[2wheelnut]

I was an idiot and ten years ago started off on a '99 GSX-R 600 even after almost being bit by my brothers SuperHawk 1000. No rider safety course, just got out there and rode. Hardly took her in the Highway but practiced A LOT alone in the canyons. (Stupid) But then again I talked myself out of a Duc 996.

After several R1's a CBR900rr and a bunch of others I'm back to my favorite, potent, ass kicking K6 600. The technology from a '99 to a '06 is night and day, and I'm always comparing it to 750's of the '99 vintage.

I have seen many friends who had 599 and up first bikes and saw all of them crash. All of them. Some have Ti for bones now. And all of them but one stopped riding. All of them gave me the same arguments as posted.

I would like to think I saved a life once, turning my brother in law, who is tall and large framed away from the CBR900rr (but to a '97 GSX-R 600) that he crashed several times til he finally gave up.

Ten years later I still read posts like this, and still constantly learn and learn new techniques on my "little" 600. I'm always asked why I don't have a 750 or a 1000 by guys who are a year or two into riding, I try to explain that the machine and I fit together like a glove, I get funny looks like I'm nuts. Funny that out riding big bores never gets old... It's not the power that out rides them either. Smooth transitions, accelerating and braking always leaves the big bores in the canyons. Not sheer speed.

Then the "I'll get used to the 600 too fast" excuse. I'M still not used to the second gear power wheelie out of a canyon turn!!!!! (sure do love it tho)

Then there's the guys who take the chicks on their new 1000 750 600 and show them how fast they can go, all while the chick is screaming in her helmet and white knuckling it! So funny, these women I can't even get to ride in the back anymore since some ding dong scared her into thinking that we are all going to scare her. (I got a few back on the saddle)

These women fall absolutely madly in love for motorcycles if you take them out the first time and go sloooooooowwwwww. Take it easy and make them feel comfortable. They actually end up begging for more (really). Even the ones that were scared. Once you show them that you own a beast of a bike that YOU have tamed, they go gaga.

 

[rootkit]

These women fall absolutely madly in love for motorcycles if you take them out the first time and go sloooooooowwwwww. Take it easy and make them feel comfortable. They actually end up begging for more (really). Even the ones that were scared. Once you show them that you own a beast of a bike that YOU have tamed, they go gaga.

This man speaks the truth.

Edit: didn't realize that was your first post. Welcome to the forum, and nice first post!

 

[OnFiRe705]

All i gotta say is if you have no motorcycle experience then take the MSF course and do yourself a favor. Go there and learn and honestly if you feel like you can be tame and more than willing to learn the bike then start off with a 600. These freakin idiots that say no no no can blow me. I had not a dam minute of riding experience...took the MSF course and bought a GSX-R600. Now...after taking the course you should look back and see how well you think you did. If you had a bunch of oopsies and still arent real comfortable on the small bikes then you need to start off with something less than a 600 and not an R-bike cuz u just dont understand fully...and need the give a smaller bike can offer. If you got good remarks from the instructor and talk to him and you feel confident then st urself nothing larger than a r-600. Its really not up to you fools on here who cant handle the power and dont respect the bike to be filling this forum up with dont get an R-bike. People arent really gonna care about what you say anyways if there determined to get an R bike anyways. I say...if you are responsible and can tame the urges to open her up and learn the bike first then def go for it. For those of you who cracked it up more than once than ur doing something wrong. Slow it down and go back to a parking lot and re-learn ur bike... and for gods sakes wear ur dam PPE ie. helmet and jacket and gloves and no shorts.

 

[tonyt]

I totally agree with you, in that safety in paramount as it relates to motorcycles, and that a first bike should be chosen with careful consideration. I've had friends who ride tell me that my first bike should be a 750 or 1000, I simply told them they were insane. If you read my post, you would notice that I have just purchased my first bike, an 08 GSX-R600. I think that its plenty enough for me. Am I gonna go screamin down PCH, hell no. Will I ride at night, probably not. I've had my permit for a while and will take a safety course to properly learn what I need to. I love my bike, and respect its power fully, and being in law enforcement I've seen my share of vehicle versus motorcycle tc's. So know that I take what you've stated seriously and know the risk factors associated with my first bike, especially since its a Gixxer. If you're familiar with the 08, I plan to ride it on mode C which totally limits the bike, will it be enough, who knows? As for now, I'm just waiting on my buddy so I can use his pick-up truck to bring it home. Believe it or not guys have been encouraging me to ride it home on the freeway...crazy. Especially with that counter steering coming into play...

 

[BERTIN gix6]

six months ago if you would have ask me if i know how to ride a motorcycle i would have said no. but after using my cousins dirt bike, i decided to get a sport bike. first thing i did was take the MSF course (best $200 i have spent). after passing the course went off to buy the bike. this was probably the worst mistake i have done. rode the bike to my house with no gear but a helmet and almost crashed twice. when i got home a put the bike inside and didnt want to touch it. i was scared of the thing. finally got the courage to ride it and just rode around my block. after that i would go and practice on big lonely streets 15 minutes away from my house. now i ride to work and to school about 60 miles per day. im still learning and i have signed up for the MSF advanced course. i would never recommend a beginner to start of with a sport bike. if you enjoy life then you would agree with me.

 

[rafa750]

I got a 750 as my first bike, never rode ANY type of bike to..its awesome.BUT i was scared as fuck for a while...And before i got it, i took the MSF class.. glad i did. I dont think that their is anything wrong with getting as long as u respect it and KNOW that it can kill you whenever you mess up...lol

 

[Bandit-618P]

man i wish i would have read this! listen to me if you wont take this intelligent right up to thought.

i bought an 06 gsxr 600 in nov. i have been riding dirtbikes, my cousins harley sportster a few times, quads all that, and RIDING A SPORTBIKE IS A WHOLE NEW WORLD! you cant just mess around on these you need to actually RIDE the bike. i have been lucky and not dropped it or gotten hurt, and have an experienced sportbike racer as a common friend who has helped me through the learning process.

ive been riding my bike as often as i can in the last 6 months, and still have lots to learn! i have had the absolute best circumstances and luck, and its still been hard.
if i were to buy my first bike again it would not be a gsxr and would be much smaller!
take the advice. and great write up!

 

[DusteeFartz]

I got a 05 750 for my first bike..never even been on a bike before I bought it and I rode it out the door. I took it slow and respected the bike and it worked pretty well for me. I dont kjnow maybe Im not like the rest but Im fine.

 

[jmk1223]

I think most people respect the power and the beast in the 600 but it seems like they are all a little scared... IMO this is where almost all of the crashes come from... by no means am I saying go balls to the wall and thats how you learn.... it is a process of building confidence that I believe is made easier and even faster on a smaller more forgiving bike

One a side note I have always wondered what the moto gp, wsb, and ama guys started out on... i bet there would be some suprises there i.e maybe a scooter

 

[V2rider]

ive been riding my bike as often as i can in the last 6 months, and still have lots to learn!

Ive been riding sportbikes for 10+ years and still have lots to learn.:cheers

 

[txoutlawgsxr]

Ive been riding sportbikes for 10+ years and still have lots to learn.:cheers

+100000000

I started with bikes (off road and on) when I was 12 and thats been 24 years ago.

I learn something new everyday. If I dont, it was because I wasnt paying attention. I had my mouth open when it should have been my ears.

 

[eclipseego519]

let me just start off by saying thank you to RIDE., because without this post you did i would probably be dead in acouple months.. i just turned 19 on this past tuesday and for my birthday i was planing of getting a yamaha r6.. well things came up and that never happened and i was researching possible beginner bikes and i came accross this post on google and decided to see why i couldnt get my 600cc bike to start with.. let me first say before i read this post i was going to get a 600 despite what you said in ur post but by the end i completely changed my decision. My brothers wifes father died when a car hit his harley, so from that day i decide i wouldnt ever be caught in that kinda situation if i ever got a bike and i would do lots of research before making a decision about it.. well anyways after reading what u've said i can safely say that i've changed my mind about getting the yamaha r6.. i wanted it but now i know its not really a great choice for a beginner and usually i would say i can just learn on the 600cc bike, but im really not trying to kill myself before im 20.. or anytime soon for that matter.. so im probably going to look into a ninja 250 and how much i can purchase one for... maybe i wont look so cool as the guy next to me with the 1000cc bike but atleast i know by the end of the day im going to be a better rider... and then maybe somewhere down the line that will be me with a nasty looking bike... just not worth ur life... u cant look cool , dead.... so thanks again bro.

p.s. sorry for the long post... -richie

 

[tbsn1rd]

For several years now I've dreamed of a Suzuki GSXR 1000 K5. To me this is the ultimate. My dad has always been riding a bike, but he's the more of the laidback, harley-type bikes, not sportbikes. I said to myself that I would buy one after I get my licence and after I'm done in college and gotten my first job as a reward to myself after 17 years of school. I will be 29 at the time.

Reading this wonderful post (regardless of who wrote it) made me think. A lot. Personally I know that if I got a bike like the GSXR 1000 I'd never ever dare to ride it to it's max the first years anyway, and even after much experience I probably wont ever try it. To me, the idea of sitting on a vehicle that can accelerate like madness and goes faster than 99% of anything you see on the street is reason enough to buy and ride it (not to mention it's awesome looks).

Now I'm not so sure what to do. I have not talked to my dad yet to see what he thinks and I will take his advice into serious consideration as well since he's such an experienced rider (even my mom drives a bike and have for some years now =).

Thank you for this post. I had no idea there was such a difference in riding and handling a bike like the GSXR 1000 and something slower. How are bikes like this to ride keeping it below 140 km/h (87,5 mph) which will be my limits the first years. I'm not brave/stupid enough to try any higher at first.

 

[eurominican]

Thanks so much for the awesome write up!

 

[SixxerK7]

All i gotta say is if you have no motorcycle experience then take the MSF course and do yourself a favor. Go there and learn and honestly if you feel like you can be tame and more than willing to learn the bike then start off with a 600. These freakin idiots that say no no no can blow me. I had not a dam minute of riding experience...took the MSF course and bought a GSX-R600. Now...after taking the course you should look back and see how well you think you did. If you had a bunch of oopsies and still arent real comfortable on the small bikes then you need to start off with something less than a 600 and not an R-bike cuz u just dont understand fully...and need the give a smaller bike can offer. If you got good remarks from the instructor and talk to him and you feel confident then st urself nothing larger than a r-600. Its really not up to you fools on here who cant handle the power and dont respect the bike to be filling this forum up with dont get an R-bike. People arent really gonna care about what you say anyways if there determined to get an R bike anyways. I say...if you are responsible and can tame the urges to open her up and learn the bike first then def go for it. For those of you who cracked it up more than once than ur doing something wrong. Slow it down and go back to a parking lot and re-learn ur bike... and for gods sakes wear ur dam PPE ie. helmet and jacket and gloves and no shorts.

+1000 MSF classes are the best way to learn to ride. If you want your M class and have no experince this is wheres its at. They provide motorcycles to learn on, and there is no pressure. The instructors usually aren't there to make money, but they actually like teaching people the right way to ride. Much better than trying to learn in a parking lot with your buddies.:scared

 

[Spray Em]

Very interesting thread to say the least. I believe I am in the middle of the road about this thread or rather topic.

I would venture to say that most person who are buying 600cc + bikes are over 18. Now 18, I believe in all states means you are now an adult. Thats fined and dandy. However your brain does not fully develop until you are around the age of 23-25 depending on who you ask. Hmmmmmm....insurance companies, I wonder where they get that number 25 from. Anyway back to the topic. If you think you are I guess skilled and mature enough to operate a 600cc + bike go for it. You are an adult and should know your boundaries. However on the other hand there is EGO as discussed earlier. Your EGO can get you into a hell of a situation.

I believe riding is 90% mental. You need to think about what you are doing... obviously as you need to think when you are driving a car. However you need to think or process a lot more riding a bike. Taking a turn to fast on a 250/500cc bike as oppossed to a 600cc + bike is going to make one thing happen... you are most likely going to loose control. Yes if you are skilled you might be able to correct the problem, but we are however talking about newbie riders correct? So yeah most likely the are going to end up and their arse as is their bike. The same goes for grabbing a fist full of the front brake or rear brake for that matter. One event leads to another.. yada yada yada.

I agree that certain situations worsen with having a 600 cc+ bike... i.e if you somehow roll on the throttle due to a pot hole or for whatever reason. You are gonna go on a ride unless you can correct the problem but as this topic is about newbie riders they might not have the experience to correct the problem. If they were on a 250/500 they might not have that problem thus eliminating any further incident.

I am by no means an experienced rider and have no problem admitting that. I accept the risk involved in riding. Once you accept that risk then its all up to you on how you ride. If you are a newbie and you get a 1000cc bike ... be prepared is all I can say. You accept the risk and the challenge of owning that bike.

Enough of the soap box.... If you think you can handle it then go for it. If you question yourself everytime you get on your bike and ride maybe its time to think about getting a different one. Like I said i beleive riding is 90% mental with some cooridination and balance yes but what controls that stuff... your brains..


in ending..... use your brain.... ride safe

 

[edtattooed]

I agree, i traded my Suzuki race quad for a GSXR750, i am 48 years old and when the guy dropped the bike off i was afraid of it, the next day i was in Motorcycle Safety class ang spent the weekend at the course. When i started riding my bike i quickly learned it does everything well(handling, braking, accelerating) and has been such a pleasure to ride. If i listened to the nay-sayers i would have never experienced this fine sport. I have been taking baby steps and progressing everyday.

 

[Adsuzukiboy34]

I've been here for quite a while & never seen this thread.
The OP is 100% correct.
There are too many people being killed on bikes that they don't know how how to handle (as in the physics), let alone control the horsepower.
Would anyone in their right mind let a newly qualified car driver drive a 2000 HP car?
No way!
Then why can noobs ride a bike with virtually a 1 hp to 1 kg (2.2 pound to the kg)?
Drag racing and circuit/road racing necessitates (typo) that vehicle control training and restrictions are incurred upon noobs, this is not required for the street in a lot of places.
WTF?

 

[Skwirl865]

newb first crash is comming in to a corner at a speed that is interpreted as "too hot" and grabbing a hand full of brakes less than 3 miles from where they started.
9 out of 10 could have made the corner at the current speed but fear can overwhelm you.
you get on a straight that seems pretty long, hit the gas enjoy the wonderful "about to pull you off the back" feeling, and dont realize how long it takes to get slowed down to the spped you feel comfortable taking the corner comming up. it comes up alot quicker on a 600 than it does on a ninja 250. you cant just burst up to 90mph between corners. on that 600 you can, but more importantly YOU WILL!!!
we all like to think we are responsible and all that jazz, but in the end at some point or another we will submit to the temptation.

that is exactly what happened to me. i am still in my first season.
started out on GSXR 750 K6.
it lasted 1 month and 4 days and was totaled. it hit a tree, and i hit a fire hydrant. i had slowed considerably before the front tucked in on me, and slid/rolled a while before i hit the hydrant. i was almost stopped when i hit it, and still ended up with 3 fractured ribs, a cracked sternum , and a badly bruised lung. coughing up blood is a scary thing. i did have gear on, so all things considered i came out smelling like a rose. it was a blessing i had slowed down before i hit. i must say though. the real blessing was that crash. i bought that bike having no idea that it was as powerful as it was.
had i known i would have got one alot sooner which would have been an even bigger mistake.
now did i learn from the mistake?
i took the insurance money and bought a k7 750. so in all honesty probably not. at least not as much as i should have, but it did make me a different rider. it made me start reading alot about how to be a better rider, pay more attention to the temp of my tires, my attitude, ego, lack of ability/skill/experience, but most of all it got me familliar with the sheer force and power, and pure violence involved in a motorcycle crash.
im glad i didnt just slide to a stop because i needed to know what that sudden stop feels like.

i dont feel like i am anywhere near the skill level to "handle" a gsxr 750, but i do feel like i have alot better chance of surviving the learning curve now that i have felt how easy it is to lose your life on one.
i was one of the ones who thought he was the exception. i read alot of posts about not getting anything like that for a first bike.
it sucks laying in a hospital bed coming to the realization "im AM the dude they were talking about" theres nothing special about me. all this reading, studying, and preparation still was no substitute for experience.

i dont think anybody should get a supersport unless they have had a decently nasty spill because regardless to what u have seen or done. you have NO IDEA what you are facing when things go wrong and they WILL go wrong at some point or another.
only experience can curb panic and panic is deadly.

 

[GixxerDad1]

^^^ That post was made with a whopping 14 days of "experience" :lol

Whoever reads this: I have about 10 years of street riding experience, about 120000 miles, 5 years of road course riding and 2 years of racing (road course too) - and I say this guy is a clueless beginner who has no idea of what he's doing and that even new 600s are a piss-poor choise for new riders - you choose who to listen to... :wait

I agree partially an disagree partially. I started out on a K6 GSXR 600 I bought it the first year of 06 never had been on street bike before. I rode a dirt bike every now an then but never even touched a street bike. I was one of the few who was able to just jump on an roll out but at the same time I knew what my abilites were an I had one major thing going for me which nobody has said squat about which I believe plays a big role in what type of bike to begin on an that's Respect for the bike an what she could do an also what she could do to me if I didn't respect her. Most of these new riders have no respect for what an awseome machine these things are If everyone would stop worrying about cc's an realize that any amount of cc's can kill you if you don't learn to respect the bike an also just have a health fear of it, an when I say that I mean Enjoy it,push it, but don't push to much cause at the end of the day I've seen some of the best eat it at they've all told me the same thing I got over confident an lost the Respect an Fear of my bike an when you do that, that's when she bites back an lets you know Respect me or lose me an your life in the process. To all newbeeies welcome to the club your apart of something special just rember this ride to your ability don't worry about others RESPECT your bike. Like all my buddies told me it comes with time an everyday you ride you learn an you make your riding skills better. I don't give a damn who you are Jason Britton,Nicky Hayden,etc Ride it an Respect it an everything else will fall into place.....
Ride that bitch like you stole it