[Speedvlaze]

Yeah, the 6R can be a fine beginner bike.

It all depends on who you are. If you are dumb enough to ride like a maniac while having no or little experience, then you are asking to get yourself in some serious trouble on any bike. If you use common sense and good, sound judgment, then you will be just fine no matter what bike you choose. The reason so many people suggest starting on a smaller-displaced bike is because they are less responsive in the throttle (and sometimes more responsive to rider input due to them being lighter). But, when it comes right down to it, the bike will only go as fast as you make it. Use your head, and remember that the bike doesn’t have to go 160 just because it can.


On a little side note: My first bike was a ’01 CBR929RR. See… don’t be retarded and you will be just fine.


Welcome to the board, by the way.

 

[SilverRyder012]

You started on a CBR929RR? speedvlaze is the man. Yea if you are aware of the dangers of a powerful bike, and you respect that, and dont do anything stupid, AND take it slow at first... You will be a happy driver. BTW I own a Silver 03 ZX-6R

 

[Speedvlaze]

nice bike

 

[SilverRyder012]

I am a "newbie" as the saying goes. I had ZERO experience on motorcyles, the only experience I had was my 21spd mountain bike. I purchased a brand new ZX-6R and just practiced with it slowly. Example - I took it to big open parking lots, and just practiced slowly for a couple months. Now I am actually on the road, but still taking it slowly and learning everyday. In conclusion, I dont think buying this bike as a learner is such a bad idea. Since it was my first bike I didnt really know what to expect anyway, so I just took it for what it was, and practiced everday. Im so glad I bought the 6R instead of the 250 now. But if your not like me, then chose the 250.

 

[LUV2SURF]

You can die just as easily on a ninja 250. Think about this, most bike fatalities involve crappy slow bikes not high performance sport bikes. A stupid rider makes stupid mistakes. By the best bike you can afford and keep it for a long time, it will be cheaper in the long run.

luv2surf
2003 636

 

[inca_jones]

Luv2surf: "Think about this, most bike fatalities involve crappy slow bikes not high performance sport bikes."

Can you cite references which support that statement? Cuz I'd like to see them.

inca jones

2003 636 Black

 

[dj dunzie]

Luv2... Gotta argue with you. In my personal experience in emergency services, most bike wrecks and bike fatalities I run across, by a STAGGERINGLY high percentage, involve sportbikes, and more often than not (in fact, come to think of it, the VAST majority of the time), it's the rider's fault, either by excessive speed or dangerous driving of some kind. I have seen studies where the most commonly dropped bikes are 600cc sportbikes (although the argument could be made there's more of them on the road)...

As for the ZX6R being a good learner's bike... it isn't, at least in terms of being beginner-friendly. Sure, you can do a fine job learning on one if you want to. But I know guys who learn on big-bore sportbikes too, and yes, to date, haven't dropped 'em. I ride with a guy who's first bike was a ZX12R, he's never dropped a bike and is actually a pretty decent rider now. BUT... does that mean a ZX12R is a good learner's bike ??? Not a chance. 600cc sportbikes in particular are designed to be screamed, and produce a LOT of power in the high portion of the rev range. Breaking them in by lugging them (like any bike) is a bad idea, and yet a beginner doesn't have the skill to do this properly.

A GOOD beginner's bike, like a Ninja 500 or an SV650, is much more forgiving, and doesn't NEED to be revved hard to be ridden properly. They were intended to be ridden easy, and were designed with more entry-level riding and riders in mind. That's why I say 600 supersports are NOT good beginner's bikes. Sure, you can do it if you've got a good head on your shoulders, but that doesn't mean it's a good bike to learn on.

"Keep yer feet on the pegs and your right hand cranked."

 

[LUV2SURF]

inca and dj,

I apologize for my narrow statement, my statement of "most fatalities involve crapy.." is not a published fact, I should have stated "majority of the fatalities I have responded to" this would have been accurate for everyone reading.

I liked both of your arguments but in my experience, and I am a firefighter in Hawaii, most accidents are not sportbikes. Facts to support: yesterday morning a rider of a vulcan rear-ended a boat on a trailer and died.(He was traveling much too fast to stop). Other accidents I have responded to THIS YEAR were riders of a Harley (rented and excessive speed) harley (owners riding error head on with truck while passing) and honda enduro (head on into on-coming car while careless passing) but the type of bike was not to be my point. I do understand dj is a police officer and his personal experience is different than mine.

My point is that the riders personality and level of responsility make the most individual difference in making it through life as a bike rider not the type of bike you ride. silverrider sounds like a responsible rider who understands the dangers of riding and may actually ride responsibly. He may be the perfect person to learn on a 636 or similar sportbike.

Last, if you read the break-in procedures on a new kawasaki 636, it is exactly tailored for a beginner rider. In fact, with so much of a 636's power up high in the revs, it will be easy for a beginner rider to not be overpowered. (you can always shift at 6000rpm if you feel afraid of the power) I don't know about it being bad for the engine to ride this way but since the break in procedures is like this, I don't think it can be to bad.

If you guys reading this wanted a bike for transportation and really wanted a 636 would you go out and buy a beginner bike first to learn on then move up to your dream 636 later or would you save yourself some money and buy your dream bike now and learn responsibly? I may be way off but this is how I would do it if I could do it all over again.






luv2surf
2003 636

 

[Triker]

I started of on the street on a 600 Ninja 86 to be exact. In 88 it was no slouch 76 HP it was putting out about 10 more than the 88 versiob of the same year. Everyone said I was going to kill myself. I took is slow learned to ride on it, repected it and every bike as I moved up in experience, 15 years later here I am. I cannot remember ONE time I rode without a helmet and I think respecting the bike is the key to survival. You an't get out on the street like you are Eddie Lawson and expect to live -- Eric

http://home.earthlink.net/~superbikerr/

 

[GreenEnvy]

I started on a 86 gixxer 1100, (was a 750, but had an 1100 engine dropped in)




-=Welcome To Canada=-

2002 Green 6R
1986 Gixxer 7/11

 

[skeezer541]

My first bike was a harley davidson sx-125....when I was 9.[xx(]

03'ZX-6RR

 

[-gary]

Report: More older riders in motorcycle crashes
http://www.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/05/04/older.injuries/

Motorcycles Involved in Fatal Crashes by Most Harmful Event
http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/finalreport.cfm?title=Vehicles&stateid=0&year=2001&title2=Motorcycles

Traffic Safety Facts 2000
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSF2000/2000mcyfacts.pdf

-gary
'02 6R

 

[LUV2SURF]

Gary,

Thanks for the info, it sure supports what I see here in Hawaii. That cnn report states that most of the fatalities are licenced riders over 29 and riding over 1000cc bikes. It didn't say what type of bikes but over 1000cc are harley/v max types. You younger riders can show your parents the stats on the declining fatalities of under 29 riders. Very interesting numbers.

Hey why is my insurance so high? Oh ya I am in the "over 29 age bracket"



luv2surf
2003 636

 

[DEZixxer]

Nice Work Gary, you are on the ball!

(Noob here, what's up everyone!)

Yellow/Blk 2001 ZX-6R
~D&D Slip On
My Daily Ride:
Blk/Blk 2003 Acura CL-S 6M

 

[Speedvlaze]

Welcome to the board.

 

[Speedvlaze]

Originally posted by LUV2SURF


Hey why is my insurance so high? Oh ya I am in the "over 29 age bracket"

ha! Try being in the "under 29 age bracket."

 

[LUV2SURF]

speedvlaze,

I can only imagine, I think the insurance companies will use any excuse they can to soak us.

luv2surf
2003 636

 

[dj dunzie]

NHTSA estimates that helmets saved the lives of 631 motorcyclists in 2000. If all motorcyclists had worn helmets, an additional 382 lives
could have been saved.
Helmets are estimated to be 29 percent effective in preventing fatal injuries to motorcyclists.
Helmets cannot protect the rider from most types of bodily injuries.
However, a recent NHTSA study showed that motorcycle helmets are
67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries.

... dayam huh? And if you're already challenged for functioning brain cells as I am, I'd think you'd wanna do whatever you could to ensure you keep the ones you DO have... [)]

"Keep yer feet on the pegs and your right hand cranked."

 

[quiksilver636]

FYI - I put my motorcycle "under" my car insurance's policy through StateFarm Insurance and it's only costing me 45 bucks a month for full coverage! That's the only way StateFarm does motorcycle coverage by the way, so you can't get that rate without putting your car under them too.

Hey Luv2surf, Im from Hawaii too. See you on the road.

 

[Sideshow]

The truth is that some of us have IT and some of us dont. If we all started out on a fast bike (over 250cc), those of us with IT would be fine, but those of us without it would stand a much higher risk of having a fatal acceident on a more powerful machine.

Problem is, nobody know whether they have IT or not until they've been riding for some time.

I think to define IT would be knowing your own & machine's limit's & understanding traffic movements around you. Some of us know, & some of us have no idea.

That is why I think everyone should start on a 250<. It softens the inevatable.