Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Im going to get my permit and take some motorcycle classes this summer. I went to a motorcycle shop near my house, he had a 600cc Ninja, but the guy said I should first learn how to ride a less powerful motorcycle first bc they r just so fast. Which makes sense but the bike he showed me was kinda like a harley, was $1800, and i have no interesting in driving a harley.

Does it seem like this guy is just trying to get more money outta me with buy that other bike or is it a good idea to get a slower bike first? Im guessing that it would be a good idea since the bike I actually would like to get is a 2007 HondaCBR600RR, which can be a very very fast ride.

Thanks for your advice!

no 600's are large for a starter...thats not to say people havent done it but it is large...u will find a 250cc will be the most common recomindation....and with out more info on the othe bike i donno....

Not all 600's you'll find to be as large as others. Theres alot of stuff you have to look at - however generally speaking if you're not that confident in your ability to learn, you might want to start out on a 250 Ninja.

All bikes are "fast". Its silly to think that you doing 70 on a Nighthawk will somehow be safer than 70 on a F4i. There difference is how much HP a bike has. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the 600RR you want is a wee bit more powerful than the SV650 I have (70HP versus 120HP. . .) The thing redlines (according to Honda) at 15K RPM's, I cant imagine what speed your pushing at 8K. That's why the Honda might not be the best option, because you go from 0-"Oh Hell" with a slight flick of the wrist, and the bike might get away from you. Of course - its not IMPOSSIBLE to learn on that machine, but I garuantee theres a better bike out there for you that looks as sexy as this Honda does.

If you have the money for an 07 - just go get an Kawasaki EX500/Suzuki GSF500 (or better yet an SV650). All three bikes are more forgiving than what you want, and wont lose their get up and go the more experienced you get.

Phillyeaglesown wrote:Im going to get my permit and take some motorcycle classes this summer. I went to a motorcycle shop near my house, he had a 600cc Ninja, but the guy said I should first learn how to ride a less powerful motorcycle first bc they r just so fast. Which makes sense but the bike he showed me was kinda like a harley, was $1800, and i have no interesting in driving a harley.

Does it seem like this guy is just trying to get more money outta me with buy that other bike or is it a good idea to get a slower bike first? Im guessing that it would be a good idea since the bike I actually would like to get is a 2007 HondaCBR600RR, which can be a very very fast ride.

Thanks for your advice!

Buy that sales guy a soda. He is a rare individual to be trusted.

In short. No. He is not just trying to get more money out of you. He is hoping to have you live long enough to be ABLE to buy a really nice bike once you've mastered the basics of riding.

It seems that too many motorcycle sales people focus on the money they can get out of you today. Even if the chances are great you won't survive the learning curve to buy another bike from them, EVER.

P

So r there any good websites that sell bikes. Such as a cars.com for motorcycles?

Phillyeaglesown wrote:So r there any good websites that sell bikes. Such as a cars.com for motorcycles?

Craigslist.com has the hookup.

Cycletrader.com has some listings too.

you should be able to get most if not all of the money you spend on a starter bike back, so dont even worry about that. plus, its fun to

Phillyeaglesown wrote:I went to a motorcycle shop near my house, he had a 600cc Ninja, but the guy said I should first learn how to ride a less powerful motorcycle first bc they r just so fast.

Displacement is a very rough way of measuring bike power. In this case, the Ninja 600cc is the ZX-6R, a powerful bike not at all intended for beginners. Sounds like you found an honest and even concerned dealer, stick with him

Im guessing that it would be a good idea since the bike I actually would like to get is a 2007 HondaCBR600RR, which can be a very very fast ride.

The CBR600RR is Honda's equivalent to the Ninja you looked at. Neither are good for beginners. Trust us, not only will you be safer on a smaller bike, you'll have a lot more fun on a smaller bike too!

Thanks for the 500cc ideas i didnt think of that size and now im finding a lot of bikes that would be a good starter bike. Thank you

Get an SV650. Hell if you were willing to drop the cash on a 2007 Honda, you can get a SV650(S - I guess. . .I mean if you wanted to. . .cafe baby - cafe) and have a bike that'll last you for quite awhile (unless you total it of course). The thing can hit 80-90 at relatively low RPM's (like 7-8K RPM), and redlines at 11K, so your desire to "go fast" should be well sated.