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I am currently a senior in college and I'm now taking the MSF coarse. A friend of mine has a sv650 and will take me to a secluded area on the weekends to practice different skills. My plan is to buy a suzuki gsxr 600 after graduation in may. I also plan to take the MSF coarse again in the spring as a refresher. This would give me at least five or so months to I am thinking that with the practice and lessons I will get from my buddy, I will be fine getting this bike as long as I have a clear mind. I am very responsible and I am sure that I will have the right mind set.

I have researched the topic of whether the 600 is a good starter bike and I know that it for the most part is not. However this also depends largely on the responsibility of the new rider. I am wondering what you all think about my plan?

Bravehearted wrote:I am currently a senior in college and I'm now taking the MSF coarse. A friend of mine has a sv650 and will take me to a secluded area on the weekends to practice different skills. My plan is to buy a suzuki gsxr 600 after graduation in may. I also plan to take the MSF coarse again in the spring as a refresher. This would give me at least five or so months to I am thinking that with the practice and lessons I will get from my buddy, I will be fine getting this bike as long as I have a clear mind. I am very responsible and I am sure that I will have the right mind set.

I have researched the topic of whether the 600 is a good starter bike and I know that it for the most part is not. However this also depends largely on the responsibility of the new rider. I am wondering what you all think about my plan?

Virtually everyone on this board will tell you that it sucks.

You said you know that the GSXR-600 is not a good starter bike. OK, so you know that already. Are you looking for someone here to tell you that it's OK after everything you've read tells you that it's unforgiving, insanely powerful, and extremely dangerous?

Bravehearted wrote: A friend of mine has a sv650 and will take me to a secluded area on the weekends to practice different skills.
My plan is to buy a suzuki gsxr 600 after graduation in may.

This is not a bad start, except for two things. How do you know exactly which bike, and when to buy? Is the gixxer the only choice of a bike for you? Have you ridden one before?

Bravehearted wrote: I have researched the topic of whether the 600 is a good starter bike and I know that it for the most part is not. However this also depends largely on the responsibility of the new rider.

Everybody who rides a bike thinks they can do it well, or why else would they do it? But people kill themselves on bikes all the time. Are they the ones who walk around thinking "this bike is too much for me". No.

So its not about responsibility. It's about experience. Without experience, it's tough to pick a bike, except for what it looks like. I've ridden 125cc hacks, 500cc commuters, 600cc CBR, and 1000cc V-twin, and I would not buy the bigger two bikes(right now) to ride, even having a couple of years experience. The bigger bikes look good, but they are a handful. The CBR is hot and cramped with terrible mirrors, the V-twin would wheelie in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears with a quick throttle roll-on.

Experience tells me that I don't want those kinds of problems. Maybe you do, but how would you know?

I'm not against 600cc bikes, in fact I love them. Get some experience, and then you'll have enough info to not care what kind of responses you get back on the forums.

Good luck!

jonnythan wrote: Virtually everyone on this board will tell you that it sucks.

You said you know that the GSXR-600 is not a good starter bike. OK, so you know that already. Are you looking for someone here to tell you that it's OK after everything you've read tells you that it's unforgiving, insanely powerful, and extremely dangerous?

Hopefully, virtually everyone on this board can be less rude than you. I did not come here without common sense or a sense of humility. I am trying to make the right decision. My point was that I will not be the average beginner that passes the MSF coarse on saturday and buys the new sportbike on monday. I will have praticed on my friends sv650 plenty of times before it(and yes I know that it would still not be a lot of experience on a grander scale). And I have not made up my mind, hence the reason I have come here....

Thanks Fast Freddy for a more helpful and elaborate answer. The only reason I asked is because I have read countless threads where people have said yes, it is not a beginner bike, but can be a reasonable choice with restraint on the throttle and respect for the bike.

I'd feel a lot better about your plan if you were going to go to a track school, were you would be taught by a pro. Does your friend race bikes, or belong to a stunt group? Or does he street race and/or stunt.?

Having a friend teach you how to ride on some backstreet is so 1970's.

Bravehearted,

I think the major flaw in you plan is that you're fixated on getting a bike based of it's fashionability instead of your riding experience.

Follow the yellow brick road.

Taking the MSF is a great first step.

Getting practice on the sv650 is a great second step. I suggest 3000 miles.

Step three is where the fantasy of the gixxer starts to fade because you are a real rider in the real world now.

Step four is where you have enough experience to realize what kind of bike would be good for you.

Step five is when you fall in love with a great bike that fits your experience and passion.

Step six is when you spend a few minutes posting to a newbie not to start out on a gsxr.

You sound like a person that wants to start out right. I'm sure you are thoughtful and responsible.
But please remember that throttle and brake control are not choices, they are skills. You can only buy them with time.

Good Luck
Flipper

While what Johnny said might not have been in the tone you wanted, it is true.

Just because your practicing on a 600+ bike does not mean that your going to be BETTER at it. The point is when you make a mistake on a 250 you can hold it up on your own power, or even pick it up on your own easily and not be stuck somewhere trying to life a 500+ lb bike.

Everyone makes mistakes, and you need to learn from them. The question is how hard of a lesson do you want it to be.

How much knowledge does it take for someone to feel comfortable on a more powerful bike? I don't know. All I know is I'm glad I got my 250 because I made a few mistakes that I won't repeat but I'm pretty sure I would've dropped a 600.

I definitely agree with Brackstone here, I'm quite glad I started on a 250. I would have dropped it at least one time I can think of if it'd been a bigger bike.

Next summer though.....upgrade time!

vladmech wrote: Next summer though.....upgrade time!

Ditto for me

Vroom Vroom!

Bravehearted wrote:However this also depends largely on the responsibility of the new rider.

Bravehearted, can I please correct a misconception? Riding well depends less on the responsibility of the new rider and more on the skills of the new rider. It's a common mistake and creeps into a lot of folks' thought processes, so please don't feel bad about it. In your later post, you mentioned "restraint on the throttle." Great intention but it requires skills to carry out. A GSX-R600 is usually considered a race replica bike, its the closest thing stock to a 600cc race bike. It takes significant skill to control these bikes well. IMO occasional lessons on a buddy's bike might get you to the point where you won't kill yourself on a gixxer, but will you have the skills to explore it's potential? I don't think so. Skills develop faster by pushing a bike towards its limits, and it's easier, safer, and more fun to do this on a milder bike.