not that my .02 means anything but anytime anybody gets on this board and suggests anything more than a 250 as a bike to get everybody goes into an uproar because its ludrricous to have more power than that. I agree a 1000 is a waste of money unless your doing track days becasue they are not gas savers but let me post an unbiaed opinion as i ride both cruiser and i also have a gixxer750.
In my opinion everybody wo rides a crotch rocket period is using more power than thell ever need..you can kill yourslef on a 599 just as quick as a r1 or r6 or a busa. If 250-500 is more than anyb ody ever needs why is everybody on here not got ninja 250's-im assuming not everybody here uses their bike on the track so why buy a 600/750/1000??
Its no the bikes that are dangerous its ignorrance..i bought my 750 never having been on a street bike and took about 1 month in my neighborhood learning the abailities and speed and reading, etc..that was 3 years ago..have not been in a crash..will i?? maybe?? not the point..these posts should be more on..does the bike appeal to you, are you comfortable on it? does the size of the bike make you nervous? bigger engine respect bigger responsibility and respect than a smaller one..do you want to devote the time learning the massive power the engine can produce..are you willing to fork out the astronomical money for insurance?
some of you do this but i have found most just say..its stupid to have a bike that big..it will kill you..i can use the same logic and say its stupid to have a crotch rocket of any kind..they are too powefull and you should get a small cruiser becaue its got enough power to take you to from point a to point b.
Not trying to stir the bees nest however i have been on this page for over a year now and anytime anybody asks about a "bigger bike" its like group mentality of..i better not say its ok to buy a bigger bike for a first bike becasue ill get slammed for being a "moron" or something of that nature..

-john-

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http://www.csrascootertrash.com

Pete I LOVE your posts...and your avatar rocks!

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Those of you who think you're cool annoy those of us who really are!

I agree with some of what you say but consider this: when someone comes here and asks our honest opinion of "is a 1000cc sportbike a good starter bike" what should we do? Lie and make him feel good? Or should we answer his question in the way that many of us believe is correct. He came here seeking advice, all we can do is shower him with the knowledge we have. No, not everyone likes the same bikes. Yes, variety is a good thing. But I think we should at least empower these people with the knowledge of the danger that these bikes present newer riders and present an alternative solution based on our own knowledge.

You can only offer advice and suggestions, ultimately the choice is theirs. If the take the advice then great, they've just armed themselves with a much BETTER chance of learning to ride safely on a bike that is much more forgiving. If they reject the advice then that is still their decision. Hopefully that choice will not come back to bite them on the arse, but I will still wish them luck.

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2000 Kawasaki Ninja EX500R (Sold)
2006 Suzuki SV650S (Stolen 4/08, recovered 12/08, sold 3/09)
2004 Suzuki SV650S (Sold)

Being bikeless SUCKS!!!

+1 I could not agree more.

I agree. Your points are very valid and thats what i am trying to say. People who give their opinion based on riding experience is a good thing but anybody that says "dont buy a bigger bike because its stupid to do so and anybody that tells you to do so is a moron"..is just an a$$onine statement and has no merit. I know a lot of people who started on busa's.or 1800 X's...haha..Good idea? of course not, however they did not kill themselves..noobs should understand the commitment and the time it takes for a new bike and that X10 for a bigger bike..not "i didnt get a big bike to start with, so what makes you think you can do better than me, mentality" that some of these posts come off as. I don't know, maybe its just me?. I too always suggest a smaller bike but it all depends on the variables..if somebody is pushing 300lbs and they want a bike..im not going to suggest a 250cc rebel..its a waste of time, money and effort. It's just as easy to learn on a 600-800cc cruiser than a 250..its all about time and patience not the size of a engine..If you go out and buy a truck you dont go get the smallest engine you can because its your first truck, you get what best works for your needs and you start off slow with your new vehicle until you get to learn it.
Anyhow, thanks for not turning this into a stupid internet bish fest. One of the many things i enjoy about this site is that "adults" can conversate on an issue without getting childish if they are opposing opinions.

-john-

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http://www.csrascootertrash.com

Glad you decided to go with the smaller ride Its the smart thing to do.

Well, when I tell people not to go over 500cc, I'm usually talking to the people who want sport bikes. It's the same as cars, how many people think it's a good idea to learn how to drive a car in a Ferrari? When I started to learn how to drive, I almost bought an old Camaro IROC-Z, which is a 5.7 liter V8. My cousin told me that was a bad idea, because of the shear power of the it, and I could easily make a mistake, hit the gas, and hit a tree. Now, my current bike ('82 Nighthawk 450) can accelerate much faster than that Camaro. So if it's not a good idea to start off on a car that fast, than just starting out a 450 is dangerous, but not nearly as dangerous as an R6 or R1.

I think the reason most people want to start out on those bikes, is because they don't really understand how much power they have (at least not compared to something they understand, like a car). And they don't understand that even the "small" bikes are very fast (I'm talking over 250cc here, not those little 125s we used in the MSF class).

Are you serious?

Most people compare the power of a bike with the power of a car. What they fail to see is that a bike may way 1/10th what a car does. I drive a 115 hp Honda Civic. A 115 HP GSX-R600 will have the same "power" as the Civic in their minds. What they fail to realize is that a gixxer is MADE to go fast. A Civic is MADE to be a fuel efficient transportation vehicle.

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2000 Kawasaki Ninja EX500R (Sold)
2006 Suzuki SV650S (Stolen 4/08, recovered 12/08, sold 3/09)
2004 Suzuki SV650S (Sold)

Being bikeless SUCKS!!!

I civic weighs close to 2 tons. Pushed by 115hp, a Gixxer weighs 400lbs pushed by 115 hp...

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Of course I'm generalizing from a single example here, but everyone does that. At least I do.