CBR600F4i

[Skier]

I have a friend in Boise who is 6' 4" and has a Ninja 250 for his only bike. I think you'll be fine on it.

[Archaelas]

That's gotta be a sight. I'm gonna get the Ninja, drive it to work until I feel comfortable with the drive and all the different things I have to do become second nature. At that point, I'll start looking into getting the F4i and my 5'2" wife can have the 250.

[swatter555]

You will be commuting to work on a ninja 250? I guess that would depend on how far the trip is each way. Being 250 lbs, that 250 is going to feel somewhat small and probably really underpowered.

I weighed almost 250 when I bought my SV650, and it was fine. I sat on a ninja 500 and it felt ok too. I also sat on a GS500f, no problems. If you are looking at older used sport bikes(10-15 years old), you could probably get something even bigger.

I would say sit on a ninja 250 and put your feet on the pegs and imagine holding that position for a long time. Good luck!

[oehlerts]

Not to down play the advice of those with much more experience than me, but my boyfriend's very first bike (with no previous riding experience at all) was a brand new 600F4i and he loves it...he's 5'10'' and 230lbs and its the perfect bike for him...i know the idea of a beginner buying a brand new and somewhat larger bike is a huge contraversy on all these forums and I'm not really wanting to start that debate again, I'm just saying that if you're careful, you'd probably do fine on one...he's already talking about getting a leader bike next summer and he's only had this one since the beginning of June (he rides it every day, every where)

But like I said, I don't want to talk down to the other advice, it certainly makes sense for most people to start small...

[Skier]

Not to down play the advice of those with much more experience than me, but my boyfriend's very first bike (with no previous riding experience at all) was a brand new 600F4i and he loves it...he's 5'10'' and 230lbs and its the perfect bike for him...i know the idea of a beginner buying a brand new and somewhat larger bike is a huge contraversy on all these forums and I'm not really wanting to start that debate again, I'm just saying that if you're careful, you'd probably do fine on one...he's already talking about getting a leader bike next summer and he's only had this one since the beginning of June (he rides it every day, every where)

But like I said, I don't want to talk down to the other advice, it certainly makes sense for most people to start small...

We've already covered why getting a bike like an F4i is a poor idea for a starter bike. You will never convince me otherwise. Some people can survive on a new sportsbike, but a vast majority of them will not learn how to ride properly.

[Archaelas]

The ride to work is only about 15 miles, most of it Interstate 75 here in Atlanta. Also, I go to work around 0600 and go home around 1500 so it's not exactly rush hour either way. I admit I have been a bit leary of getting the 250 because it does look small. My wife, who has ridden various bikes from dirt bikes to her ex's modded sport bike, keeps telling me to just get the 600F4i. I'm nervous about it but there is this voice in the back of my head that keeps saying that if I go about this the way I usually do, ie. slow to start, learning everything I can before I even get on a bike and then starting to ride at a very easy pace, I should be fine. Given my lack of experience I am really unsure about it. I would like something to practice on but at the same time, I can't afford to buy two bikes and so am torn. I really want to get the 600F4i but am considering something in between that and a 250 as a middle ground, something I can learn on but that I'm not going to outgrow in 6 months. I know I would be extremely careful if I did get the 600 and probably wouldn't even take it out on a main road for at least a few months until I could cruise my neighborhood blind folded if I didn't have to watch for traffic. It does make me pretty nervous tho.

[ronboskz650sr]

If you wonder where the brake, or any of the controls are, I would recommend you start a little smaller than a cbr 600, of any persuasion. Ability and experience doesn't transfer by association, and she should tell you something like this, as well. You can sell the smaller bike after you learn to ride it.

[swatter555]

Here are a few things to think about. The only person you have to be happy with is yourself. It sounds like your wife already supports you, thats half the battle.

Now, at this point you dont seem like a moronic squid, you have increased your chances right there. Yet, motorcycling is dangerous any way you slice the pie.

It seems you truly understand the risks. If that is true, just make a decision you are comfortable with. I recently struggled with the same question, I ended up getting an SV650S. The SV has 72 hp, and for a true beginner like me, thats plenty.

If you got an F4i, your going to have to be super careful the first hundred miles. You will most likely have a least a slow speed spill or drop the bike from a standstill. Having put a thousand miles on my SV, I dropped it once at a standstill and almost dropped it at least 10 times. Not only that, you will have to exercise a great deal of self control, I believe both bikes have similiar torque specs, but the F4i has around 90-100hp I believe. That means you can really haul arse at high rpms. Believe me the temptation will be there to do that- resist it.

Im not saying you should get an F4i and Im not saying you should get a ninja 250. Im saying you are the only person at the end of the day you need to be happy with. It is a fact a smaller bike is easier and safer to learn on. If you get an F4i, you increase your chances of getting hurt due to learning on a bike you might not be able to handle right away.

Those are the risks, your a big boy, do what you want. Last last pieces of advice I would like to pass on(whatever bike you chose):

1) If your getting a faired bike, get frame sliders right away. This will likely save you lots of trouble.

2) Most important- dont skimp on gear and wear full gear. Get yourself at minimum a helmet, a thick leather jacket,riding gloves, and a good pair of riding boots with ankle support. You can live with jeans, but if your going to be on highways, get some leather pants or some sort of riding over-pants. The helmet will save your life, the gear will save your skin.

3) When your on the road, some people just arent going to see you- period. Always be proactive and never put your life in someone else's hands. What I mean by that is to assume that everyone is not going to see you and turn right into you. Always try and leave yourself an escape route.

Good luck with whatever bike you chose!

[Archaelas]

Well, for my birthday today, I went to my local Honda/Suzuki/Kawasaki/Yamaha dealership for a learning/dream session and looked at all the sportbikes they had. Tried on a few of them, and just sitting on the F4i, I could feel how much I had to learn before I could handle a beast like that. I also sat on the Ninja 250, 500 and GS500F. I've narrowed it down to either of the 500's. The Ninja seems to sit a little low for me and the GS500F has this funky flat.....thing....goin on with the Fairings at the top, you know, the only part you can see when you're actually on the bike. That being said, the GS500F only had an asthetic "problem" so I think I'm gonna go with that one. Plus, the $3,300 I save by going with that over the F4i will more than pay for the gear and frame sliders I know I'll need.

As far as gear goes, I was looking at a good vented leather jacket, boots (I have Doc Martin 10 eyelet steeltoes if there are any thoughts on those for riding, my wife says that they may be too think on the toe), good gloves, and a helmet of course. For the pants, I found a product that I'm thinking will fit the bill perfectly, Bohn sells leg armor and armored jeans, the plain armor, if I'm reading the description correctly, is designed to fit under your jeans without being too noticable.

Swatter555, thank you, I'm glad to see that I've apparently accomplished my goal so far (there actually is no finishing of this goal as I can always learn more) of learning as much as I can before I even start up a bike. Would you believe I've only been researching/even looking at getting a bike for less than 2 weeks now? I am doing everything I can to avoid what I call a "midlife crisis purchase", those are for red sports cars, not bikes, like going out and buying the biggest, baddest monster bike on the road. I was interested in the F4i because I really like the way Honda designs their fairings and that was the smallest of the new model Sportbikes short of the 599.

Also, if anyone knows what the hp of the GS500F is, I would really appreciate it, again learn all you can because you can always learn something new. Thanks for all the help everyone has given so far, it's been tremendous.

[gsJack]

Also, if anyone knows what the hp of the GS500F is, I would really appreciate it, again learn all you can because you can always learn something new. Thanks for all the help everyone has given so far, it's been tremendous.

The GS500 has about 40 HP and the Ninja 500 about 50 HP. Here are tests I've collected on the GS500 and where they came from a comparo between the two, I included the Ninja 500 figures also:

http://www.prodigyweb.net.mx/sergiodelr ... _tests.jpg

Good forum on the GS500:

http://www.gstwins.com/forum/

Good choice on the GS, but if you change your mind here is a EX500 forum:

http://www.ex500riders.com/forums/