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This girl's gotta upgrade

5K views 31 replies 20 participants last post by  atxdrifter 
#1 ·
Hi, to make a long story short, I guess because I'm a girl maybe people think I can't handle the power of a bigger bike, but I've been riding a Ninja 250 for 3 years now and want to upgrade to a 600. How big is the power difference and will I be able to handle it honestly? All opinions welcome!
-Mo
 
#5 ·
I like to think I'm special! :D

OP: I'd have to say its really up to you. If you feel comfortably moving to a 599 go for it. But if you're not ready your only going to do more harm than good.
 
#11 ·
Hi there,

I say go for it, the power is hugely different, by100bhp if you go for a 636.... I would suggest that you read up about the zx6r, zx6rr etc, specifications handling reviews and all that. You could go for the 650R which is smack bang in the middle, around 64bhp but if you like riding then go get a zx6r series. Girls are just fine on any size bikes, their skills on most cases are equivalent or better. It will take you a few weeks to get used to your new riding position, weight, power and cornering but if you take it a step at a time you will riding like a champ very soon. I often see petit girls riding a BMW s1000rr, Gsxr 750 & 1000 with the same potency as any red blooded male....
 
#14 ·
When I upgraded, the difference in throttle response was noticeable but not intimidating. Differences that were readily apparent were riding position and additional weight. I knew I was ready and got my GSXR shortly after I decided I was done with the 250. When you know, you know. If you're reticent, you probably need some more saddle time on the lil one.

By the by, during my first ride on the 600 rolling out of the dealership, I had the hugest goddamn smile on my face; it felt like I was a little kid experiencing 10 Christmases at once. :D
 
#25 ·
When I upgraded, the difference in throttle response was noticeable but not intimidating. Differences that were readily apparent were riding position and additional weight. I knew I was ready and got my GSXR shortly after I decided I was done with the 250. When you know, you know. If you're reticent, you probably need some more saddle time on the lil one.

By the by, during my first ride on the 600 rolling out of the dealership, I had the hugest goddamn smile on my face; it felt like I was a little kid experiencing 10 Christmases at once. :D

I dont know how old this thread is but i agree with Katrina....i might get laughed at but my first ride on 250 i was like what did i do but i rode my 6r out of the dealership like i had been riding it all my life and i chalk that up to the time i spent on 250 and man when isay difference between the two is so lopsided its ridiculous but the thrill of teh 6r is crazy especially when you start taking it to the track..just my two cents!!!
 
#17 ·
I'd do it if you have self control.. Newer 600's aren't a joke at all, I consistently outride folks on 1000's every weekend at the track on my little tike 600. Get one, enjoy it and keep self control. You'll be fine
 
#22 ·
I just recently moved up to a ZZR 600 from a Ninja 250. So I might be able to share my thoughts and help you.

First of all , I was ready. I knew it in my mind that I was ready. Period.

I didn't look at it as "out growing" the 250 , I looked at it as my learning period. I tried to perfect everything I could on the 250 and I feel I came pretty close to doing so. I even kept it about 6 months longer than my brain told me too.

It's going to be different at first but you will see how much the 250 helped you hone your skills once you really ride it. The power increase is a little scary at first but you will have throttle control carried over from the 250 and confidence in your skill set.

Take it easy at first because from my experience they do not get in to the corner the same as a 250 , the little ninja will dive bomb into the corner with little effort but it takes some effort to get the same results out of a 600(for me at least).

I'm no expert on the matter but I was in the same boat as you not that long ago and I am still fairly new to the 600 class so this stuff is fresh in my mind so I figured I'd share with you.

Good luck on your decision , only you know when you are ready so listen to your brain!
 
#29 · (Edited)
I am literally in the same boat as this guy, I rode a 2008 250 for 6 months to learn to ride. Once I felt that I was waiting for the bike to catch up to me when riding I decided to upgrade. I got a 2008 ZZR 600 and oh my god the power difference is huge, corning is a big difference. With a 250 you sling shot into a corner at full speed and if you screwed up the line could correct it quite easily. Not so with a 600, come in at the proper gear, the proper speed and the proper line or else you are in for a rough turn. Also it is so easy to have too much power in a turn and have your tire spin out from under you, not saying it's bad enough to make you almost low side the bike but it'll give you a nice jolt of adrenaline when riding on the streets.

I am an adrenaline junkie, sky diving, rock climbing, feeding sharks. Name it and I have, or will do it; when I got this bike the power on it actually had me nervous for the first 2 days. On my way home I popped a wheelie by accident on the freeway, something I had to intentionally do on the 250. I even did a stoppie when a car pulled in front of me, everything on a 600 has a faster response time and more of a response once done. Almost 3 weeks after buying the bike the inner adrenaline junkie in me wants a 1000 now, but I know that for what I will be doing with this bike a 600 is perfect for me.

Don't let being a girl decide whether or not to upgrade, Once you put that helmet on most people wont be able to tell if you are a woman or not unless they get right up near you. As long as you can handle the power the bike has then there is no reason not to upgrade. If size is what you are worried about just have the bike lowered.
 
#24 ·
My first bike was a 2005 R6. I only road a GS500 for a week to pass my test/learn on, and as stupid as some people may view buying a 600cc Supersport bike as my first, it would only go as fast as I went - and would only be as dangerous as I was riding it. A 600cc bike is a bloody fast piece of kit, but as long as you're sensible and don't think your next stop is the MotoGP paddock, you should be fine. I took my time, never tried to keep up with anyone, and didn't show off. Then I slowly pushed myself, and did track days to learn how to ride properly and corner. With your 250 experience, it won't be such a big risk as it was for me as I was a total newbie. Take your time with it, and learn the bike by yourself before you go riding with others or try to keep up with them. As long as you don't do anything silly or try and show off I would go for it.
That being said, I'm glad I got a 600 straight away as I still have it and don't feel the need to get rid of it. BUT, I wish I'd taken my time and learnt how to ride properly on something with less power before upgrading. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Just make sure you wear the right protection so you don't have the benefit of hindsight on that aspect.
 
#26 ·
There have been so many similar threads all over the forum and I try not to post the same over and over again so heres something a little different to my usual line.

First of all, you being a girl makes no difference what so ever. As a matter of fact my ZZR 600 was originally owned by a woman who drove it safely for almost 20 years and got a lot of enjoyment out of it.

I see an awful lot of 17 year olds riding round on mopeds in my line of work. Alot of them dont live to see 18... then you get the kids who start off on 125s and progress slowly on to bigger bikes. All of them have one thing in common, they all think theyre shit hot riders because they have never fallen off.

I think differently, to my mind falling off a 2 wheeled machine is inevitable. At some point in their lives, every one who rides a motorcycle will fall off it. When I started out I fell off a lot, mainly for being a stupid 17 year old who thought he was shit hot. Every fall I had taught me something about the bike i was riding at the time, about physics and about myself as a rider.

The more I fell off the less severe the injuries became and the less frequent the falls. I haven't fallen off a bike for 4 years now and that last one was a controlled one where I had to get off the bike quick to chase a perp on foot. Ive had a few near misses but mistakes of the past have taught me how to prevent near misses becoming crashes.

I'm no where near as good a rider as I want to be and I've found that the 600 has taught me a lot.

So I ask you... how many times have you fallen off? How confident are you in your own skill to prevent a near miss being a crash? How comfortable are you on a 250? Do you think you have anything left to learn?

All of these are questions anyone can ask but only you can answer as well as any others that you can think of and only you can answer the question "Am I ready?"

Like someone said before, if you have to ask you're probably not ready, but its your call.
 
#27 · (Edited)
Man I totally agree with you... I have been riding for ages and have learnt from my mistakes of course falling off in itself is an art that can only be mastered by respecting your ride knowing your limits and most importantly starting small and building experience and skills. When I fell as a 15 year old trail bike rider my injuries were excessive but not life threatening... I quickly learnt to always have protective gear... road riding one day I disregarded the gear because I thought I was a 17year old crash hot rider..and then bang I almost left this planet.... glad to be here I made a truce to always have all my gear on, no matter how short the ride and how hot it was out there. Since then I have fallen a few times mostly because of someone else's stupidity but I have braced for the perfect fall away from the bike and near danger!! and with my gear on I have gotten away with a bruise here and there surprisingly in all the cases the bike has been a total loss!!
 
#28 ·
To the people that were genuine in their responses thank you. To those saying "if you have to ask you aren't ready" I'm sorry, I just figured since I had never been on one I'd just ask for people's input. And no being a girl doesn't matter, but I am 112lbs and 5'6" where most dudes riding bigger bikes are over 6' and pushing 200 lbs. Anyways, I bought a 2007 Yamaha R6 a few months back, got to take it out only a few times before winter hit up here in NY, but seems like an decent bike so far.

P.S. I still ride my Ninja 250 as well so I can be on this site since I now am part of the Yamaha club too hahaha lol
 
#32 ·
Master the 250 at the track and the answer will be come easily. It is no joke that the 250 will allow you to learn from a mistake and the 600 will make you pay for it.

I use to ride the 250 in the power band all the time with throttle only knowing wide open - after a year and a couple of trackdays, I have yet to ride the ZX6R with 80% of its' true potential (which can only be achieved at the track).
 
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