newb question

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poolhustler21 · Tue Sep 06, 2005 3:48 pm

I just got my liscense and i'm lookin into gettin a bike. Now i've ridden my dads cruiser and feel totally comfortable on it(only bike i've ever ridden), but i wanna go with a sportbike. i wanna know the big difference ,other then seating position, in the cruiser vs. the sportbike. my dad is fairly new also and has a honda 750 magna. i would be lookin towards gettin a yamaha yzf 600( not r6). is there a big difference in pick-up?shifting?turning?

thank you for your responses in advance.

ronboskz650sr · Tue Sep 06, 2005 4:09 pm

My experience is...yes they are very different. Differences I note between the two (we have cuiser, standard, and sportbike in our garage, and I ride them all)...Riding position is dramatically different. The rider conection is affected by this, as the sportbike is made to handle and do it fast. Even the throttle is more sensitive to your inputs, due to the position of your wrist, the amount of power available, and the set-up for more immediate response. Your feet will be set rearward of your body, and you must squeeze the tank with your knees to avoid leaning on the bars. Twitchy handling will result if you lean on the bars. Cruisers are a more laid back riding posiotion, and usually have lower seat heights for easier sitting at stops, especially for shorter riders. You can really rip on either one, power wise. My son's vulcan 500 will wheelie...a real balance point wheelie, not just a 6 inch pop of the front wheelie, and can outrun virtually any normal production car from a stop. Even so His CBR600 is more powerful still, and can be a handful after riding the cruiser for a few days. My "standard" is modified somewhat, but is a good mix of both, although the footpegs are rearset on mine. Yes, they are very different...600cc sportbikes require your respect and undivided attention (both a good idea anyway) if you intend to learn on one. Cruisers are a bit more forgiving.

poolhustler21 · Tue Sep 06, 2005 4:16 pm

i dont mind the seatin differnce thats just somethin i'll have to get used to, my main reason for wantin the sportbike honestly is for its looks. im really not intrested in going 120+ mph, i dont really think im ready for all that, i just wanna know will it hurt me to get the yamaha as my first bike with no rider expierence other then what i've done on the cruiser

#4 Unread post by **ZooTech** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 4:24 pm

poolhustler21 wrote:i just wanna know will it hurt me to get the yamaha as my first bike with no rider expierence other then what i've done on the cruiser

The bike is incapable of hurting you. You only stand to hurt yourself (unless, of course, you're hit by a drunk driver or something!). So, the decision and the ball are both in your court. Regardless of what you decide to buy, how you ride it will determine how likely you are to crash.

sapaul · #5 Unread post by **sapaul** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 8:49 pm

Would you get in the ring with Mike Tyson without any experiance? Not to say that 600's are not the right bike to start on. It's your attitude that needs to be right. Are you committed to the learning curve? Do you understand that if you treat Mr Tyson with no respect, you are going to get hurt. There is an ongoing debate about this very subject and this is only my personal opinion, but there is no problem with a 600 as a starter bike as long as you make the commitment to being responsible.

TechTMW · #6 Unread post by **TechTMW** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 8:58 pm

Or if you like the looks of a sportbike, you can go with a milder 500cc sportbike to learn on. You mention that you don't want to go 120mph, but even a 500 is capable of that.

Check out the Suzuki gs500f -
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2 ... GS500F.htm

poolhustler21 · Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:34 am

i would definately take it easy on a 600 cause its your life your playin with not just some toy. respect for the bike is one thing i will never lose, everyone rider i know tells me thats the main thing to being safe. i do want to take the msf course but i live in new jerey and it is damn near impossible to register for it. i tried callin for 20 min one time as soon as the office opened and i never got through and when i did it was full. so i plan on riding on back roads with light or no traffic at all until i feel ready to take it out on the main road

flynrider · Wed Sep 07, 2005 11:14 am

I'd highly recommend making a bit more effort to get into a class. Riding around on backroads, teaching yourself to ride on a sportbike can be hazardous to your health. I know this because that's how I learned to ride (on a much less powerful bike) and I was lucky to survive the process. The class will teach you how to avoid a lot of beginner mistakes that could leave you on the side of the road. The only way you'll learn about those if you're teaching yourself is to actually make the mistakes. It can get expensive and somewhat painful.

shane-o · #9 Unread post by **shane-o** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 4:42 pm

any bike capable of making 60 mph is dangerous in the wrong hands. you come off at 60 mph and hit a staionary object and the chances are it will be the last thing you do.

having said that, i cant see why you couldnt buy an R1 and be safe. Sure the R1 should get you upto 150 mph with no trouble, but thats only if you wind your wrist backwards and hold it there. you could quite easily ride it sedately by not gettting it reving hard.

Bikes dont kill people, people kill people.

bigswifty · Wed Sep 07, 2005 5:11 pm

the YZF, while not the flagship of the Yamaha lineup, is still a badass motorcyle...

Regardless of what you decide to buy, how you ride it will determine how likely you are to crash.

and how you ride it will be determined by several factors. The most important of which being; ARE YOU AN IDIOT?

this is a highly subjective question, and almost everyone would answer 'no' to this question, and immeadiately take offense (bcoz 'the idiots ' are always someone else....always.)but the fact is that there are idiots in the world.. and if no one thinks they're an idjit, and there happen to be idjits around, it goes unsaid that you won;t fess up if you are.

therefore it is unwise to advise a newb to purchase such a formidable motorcycle...

So I would say, to suit the median denominator, get an old UJM of 750cc or less. And since yer such a cowboy, you better be able to ride the peg-scraping whimpering horseshit out of it....then, if proven, you'd probly be ready for a mean_"O Ring" sportbike like that.[/i]