[WPdrew]

Ok, im sure all of yall are tired of the newby questions. I've read lots of previous newby posts so I have a pretty good idea of what I want to get. I'm a pretty tall (6'3") so im leaning towards a 600. From other posts Ive read that the CBR 600 (f2 or f3) are good bikes, along with Suzuki sv-650, and the yamaha 600r. Read various things about the Kawasaki Ninja 500, but dont really like the looks of the bike.

Im concerned that a 600 might be too much bike. Im not an idiot and dont plan on exhibiting any squidlike behavior. Im going to call tomorrow about the MSF class here in GA. Ive heard that there could be a waiting list for the class Also im definetly going to get a used bike. Should I wait until the spring to get a bike? Winters in Atlanta really are not that harsh (we havent seen snow in years) but i just dont know what its like to ride in the cold. Do most of yall call it quits for the winter? Sorry for all the q's.

Basically im leaning towards getting a CBR 600(f2 or f3. Thanks for the help

-Drew

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[jk6672]

I think in the winter is when you'll find more bikes for sale and better deals. Don't worry about the 600 being to much bike as long as you practice what you preach, from your post you sound like you've got your head on your shoulders. good luck.

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John
http://photos.yahoo.com/jk6672

 

[WPdrew]

Thanks for all the great advice. So many bikes out there it is hard to choose. Im just going to take my time and find a good deal. Apprecitate all the help.

Thanks
Drew

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[FZR400Tony]

a nice year old sv650...hmmm...nice bike.

and when you get beter and wanna hone your skills at the track, there's not a better bike to start on.

the only down side is you can't impress the boys at the hangout with it.

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Tony

the views and opinions expressed by tony (cbrf2boy) are the ramblings of a total idiot. sbw.com, it's administrators, moderators, and members don't necessarily agree with and are not responsible for anything this idiot has to say.

for more ramblings try cbrf2boy

 

[Woohoo748]

SV-650 SV-650 SV650 SV-650 SV-650 SV-650. Good, manageable power, great handling, can be used for commuting, carving the canyons and racing... What more could you ask for in a beginner's bike?

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[Hawkman]

Riding in the cold is no big deal. I'm in OKC and it only gets REALLY cold in January and February, and even then it's nothing like up North. Atlanta in winter is like spring in Minnesota.

Just get a good jacket that you can put a sweatshirt on underneath and thermal underwear and you should be fine. Oh yeah, get a good set of winter riding gloves, I don't reccomend ski gloves, but they work in a pinch.

The SV650 won't be as easy to find as an older CBR600 (or as cheap). You can get early '90s CBRs for around $3500. I say start off cheap and get something nicer after you've ridden a year or two.

Later,
Eric

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[FZR400Tony]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Hawkman:
(snip) The SV650 won't be as easy to find as an older CBR600 (or as cheap). You can get early '90s CBRs for around $3500. I say start off cheap and get something nicer after you've ridden a year or two.

Later,
Eric

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

last week i was in alabama and the cycle trader had quite a few of them sv's in it. bodywork is expensive. if you're into high insurance claims (premiums shouldn't be too bad on an f2 at this point), get the cbr. actually a gpz550 (like eric's) i think is an awesome bike, and if you can find one (not easy) snatch it up (ditto the earlier kz550).

otherwise, sv, thank the rest of later.
http://www.sportbikeworld.com/forum/Forum3/HTML/000579.html has a nice beginner's bike vs. 600ss battle going on as well. maybe this thread should be closed and move the discussion there?

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Tony

the views and opinions expressed by tony (cbrf2boy) are the ramblings of a total idiot. sbw.com, it's administrators, moderators, and members don't necessarily agree with and are not responsible for anything this idiot has to say.

for more ramblings try cbrf2boy

[This message has been edited by cbrf2boy (edited September 28, 2000).]

 

[reepicheep]

I test rode a few of the standards for a friend of mine looking for a new bike (he did not have a license yet).

The SV-650 is indeed a very sweet bike, and feels tremendously light beneath you. It steers wonderfully by both inputs at the bars, or by just pushing the bike around with your body. Having torque across the whole powerband is also very nice.

I think what makes it feel so responsive is it's feeling of lightness, and I wonder if that would be a liability for longer cruising. It just feels very light, which is good in some cases, not so good in others.

Unfortunately for you (and for me as well, I am 6'2"), the SV is really out of the question. The bike is _very_ narrow (because it is a twin), and in order to get a decent fuel capacity, the tank flares out above the knees. At least it is supposed too...

In my case (and in no doubt your case), the flare will be 2-3 inches too low. Your knees extend up past the widest part of the tank, and you end up riding in (IMHO) an awkward position, and obviously a position the bike was not designed for.

The other standard we tried (and the one he eventually bought) was the ZR-7. A darn fine bike, handles great, runs great, very reliable, lots of great features, and you could probably get it out the door for 5 grand.

Not the highest performance (oil cooler versus pure liquid cooling), but more then (IMHO) any of us can use responsibly off track. The thing will still accelerate fast enough to blur your vision.

Finally, if it is really your first bike, I would recommend at least thinking about a used "lovable mutt standard". The Nighthawks are good and reliable, but seem a little overpriced. The Yamaha Radian (what I bought) is a good hard pulling decent handling standard bike that you ought to be able to find used for $800-$2000 and is pretty reliable. You might also be able to find a decent ZR7 or ZR550 used for $2k to $3k.

Get the beater standard first, learn your lessons with it (like not to back out of the garage with the side stand down... DooOooh!). This way, those little life lessons come in $10 increments instead of $100 or $1000 increments.

A used standard is also a great place to learn maintenance, or to test a few places to find a good shop to do it for you. A 10 year old bike will probably need some of it (new brakes, new chain, carb clean and sync, petcock work, new tires, new clutch, new cables, new steering head bearings, misc o-rings).

Just IMHO of course. This is my second year on a $1200 Radian, and I am very happy with the service it has given. I will probably try and get myself a used 2000 ZR7 at the end of next years season, mainly to get a more comfortable seat and larger fuel tank capacity, along with a little less maintenance. The Radian is not too bad, but there are a lot of 10 year old little Japanese rubber parts on it by now...

Bill

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"The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to eventually close it again on something solid" (GK Chesterton)

 

[rponiarski]

You really can't go wrong with any of the older "standard" bikes, say a ZR750 or a Radian. Even the CB750 Nighthawk would be easy to find and learn on.

I have to agree with Bill on one thing; the ZR-7 is a great machine for the streets and if you can find one at a good price you will have a bike you will enjoy for a long time.

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Richard M. Poniarski
'00 Kawasaki ZR750F2, a.k.a. ZR-7
AMA #674623
NY S666C
ZR7OA #3

[This message has been edited by rponiarski (edited September 28, 2000).]

 

[jarelj]

I was in the same boat back in July looking for my first bike. I wanted something that was easy enough to handle that I could learn on, but with enough spunk that I wouldn't be tempted to trade it in for something more powerful in 6 months. I had it narrowed down to the SV650 and the ZR-7, and finally decided on the ZR-7. I liked the looks of the sportbikes, but just didn't feel they'd be practical enough since I was going to use the bike primarily for commuting to work. Plus the insurance on the ZR-7 is C-H-E-A-P ($12/ mo.), which is hard to beat. If you're thinking of track racing, I'd go with the SV, but if you're just going to be having a ball out on the streets the ZR-7 is hard to beat. I passed my riding test on the ZR-7 after riding it for 3 days and never having owned a bike before, so it's darn easy to handle! Good luck!

JJ
2000 ZR-7


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The helmet was created to protect a brain which is so flawed that it participates in activities that would otherwise destroy it.

 

[obxninja]

There is nothing wrong with starting on a 500. I have been riding a little over a year and have a 87 Ninja 600R. I like the 600 because you won't get bored with it right away. If you have the self control, you can ride it safely. Once your skills progress, there are some challenges still left in the bike for you.

Get something that is well within your budget so you can upgrade it if you want to/fix it if you need to/afford the insurance. My bike has been on its side twice. Once I tipped over while parking (I was at a stop ) and once it fell over while on the stand (That ground didn't look that soft! )

Just my 2 cents worth. Whatever you buy, ride safe and have fun!

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John E. Dawson
http://home.interpath.net/banker/ninjapage.htm