- This topic has 5 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 11 months ago by Jclough.
Checking in and looking for advice.
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May 11, 2010 at 8:53 am #3946JcloughParticipant
First off I just want to say that this site has been amazing for a soon to be bike owner. So much information here in one place. Great resource.
I will apologize in advance for asking a question that has been asked a million times over.
In preparing to buy a bike I have done a ton of reading on different sites around the internet and visited a number of local shops to get information. The problem is that the information I read here and other sites conflicts with all the information that I get at the dealerships I have been to.
I keep reading that 600+cc is too much for someone who has never been on a bike before but every time I look at bikes at the shops they tell me that I shouldn’t even consider buying anything smaller than a 600cc. I don’t know how much of this is the “upsell” and how much of it is actual truth.
The bikes I have been looking at are the following:
2009 Yamaha YZF-R6 (approx 9,000CDN) (love the look of this bike)
2009 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R (approx 10,000CDN)
2010 Suzuki SV650SA ABS (8200 All in)
2009 Suzuki GSX-R600 (Around 9,000CDN I think)Then of course there is the Ninja 250R for around 5,000CDN
I have sat on all these bikes and they seem similar in height and overall feel.
Iam about 230LBS (not sure if that is something to consider)
Iam hoping to get the final word on what my best bet is.
Also, if the consensus ends up being for the bigger bikes, I welcome any opinions on the selections I have made.
Thanks in advance for any guidance.
Jason
May 11, 2010 at 1:30 pm #26343megaspazParticipantout of that list, SV650S. It’s a better “beginner’s” bike than the I4 600cc ones. The abs is a big plus too, imo. Either go with the SV or a Ninja 650R if you don’t want to do a ninja 250. Personally, I wouldn’t go with a new ninja 250, as it’s way overpriced now for what you get, imo.
May 11, 2010 at 2:10 pm #26345JackTradeParticipantIn terms of information and what’s correct, you have to keep in mind the incentives.
Dealerships are in the business to make a profit. And there’s much less profit on a small displacement, novice-friendly motorcycle than on a supersport like a Gixxer. So guess how that might color their recommendations on what you should buy from them?
The bottom line: there is no truth if they tell you to get a 600cc supersport. Those are not in any way, shape or form bikes for beginners. And any salesman who tells you otherwise should be ashamed of himself…either he doesn’t know much about motorcycles, or he’s planning on this being his big sale from you, betting you’re not going to survive long enough to be back for another bike.
It’s not about engine size per se but architecture. For a first bike, look for twins, and stay away from 4 cylinders. Hence Megaspaz’s recommendation.
May 11, 2010 at 3:43 pm #26349IBA270Participantthat they aren’t necesarily skilled nor even licensed riders. You like the look of bike “a” and that’s what they’ll sell you. You like bike “b” and that’s the one for you in their eyes. Not all the time, but much of the time. Selling a supersport to a new or even an average novice rider is irresponsible IMO.
Having said ALL of that…the 650 is a lot of bike, but should be fine for you for a long time. As I say here often on similar posts: I’ve owned plenty of bikes including sport bikes, sport tourers..you name it. The most fun bike in my garage to ride every day is my wife’s M620 Ducati. I’m a big boy too at 6’4, 240…and 43 year old basketball knees. Bikes in that class have the right weight, HP and Torque to be a lot of fun without being too peaky. They are much easier to enjoy on the street. My R6 track bike has an engine builder red-line of ~16K. Power curve is between ~11K-up. It would be a PIA to ride on the street.
HTH…
May 11, 2010 at 4:07 pm #26354CBBaronParticipantAs a big new rider (6’2″ 220lb) I can tell you that a Ninja 250r is plenty of power to start with and light enough to be easy to handle. The little Ninja will out accelerate most cars and easily exceed any freeway speed limit. But the bike is very forgiving of mistakes.
600cc supersports like the ZX-6 and GSX-R600 are in a completely different league. They have peak power over 100hp, brakes that can stand the bike on it nose with 1 finger and an aggressive riding position that is designed for aerodynamics and high performance, not normal road riding. I agree with others here that say any dealer suggesting these bikes to a beginner should be ashamed with themselves.
There are some 600 and 650cc bikes that are OK beginner bikes but I don’t think any you listed are a good suggestion. Even the SV650S has a quite an aggressive riding position. The non-S SV650 or newer Gladius is more newbie friendly as is the Ninja 650r and the FZ6R.
Your best bet is to find a good used beginner bike like the Ninja 250r, Ninja 500r, GS500F, TU250x, Rebel, Nighthawk, etc. These can be found quite cheaply giving you a chance to learn on a very forgiving bike for little cost. If/when you decide to upgrade you can usually sell these used bikes for about what you paid. The new model Ninja 250r seems to be demanding a premium on the used market currently. This means it has a better resale than most new bikes, however you will still lose about 30% the first year after you account for dealer fees and other expenses associated with a new bike.
Given how inexpensive the Ninja 250r is and how capable the bike is I would say it is one of the best values. I am curious why Megaspaz feels it is overpriced. The only new bikes cheaper are air-cooled 250s and smaller that are not really capable of cruising at highway speeds.
Craig
May 12, 2010 at 4:22 am #26378JcloughParticipantThanks a bunch for all the information. This takes a lot of the guess work out of it.
I think I have narrowed it down to the SV650 and (new addition) the Yamaha FZ6R.
I have a couple weeks to decide as I want to get my course done before I move ahead with a purchase.
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