You are a Beginner and want a 600cc+ sportbike? READ THIS!

[Peter Y]

Its been exactly a week since the last post on this issue. Seems to have someone "died out".

Well just an update for anyone who gives a dam its my second month on the Katana and its going great. The weather has warmed up, the days are longer and each turn I go into seems to be more comfortable than the previous.

The Lemans 24 hour race is one also. Do any of you folks on that side of the world show any interest in that?

Cheers.........

[High_Side]

No one ever said the 600cc katana is a SUPERsport bike.

Suzuki did, and so did most of the motorcycle press - in 1988. It was tied with the CBR600 for the title of the ultimate 600 that year.
Just my $.02 to add to a silly azz argument.

[Peter Y]

No one ever said the 600cc katana is a SUPERsport bike.

Suzuki did, and so did most of the motorcycle press - in 1988. It was tied with the CBR600 for the title of the ultimate 600 that year.
Just my $.02 to add to a silly azz argument.

I cant say anything about the 80's but I can say that my 2003 Katana is definitly not in the same category as the CBR.

[Koss]

No one ever said the 600cc katana is a SUPERsport bike.

Suzuki did, and so did most of the motorcycle press - in 1988. It was tied with the CBR600 for the title of the ultimate 600 that year.
Just my $.02 to add to a silly azz argument.

rofl. Yes your right, bikes were held at a different standard than they are now

Hehe, I know your just giving me a hard time for laughs... but just so others get what I was meaning to say, I had forum members in mind when I said nobody.

[olyelllr]

Does a 1994 KZ1000P make an ok first bike? I realize its top heavy. I recently completed CHP Rider course.

[ejjury]

I wish I would have known all of this...

I just bought my first bike last June and I ended up with a Honda 919 fresh off the rack. It had been two years since I went through basic rider training and I just keep looking at my license and wondering what the bother was if I wasn't going to ride. I knew absolutely nothing about motorcycles and the only people I knew who had them were Harley fanatics. I went to the local Honda dealership because it was the closest and wandered about for a good hour while the dealer guys joked with me and put me on every bike in the store. I had trained on a Nighthawk and love that little bike. It was agile, quick, and had a very comfortable riding position. Unfortunately, when I went to try the new models it wasn't as comfortable as the old and I was shopping with my Harley friend. She kept trying to put me on the cruisers but after the first sit I knew I could never get one, the seating arrangement threw my hip in a very uncomfortable position. So I went to the rockets and found them just as bad because I couldn't sit up to see. Well as things came around the 919 was the only comfortable bike for me to sit with my long arms and legs and short torso.

Anyways, the point is that I wish someone had shown me how to go about finding a good used bike for that first year and one with a little less oomph. I had never ridden a bike until the training and as yet was stalling out because no one had told me to give gas with clutch release. So it was dropped twice. The only good side of this is that my bike might be a little scratched, but I do love it. I get better riding it every time and have become very comfortable on it. But, like I said, I think a bike that had been loved a bit and had a smaller engine would have been best for a noob like me.

[TKDean]

I'm a newbie that was planing to buy a Katana 600 for my first bike. However after this article I've reconsidered.
Now I need to decide what to get. I want something that looks sporty. And no, looks is not the only reason i want to start riding. However there are too many to list now.

Here are my choices and i would appreciate any feed back from anyone who knows more about these bikes.

Suzuki GS600F (heard it was underpowered)

Buell Blast (Heard it was underpowered)

Hyosung GT250R (Heard it wasnt very good, a little heavy and has a bad resale value)

United Motors V2S-250R (apparently the exact same bike as the Hyosung GT250R but in different colors and badge)

Kawasaki Ninja 650R
I know its a 600cc+ bike its just that i read an article on TMW that said

Ultimately, this exceptionally well-proportioned NINJA 650R represents a genre of motorcycling new to Kawasaki—one that finds itself at home with both novices and experienced riders, and one that will be seen equally in daily midtown commuting situations as well as week-end highway getaways.

Now unless im mistaken novice means beginner.


Oh. Id also like to know the top speeds and 0-60's of these bikes.

Thanks

[DivideOverflow]

I'm a newbie that was planing to buy a Katana 600 for my first bike. However after this article I've reconsidered.
Now I need to decide what to get. I want something that looks sporty. And no, looks is not the only reason i want to start riding. However there are too many to list now.

Here are my choices and i would appreciate any feed back from anyone who knows more about these bikes.

Suzuki GS600F (heard it was underpowered)

Buell Blast (Heard it was underpowered)

Hyosung GT250R (Heard it wasnt very good, a little heavy and has a bad resale value)

United Motors V2S-250R (apparently the exact same bike as the Hyosung GT250R but in different colors and badge)

Kawasaki Ninja 650R
I know its a 600cc+ bike its just that i read an article on TMW that said

Ultimately, this exceptionally well-proportioned NINJA 650R represents a genre of motorcycling new to Kawasaki—one that finds itself at home with both novices and experienced riders, and one that will be seen equally in daily midtown commuting situations as well as week-end highway getaways.

Now unless im mistaken novice means beginner.


Oh. Id also like to know the top speeds and 0-60's of these bikes.

Thanks

How big are you? What is your height/weight/inseam?

The katana is a little top heavy, but if you are a decent sized guy, it would be fine. It is not underpowered, especially for a first bike. It is actually quite peppy.

Buell blast is for people 5'6 and under. Very small. Very.

Hyosung GT250R is a decent bike. I personally like that 250cc motor, as I had one in my first bike. It would be a very, very good first bike. Easy to handle, confidence inspiring, great gas mileage, low insurance.

Kawasaki Ninja 650R is probably the best bike of the bunch, but it is also the fastest. Your maturity will play a big role if you decide to start on something like this or the SV650 (any motorcycle, really, but moreso these, as you can get into trouble quicker). It is also the most expensive. I would recommend starting on a smaller used bike, and then trading up after a season.

As for 0-60 times, use google. I'm not your data monkey.

Top speed: GT250R (80-90mph), Buell Blast (80-90mph), the Katana, Ninja 650R, and SV650 will do well over 100mph, probably 120-130 maxed out. It might be a little less depending on conditions, but you shouldn't be going that fast anyway.

[TKDean]

i actually meant Suzuki GS500F (a little underpowered) not GS600F sorry.

im 5'10" about 190 pounds don't know about the inseam.

of all those bikes id still prefer the Katana. it looks great, has a nice riding position, and i can get a good used one for about 2-3 grand. but after reading about the dangers of 600cc bikes for noobs i m not so sure now. do you think it might be a little too powerful? i also think it might be a little too heavy for a first bike. however I've never ridden a bike before so i wouldn't know.

[Peter Y]

i actually meant Suzuki GS500F (a little underpowered) not GS600F sorry.

im 5'10" about 190 pounds don't know about the inseam.

of all those bikes id still prefer the Katana. it looks great, has a nice riding position, and i can get a good used one for about 2-3 grand. but after reading about the dangers of 600cc bikes for noobs i m not so sure now. do you think it might be a little too powerful? i also think it might be a little too heavy for a first bike. however I've never ridden a bike before so i wouldn't know.

just get the Katana and be smart. I bought a Katana two months ago as my first bike and its great. Sporty yet conservative. Keep in mind it is heavy but im not a small guy either.

Good luck......