couse of last summer. But i am not sure what to get cause og my size his bike was a Rc51 and i was some what easy to ride i guess cause he was there. But this is my big problem. I am 6'4 at 250 pounds I feel like im in a soap box on a Sv650 and i dont like the cbr600's cause it feels like im in a chair at college. So what do i do please help. i dont have to much riding under my belt but i now the basic stuff.

Also is this a bad idea (please give me some slack) Since i am so use to the feeling a of a v-twin would it be wise to buy one but I dont think i want one cause of the price it would be to fix it if i drop it. HELP http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Yes, get a v-twin! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif The SV650s is the one to get http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/punk.gif

sorry I cant fit that thing i have already looked at one.

If you can't fit the SV you will fit even less on a Gix... Have you tried the Katanas? They have more room http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

I have tried a few but there ok i still feel some what bigger the the bike. i would like to get a sv650 but i dont think i could fit even if i get resets. So my big problem is that every time i have go to the dealer they try and sell me a big twin cause of my size not cause of my skill so thats what i have been lookin for. Also why does everyone say that you can handle a big bike but it will bit you in the butt if you twist the throttle to much.

Chip ... as many have said before ... great post !!.

My situation is similar, I recently got into bikes, got my license and bought a VFR250 ... kept it for a few months and got a SV650 ... great bike, confidence inspiring. I have had it about 9 month an djust did and advanced riding course (Keith Code's Superbike School Level 1 &amp; 2) .... loved riding on the track, and wearing the "pussy" strips of my tyres. (didn't get a knee down mind you).

But here's my dilema .. you mentioned in your post you have to have found the "limits" of your SV650 before you move on .... I don't think I've found the limits ... ie I've never had a really "out of control" moment ... I guess I'm afraid to push it that hard, or that I'm too conservative. I would love to get a GSX-R750, particualrly ofr the track and weekends and maybe keep the SV as a commuter .... but how do I know when I'm ready to move up to a Gixxer 750 ?

I ride a 03 gsxr600 I love it I risk my life on a daily bases.. Triple digit speeds on 35mph roads is great.. I have had the gixxer for alittle less then 1 year now I want a 05 gsxr750 the 600 has trouble pulling the wheel off the ground. The dealer says if you want the wheel off the ground and the way I ride to get the 1k what do you think....

real nice post....the more i read these forums the more i turn away from gettin the 750 as my first bike....i may opt for the 600 instead...

If you tell people that plan on buying a 1k off the bat,no experiance, not to because it isnt safe, thats your mistake ....tell them its a great idea, tell them to buy a Busa even. it will over time naturally eliminate the idiots.(j/k)

good advice Chip... I'm from Montreal Canada..working to get my license...and I gotta pass 3 tests. 1 theory test that you gotta get 80% on. then we have 19 hours of closed track with an instructor and 6 hours on the road with the group and instructor. after that we gotta pass a test on a closed circuit with the SAAQ ( kinda a government licensing place). Then you get a license..but you can only ride with someone over 25 or soomeone who had the FULL license for 2 years...you gotta ride like that for 7 months. then you are eligible to go take the FINAL test. On the road. its tough and long process up here... we gotta get 80+ on our exams....and dont forget that 4 months we can't ride cause of snow... my american friends told me how easy it was to get a bike license in the states...is it different in different states???

Great advice Chip.

Ive talked w/ you before, as well as the staff @ Ron Ayers and thats one thing I like about that shop. Even as squids, you dont push a bike on someone. Ive had people tell me the 750 isnt the smartest idea for a first bike, but in the right hands it can be done. The good sales guys try to put you on an SV or Supersport 600 (but only cause thats the smallest bike most of them carry).

A good dealer shouldnt sell a liter bike to a newbie, but you get the "sale happy" guys who just want to make $$$ vs keeping their customers safe. Not to mention the billy bad-asses like you mentioned who think they can just hop a 1000 and w/ throttle control they'll outride Mladin and Rossi in 6 months.

Ok I decided to stay on the 600 for another summer, Im just going to do a gear change to get alittle more go who needs to go 170 anyway when 150 will do fine

Chip i like your advice, it is true a noob should not try and learn on a liter bike, just too much power. i took the MSF course (the best money i ever spent) i recomend that course it will save your life. now when it comes to R type bikes, i belive that a 600 (depends on the person) is a good starter bike. my 1st bike is a gixxer 600K5, i have only been riding since march everyday (weather permitting), and everyday i learn something new. i ride with a couple of guys here in boston that ride CBR959's, R1's and i have learned a lot from them (riding posture, braking, setting up corners, and accelirating past the apex) and now i can even keep up with them. i have never riden in the rain, (i don't think i am ready for that) i would like to master this bike on dry pavement 1st.
Also something i learned, tire presure (very important) i am 210lbs, i use 40 front, 42 rear. i found that this set up lets me break and corner as much as my nut sack lets me handle http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/punk.gif

I started on a GS500E Years ago, and learned on that. I rode rain or shine, and learned my limitations with a standard bike. I then went to a sportbike. A Ninja 750 actually. From there a Gixxer 750, and now I am actually back down to a Gixxer 600 2K5. Why?? Because in the right hands, a 600 is more bike than most people can actually use. The only place a 600 really sacrifices anything is on the track where the uberfast acceleration can really put you ahead. I have a friend with an R1 that has been riding as long as I have, and is very skilled, and I never drag behind unless we are on the highway and he decides to see how fast he can go from 60-130, and even then you are only talking about a short lead. I personally think that with the new fuel-injected setups and the modern power output, (the new 600s are only a few clicks off of the old 750's and 1000s) they are more than a new rider could handle. It is possible on one of these rides to feel totally comfortable past your skill level and then find yourself in a world of hurt when the curve tightens, or a car is apexing into your lane. And by comfortable, I call this "Unconciously Incompetent," meaning you don't know that you aren't as good as you think you are.
In all honesty, you will never find the true edge of you and your bike's capabilities until you are sliding across the pavement watching your pride and joy disappear under a semi or into a guardrail. Experience is a fickle teacher, and one that deserves respect.
I personally think that anyone who wants to ride a true sportbike should not only take the Rider Safety classes, but step up to a full on track racing style class. You can learn your limits a lot safer there than on a public road, plus it is a helluva lot of fun.
Just my $.02.
New to the site, and don't expect anyone to take me seriously, but hey, ride what you like. If you want that liter bike, buy it. Your life, your decision, right?

I started on a GS500E Years ago, and learned on that. I rode rain or shine, and learned my limitations with a standard bike. I then went to a sportbike. A Ninja 750 actually. From there a Gixxer 750, and now I am actually back down to a Gixxer 600 2K5. Why?? Because in the right hands, a 600 is more bike than most people can actually use. The only place a 600 really sacrifices anything is on the track where the uberfast acceleration can really put you ahead. I have a friend with an R1 that has been riding as long as I have, and is very skilled, and I never drag behind unless we are on the highway and he decides to see how fast he can go from 60-130, and even then you are only talking about a short lead. I personally think that with the new fuel-injected setups and the modern power output, (the new 600s are only a few clicks off of the old 750's and 1000s) they are more than a new rider could handle. It is possible on one of these rides to feel totally comfortable past your skill level and then find yourself in a world of hurt when the curve tightens, or a car is apexing into your lane. And by comfortable, I call this "Unconciously Incompetent," meaning you don't know that you aren't as good as you think you are.
In all honesty, you will never find the true edge of you and your bike's capabilities until you are sliding across the pavement watching your pride and joy disappear under a semi or into a guardrail. Experience is a fickle teacher, and one that deserves respect.
I personally think that anyone who wants to ride a true sportbike should not only take the Rider Safety classes, but step up to a full on track racing style class. You can learn your limits a lot safer there than on a public road, plus it is a helluva lot of fun.
Just my $.02.
New to the site, and don't expect anyone to take me seriously, but hey, ride what you like. If you want that liter bike, buy it. Your life, your decision, right?




http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/punk.gif


You sir are correct........ http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

I started on a GS500E Years ago, and learned on that. I rode rain or shine, and learned my limitations with a standard bike. I then went to a sportbike. A Ninja 750 actually. From there a Gixxer 750, and now I am actually back down to a Gixxer 600 2K5. Why?? Because in the right hands, a 600 is more bike than most people can actually use. The only place a 600 really sacrifices anything is on the track where the uberfast acceleration can really put you ahead. I have a friend with an R1 that has been riding as long as I have, and is very skilled, and I never drag behind unless we are on the highway and he decides to see how fast he can go from 60-130, and even then you are only talking about a short lead. I personally think that with the new fuel-injected setups and the modern power output, (the new 600s are only a few clicks off of the old 750's and 1000s) they are more than a new rider could handle. It is possible on one of these rides to feel totally comfortable past your skill level and then find yourself in a world of hurt when the curve tightens, or a car is apexing into your lane. And by comfortable, I call this "Unconciously Incompetent," meaning you don't know that you aren't as good as you think you are.
In all honesty, you will never find the true edge of you and your bike's capabilities until you are sliding across the pavement watching your pride and joy disappear under a semi or into a guardrail. Experience is a fickle teacher, and one that deserves respect.
I personally think that anyone who wants to ride a true sportbike should not only take the Rider Safety classes, but step up to a full on track racing style class. You can learn your limits a lot safer there than on a public road, plus it is a helluva lot of fun.
Just my $.02.
New to the site, and don't expect anyone to take me seriously, but hey, ride what you like. If you want that liter bike, buy it. Your life, your decision, right?



Damn, give this man a standing ovation http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/punk.gif

Thanks for the support guys.

I am going to purchase a new 05' GSXR 600 as my "First Bike" I've worked as a motorcycle line tech for 2 years till I was laid off due to the winter season coming earlier than expected. I have helped built superbike engines for top local racers at PIR (Portland Int'l Raceway). I know what a GSXR of any displacement can do or capable of doing with the size of your wallet. Before my purchase of a GSXR-600 I am taking a Riders safety course, I have also looked in to insurance as well. $150 month is great but insurance can twice as much as your monthy. I am not a 19yr old punk, I have done my research. I will ride with gear on, not just a helmet. Its great when you have a $500 helmet to keep you alive so while you are in a wheel chair fed thru a tube you can remember that 100mph+ wheelie in front of some chick who probably isn't that good in bed before you hit that semi in front of you. What I don't understand is a 19yr old wanting to buy a litre bike. I can say is do your research with your head above your shoulders not the between your legs

I am going to purchase a new 05' GSXR 600 as my "First Bike" I've worked as a motorcycle line tech for 2 years till I was laid off due to the winter season coming earlier than expected. I have helped built superbike engines for top local racers at PIR (Portland Int'l Raceway). I know what a GSXR of any displacement can do or capable of doing with the size of your wallet. Before my purchase of a GSXR-600 I am taking a Riders safety course, I have also looked in to insurance as well. $150 month is great but insurance can twice as much as your monthy. I am not a 19yr old punk, I have done my research. I will ride with gear on, not just a helmet. Its great when you have a $500 helmet to keep you alive so while you are in a wheel chair fed thru a tube you can remember that 100mph+ wheelie in front of some chick who probably isn't that good in bed before you hit that semi in front of you. What I don't understand is a 19yr old wanting to buy a litre bike. I can say is do your research with your head above your shoulders not the between your legs


Remember what I said in the other thread about noobs saying stupid shit? I'm not sure if this qualifies yet, but keep talking. Just cuz you've WORKED on bikes, now you have RIDING SKILL and EXPERIENCE to control that throttle, use the correct amont of pressure on the brakes, and get yourself out of unexpected situations?

Oh yeah. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/idea.gif Welcome to the site! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/flipa.gif

That was an awesome reply e-mail http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

one of the best post i have ever read. great job

Hey all,
I jus joined this site yesterday, and love it. You all have some really great discussions. This one inparticular. I am in the military and deployed right now, but will be returning in about 60 days(back to Tampa). I had a Suzuki Katana 600 that i had learned on for approximately 2 1/2 years. It was great, the second day i had it i had hit a mailbox!!! LOL but it really only helped me to fully respect the bike. The bike was great to learn on(at least i think so). But about a year ago i sold the bike and am going to buy another bike when i return. I would like to get another 600, or maybe a 750 gsxr. what do you all think? Do you think 2 years is enough practice to move on up? let me know what you all think. -Steve-

First two wheeler was a Speedfight 2 50cc... second two wheeler was the 100cc version. Been on my ER-5 for about two months now, I've still not managed to lose the rattle in the headlight, and I can't change smoothly all the time (heck, I lost count and dropped into first gear at some lights down the road from here, went from 20mph to about 6 in a few yards, feck) but it's a lovely bike to ride. It's my first geared bike, training schools love them (or so I'm told; I passed on a Hongdou CG125 http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) and it's well behaved. Unfortunately it's restricted so I can legally ride it at 17 (18 in a couple of weeks, woohoo) but it still gets 90, which isn't bad alt all, especially with me at the tiller.

Insurance wasn't a killer either, so I still have all my kidneys. The prospect of starting on a gsxr 600 or similar, as a first bike, scares me a little. This bike could quite happily kill me, if I rode like an assclown, so why hop straight onto a race bike? It doesn't sound all that logical to me, surely having a year or two on even a CB500 or something would be best, so you've got a feel for riding?

I dunno, maybe I'm too careful or something, or I'm not as keen on impressing people with a sexy new litre blade as others, but I'd rather be alive when I get to work in the mornings. Sure, you don't have to ride hte R6/gsxr/cbr as fast as possible everywhere, but it's just so damn easy to open up the throttle and watch the guy in the micra vanish into the mirrors...

Anyhoo, I personally reckon, through very little experience and what family/friends have said that 500cc commuter bikes are a pretty good way to get started. they're like a friendly labrador :p

And I will stop that friken rattle sometime.

Hey all,
I jus joined this site yesterday, and love it. You all have some really great discussions. This one inparticular. I am in the military and deployed right now, but will be returning in about 60 days(back to Tampa). I had a Suzuki Katana 600 that i had learned on for approximately 2 1/2 years. It was great, the second day i had it i had hit a mailbox!!! LOL but it really only helped me to fully respect the bike. The bike was great to learn on(at least i think so). But about a year ago i sold the bike and am going to buy another bike when i return. I would like to get another 600, or maybe a 750 gsxr. what do you all think? Do you think 2 years is enough practice to move on up? let me know what you all think. -Steve-



Hi. I was in the Army for 3 years, so I feel for you. Good luck out there, stay safe.
As for moving up to a GSX-R 750...Go for it.
I bought a GSX-R750 as my first bike ever. I love it. I'm still learning how to ride, but I'm always safe and don't go more then 5mph over the speed limit, and I don't try to pop wheelies or mess around. I always wear all my gear, and am very safe. I'm not about to try to use all of the power of my gixxer. I bought it because it's a great looking bike, and i've wanted it since I was 12. Now I am in a financial situation were I can afford the bike, insurance, the gear, and classes. I rode around only in my neighborhood for the first few weeks and am no crusing (the speed limit) on surface streets. Did I mention I drive the speed limit and am safe and don't mess around.
Anyway, you've been riding for a few years now, i've been riding for a few weeks now, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to get a gixxer 750, just be safe.
Come home safetly.

okay so your boy listened and got the 650
isn't that the point.
but you went on forever to get a simple point across

Damn. be careful.

Ok, I currently have a 2004 honda shadow aero 750 with about 6000 miles on it. I am 37, and ride about 90 miles each way to work 1-2 days a week. Its getting over 50mpg but I have the following problems:
Would like to cruise around 75 or so when traffic allows.
Have bad wind problems even with windshield.
I really like my bike because:
excellent mpg, comfortable, relaible, handles well, only $6800 OTD
I read about the SV650 any comparisons?
What about another type of sport bike but must be able to split lanes and have good low-midrange for heavy traffic.

Ok, I currently have a 2004 honda shadow aero 750 with about 6000 miles on it. I am 37, and ride about 90 miles each way to work 1-2 days a week. Its getting over 50mpg but I have the following problems:
Would like to cruise around 75 or so when traffic allows.
Have bad wind problems even with windshield.
I really like my bike because:
excellent mpg, comfortable, relaible, handles well, only $6800 OTD
I read about the SV650 any comparisons?
What about another type of sport bike but must be able to split lanes and have good low-midrange for heavy traffic.



The SV650S would be a good choice for that. Better useable low range than the SS 600s and more comfortable seating position. I have both an SV and a GSX-R600 and for that kind of riding I'd pick the SV any day http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif Power and handling-wise it'll be a huge improvement over your Shadow.

http://http://www.gixxer.com/uploads/bike35.jpg

This is my first bike and I enjoy everything about it. 2006 gsxr 1000

Europe isn't one country? No wonder i failed!

You guys have made me realize the SV650S is a very decent bike. I'm even thinking about sticking to the SV1000S for quite a while when upgrading time comes. They both look kinda ugly stock, but it only takes a lower fairing kit and lowering it about 1-2" to get me to love it.

http://http://www.gixxer.com/uploads/bike35.jpg

This is my first bike and I enjoy everything about it. 2006 gsxr 1000

first bike is a 1000cc? Your my hero

Just wondering, how does a 1999 Gixxer 600 compare to recent models?! I've taken it out a few times, I'm reasonably familiar with controls, i've had a bit experience before getting it and dn't plan to do any heroics or stunts or over-speeding and end up lookin like superman, just wanna use it to go to uni.....and I fully understand the risk and the power i have under my crotch.......what do y'all reckon?

great post!!

Chip, this is great post that everyone should read. I started out on a sv650s and rode the shit out of it. I wrecked it once, but with it being a naked frame and no fairings, I was much more happy having wrecked that than than the GSXR750 that I have now.

I also took the MSF course a couple years back before I even got my sv650s and had my license as well. The stuff I learned through the MSF and also while riding on the sv650s prepared me well when I finally took the plunge and bought the 750 in 2006.

Enough rambling from me, great post!!!!!!!!!!!

When I got my first bike, the shop was telling me all about the performance in the bike that I had my eyes on. The motorcylce mags that I looked at to base an informed decision about my purchase only boasted lap times, chasis spec.s, and various performance facts. In fact I have found that the first three questions I hear regarding my bikes is not the displacement, but "how fast does it go, does it wheelie, and what is the top speed you have had it?"
When the Aprilia shop called and said I could come in and pick up my Mille, but the mechanic said there is a problem... ....he can't seem to keep the front end down! Some clever shizzle to say, I thought to myself, if you are wanting to sell bikes. However 8 months later when I was calling up lookin for a new case because I broke my chain clutching up a 1st gear slow wheelie, they were preaching to me about how I shouldn't be doing such foolish things
I think that is very hipocritical and typical. Don't be such a hater! Try telling people that all motorcycles present a certain element of danger. So no matter if it's a 50cc or what ,if you go lumberjack wrist on the right side you may be up for a close up asphalt inspection. I even saw a Koren guy pull out in front of a train on TV, and he was on a scooter. What are we saying, the bikes are resposible? Thumbs and a handgun, and we would be extinct?
I started on a liter bike, and I never rode any type of motorbike in my life, now I own 3 sportbikes, and the last one I bought is a 600cc GSX-R. So that says a lot about displacement, and attitude. Get what you want, be confident, and don't let someone who is on a web site designed for speed junkies(like me)tell you to buy a slow bike, because their next post will be telling someone how fast their ride is, or how you can make yours faster too. Not "how long have you been riding?"

Gorgeous Bike!

I started on an old '82 Yamaha XS400. That poor bike was a complete mess, and ended up with a rotted tank and rust bounding around in the engine. I decided I'd get something .... with less duct tape for my next bike. I bought a salvage (recovered theft) 1993 GSXR 600w, and I'm very happy with it.

except for the fact that I can't register it yet, because there are too many incidental parts missing, like a gas tank. and headlight.

Personally, I don't see the allure to liter bikes unless you're just too physically big to be comfortable on a 600-750. It's obscene. Cars are a little different, you can drive them slowly, and don't become more difficult to drive as they become more powerful. I think my 600 will be my last bike.

Checking my signautre.

I started out back in 1992 with a CBR 600 F2....that was a hard bike to buy...eveyone had them..they were the bike to have...but what was sitting on the showroom floor right next to the 600s? the brand new 900rrs! Well if the 600 was such a good bike...certainly the 900 was better! Thats the American idea..Bigger = better. But since I was a squid...I bought the 600....learned to ride with friends on their 600s...heard horror stories of people destroying the bike blocks from the dealership the day they bought it. It took me 1 year to become a statistic...I put the bike down on a hard right hand corner. I was out for a nice cruise...a tricked out Hurricane 1000 + caught me like i was stopped...I went into the corner harder than i should have and laid it down on the right side...slide across the road...some scrapes..lots of dust...a barbed wire fence.....a hand reaching through the dust cloud to pick me up...the Hurricane stopped to help me out. I swore off ridding, that lasted about till I was all healed up, then I was back on. Once its in the blood it's hard to get out. There was no net back then, there was not millions of people with ideas about what's right and what's wrong about first bikes...there were friends, magazines and dealers. I rode that bike until it was stolen. Me second bike was a 2000 gixxer 600...not nearly as comfortable to ride..my knees would go to sleep. Still I rode. Now I have a 1000 gixxer...I am 35 and have respect for ridding and I have respect for the power the liter bikes have. I have lived and learned from my past experiences and or mistakes. When a friend of mine told me he wanted to buy a bike I was like cool, these here are some great first bikes...his response.."No, i have sat on 600s...they are too cramped for me..I want a CBR 1000 rr." No matter how I tried to convince him that a first bike should NEVER be a 1 liter sport bike....nothing was gonna get through to his common sense..he is set on what he wants....so far he has not pulled the trigger (thank God). When I was shopping for my new bike, there was a kid in there that was somewhere between 19 and 22 years old. We were both looking at the 1000s...whats not to love. I submitted my app...he submitted his...we both got approved. In talking with the kid who 'says' he has already owned a 600 and wanted a 1000 I advised against it. He was still young and how much street ridding could he really have under his belt? I talked to him about my experiences and told him I really think he should own 600 for a while longer and why I was picking the gixxer over the yammies....he wanted the R1. I had to leave, but gotta say, when I came back the next day and saw a hole in the line of sport bikes, I asked the dealer if what my eyes saw was really true? Not only did the kid buy a 600...but he bought a sixxer to boot. Bottom line...some people listen...others won't...Continue the good fight, continue to talk to people about you're past experiences or mistakes...who knows...the life you save may be the squid in front of you at the next corner.

Nice post wish it was around 15 years ago.

I was like cool, these here are some great first bikes...his response.."No, i have sat on 600s...they are too cramped for me..I want a CBR 1000 rr." No matter how I tried to convince him that a first bike should NEVER be a 1 liter sport bike....nothing was gonna get through to his common sense..he is set on what he wants....
Just one part I had to pick out. It goes to show that noobs looking at sportbikes of ANY kind as their first bike are not thinking logically. They are just trying to justify what they think they gotta have. A 600 is too cramped and a 1000 isn't? They're both the same physical size! (for the most part, very very minimal size difference, and in a lot of cases, the 1000 is actually smaller):hammer

I just love it (by love it I mean hate it) when people post a new bike thread and state their physical bodily stats, height, weight. What the fuck does being 200 pounds have to do with getting or not getting a GSXR 600?
RETARDS!

I started out back in 1992 with a CBR 600 F2....that was a hard bike to buy...eveyone had them..they were the bike to have...but what was sitting on the showroom floor right next to the 600s? the brand new 900rrs! Well if the 600 was such a good bike...certainly the 900 was better! Thats the American idea..Bigger = better. But since I was a squid...I bought the 600....learned to ride with friends on their 600s...heard horror stories of people destroying the bike blocks from the dealership the day they bought it. It took me 1 year to become a statistic...I put the bike down on a hard right hand corner. I was out for a nice cruise...a tricked out Hurricane 1000 + caught me like i was stopped...I went into the corner harder than i should have and laid it down on the right side...slide across the road...some scrapes..lots of dust...a barbed wire fence.....a hand reaching through the dust cloud to pick me up...the Hurricane stopped to help me out. I swore off ridding, that lasted about till I was all healed up, then I was back on. Once its in the blood it's hard to get out. There was no net back then, there was not millions of people with ideas about what's right and what's wrong about first bikes...there were friends, magazines and dealers. I rode that bike until it was stolen. Me second bike was a 2000 gixxer 600...not nearly as comfortable to ride..my knees would go to sleep. Still I rode. Now I have a 1000 gixxer...I am 35 and have respect for ridding and I have respect for the power the liter bikes have. I have lived and learned from my past experiences and or mistakes. When a friend of mine told me he wanted to buy a bike I was like cool, these here are some great first bikes...his response.."No, i have sat on 600s...they are too cramped for me..I want a CBR 1000 rr." No matter how I tried to convince him that a first bike should NEVER be a 1 liter sport bike....nothing was gonna get through to his common sense..he is set on what he wants....so far he has not pulled the trigger (thank God). When I was shopping for my new bike, there was a kid in there that was somewhere between 19 and 22 years old. We were both looking at the 1000s...whats not to love. I submitted my app...he submitted his...we both got approved. In talking with the kid who 'says' he has already owned a 600 and wanted a 1000 I advised against it. He was still young and how much street ridding could he really have under his belt? I talked to him about my experiences and told him I really think he should own 600 for a while longer and why I was picking the gixxer over the yammies....he wanted the R1. I had to leave, but gotta say, when I came back the next day and saw a hole in the line of sport bikes, I asked the dealer if what my eyes saw was really true? Not only did the kid buy a 600...but he bought a sixxer to boot. Bottom line...some people listen...others won't...Continue the good fight, continue to talk to people about you're past experiences or mistakes...who knows...the life you save may be the squid in front of you at the next corner.

Nice post wish it was around 15 years ago.

yeah 600cc sportbikes are a great first bike. :shifty :wtf

Hi im new to the forum so im not sure if this is the right thread to ask this. I am a new rider with very little experience. My brother in law has a "07 Ninja zx6-r. This is the bike hes been teaching me on which by the way scares the hell out of me cause its so powerful. Im thinking of buying a Gixxer 600R in the spring and from what ive read these Gixxer's come with an engine management system so you could have a low performance setting as well as normal and i guess a race or high performance option. now my question is when the bike is set to the low performance do you think that it would be a more suitable bike for a newbie to ride? Also how much less power does the bike have on low level setting? Is it drastic? Like the power of a 400cc or 500cc bike? Or is low level perform as a regular 600cc streetbike while the other 2 levels are insane for like track use? Also I understand everyones point of view with noobs getting on street bikes and I appreciate your concern. But I am a very stuborn person and will most likely pick one up anyway. So any tips on riding would also be appreciated. And just to let you know I signed up for the motorcycle driver training course and the local college so hopefully that will help give me experience and more knowledge of defensive driving and what not on a motor cycle. Thanks.:confused

I was recently contacted by an individual who was looking to buy his first bike.

He had decided to buy an R1 or a GSXR1000 for his first bike and had come to me for advice

I have not included his e-mail to respect his privicy. But you can figure out what was said.

If you are looking to buy a sportbike of any kind, please read this first:

Here is my responce:

Hi *****,

I'm glad you are interested in getting a sportbike. But I can tell from you comments that you have never ridden one. Sport bikes are not toys. They are not for everybody, and to ride one correctly and safely takes years and years of training and practice.

Unfortunately in the US any body can get a motorcycle license with little or no training and buy and ride any motorcycle they like. You can thank Harley Davidson and the cruiser mentality for not putting a displacement cap on motorcycle learner licenses. In the rest of the world they have what is called a graduated license. This means that you have to start on a 125cc or 250cc motorcycle and then after a certain amount of experience and training you can move up after passing a series of test. This saves lives and keeps bike and insurance costs down.

I don't know what your back ground is or want your driving or riding experiences are. But I raced cars for several years before I got into bikes. I have driven some extremely fast cars in some very demanding conditions. None of that prepared me for the first time I rode a motorcycle. A motorcycle is inherently unstable (it only has to wheels) and is capable of speeds and acceleration that rival supercars and race cars. I don't care what car you drive, it is not capable of sub-3 second zero to sixty times and is won't flip it self over backwards in the process. R1's, 954's, ZX9r's, Gixxer 1K's, and CBR6's even will.

Modern sportbikes are so fast that it's not funny. ALL OF THEM!!!! 600's, 750,s and liter bikes. 4's, triples's, and twins. It doesn't matter. They are all fast. Some are just a little faster that others and those are A LOT harder to ride. The easier a bike is to ride the more YOU will learn from riding it. SV650's are easy to ride. That's why they are such great beginner bikes. You can find the limits of an SV and that's where you learn to ride. And there is a difference between surviving and riding. You can buy a Gixxer 1K, but you will just be surviving.

You motioned 400's........ I LOVE 400's. They are the most fun you can have on two wheels. They are great. My first bike was a 400. It was an 89 Honda CB-1.( I included a picture) The Cb-1 was a great bike. It was fun, it revved to the moon, it sounded good, it had theses cool gear driven cams, and it handled GREAT! It didn't look good, it didn't go very fast, it sucked on the highway( it tuned 8000rpm @ 70), but it was fun. I could ride the living shit out of it. I could ride it as hard as I could and it took work to make it go fast. I used to ride to work every day like I was at a Grand Prix. You could leave every stop light a pin the first 3 gears to red line and not even break the speed limit. And I embarrassed a whole lot of people on R1's and Gixxers in the twistys who didn't take the time to learn to ride. It was great.

You can't do that on a modern sportbike. They are too fast. The only place where you can ride a modern sportbike that hard is on the track. That's really the only place I ride any more. I still go out on the weekends when the weather is nice every once in a while. But the majority of my riding is at the track.

The other main problem in the equation is the manufactures. They do not import small displacement bikes to the US. None of the big four manufactures import a sport 400, they claim they don't sell in the states. Suzuki makes the Katana and bandit 600's and Kawasaki makes the ZZR600. But all of these bikes are outdated, heavy sport 600's The are not good beginners bikes either. They all have full fairing that are expensive to replace if you drop it and EVERY BODY DROPS THERE FIRST BIKE! This a rule. If you buy some thing naked (or with minimal fairings) then when you drop your bike in the parking lot, it won't cost you $1200.

SV650's are not shitty. My Friend Chris Norman took a third in the last AMA Pro thunder race of 2002 on a basically stock SV650. That's against Buells and Ducatis with twice the displacement. Go to a Club race in your area, see how many people race SV650's. I bet you see more SV's than any other single bike. SV's rock. You may be a fan of inline fours, but V-twins are not shitty either. Do you watch World SuperBike????????? The series has been around since 1989 and a inline four has only one the title twice...........V-twins rule.

If you are serious about getting into bikes, then use your head not your ego. Take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation class http://www.msf-usa.org/ I'm sure they offer it in your area. Find a good group of people to ride with. Guys who will show you how to ride, not pressure you into riding over you head. Take track Schools. You can learn more about bike control on the track (in a controlled environment) , then apply it to the street. Most importantly, buy good gear and wear it. Good gear can save your life. It has saved mine on many occasions. EVERYBODY CRASHES AT SOME POINT, IT'S JUST A MATTER OFWHEN AND HOW BAD. BE PREPARED!

You still may not listen to me. You may still go out and by an R1 or a Gixxer, because you like the way it looks. You may buy it because you think you are billy badass and you can handle anything. You may buy it to impress chicks or some other stupid reason. You may not even be interested in motorcycles. This may be a passing fad for you and you just want something to impress your friends with. That's cool.

But Remember, Someone who can ride a slow bike fast is a lot more impressive than some asshole about to fall off of a fast bike going slow.

I see the same shit every spring. Because I work at a large motorcycle shop I see more of it. As soon as March rolls around a new crop of kids comes in here and buys bikes that are over there head. They wobble around on them in a t-shirt and shorts, trying to pop wheelies and then about June or July they are all gone. They have all wrecked. The bikes are all totaled and they all got hurt. Some them even got Killed. It doesn't have to be that way.

If you have anymore questions, shoot me an e-mail and I will be happy to help.

Chip Spalding
RonAyers.com
1800-888-3084



nice explanation

It was Copy and paste, But good find

It was Copy and paste, But good find:scratchWho do you think Chip is?:shifty

if ur gonna do it go big gsxr 1000, its a great bike just be patient with it n learn it, just remember 2 respect the bike all else should be ok

Riding a 400 pound bike FAST is way more than most can deal with track or street. Lightweight pro bikes are a good way to LEARN and obtain goals without alot of twisted metal. If you have the right package speed can come quickly and safely without a huge drama factor.

I agree, but I don't have much room to talk considering its April and I just bought my first bike, at least it was a 600....

Hi all im new here, wasnt sure if this was the place 2 join in...so anyway i own a gixxer 1000 k2 and only owned it 4 the last 2 week and freakin luv it but i do have a question, there r 2 buttons on the dash that im not familiar with can any1 shed some light on them please im gathering that 1 if used 4 a bike set up setting and the other is similar 2 a trip comp on a car can any1 help plz