Thinking of buying a motor-bike. I need advice!!

[12sec. Civic]

Hey guys, I know that most of us (Allof us) like/love cars. I am definitely one of the worlds true car nuts. But recently I have been fascinated by motorcycles. I am planning on selling the Civic and getting a bike. This will be the first bike I've ever owned, and the only street bike I will have driven before (I have driven various dirt-bikes)

Since I am a beginner I am only interested in 600cc bikes. I would like a 1000cc bike some day but I dont think it would be wise to get one as a starter.

So far I have had in mind a bike around '97 or newer. 600cc or more, and I want it to be a sport bike. No cruisers or slouchy bikes.

I dont know what bikes are good and how they compare to eachother. If anyone knows of a good 600cc bike that is newer than '97 PLEASE tell me about it.

I would prefer Honda, Yamaha or Suzuki. I would also want a BMW but I doubt I could afford one that isnt too old.

I dont think I want Kawasaki or Buell (Or any American bikes)


I know there are people out there that like bikes so please enlighten me!


So far from my research, I have been interested in the YAMAHA YZF R6, it seems to suit me and it is 600cc. How much could I buy one for? Are they brand new or could I get a used one?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Magic069]

Originally posted by 12sec. Civic

So far from my research, I have been interested in the YAMAHA YZF R6, it seems to suit me and it is 600cc. How much could I buy one for? Are they brand new or could I get a used one?

A man after my own Heart. Any of the older members here can tell you I was also looking into buying a motorcycle. I ended up getting my Xtreme, but I am now back in the market for a bike. I am going to start looking for a 95+ bike for about 4000. Hopefully I will be able to find an R6.

I love this bike! I have been told its not the best in the market, but not bad either. I just prefer the styling. The CBR (Honda) is suppose to be the best bike for your money. I just have a hard time finding someone that has any serious problems with their Yamaha.

Don't know if you have been to the Yamaha R-6 Website. They have tons of info on it. Same goes for any other make. Mostly the bikes stay pretty close to their previous year, so the info won't be to off.

👍 Goodluck, I hope to be riding soon too!

 

[MazKid]

Get a Kawasaki ZX-9R. My dad has a 2000 model year one, it's awsome. Plenty of power but not like a race bike. Easy to ride, lots of low RPM torque, it's fairly quiet, he loves it.

He got it for like 7K...I'm sure you could find one for that much or less.

 

[Magic069]

The YZF600R isn't a bad bike either! 2000 dollars cheaper. Good starter bike. ALso built for more everyday riding.

 

[MazKid]

Same with the ZX-R. There is also a ZX-6R...

 

[Josh]

If this is your first street-bike, you should probably look into getting something smaller than a 600cc sportbike. Today's 600cc sportbikes have a ton of power compared to the older ones.

Most experienced riders would tell you to start out on a 250; maybe a 500 considering you have prior experience(dirt). You'd gain experience from a 250-500, and if you dropped a used 250, it would suck as much as dropping a new $10,000 600. But, if you feel confident in yourself, your riding capabilities, and can control the twist o' the wrist, I say go for the 600cc. Plus, I already know you have your heart set on a 600.


I don't know about an R6. From what I've heard, they're a little less beginner-friendly than say, a CBR600. If I were you I'd look into a '97+ CBR600F4 - CBR600F4i.

The YZF600R would be a great beginners bike, IMO, but you probably wouldn't like the way it looks. Sorta sporty, but not enough IMO. Like Magic said, it's more suited for everyday riding, with more of an upright riding position.



Get whatever you like the most, and whatever you feel most comfortable riding on. Don't get the first one you like, either. Look around, ride different bikes. Don't forget to wear all the proper gear also. Nothing like laying a bike over going 65+ and losing a few layers of skin.

Also, if you get a sportbike, for the first few weeks of riding it, until you feel 100% comfortable riding it...remove the plastic fairings from it. Yes, it will look gayer than two guys having sex, but you will thank me if you drop your bike and save yourself $3,000 because you didn't scrape the crap out of the fairings and/or bust one.

I learned to ride on my father's '01 929RR! I sure as hell don't regret taking the plastics off, and neither does he.



If you want, go check out www.sportbikes.net Read around on their forums. Don't post a question like you did here, though, as 9,000 others do the same thing everyday, and you can just search and see what advice they have for you and other newbies.

Go take a MSF course before you buy a bike. You won't regret it.



Blah blah blah, good luck, and I'm sorry you had to read this. It gave me a headache typing it, so I can only imagine how you feel after reading it!

 

[Sludge Slide]

As an experienced rider, I can tell you that you dont need a 600cc bike for your first. Josh is right, a 250cc is plenty if you've had no experience with a bike before. You can pick up a Honda CBR250 for a few grand and they have pelnty of power and dont cost as much to fix as bigger bikes. You will want something cheap to use for a year or two so you can get your bearings and when you drop it or come off, you wont really care what condition the bike is in.

I know you're saying, "Ha! I'll never come off" and your dead wrong. Automobile drivers have no respect for anyone else on the road letalone bike riders and you have to be so much more cautious on a bike than you do in a car.

What bike you choose is up to you but please, take my advice and get a cheap 250 - you'll live longer.

 

[advanR]

a 600 sportbike would kill you. I would suggest a suzuki gs500, or some of the older kawasaki ninjas if you want more of a sport bike for your first. I think there are 250s and 500s. I would definately not buy a new 600. So many young kids do it because they have too big of an ego and they end up killing themselves or losing limbs.

I am taking an msf course this fall. Then its time to buy a gs500, then after im comfortable with it its sv650 time. the sv650s are sweet bikes. If you have a little experience it might even be an okay beginner bike. they have a v-twin so they are very torquey. and up to 100mph they can hang with 600 sport bikes. they dont have any fairings(sport model does) and they actually look pretty attractive. The insurance is also much lower than a full supersport.

 

[Zero]

If you want to kill yourself, Ducati 996

 

[advanR]

those v-twins are less twitchy and peaky arent they? I would say get a gsxr-750 or 1000 if you really want to kill yourself. And also a gsxr-750 is probably one of the best supersports you could get when your ready for it. They are insanely peaky and need to be revved hard. I have heard they are very fun for this.

 

[MazKid]

Well here's a pic...

It's my dad's old motorcycle(the red Kawasaki Ninija) and his newer one, the Kawasaki ZRX-1100(sorry, I was wrong before, DOH!), and he's in the middle, I blurred him because I don't think he'd want to be posted here(although I'm pretty sure he's posted the pics at the CycleWorld forum, he's ZRX4ME there), and I doubt that you'd like to see him.

 

[Josh]

We wanna see pics of him doing wheelies/stoppies.

 

[MazKid]

LMAO!!

He doesn't ride like that. He does ride fast though.

One of his friends in Ohio has several cycles, extremely fast ones, and he rides wheelies and all that, insane stuff.

Several months ago I rode up to my elem. school(3 blocks from here) at about dusk, it was still a tad light out though. 2 guys rode past doing over 100mph riding wheelies(right infront of the school in a 35mph zone(too bad it wasn't school time...)), and they went back and forth on the road several times, passing cars on the shoulder and just insane stuff like that.
Funny to watch though!

 

[1mic]

R1 is nice $10,000 tho

 

[advanR]

r1? yea a bike with 130hp(even more maybe?) would be great for a beginner with a little experience. I mean he wants to for sure have a bike that can go 190mph instead of a wimpy 175mph. Jeez, what were we thinking suggesting something less. Lets all go buy R1s and kill ourselves!!!!

 

[Josh]

Not only does the R1 come with a 998cc motor, but it comes with a 998cc motor in a 600cc frame! Absolutely HORRIBLE for a beginner-bike!

The R1 would be better suited for a way more experienced rider. A good 2nd or 3rd bike, but not 1st.

 

[-Fred-]

even 2nd bike is a bit early for something like an R1...

start with an used, sub 500cc machine you won't pay too much for. If you happen to fall, it'll hurt a lot less to scrape a 1000$ bike than a 10 000$ one.

 

[12sec. Civic]

Ok, I live in Calgary AB, so getting a bike here is kind of a waste because of winter. But I was going to get a bike because I was going to go to school out in Victoria BC this fall and it doesnt snow there, and I would be able to drive the bike almost year round. Just tool around campus in the bike instead of some massive Jaguar.

I am NOT a daredevil. I would NOT be doing wheelies or going much past 10 mph over the speed limit. Call me a panzy but I DO NOT want to be in the same group as the redneck teenager who feels inadequate and has to do a wheelie at every stoplight and go double the speedlimit. I would simply be cruising around within the city streets but I want the acceleration to be fun atleast up to the speedlimit.

So, you guys are suggesting bikes as low as 250cc. How much hp would a new-ish 250cc bike have? Is it still going to be faster than a car? I want to get an understanding here, because I've never driven a street bike before. Ok, so a 1000cc is going to be faster than any car you'd run into on the streets I assume? I have also been lead to believe that a 600cc is also faster than just about any car out there, right? So is a 250cc bike going to be like weak and needing to be revved and snorted all the way up to the speedlimit or is it still going to be fast?

Like, a 1000cc has a similar power to weight ratio of a car with roughly 1,100hp. A 600cc has a power to weight ratio of a car with roughly 650hp.


What is a 250cc bike going to keep up with? Or, what would the acceleration of the average newer 250cc bike be comparable to?

 

[Josh]

A 1000cc bike with a good rider is going to be anything from a high 9 to a low 10 second bike. A 600cc bike is going to be, probably, a mid to high 10 second bike.

From a stop, I can't imagine you running into any cars being able to beat you(on a 1000cc, or 600cc), but as the speeds increase...cars with 600-1000hp will be able to walk by you with ease.

I have no idea about the acceleration of any 250's or 500s, I'll search around and get back to you.

 

[12sec. Civic]

Originally posted by Josh
A 1000cc bike with a good rider is going to be anything from a high 9 to a low 10 second bike. A 600cc bike is going to be, probably, a mid to high 10 second bike.

From a stop, I can't imagine you running into any cars being able to beat you(on a 1000cc, or 600cc), but as the speeds increase...cars with 600-1000hp will be able to walk by you with ease.

I have no idea about the acceleration of any 250's or 500s, I'll search around and get back to you.

Whoah, thanks!

I want the bike to be fun. I dont care about full throttle top speed. But I want it to accelerate at a rapid pace. I would hope to beat Camaro's and Mustangs in a race. Although I was hoping to beat Viper's and Ferrari's.

What car is a 250cc or 500cc bike comparable to in stoplight-to-stoplight acceleration.

 

[Josh]

Ouch! I've never read up on 250cc bikes, but this is disappointing...to say the least.

1994 Kawasaki Ninja 250R

0-60 5.5sec. Fast enough to beat Camaro's and Mustang's 0-60, but...


1/4 mile 15.5! You might be able to beat some un-modded civics with that.

Top speed 115, 38bhp, 28 at the rear wheel....horrible. That's what makes it a good beginner bike though.

 

[Josh]

Oh yeah, 14ft/lbs @9500rpm...

 

[-Fred-]

Originally posted by Josh
Oh yeah, 14ft/lbs @9500rpm...

makes an S2000 look like a torque monster!

something like that is the perfect beginner bike, obviously.

 

[Josh]

I know you're not talking **** on the S2000's torque...or lack thereof.

Yeah, that's a great beginner bike. Once you feel comfortable on that you'll be ready to move on up to a Goldwing.

 

[-Fred-]

we laugh, but GoldWings will get you to 60 in less than 4.5 secs... It's pretty heavy, but it's got a flat 6, too. 150+hp, apparently.

 

[Josh]

103 rear wheel HP at 5,600 RPM
109.9 pounds-ft of torque at 4,300 RPM
1/4 Mile, 12.34s @ 105.84MPH
0 to 60 MPH, 4.14 seconds.
0 to 30 MPH, 1.22 seconds.
Top gear roll on, 40 to 60 MPH, 4.59 seconds.
60 to 80 MPH, 5.42 seconds.

That's for a friggin' 2002 Honda GL1800 Goldwing.

That huge boat of a bike.

792 pounds. Not much heavier than a 'Busa. Pfft. That'll be the last time I talk **** about Goldwings...I guess.

 

[Magic069]

Goldwings are nice, but come with a nice price tag as well.

 

[Josh]

$19,000 doesn't seem so 'nice' to me.

Nah, I know what you meant.

 

[advanR]

I dont think a 250cc bike is necessary. I think a good choice of a 500cc bike would be great. Remember v-twins arent as high strung as the whining 4-cyls in supersports. a 500cc v twin on an older bike would definately not be as bad of a starter bike as a new supersport 600.

I will suggest the suzuki gs500 for a beginner bike. If you have some experience and want a new bike for your first, I would suggest an sv650. They are not good beginner bikes for most because of the touchy brakes, but it has not been dangerous for peolpe with a little experience. I suggest this bike because they look pretty good, they cost around $5-6k, no fairings(not too damaging to drop), great aftermarket, v-twins are awesome(sound sweet and torquey), the bike is very fast. Its not a cruiser, its not a supersport, its a great all around bike. The motor makes 68hp. with modifications it could probably reach 90hp. Its torquey motor will do the 1/4 in around 11/12 sec i think. It isnt until over that speed that supersports really take off. The bikes v-twin gives it quick acceleration but a low top speed. But since you dont care about only being able to go 140mph instead of 180mph, I think it would fit you. Oh, and a GS500 would do the 1/4 in high 13s.

If you really want a new bike for a first bike i would suggest this, it wont bore you once you get used to it by any means. But if you dont care, I would suggest a gs500, then perhaps an sv650 would even be a good second bike.

I myself plan on taking this route after taking the MSF course this spring. (gs500 then sv650)

 

[12sec. Civic]

Well, I am sorry not to heed the advice of the wise; but I dont think I am so childish that I need to get a 250cc bike to keep from killing my self. I think a 500cc bike sounds like the middle ground, or maybe an older 600cc bike (early 90's).

If I had a bike that only did 0-60 in 5.5 I would feel like a kid who's mom has put the cookie jar on the top shelf to keep me from eating myself to death.

I dont want to sound like the "invincible" teenager (young-adult) but I think I can handle a bit more power. I am not some hot-dogging idiot that has to redline the first three gears everywhere I go. I had a Civic that could get me to lethal speeds in a heartbeat and I still drove as calmly as someone with a stock Civic.

I dont think a 600cc bike around '95 will be an instant death trap for someone like me.

It seems like I am convincing my parents to let me get a bike in this thread, when really I am talking to people who could care less what bike I get. Am I foolish to ignore your advice, probably, but am I foolish enough to prove you guys right? No.

Ok, thanks for listening to me pour my heart out, but I am now going to be looking for a bike as soon as tomorrow. I will let you guys know what I have found for what price, and hopefully someone will respond before I buy it.

A friend of mine was trying to convince me to get a cruiser-style bike last night but I really dont think it would suit me. Are these bikes anywhere near as fast as a crotch rocket?


Thanks everyone, for the priceless advice from ACTUAL bikers who know more than a stats and numbers page can tell me.