joseaventurero
Member
actually, I was thinking about the lines of kawasaki klr 650, 2013 cbr 500 or a Katana.
Sportbikes are Not beginner Bikes
- Thread starter dyno
- Start date
ryanmackk
Member
Incredible! I was thinking of starting modest and this definitely convinced me! As a bonus the newer CBR250 and Ninja 250 looks just like the bigger bikes except they are just shrunken down. So you sitll look like a bad ***, and can still ride a smaller, and safer (for beginners) bike 
I am excited to start out
I am excited to start out
DaXx
Member
25 taking my m1 and MSF within the next 2 months, and am looking forward to the 250 or 300 rather then a bike that can take me from 0-"this was a horrible idea" in no time (yes I realize that even a ninja 250 is something around 8s 0-60mph), Not to mention that whole 5k/year insurance for a supersport isnt ideal.
I don't even have a bike nor license yet and I have almost every piece of protective gear I could afford (still waiting for V1000's and some nice pants to drop into my price range
)
I don't even have a bike nor license yet and I have almost every piece of protective gear I could afford (still waiting for V1000's and some nice pants to drop into my price range
)
Roomie
Banned
^^ I think that is possibly the smartest thing I've ever heard a new rider say (or see type if you want to be technical) I was at the dealer the other day picking up some of my gear and I saw a younger guy eye balling a gsxr 600. Got talking to him a bit as he saw me checking out the same bike (mine arrives tomorrow) Turns out he's never ridden before, got an insurance quote north of 5k and is willing to do it anyways. I think he's nuts. The main excuse was the 'he's a big guy' line and doesn't fit on a smaller bike. The salesman he was dealing with was easily 3 inches and 50 lbs bigger and demonstrated how he fit on a cbr 500 perfectly fine. I guess the kid is hell bent on 0-bad idea. Good for you for being smart about it. Hope you enjoy your season.
ccasion5:
ccasion5:
AL3RT
Well-known member
Can't agree with the statement "Sportbikes are Not beginner Bikes".
IMO it all depends on your personality, your inner demons, if you will...
Treat your powerful sportbike as you would a hungry tiger.
Don't be afraid of high torque which comes with 600cc, 750cc, 1200cc and so on. It's there awaiting your control.
The rule is: RESPECT THE BEAST AND IT WILL SERVE YOU WELL. Because the same second you lower your guard and diss it - it WILL bite your head off.
IMO it all depends on your personality, your inner demons, if you will...
Treat your powerful sportbike as you would a hungry tiger.
Don't be afraid of high torque which comes with 600cc, 750cc, 1200cc and so on. It's there awaiting your control.
The rule is: RESPECT THE BEAST AND IT WILL SERVE YOU WELL. Because the same second you lower your guard and diss it - it WILL bite your head off.
I rode on a crappy 1hp motorcycle when i was 17 (14 years ago). Im now 31 and purchased my first 92 kawasaki zx600. I've always been driving a 5spd car, so that helped with the concept of gears, and i own a 600whp car, but that DOESNT help with riding a bike even one bit. I've learned quickly how to ride my zx6, and whats probably helped out is watching a lot of video's, and reading lots on counter steering, tire contact patch, lean angle, riding technique and the list goes on.
Anyone can get on a 250, 500, 600, 750, hell even a 1000 bike and ride it slow, and turn slow, and do well everything slow. But the problem with no experience comes in when something out of the blue happens. Whether a car cuts you off, or you have to make a sharp turn, or brake quickly. Not having the right experience and the result could be deadly, especially on a bigger bike where it has a lot more power and torque available.
I dont think there is a bike that EVERYONE should start on. I think that really depends on the actually rider/owner how they're going to handle the situation. I will agree though, that a 250 is the safest to learn to ride on.
Anyone can get on a 250, 500, 600, 750, hell even a 1000 bike and ride it slow, and turn slow, and do well everything slow. But the problem with no experience comes in when something out of the blue happens. Whether a car cuts you off, or you have to make a sharp turn, or brake quickly. Not having the right experience and the result could be deadly, especially on a bigger bike where it has a lot more power and torque available.
I dont think there is a bike that EVERYONE should start on. I think that really depends on the actually rider/owner how they're going to handle the situation. I will agree though, that a 250 is the safest to learn to ride on.
I keep reading this BS... "Treat your bike nice". "Be gentle and nice and smooth". Where is the fun in that? Sure, some of you can start on 600 and 1000 and "be gentle" and try to learn. I loved by 500, going through corners fast, revving it all the way, etc etc. I was really having fun learning. Then I switched to my 600.. and I am still "learning" on this bike 3 years later.
El Cockblock
Well-known member
It's obvious that ss are no different than any other other motorcycle. They have two wheels, throttle and brakes just like another other machine. Just a little more go power. Just ease up on the throttle, give it some respect, and everything is going to work out just fine.
ummmmm........................ok.......................carry on.....................
Cost of insurance helps keep things in check but, still leave some that have the money and resources not to care.
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. I see and know riders that still don't know a bloody thing about riding. Happens all the time. Love seeing well seasoned riders on small displacement bikes running circles around other riders that need a long straight to catch up.
I don't know why there is such a stigma to starting out on a smaller displacement machine. Other that touring across the country on major highways which is pretty boring and likely more comfortable travelling in a cage, I look back on riding small machines much beyond my capabilities very fondly.
Smaller displacement machines are so forgiving and allow you to learn to be smooth and develop better control. To learn how to carry what limited speed you have through a turn and bring a perm smile to your face.
The input and effort for ss bikes is so much smaller. To develop and learn to control them takes longer in a lot of cases. Having previous experience does help you feel and recognize things better so avoid or make corrections that otherwise could lead to a drop or crash.
Justify it all you want, post all the testimonials of new riders riding high performance machines with impeccable grace and poise.
I will always encourage a new rider to start small and work their way up. And even those riders that started small and want to trade up after a season or two, I'd love to take them out on a ride on their small machine and show them just how much they don't know yet. Or how much fun they can really have.
I sold the Ninja 500 so, I'll have to wait until I get my hands on another cheap small to medium size machine.
Finally, even seasoned riders know how how difficult it is to survive out there. I never encounter a seasoned rider to look down at a new rider on a small displacement bike. The only idiots that seem to do that are fairly new riders on bigger machines that pose.
Just my 2 cents.
ummmmm........................ok.......................carry on.....................
Cost of insurance helps keep things in check but, still leave some that have the money and resources not to care.
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. I see and know riders that still don't know a bloody thing about riding. Happens all the time. Love seeing well seasoned riders on small displacement bikes running circles around other riders that need a long straight to catch up.
I don't know why there is such a stigma to starting out on a smaller displacement machine. Other that touring across the country on major highways which is pretty boring and likely more comfortable travelling in a cage, I look back on riding small machines much beyond my capabilities very fondly.
Smaller displacement machines are so forgiving and allow you to learn to be smooth and develop better control. To learn how to carry what limited speed you have through a turn and bring a perm smile to your face.
The input and effort for ss bikes is so much smaller. To develop and learn to control them takes longer in a lot of cases. Having previous experience does help you feel and recognize things better so avoid or make corrections that otherwise could lead to a drop or crash.
Justify it all you want, post all the testimonials of new riders riding high performance machines with impeccable grace and poise.
I will always encourage a new rider to start small and work their way up. And even those riders that started small and want to trade up after a season or two, I'd love to take them out on a ride on their small machine and show them just how much they don't know yet. Or how much fun they can really have.
I sold the Ninja 500 so, I'll have to wait until I get my hands on another cheap small to medium size machine.
Finally, even seasoned riders know how how difficult it is to survive out there. I never encounter a seasoned rider to look down at a new rider on a small displacement bike. The only idiots that seem to do that are fairly new riders on bigger machines that pose.
Just my 2 cents.
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There's a little more to it then that. ^^^ Its not just a little bit more power. When you compare a 250 to a 600 for example, its not just power. Braking is different(im not talking about having plenty of space to brake as anyone is capable of that), throttle response, power, weight, turning; everything is different. A 250 weighs less and is a lot easier to throw around vs a 600 which is the complete opposite.
Also on a 250 its a lot more forgiving if you mess up with throttle vs a 600. When you're an inexperienced rider, and you have to make a quick brake because an accident happened ahead or something of that nature, you can easily mess up what you're doing, and twitch the throttle, or pop the clutch and things can go real bad from there.
Also on a 250 its a lot more forgiving if you mess up with throttle vs a 600. When you're an inexperienced rider, and you have to make a quick brake because an accident happened ahead or something of that nature, you can easily mess up what you're doing, and twitch the throttle, or pop the clutch and things can go real bad from there.
I started on a 125, then 250, then sport touring 600, then super port 600. I'm now riding a super sport 250 now because I don't need the speed anymore, plus cheap insurance. Like you said, bike riders are known to buy new bikes constantly. My friend got his cbr 600rr as his first bike, I told him to start on a 250. He wanted something for the same reasons you posted. He's dead now, died 3 days after owning the bike. He is the safest car rider, even took the training course. He died because he bailed out. If he kept going straight he would have lived. Been riding since 2008, I've lost 15 friends, 13 of the 15 were new riders died within 3 months on a 600+ first bike. Better safe then sorry.
i would personally recommend the Katana. I have a Blue 2002 katana and this thing handles like a dream. It's got power, but not too much power to overwhelm a new rider. It's super comfortable. And it can definitely keep up with the big boys easily!
Roomie
Banned
Anyone who would say anything negative isn't worth riding with anyways. Look at me I have a 1000... blah blah blah. 99% of riders can't get to the limits of a 600 let alone anything and especially on the street. rise your own ride and as long as your enjoying it who cares. I took a friends 250 for a spin and I was ear to ear grins too and I ride a 600. Better to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow :thumbup:
Depending on how you define "sportbikes".
I'd classify that as 600CC+ "sportbike" types.
For example, I don't consider cruisers or touring bikes as "sportbikes" no matter the CC.
I do agree that sportbikes(in the 600cc+ definition) are for beginners. Beginners should really learn on more forgiving bikes.
I started on a CBR250 and it helped me learn very well and was happy with it, unfortunately i seem to be the person who wants more pickup and ability to get up to speeds faster. Also more upright seating.
So after owned a CBR250 for 3 months(getting to ride it 2-3 weeks). I'm selling my bike and moving up to a 700CC Sport-cruiser.
Do what your comfortable with, if your planning to sell the bike in a years time, go with a smaller 250 bike and then upgrade. Otherwise if it's your first and only bike, then go a 600 at least.
Again, it's all your preference.
I was at a dealership and a guy was looking at a 600 CBR for his first bike, he hadn't even written his M1 Test yet, nor had he planned to take a M2 course. Yet there he was, financing a CBR600RR bike.
Shane
I'd classify that as 600CC+ "sportbike" types.
For example, I don't consider cruisers or touring bikes as "sportbikes" no matter the CC.
I do agree that sportbikes(in the 600cc+ definition) are for beginners. Beginners should really learn on more forgiving bikes.
I started on a CBR250 and it helped me learn very well and was happy with it, unfortunately i seem to be the person who wants more pickup and ability to get up to speeds faster. Also more upright seating.
So after owned a CBR250 for 3 months(getting to ride it 2-3 weeks). I'm selling my bike and moving up to a 700CC Sport-cruiser.
Do what your comfortable with, if your planning to sell the bike in a years time, go with a smaller 250 bike and then upgrade. Otherwise if it's your first and only bike, then go a 600 at least.
Again, it's all your preference.
I was at a dealership and a guy was looking at a 600 CBR for his first bike, he hadn't even written his M1 Test yet, nor had he planned to take a M2 course. Yet there he was, financing a CBR600RR bike.
Shane
macro
Well-known member
+1
I remember my first bike, it was a PIECE! But I felt like such a badass on it!
viper84737
Well-known member
That's some crazy misfortune. I don't mean to make light of your loss, but statistically it's EXTREMELY improbable that the bikes were responsible for this. How many people get 600 cc+ sportbikes and DON'T die that you haven't proportionally considered? Just putting things in perspective here, with mathematics.
Dresden
Well-known member
I started on a 600 Gsxr. Beat the hell out of it... 3 years and 35000 kms later, it was all smiles.
Yes they are dangerous, then again, so is a tricycle in the wrong hands. Ride to your abilities. Not everyone learns to swim in a shallow pool.. and it doesn't make you a better swimmer if you do.
