- This topic has 19 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 14 years ago by Jeff in Kentucky.
hola!!
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April 12, 2010 at 5:59 pm #3866estrella87Participant
hey guys
names jonathan
im new to riding… i have a 250 cc bike atm… i live in mexico right now but im goin back to the states at the end of the month… i have about 4 to 5 months riding now here is the thing i cant take my bike with me but i want to continue riding… also i would like to upgrade… any suggestions??
also… 250 to 600cc… to big of a jump??April 12, 2010 at 6:19 pm #25664WeaponZeroParticipant250 to 600 is fine as long as youve got the fundamentals of riding down and are comfortable with all the basic techniques.
April 12, 2010 at 6:44 pm #25669TrialsRiderParticipant…helps to know the actual models being compared also, if you are going from a 250 single to a 600 four cylinder etc. Remember to price your insurance in advance too.
April 12, 2010 at 7:13 pm #25671estrella87Participantwell… ok.
i want a cbr 600, but i was looking at the ninja 650r or the hyosung gt650r .
i ride everyday its my only form of transportation… and im have gotten
comfortable riding… i know i still have a lot to learn thoApril 12, 2010 at 8:13 pm #25675eternal05ParticipantIt is a HUGE step, and the 600cc sportbike will feel crazy different, but it’s a step that you can manage perfectly well if you mastered the 250 and take things slowly on the new bike. Be careful though; everybody wants a supersport for the looks and the straight-line acceleration, but nobody realizes what they’re getting themselves into. It’s not a beginner bike for sure, but for many people, once you get past the initial drool period, it turns out not to be even a desirable bike to ride.
My one word of advice to you is this: supersports are uncomfortable as hell and they’re NOT easy to ride around town. If you’re using this bike to commute, you’re going to get really sick of the riding position and the handling characteristics. These bikes are track bikes and while they kick ass in their natural “habitat,” they’re very awkward as commuters (though plenty of people choose them anyway).
If you’re dead set on the PERFORMANCE of a 600cc sportbike, might I suggest some of the super-fun naked hooligan bikes (the bikes are naked, not the hooligans that ride them)? They have very similar performance, but much more upright riding positions and better road manners. They’re also going to be faster and easier to handle in tighter turns and slow maneuvers, which is most of what you get in the city. They also tend to have a lot more torque, which means that you don’t have to worry as much about what gear you’re in. Some of them are:
Triumph Street (not Speed) Triple (based on the Daytona 675):
The Triumph is supposed to be one of the best fun you can buy.
Ducati Monster 696:
KTM Duke 690:
Aprillia Shiver 750:
April 12, 2010 at 9:27 pm #25681estrella87Participantwow thanks… so many options!!!! its freaking awesom… can someone plz answer me this…
ok.. im in another forum and someone said that a 600 would be to much to try a 500 or 650 series…
im confused.. isnt 650 more then 600??? what is the major difference … sorry if i sound like a noob.. lol
i bought a bike without research and learned how to ride it… but now that i actually fell in love.. i actually want to learn.. again sorry if the question sounds dumbApril 12, 2010 at 10:05 pm #25682Jeff in KentuckyParticipantIt is best to look at horsepower instead of cubic centimeters. A 600cc supersport has a 4 cylinder race type engine with high power, and the power comes on more all at once- something a beginner should probably stay away from.
A 650cc bike is usually one or two cylinders, and it will have maybe half the horsepower of a 600cc supersport, less than half if it has one cylinder like the 650cc Suzuki S40. Kawasaki makes three 650cc bikes with about 70 horsepower, compared to a 600cc supersport that might have 120 horsepower and will be a lot less comfortable on the street- they are made for renting race track time, or posing on the street.
I am considering buying this somewhat slower 600cc 4 cylinder below, but after 14 years of street riding experience:
April 12, 2010 at 10:27 pm #25683WeaponZeroParticipant600cc bikes generally use four cylinder engines that are engineered to make their power more like a race bike. It is a lot more difficult to control and doesn’t work as well at street legal speeds because at lower RPMs they don’t have much thrust. 650s on the other hand are usually twins that sacrifice that top end rush for more power in the low and mid range and are much easier to control as they were designed with street riding in mind, not the track. They do typically have a lot less power than race-ready 600s such as the CBR but it is a lot easier to control and you have much more power on top at the speeds you’ll probably realistically be riding at most of the time.
April 12, 2010 at 11:38 pm #25687TrialsRiderParticipantDual stage fuel injection, twin cam, 4 cylinders, 16 valves, 12.2:1 compression ( possibly requires high test fuel ) close ratio 6 speed transmission and 110+ horsepower in a stronger and lighter chassis, by comparison to many non ‘super sport’ motorcycles having an even larger displacement. Some of this comes from the super sport class bikes sharing technology originally designed for MotoGP racing. More power calls for more brakes and the CBR 600rr has brakes that would put many cars to shame. ( even has optional ABS ) It’s sometimes easier to identify a super sport performer at a glance, by looking at their brakes.
Similar bikes in super sport class include; Ducati 848, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, Suzuki GSX-R600, Triumph Daytona 675, and Yamaha YZF-R6. All truly intended for seasoned riders with very deep pockets.The bikes being recommended are single or twin cylinder machines, often with CV carburetors or milder tuned fuel injection and despite being sometimes larger in displacement, they are not as performance oriented, just as others have already said.
April 13, 2010 at 2:12 am #25695eternal05ParticipantThe reason people always say “DON’T GET A 600cc BIKE FOR YOUR FIRST BIKE” isn’t because 600cc is unbelievably high, but rather because, as far as I know, you can’t get a 600cc bike that isn’t a supersport.
So, to shed a bit more light, let me explain a few quick things. If it’s interesting, read on, otherwise skip it.
Engine displacement is the volume of all of the engine’s cylinders combined, or better yet, it’s the total volume of air/fuel that the engine could theoretically have in it at one time (because cylinders don’t tend to fire all together, this isn’t true). So, more displacement means more fuel which SHOULD mean more power…but it doesn’t. All sorts of other things about the engine, the fueling system, etc. govern its power output, and a super-tuned racing configuration with small displacement can put out a lot more power than a much larger, differently-tuned engine/configuration.
For instance, the new BMW S1000RR superbike puts out 193 HP it has a 1000cc engine (i.e., 1.0 liters). My car puts out 207 HP, but it has a 2.0L engine (2000cc). So for its size, the BMW engine is INSANELY more powerful than my car’s. You’ll often see cruisers with 1500cc, 1700cc, etc. engines, but my GSX-R600, with a 600cc engine, can smoke ’em all in its sleep.
Like Jeff said, horsepower, torque, and weight are really the things to pay attention to. A bike’s speed is largely a function of how powerful it is in proportion to how heavy it is. You can have more power, but if you weigh 100lbs more, you might not be faster. Got it? The CBR600RR puts out somewhere around 110HP +/-5HP at the wheels, whereas the Suzuki SV650, which has 50cc more, only puts out ~75HP. The CBR (without ABS) also weighs less. The SV650 is already a fast freakin bike (0-60mph in about 3.6 seconds, and faster than a Porsche Carrera GT), so you can imagine what a handful the CBR must be. To really drive this point home, the Yamaha Roadstar 1700, a 1700cc bike, has only about 65 HP…even LESS than the SV!
Here’s a sweet spreadsheet that lists all these sorts of specs for a whole boatload of different bikes. It’s for 2008/09, but oh well.
April 13, 2010 at 3:49 am #25701estrella87Participantwow… thank you guys so much.. that really helps… i love how helpful everyone is here…
so after reading all that info im starting to change my mind on the cbr for my next bike.. maybe in
the future but for now my search continues.. if anyone wants to suggest more bike.. ill be very grateful
any other useful tips also welcomed!!!April 13, 2010 at 4:11 am #25703owlieParticipantOkay, my two cents worth…
I think that the basis has been covered on better bikes to step up to than the CBR600, so I’ll skip that. However–
From what you have written, I am guessing that you haven’t taken an basic rider’s course (MSF or BRC class). If you have, sorry for the bad assumption. If you haven’t, take the class before you upgrade your bike. This is a great way to learn more about riding. Even if you have already taken the class, take it again or take another more advanced class to refresh your skills. You won’t regret it.
April 13, 2010 at 4:22 am #25706IBA270ParticipantSomething I don’t think I’ve ever posted before here when discussing 600cc supersports; they really just aren’t that fun to ride on the street, and you have to ring their necks in order to get the performance out of them that they offer…and at a level that’s hyper illegal and usually WELL OVER the capability of 9.3 out of 10 riders.
They have GOBS of HP and caparatively little torque…and that’s not usually available to much higher in the rev band. I really, really enjoy lighter, lower displacement bikes, and especially twins. Torque is LOTS of fun and usually available much lower in the rev range. I say often that one of my favorite bike’s is my wifes Ducati M620. Nice, smooth powerband without tons of HP. Lower than an SV in fact, but with comparable torque, and in my opinion, and sweeter sounding exhaust…AND a factor slipper clutch. Makes for a dang neet package.
You can pick them up cheaply and while they DO require maintenance, it’s not too bad. Good luck finding one without the tank dented on either side from the bar controls…but hey, if it does, you’ll get it cheaper and won’t cry so much should you do the same thing!
April 13, 2010 at 4:27 am #25708estrella87Participanthaha i havent taken the course.. im in mexico and well where im at there isnt really a school i know off…but i will most deff take the course once i get back to the states… again thanks all for the info.. i feel like now i am better informed
April 13, 2010 at 5:19 am #25713eternal05ParticipantIf you’re looking for a relatively cheap, really friggin fun, high-performance but not the way you might think, and super great for riding around town/country, I HIGHLY suggest checking out supermoto. When I first started out, I was super taken by the whole sportbike look, and didn’t really like the look of a “dirt bike.” I still love me my sportbikes, but man, buying a SUMO bike was the greatest decision of my life. Like Allen said, sportbikes just aren’t that much fun to ride on the street; I save my GSX-R for the track. But supermoto bikes? Man…
Supermoto is a form of racing, really, in which you take what was a dirt bike, throw street tires and suspension on it, and then slide it around a tight, super-technical track and absurd speeds (for the track, but not for your safety). As a result of being former dirt bikes, they’re ultra-light and nimble, and they handle really well. Since supermoto started getting really popular, manufacturers like Suzuki, Yamaha, KTM, Aprilia, Husqvarna, and Honda have started producing SUMO bikes ready-to-go. Suzuki’s is the DR-Z400sm (sm = supermoto), which I have, but there are many others to choose from. At least consider it. These bikes are just as fun and WAY easier to ride than the bikes you were considering. The best part is that they’re fun to ride between 20-60mph, which means you can ring their necks without breaking a law. Here’s some badass supermoto riding to entice you (skip to around 1:15):
SuperMoto Junkie has plenty of info for you if you’re interested. I realize this type of bike isn’t for anybody, but most people don’t even know it’s an option.
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