Am I ready for a sport bike?

[The Grinch]

I have 1 year and 7K miles experience on a Kawi 500EX. Am I ready for a 600-class sportbike such as a Honda 600F4i?

[VermilionX]

usually, when you have to ask... you're not ready yet.

what do you think? number of miles doesn't mean anything.

how comfortable are you of the idea of riding a race replica?

also, you might wanna rent one and try it before you buy.

PS. im not saying im ready to use it's full capabilites. but i am ready to ride it at my own comfortable pace.

[Sev]

He's pretty much right, we cannot answer that question without seeing you ride. So it all comes down to how willing you are to actually ride it.

[J.R. Bob Dobbs]

I also have 7k miles experience of riding in the last 9 months, started on a Rebel 250 and I now ride a CB750. I have never ridden a super-sport bike. But, I'd bet with 7k miles experience on your Ninja, you should be able to handle it, as long as you're really comfortable on the Kawa.

[shane-o]

hey, why not, VX rides a 1000r and he has no skills, so your one year and 7k miles puts you way out in front

[Sev]

hey, why not, VX rides a 1000r and he has no skills, so your one year and 7k miles puts you way out in front

Way to be nice

You've never seen him ride... how do you know that he has no skills?

[VermilionX]

hey, why not, VX rides a 1000r and he has no skills, so your one year and 7k miles puts you way out in front

yep, i have no skills.

i think i'll get a custom decal that says "no skillz" and "n00b."

that'd be great to see at the tracks.

[jmillheiser]

Everybody has to go through the noob stage, eventually you will stop being a noob.

If you are really comfortable on your 500 and feel like your wanting more than your probably ready.

[ZooTech]

You wouldn't be asking unless the 500 has become boring, and that's a sure sign that you're ready.

[sv-wolf]

I have 1 year and 7K miles experience on a Kawi 500EX. Am I ready for a 600-class sportbike such as a Honda 600F4i?

OK, so it is clear that you are yearning after a 600cc sportsbike (otherwise you wouldn't have asked) and you are probably wanting people to tell you, yeah, go ahead, buy it - you're ready.

So it sounds like your primary desire is to get on a sportsbike. Why? (I'm not suggesting you shouldn't, it is just useful to be clear why you want to do things.) It's also worth pausing to make sure that this actually is what you do want. Have you any other thoughts in conflict with this?

Are you, for example, wanting the thrill of riding a powerful sportsbike? Do you want to impress others? or are you more interested in becoming a safe and experienced rider? or even, is your main motivation to become a skillful and smooth rider? (For some people it is.) It's not impossible to learn these things on a sportsbike, but for many people it can be harder. If you think you have acquired sufficient of these skills, how easy/difficult was it for you to acquire them? Are there any aspects of riding you are still commonly nervous about?

In your position there are a number of other things I would ask myself: am I fully confident I can handle the Kawi yet? Do I think I now have all the basic skills I need to stay alive on it? - things like roadcraft as well as being able to use the controls skillfully? (you'll go on learning these things for the rest of your life, but I'm talking about basic skills here). Is my attention to the road sufficient to keep me alive (This is a big one with lots of beginner riders. Many have accidents because they are not sufficiently aware just how attentive to the road they need to be.)

Have a think about these, and any other questions that might occur to you.

Then, if you are like the mass of humanity, after considering them you will probably follow the line of least resistence and do what you truly want to do anyway regardless of what your reason suggests to you.

No harm in thinking about them though.

Safe riding.