Would a katana 600 make a decent first bike?

[se7enty7]

I've searched and searched for a gs500 or ninja 500 and there just aren't many (any?) around here (about 20 miles northwest of atlanta)  

A co-worker has a 99 katana 600 with 4200 miles.  All adult driven; garage kept; just had it tuned up and a valve adjustment.  He wants $2800 and I could probably offer $2400 or $2300 and he'd take it.


Now.. is this too big for a first bike? I'm about 5'10; 180-190lbs and have been riding dirt bikes much of my life.. just never street bikes..  MSF course is scheduled in late october.

[Dragonfly]

As long as you have a good head on your shoulders and can handel the extra power I say it will be an awsome bike!!

[sblandin68]

Do you check the "FOR SALE" forum on this site. I've seen some bikes that were in the Carolinas and Georgia.

[octane]

Katanas don't make sick power like GSXR's. Just about any 600 will get you in trouble if you're looking for it, but I think the katana is fine for a responsible beginner.

[bikenut]

If you feel comfortable sitting on the bike, then go for it.  600 Katana is not too much bike.  Just drive sanely.

[Gofer]

You might want to check the insurance cost on the Kat first--it's faired, and faired=$$$$$$

You might want to check back through the old posts in the For Sale section 'cos i've seen a few bikes in the Atlanta area.. and there's that one of Tshirtracer's a little bit east of Ashville NC(that shouldn't be too bad of a drive for you).

Hope this helps.

[johncam4]

As long as you have a good head on your shoulders and can handel the extra power I say it will be an awsome bike!!

they are pretty heavy, slow, ugly, and handle bad.  But they seem reliable and girls dont know the difference between that and other real sport bikes.....so if you can get a good deal on it, it will make a good first bike.

[Blueknyt]

600 Katana is not too much bike

a 125cc bike can be too much for a beginer.  thats the problem though isnt it? its less likly to get outa control like Most of us who are not new to riding belive, but NEW is NEW.  roller skates can be just shy of lethal to someone never have been on them.  

a new rider is better off dealing with a mid power 4stroke twin, like the gs500 for a first bike.

they are pretty heavy, slow, ugly, and handle bad. But they seem reliable and girls dont know the difference between that and other real sport bikes

ok first off, ive owned both, gs500e, and 88 kat 600, and just for the mix, an 82 gs750E with the 83 tscc Katana 750 engine in it.  the first was the 750,nice power to it, run up to 140 mph without working too hard then fuel supply wouldnt keep up. handling was ok at best but wouldnt hang well in corners, it was heavy too.  

sold that and bought the 88kat 600 2 days latter as i wanted somthing alittle newer and more sporty, to start learning to corrner on. Though stock, it didnt have any issues running the front tire to moon angles on demand. topped out at about 130 and i think it would have done more if it had the gearing (was not stock gearing) plenty of pickup, felt comfortable on long trips, reliable, was nowear NEAR as heavy as the 750 and cornered like on velcro compared to the 750. the 88 had 3" front rim and 3" rear rim and they were ugly suckers, front forks had NO dampening and no spring (not unlike stock GS500e frontend)  this was corrected with heavyer oil and better springs. good breaks.  over all reliable only really trouble i had is soft second gear, but then it was a used bike with over 40K on the engine.

sold that as my son was on the way. bought my xj650 for 50$ 2 years later, then 3 years after that, bought my gs500  with GOBS of extra's for 400$

ive found the GS500 more nimble do to less weight over all. the frame is narrower then the kat6 as its only a twin.  if you look at both rolling chassis, other then the cradle being wider, its basicly the same chassis. wheels are the same, swingarm is the same, even the shocks and steering bearings/stem is the same. the forks on the 600 are 41 mm and 37 on the 500, the 500 has 1 rotor up front as the 600 has 2.
the 600 will out run 500 stock for stock all day long. ugly, well thats personal choice of flavoring. slow, compared to the 500? Not, heavy, yeah it is heavyer 458lbs for the 600, 396.8 lbs for the 500F.  but then, another 61lbs would about equal 2 more cylenders worth of weight on the GS500.
being abit heavyer one would notice the flaws of handling more.  yet putting the kat6 front end on the GS is an upgrade of better handling for the 500. put springs and better oil in them and you have the same response as you would with the 500.

so in the end, the kat 600 is the bigger brother to the gs500, not a worse bike, mildly better in some area's.

girls dont know the difference between that and other real sport bikes

the Kat 6 IS a sport bike, it was the day it came out. it maynot be inleague with todays hyper600's . but we're also talking differnt techknology of todays bikes, were the kat6 and GS500f are still yesterday's stuff.    the Kat750 was a detuned GSXR, the 600 is detuned and smaller bore, but still same design before going to watercooling.

[TheGoodGuy]

i knew i recognised that ID from somewhere.

Your from ATOT..

Woot!

I believe Casmir is also on here.

[se7enty7]

yep atot rocks.


How about an sv650 as a first bike?

[TheGoodGuy]

yep atot rocks.


How about an sv650 as a first bike?

older SV's maybe, not newer ones.. even so tehy are wheelie machines.