- This topic has 6 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 10 months ago by Minksy.
Hi all. Am buying a 600 — please talk me out of it?
-
AuthorPosts
-
June 24, 2010 at 4:52 pm #4061MinksyParticipant
Hi everyone. I’m glad I found this page. I’m in Chicago and I just recently got my motorcycle endorsement and I’m very excited. I’ve been reading up on buying a motorcycle and trying to decide on what cc — and I have my mind set on a 600 (and yes, my thinking is that it is a bike I could “grow into.”) In doing alot of research and reading the posts here and especially the “open letter to newbies,” which is posted somewhere on this site, I wanted to step back from my decision for a bit, consider the implications, and get some honest advice — in my case, I’m wondering if I have extenuating circumstances.
Ok, so here’s the issue: I’ve been riding motorcycles for the past ten years, almost daily, in all kinds of situations on different kinds of bikes. The tricky thing is, I’ve done most of my riding in Asian countries. (I’ve been living in different countries in Asia for the past ten years and just moved back stateside.) I’ve never been licensed to ride a motorbike and taught myself how to ride. It’s cool because I’ve had the chance to ride all kinds of bikes in the past ten years: everything from a Honda Chaly (a real chick magnet) to 125 Honda step-through’s and scooters to classic and vintage BMWs, Lambrettas, and Vespas from the 1940s-1970s. I spent six months on a Honda Rebel in Bangkok before selling it and renting a Ninja 750 for several more months, and took a Kawasaki KLR 250 on a four-week trip across Cambodia (across highway, mud, paddy, and dirt), a Belarussian Minsk 125 two-stroke from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, and spent four months in Japan commuting / touring on a Honda Hornet 600 (I think it’s a domestic Japanese model — I’m not sure if there’s an import equivalent.) Much of this riding was in stereotypical, crazy-ass traffic you think of when you imagine driving in Asia. (I pulled some examples off Youtube to show what it’s like. Yes, chickens, dogs, ducks and children really do cross the road for no reason, and the biggest rule of the road is: There are no rules.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr5Gssaxl6g&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebkogYErN3Y&NR=1However, alot of the riding was also at fairly high speeds on modern highways, like in Korea and Japan, with many of same issues one would find here: wind gusts coming off passing cars, old ladies cutting in front of you, exploded tires on the road.
My main question is: should I still not get a large displacement sportbike because riding in Asia is so different from riding in the states? I would argue that learning to ride in Bangkok traffic on a Ninja 750 will sharpen your confidence, straight-line riding, braking, and turning skills more than learning to ride in, say, Skokie, Illinois.
Am I being naive?
My worries:
~ Since I basically taught myself how to ride, I know I’ve probably picked up some bad habits that I could probably relearn. But if I have basic skills and alot of miles down, both city and highway, could I correct bad habits by taking a MSF course? Since I’ve been doing research here, I’m learning about skills that I kinda-sorta picked up or figured out on my own, like counter-steering or throttle control, for instance.
~ My biggest concern is the difference between highway riding in Asia and highway riding in Asia. I’m used to sustained highway speeds of 80-90 mph on the Hornet, for several hours on a busy Japanese freeway, but there are some differences: there aren’t as many tractor trailers, and, well, drivers in Japan are just “nicer” there. (Road rage is almost unknown.) But on the other hand, there are all other kinds of obstacles, vehicles, and situations on other highways that I’ve had to get used to — trikes, jalopeys, meandering tuk-tuks driven by drunks, show-offs in Ferraris and Mercedes 500-class sedans driven by newly-minted billionaires who just learned to drive last week, at the age 42, local squids whose idea of fun is to try to freak out “the foreigner on the fancy bike” by cutting in and out and generally being nuisances. So the scan-identify-decide-execute way of riding is almost second nature. Would I really be served with a 250 or even 500 here in the states? I guess what I’m really asking is, and I’m releasing any part of my ego here in order to save my neck: given this experience, am I ready for, say, an M 696 or a CBR600, or even (gasp) something like a 900RR?
My friend who is a veteran rider here says the best thing I should do is to rent a sportbike (no one seems to want to lend me theirs) and take it out for a while. Any other advice, especially by anyone who has had experience driving in Asia, would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
June 24, 2010 at 6:15 pm #27166JackTradeParticipant…take the MSF course to see if you’ve picked up any really bad habits, and if you come through reasonably well w/o any glaring problems that really concern you, then no reason NOT to get a supersport.
It’s a sorta rule of thumb for total newbies, but I think you have, as you say, “extenuating circumstances”.
In terms of accident avoidance skills, you probably already have a lifetime’s worth of experience under your belt (I’ve never driven in Asia, but I’ve traveled there some, and the driving scares the hell out of me, esp. SE Asia).
June 24, 2010 at 9:19 pm #27181Jeff in KentuckyParticipantYou have an enormous amount of experience on the street. I would take the MSF Experienced Rider class- it is one day long, you bring your own bike, and it will lower your insurance costs (I took this myself in 2002).
Make sure you check the insurance costs before buying the bike- something like a Suzuki SV650 or Kawasaki ER-6n with 70 horsepower would have lower insurance costs and better gas mileage, compared with a 100 + horsepower 600cc supersport.
I am looking at getting one of these, with carbs, more comfort and a lower cost compared to the newer 600s:
http://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-reviews/kawasaki/2008-kawasaki-zzr600-ar46417.html
June 25, 2010 at 2:01 pm #27192WeaponZeroParticipantBased on your history and skill level I see no reason why you shouldn’t be able to get a 600 supersport. Just remember that they suck in urban environments. Be real with yourself about the environment you live in and what type of riding it will permit and be sure to factor that in when buying a bike. Beyond that you can’t really go wrong.
June 25, 2010 at 2:32 pm #27193MinksyParticipantWeaponZero, you actually raise a good point about riding environment that I hadn’t thought of before. In my previous riding experience, I didn’t have a choice about where and how I could ride, but since I’m back here (in Chicago and environs) there is alot more variety. I guess that is another factor I’ll have to consider. Obviously I’d like to cruise around Chicago and do longer weekend rides, so maybe a supersport isn’t the best choice. (And I don’t think my SO wants to ride pillion with her ass sticking up the way it would on a CBR or RR.)
I do feel better about being able to handle a more powerful bike partly because it opens up so many more choices. I’m limited on budget so I don’t think an M696 would be the best move right now. (Is that you on a Monster?) I spent some time reading about the ER-6n and I like those streetfighters as they remind me of the Hornet I rode in Japan.
June 25, 2010 at 2:45 pm #27194WeaponZeroParticipantno my bike is an SV650. the poor man’s monster
June 30, 2010 at 2:55 am #27256MinksyParticipantI did it – I bought a bike. I ended up *not* getting a 600 cc. I got a used Ducati Monster 750 Dark. I didn’t think I would be able to afford one but found a local sale on Craigslist, checked it out, had a buddy check it out, and rode it home today. The seller was motivated to sell it and I think I got a real steal — it only has 5,010 miles on it, and it’s a 2002. (The guy has two R1’s and this was his “toy” bike.) The bike is amazing — power and torque seemingly at will, as compared to my past rides, handles like a 250, and a resonant, throaty growl comes out of its carbon fiber cans that sounds as if it started somewhere past the bowels of the bike and from deep inside the Earth.
And, no one told me that the thing turns heads. I’ll try to put up some photos. But it’s a real pleasure to ride. Haven’t taken it out on the highway yet but that’s coming soon.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.