New Rider

[Daniely]

Well you read it right. I am 18 and live in Southern california. At the moment i am in the pivetal decision of which bike to purchase. Now dont get me wrong, I have been scouring the net looking for info on the bikes, mainly suzuki. I have riden dirt off and on my entire life as well as tooled around on a couple street/sport bikes. At the moment I am purchasing a GSX-R 750 from a dealership near me (NOT TO RIDE!) that i will be reselling for a BIG profit to fund the new bike. Now i have been reading the sites, checking up safety gear, reading the horror stories and the stories of enjoyment. But here is where my main concern/problem is. Im a big guy, not talking freakishly obese but, well im 6'2" and i weight in at about 220lbs. My buddy that some of you on this site may know of, Mk1inCali, will preach nothing but GS500 to me, which is cool cause i love his bike and the work he has done on it. But my main concern is power.
Now i know the seasoned/experienced riders out there will tell any newbie to start small and work your way up as you become more experienced/comfortable with your riding abilities. And im SURE the GS500 can get me from point a to point b no problem. I just dont want it to be pissed at me afterward. So now my question, What should i get? A GS500 or a GSX-R 600. I know most GS riders are going to be byassed so please be objective. And if you have been in my situation any input would be greatly appreciated. So i guess tahts it. I understand the 600 has enough power to throw me on my ass, but believe me i dont plan on giving it the opportunity too. Anyways, any input would be great as i have reached a dead stop as both have VERY positive feedback. Thanks ahead of time!

-Dan

[octane]

You never PLAN on giving a bike the opportunity to throw you on your ass. But inexperience will give it the opportunity from time to time. The GS is a great little bike. Plenty of power to have lots of fun and more than enough to get you a few speeding tickets. WIth a little suspension modding, you can hang with bigger faster bikes in the twisties, providing there aren't too many long straights for them to get away from you. Most experienced riders will tell you - from experience - that the best way to quickly improve your riding skills is to learn to ride a slow bike fast. Any jackass can wring a 100hp bike to hyperspeed.

That said, a 600 is a better starter bike than the 750, but is still a lot of power to have on tap when you're learning to use the bike still. If you're worried about outgrowing the GS too quickly, you might want to look at one of the tamer 600's - particularly one that's a few years old and can be had pretty cheap. As far as your concerns about weight, I weigh 220 with my gear on and the bike makes plenty of power to haul my fat ass around. I've been riding mine for almost 9 years now. I've modified the snot out of it, but am still riding the same bike I started on. Another thing to consider, especially at your age, is insurance and maintenance. The GS costs peanuts to insure and maintain. Step up to a 600 and insurance premiums rise fast, especially on a sportbike. Anyhow, that's my 2 cents, for what it's worth.

[Daniely]

Appreciate the info so far. As for the insurance. My step dad will be insuring the bike so i can ride it, i will just pay him. And i also dont plan on buying a brand spankin new bike, something early to mid ninety's that i wont get pissed about laying down, because i know its inevitable. Again, thanks for the info, keep it commin. oh yea, as for tamer 600's, any suggestions aside from the GSXR?

[Stephen072774]

How about the SV650?  I'd go with either the GS or the SV, and stay away from the I-4 engine configuration.  Its the nature of the engine and is way 'peaky' or non-linear when compared to the twins.

[Daniely]

Whats the power comparison like between the SV650 and say a GSXR 600 or a CBR 600?

[photog]

Daniely - good questions and it's cool that you're asking. I've got 22+ years of riding experience (my bike is my only vehicle) and a lot of things have changed (I remember when a 600 would never be considered a "starter" bike) but there have been a few constants. First, get good gear because smacking the road always hurts and even if you're a good rider, you can never trust a cage to be as vigilant. Second, take an MSF course and then keep taking courses and maybe get a track day in...never stop learning. Third, you're going to drop the bike so buy something that you aren't afraid to kick over in the driveway the day you buy it. There's a fourth but I'll stop for now.

Based on #3, I'd suggest a naked bike like an SV or the GS500. The market is pretty good considering that they are popular with newbies, racers, and so on, so you'll be able to sell it fairly easily. Also, the point about a twin versus an I-4 is valid. Twins (unless you're talking about high-strung performance bikes) tend to be easy to ride and forgiving, great for learning on, instead of trying to keep a bike in the powerband while not turning yourself into Wiley Coyote being slingshotted out of an apex.  The GS and the SV will give you plenty of scoot for the money, with the SV being a more modern and powerful bike that is probably going to be one of the cult bikes of this decade. Both will fare fairly well in a tip-over or low-speed laydown, versus having to replace a lot of plastic on a fully-faired bike. Besides, you may decide that you want a totally different type of bike after you've been through your initial learning phase--some riders will go through 6 or 7 or more bikes over the course of a decade before they settle on "the" bike or bike type. Get started on something inexpensive to learn on, and save your bucks for a logical next step that works for you.

BTW - when you look at power, also look at torque and the overall power delivery. Big difference between something that's akin to an on/off switch versus a linear throttle.

Oh, #4 is peer pressure is a beeyotch and so is anyone that tries to give you crap about riding within your abilities.

Good luck!

[Daniely]

Thanks for the info again. The gear isnt a problem, ive already got a Teknic Leather Jacket on the way as of my 19th birthday on the 3rd next month. Saving now for a new Shoei Helm, and gloves. As for the MSF course, i actually signed up for the CHP 15 hour motorcycle safety course as it required by law in california to get my lincense under 21 gotta love cali. And also the main reason for getting an older bike like the mentioned above early to mid nineties, is that way i wont care if it goes over if it hasnt already in its past. And i can safetly say as for the cagers, hell today on the way to work i got sideswiped by a BMW that literally got 3 inches from the bumper on my LIFTED silverado, she looked right through me and steered into me, if i hadnt honked she would have been mince meat for the 33" tires. But yea, i think im gonna go wtih either a GS500 or an SV650 now, as im starting to warm up to the bare bones look, though im a fan of the fairing. Is the SV650 classified as sport? Thanks again for any info ahead of time!

-Dan


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"First, get good gear because smacking the road always hurts and even if you're a good rider, you can never trust a cage to be as vigilant. Second, take an MSF course and then keep taking courses and maybe get a track day in...never stop learning. Third, you're going to drop the bike so buy something that you aren't afraid to kick over in the driveway the day you buy it. There's a fourth but I'll stop for now. "

[96gs]

Well I noticed some of you were talking about the 'laid back' I4's. Well how about a Katana 600, and you said a early to mid 90's bike. So have you thought about the old CBRF 2/3?? And btw....welcome to the forum!!

[Daniely]

No i hadn't considered the CBRf il take a look at that. and THANKS! ive posted before but under a different name, this will be my main now.

-dan

[Daniely]

2 more questions, is this a good helmet?

http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=83-3300

and 2 is the SV650 classified as a sport bike?

[indestructibleman]

the FZR600 is a great milder sportbike.  Yamaha made tons and tons of them so you can find em' cheap.  and parts are plentiful.

[Daniely]

Ooo i like that bike indestructable.

[indestructibleman]

i don't believe the SV650 would be classed as a sportbike.

that helmet looks good.  it's DOT and Snell approved, which is what's really important.

the other really important thing is fit.  you should really try on a helmet before you buy one.  Cali has plenty of shops where you can try stuff on.

cheers,
will

p.s.  when i was looking at an FZR600, it cost approximately twice as much to insure as the GS500.

[Daniely]

Thanks! I planned on test fitting helms tomorrow or possibly friday, and then ordering offline.

As for insurance, the quote i originally got was for a GSXR 750 for liability and it was like $545 a year. So i am fine with paying around that for a 600. Ill check with my sisters BF, he works for the yamahaa dealership and see if they have any used ones in stock. THANKS AGAIN!

-dan

[Rema1000]

You mentioned that you like plastic, but with only liability insurance, you won't be able to replace much plastic, even if it just cracks falling over in the driveway.

The SV650 may not be classified as a sportbike; the SV650S (which has some plastic) may be; it depends on the insurance company.  Speaking of insurance, when you say that your father-in-law will insure it, I hope that you mean he'll carry it with his agent, but with you as the listed rider; if he insures it in his name (with himself as the registered rider), and you crash, the insurance company may refuse to pay-out.

[Daniely]

I am on the same policy as my dad, im insured under all of our vehicles regardless of whos driving . Same goes for a bike under our policy, the bike just has to be insured with litsed riders. As for the fairing, i understand the consequences of riding with Liability. A cracked fairing isnt much to me considering the year ill be looking at. And i can always find an abundance of parts or people willing to trade. Thanks again for the info!

-Dan

[frankieG]

i have owned my share of bikes over the last 30+ years and have left some of them doa :lol:   I had a tlr 1000 and took out this years GSXR 600 and 750 both are EXTEMeLY light and fast and take a very experienced and constrained rider.  The SV 650 is a great bike, you can't beat the twin torque but in the wrong hands it is also trouble...we had a local who had, i say had, one and loved to do wheelies.  problem was he was new and had more balls than brains...long story short if you cant figure out your balance point your are going for a ride sans motorcycle.

as for helmet most a good, i just got a HJC Crevrer FG-12 which is a great lid.  you don't have to spend 500 bones or you can buy used.

anyhoo my advise it to remember your skill level and realistically select a bike based on that.  your only 18 and there will be many bikes to come.

[indestructibleman]

i would not buy a helmet used.
a three foot drop could functionally damage a helmet.  there's no way to be sure of a helmet's condition short of x-ray.

[Daniely]

Was that helmet i posted used? Wow i wont be buying that, i wasnt aware that it was used. That was never my intention. And again, thanks for the info, keep it commin!

-dan

[Arpee]

The GS is a great first bike, but if you already have riding experience, it may become boring rather quick.  The SV is a great bike, but still could be a bit much for a beginner, but a great second bike for sure.  I've owned both, and the SV is more motorcycle to be sure.  The I4's may feel a little wimpy (Katana6 and FZR6) down low vs. a twin.  You may need to ask yourself "how and where do I plan on riding?"  If you do a lot of 'round town riding, you'll appreciate the twin a bit more because you won't have to wring it out to get some power.  If you ride the twisties a lot, you may not mind the revving nature of the I4 (7or 8K RPM to get any power) quite as much.