I want to get this bike for my son next year and he will be 16. i want him to be safe and i would like it if someone would let me know how its reaction time is, comforableness, monouverability, and how stable it is. thx for the info.
can i get a riders opinion on this bike???
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You sure you want to start your son off on a 600cc bike? But then again I started on a 750. Shit but still my dad damn near kicked me out the house at that time. I was seventeen when I got my ZX7R. The memories I had with that bike... whew.
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im gonna assume ur talking about a stock zx6r
personally i learned to ride daily on a zx6r since it was the first bike i purchased for my own, however before purchasing the zx6r i had previously road dirtbikes all my life, and a few steet bikes. i did most of my riding on a buell firebolt xb9r but that was all done on safe areas [parking lots etc.] and the first thing i learned, MOTORCYCLES ARE AS SAFE AS THEIR RIDERS. so in my opinion a zx6r would be fine as a starter bike. but remember the bike is only one of many elements that make a good rider. if the rider doesnt pay attention and drive with caution then i would say not even a ninja 250 is good to learn on unless its in a parking lot
personally i learned to ride daily on a zx6r since it was the first bike i purchased for my own, however before purchasing the zx6r i had previously road dirtbikes all my life, and a few steet bikes. i did most of my riding on a buell firebolt xb9r but that was all done on safe areas [parking lots etc.] and the first thing i learned, MOTORCYCLES ARE AS SAFE AS THEIR RIDERS. so in my opinion a zx6r would be fine as a starter bike. but remember the bike is only one of many elements that make a good rider. if the rider doesnt pay attention and drive with caution then i would say not even a ninja 250 is good to learn on unless its in a parking lot
I think the ZX-6R is a bad choice for a first bike. It's a street-legal race bike, not a bike to learn on. It's WAY too easy for a beginner to let their speed exceed their skill level. You can crash on anything, but it's way easier to get in over your head on a sportbike.
My advice is to get something slow, used and with little plastic to break when he crashes (and he will). Learning to ride a slow bike fast will make your son a much better rider. Commonly recommended first bikes are Ninja 250, EX500, and Suzuki GS500. If your son is tall, the Suzuki DRZ400SM (a supermotard bike) makes a great first bike. Fun, cool looking and you can RAIL in the corners on it if you've got the skills. Other more forgiving sporty bikes include the Suzuki SV650 and perhaps even the new Kawi 650.
My advice is to get something slow, used and with little plastic to break when he crashes (and he will). Learning to ride a slow bike fast will make your son a much better rider. Commonly recommended first bikes are Ninja 250, EX500, and Suzuki GS500. If your son is tall, the Suzuki DRZ400SM (a supermotard bike) makes a great first bike. Fun, cool looking and you can RAIL in the corners on it if you've got the skills. Other more forgiving sporty bikes include the Suzuki SV650 and perhaps even the new Kawi 650.
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I started on a 2002 Ninja 250. I fun bike to ride, and for my skill at the time, I couldn't ask for anything better. Sure, most of my friends would tease me that I was riding a "kiddie" bike, but since none of them owned a motorcycle I told them to hop on their mountain bike could race anytime they liked.
Anyway, yeah I 250 is a great starter bike in my opinion. I didn't have to do any mods to it, but there are a few things you can do (i.e. pipe, fender elimator, etc.). I road the bike for 2 summers, and sold it to someone for $500 less then I bought it for, so they hold their value pretty good as well.
Cheers!
SD
Anyway, yeah I 250 is a great starter bike in my opinion. I didn't have to do any mods to it, but there are a few things you can do (i.e. pipe, fender elimator, etc.). I road the bike for 2 summers, and sold it to someone for $500 less then I bought it for, so they hold their value pretty good as well.
Cheers!
SD
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Yeah, and how many 16 year old KIDS do you know that are mature enough for that kind of power...cause I don't know too many myself. I would never put my kid on something like that. I don't care what anyone says, you will never convince me that a child can or should be put in that situation. Hell, put a kid behind the wheel of a car and it's bad enough, now you want to put them on a race ready bike. No disrespect but this is something I feel very strongly about. Peace!
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He'd probably be alright but its his friends and females that can make any kid do stupid things on a motorcycle. I've seen a 30 something year old man wreck a bike cause he was trying to show out for some females. That factor is multiplied for teenage boys. Just teach him how to ride and take him out with you when you go riding. Don't let him take it out himself until you feel he's ready. But my opinion probably has no bearing cause I don't have a kid.
yeah i agree with trashmonkey. I know if i got a zx6r when i was 16 years old I prob wouldnt be here to post. good luck with your decision and hope your son doesnt get hurt if he's showing off, cause its murphy's law that 16 year old's show off when they're put in these situations with fast cars, bikes etc....
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the Suzuki SV650S would be a great bike to start off on. It looks like a true sport bike (more so if you get the side fairing put on, thats what i did) and handles well too. I just outgrew it and wanted to move up to something more powerful. I'm glad I didn't start off on a ZX6R. I had more respect for it when I first rode it cause I knew what it could do.
I can't agree more with what Garry said. I live in England and have been riding for 12 years now. My first bike was a Yamaha TZR125R, followed by a Honda VFR400R NC30, which would make a better 1st bike choice than a 6R. I'm new to the Kwak (and this forum), but in my opinion, I think you need a certain amount of on road experience (there's no traffic coming towards you on a dirt track). I know throttle control is not an ON/OFF switch, but it is a powerful machine and if we're honest, most rider's skills cannot match the 6R, and we can't use it's sheer performance on a road (not in England anyway). I'm glad I learn't my craft on the slower, but well handling NC30. The warp speed 6R is a fantastic bike though! Hope this helps ya.
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If you teach the kid to stay in the low RPM he might be OK. The 6R doesn't exactly snap at low RPM partial throttle, but if he wicks it up and gets caught off guard....[:M8]. I started off on an old KZ400 when I was 16. It felt kinda quick at first but soon it was a gutless wonder. My Dad then let me ride his KZ750 twin, and boy did it feel FAST...I rode it all over and it always felt fast. Then I moved away and got an 85 Honda 650 Nighthawk..my first "modern" four cylinder bike. I was 18, and at the time, to me, this thing felt like an absolute rocket. I visited my Dad on it, and he quipped " my old 750 twin will out-torque that thing anytime". Well, I let him ride my four-banger, and he came back with a big grin. "Well, I was wrong, this thing is in a whole new league". Well 20 years later I just rode my Dad's old 750 again, and man, what a SLUG! We have it very good these days!!
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I personally would be a bit leary of turning loose anyone on a Zixxer as their first street bike...like Whylphobia said..."The 6R doesn't exactly snap at low RPM partial throttle, but if he wicks it up and gets caught off guard...." If he twists it a bit too hard, it may come back and bite him in the ass if he doesn't know what to do with the surge of power that it will dish out...
GunRunner
GunRunner
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you come on here asking if this will be a first good bike, and everyone tells yo NO.
your next post is that you think that he will bo ok with it.
Why did you even come here to ask if you are not going to listen to the answers?
your next post is that you think that he will bo ok with it.
Why did you even come here to ask if you are not going to listen to the answers?
Seriously. Since he's coming from a dirt background, get him a Suzuki DRZ400SM. They're cheap, can take a beating, and are HUGE FUN on a twisty road. Open up the airbox, rejet and add a full Yosh exhaust and they pep right up. They'll do 100 MPH wound all the way out, but are comfy at fairly legal speeds. Great commuter bike too. I had a DRZ400S (not the SM supermotard) and it was big fun. I regret selling the beast now... Want something faster? Consider the KTM 625 SMC or Husky TE 610 if you've got a lot of coin to throw at it.
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