Ninja 650 or Ninja ZX-6R

R

renik

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Hey all,

I have just finished my first year on a bike. I currently have a Ninja 250 and already thinking about what I'm going to upgrade too next year. I put on about 5000km on the 250 this year so I am obviously still considered a new rider. I was just wondering what everyone's opinion is on the Ninja 650 and ZX-6R and what I should get. I know the 650 has less power overall but I like the idea of the more upright sitting position. I just think the ZX-6R would be uncomfortable on longer rides. But I also like the idea of the extra power and acceleration that the ZX-6R would have.

I obviously got bored of the 250 near the end of the season. Do you think that I would get bored with the 650? Anyways just looking for everyone's opinion. I am so confused at this point...

Another question I have is that I'm with State Farm for insurance. I have heard they base the insurance rate on the cc's of the bike. So would the 650 actually cost more to insure that the 600? Seems a bit odd...
 
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Well you might be a noob but most of your facts are spot on.

About that higher cc debate, I believe SS's are in a different class than sport tourers like the 650. Best to call them.

End of the day you know the pros and cons so it's your decision.
 
Cool I'll call State Farm on Monday to see what they say. A buddy of mine has a Ninja ZX-6R he said I could take for a spin. I'm just a bit leery about taking some other person's bike for a spin. Although I shouldn't be too worried.

Funny story is that I gave said buddy $100 to store my bike in his garage for the winter as I don't have one. He just told me the other day that he accidentally dropped the bike in his garage a couple days ago. Thought he was kidding but turns out he actually did. I haven't seen my bike yet but he said that he cracked the fairing near the signal light. He's good with bikes so he is gonna repair it. Just sucks for him because of the $ it's gonna cost him. Oh well what can ya do...
 
You'll see how good of a buddy he is. Ultimate test.

I had a zx6r and now a gsxr600. The gixxer is a bit more tamed but built a bit better IMO. Don't limit your self to one brand. Take advantage of the dealers demo rides come spring time.
 
ive got a ninja 600 and do plenty of touring on it, and dont find comfort a problem after replacing the stock seat. I can go all day if I stop for 10 min every 2 hours or so.

I would go with the zx6 and replace the clip ons with some handlebars, or higher clipons if you want increased comfort. There is no way you will be 'bored' with a zx6 in one season.

My biggest complaint about the zx6 is the fuel range.. 220-230km and im out., but.. I just time fuel stops with rest stops. Only really becomes a problem when touring the backroads, especially at night... Ive had a few close calls trying to find an open gas station.
 
I also have a 250 and have put double your kms on mine since August. Even though I am at 10,000kms I'm nowhere near being bored of the bike. If you get bored of a bike regardless of how entry level it is after only 5k then my suggestion would be to go for the ZX6 instead of the 650. The 650 IMO would bore you within a year also... Like someone else said, change the clip ons and change to a more comfy seat.
 
03/04 zx6r....i've put about 25k this season, plenty of 1000km days..and multi-day tours...

comfort isnt an issue
 
Well if you want my onest opinion don't bother with the 650, don't get me wrong it is a nice bike for that category but you'll end up doing the same thing with the 250. So my advice is to buy the zx6r, the power delivery is way more noticeble and the handiling is 3 times better than the 650!! I have had in the past quite a few kawis
zx6r 01/ two03s/two07s and the 09, the 09 some how feels different - seating position is more racier position but i have no issue with that- handles like a dream and lean side to side with less effort. If you can afford to buy the 09 and up you'll never regret it - it is one of the best 600s out there!!
Sure there are other bikes that are nice as well like the r6- and the gixxer- but if you like Kawis like i do don't hesitate to get one.

Good luck.
 
I started out last year in March with a '10 250R, and due to an amazing deal a friend gave me, upgraded to the '10 650R in May/June this year. I put a total of about 25,000km on the 250R (15k last year, the other 10k this year); put 17,000km on the 650R prior to trading in for an '05 Suzuki V-Strom DL650 3 weeks ago. (I've put 2,000km on her so far.)

Despite having a total of almost 45,000km under my belt between 3 bikes, I still consider myself relatively new to riding. That said, I loved the 250R, even though I'm 6'1 and now feel like it's a toy when riding it (my GF now owns that bike)... You won't find the 650R to be quite as nimble as the 250R, can't speak for the ZX6R but a friend of mine has also owned both and still has a blast with the 250R from time to time. However, you will definitely appreciate having much more torque and "passing power" on any 600cc+ bike. I ride quite regularly on highways, and the 250R can do it, but it's just not as "fun", especially when you're trying to whip past big rigs etc.

I also heavily factored comfort into my decisions in upgrades; my back can't take the forward leaning position that a SS generally requires. The 650R has a much more upright position (possibly even more upright than the 250R) as does the V-Strom I now own, and have been able to ride for 5+ hours at a time easily because of that. Personally, I'd be sore as hell if I were on a SS for more than an hour or two; plus I'm more into the touring style of riding, and probably wouldn't be much for doing track etc.

Ultimately, you've gotta sit on the bike/s you're considering at a dealership, and definitely test-ride one if possible. You really can't get a true feel for any bike without doing that. I've wanted the V-Strom since the middle of last season, and I'm still ecstatic that I've finally got it -- it's not the sexiest-looking bike by far, but it's the bike I feel I'm meant to be riding.
 
In my experience the people who get bored on a 250 in less than a season have no idea how to ride it properly. Powerbands, rejetting, a noob knows not these things...
 
adri said:
In my experience the people who get bored on a 250 in less than a season have no idea how to ride it properly. Powerbands, rejetting, a noob knows not these things...
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Or maybe some of them are smart enough to not dress up a turd? The 250 is a beginner bike... use it to learn the basics and then move onto something more fun. That's what riding is about afterall.
 
"It's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow"
I'm on my 7th bike. Always keep a 250 in my stable.
 
And it's even more fun to ride a fast bike fast. I'm on my 10th bike and I always keep a fast bike in my stable.
 
mmmnaked said:
And it's even more fun to ride a fast bike fast. I'm on my 10th bike and I always keep a fast bike in my stable.
Click to expand...

If you have enough room to ride a fast bike fast, then it's awesome. Other times it kinda blows.

OP you can't really go wrong with the zx-6r. If you think you can handle one give it a try. You'll miss the gas mileage on that 250, though.
 
zx6r or keep your 250
 
OP, reading your post, you would get bored of the zx6R easily too and would want more power and acceleration. i say get a Hayabusa or a ZX14. that way you can at least own that bike for a few years before you get bored of that too.
 
can't say I'm bored of my 250 and I've got ~32000km on it. Bought it new in Aug 2010. the bike is lots of fun in the twisties, I just want something a little more comfortable for touring. I hope they've improved the seating position on the 2012 Ninja 650, cause I wasn't a big fan of the current one. It's almost too upright. Clipons might help that, but I find the seat is really narrow as well and I'm not too crazy about it.
 
It's all subjective.

A zx-6r will be comfortable for some and a torture rack for the majority of others. You won't know until you ride either bike for a couple of hours.
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