Best 4cyl bike out for the money?

JasonB · July 24, 2003, 11:34:19 PM

I'm going to be upgrading bikes this winter (keeping the GS tho). I want the sound of a inline 4 and maybe a bit quicker bike. I also want something light and easy to throw about in the curves. I dont need a wheelie machine. I also want something with full fairings cause I like that look. Right now I am looking at the CBR 600 F3 or F4 if its in my price range (gonna have to be a used bike I think)

So any suggestions?

yamahonkawazuki · July 24, 2003, 11:59:21 PM

if you have to go used, get a mechanic to check it out before you buy.
even if you trust your shop. and you buy from them. they may have recieved it on a trade in. its former owner may have wheelied the hell out of it. wheelies are HARD on an engine. for some reason, especially the #3 cyl.the dealer may not be aware of any probs. as far as bikes go, gsxr600/750, cbr, kawasaki?,yamaha, all have great bikes that can be had if you know where to look. or you can like i did with my gs, buy a wrecked bike and revive it. hell of alot cheaper if you are willing to do the work yourself, and look for parts used

Black Snowman · July 25, 2003, 12:01:39 AM

Well, I think it mainly depends on what you are going to be using the bike for and what you can find in your price range. Any supersport 600 is going to have nearly, if not more than, twice the horsepower of the GS.

Think about what you use the bike for. If you spend long periods of time on it you might want to consider a more comfortable bike like a Katana rather than a full SuperSport.

Rashad · July 25, 2003, 12:02:51 AM

i was looking around.. and it was either the R6 or Sixxer (gsxr600) for me. I think they are the two best and for the money, id go with the gsxr. Plus the suzuki is just a better built bike, no question.

mrslush50 · July 25, 2003, 12:34:32 AM

the CBR600F4i is a good choice. great looks, great handling, great power, great build quality, and good priceing. my personal favorite however, is the VFR800 interceptor. it has all of the above, but with the added ability to cover long distences in relative comfort. great bike. it's not an inline four, but it is a four cyclider. don't know if you were looking for an inline specifically or just any four cyclider.

rt_fz1 · July 25, 2003, 04:19:50 AM

I agree that the CBRs would be a good choice (reliable and comfortable)and don't forget the FZR600 which is sporty, but not as extreme as the supersports. If you go supersport, I highly recommend the R6 from personal experience.

Rich

bob · July 25, 2003, 04:53:09 AM

Toooo Mannny Chooooices!!!! LOL

There's a huge number of great 4cyl sporty bikes out there - from an old F2 (still a great around towner) to in-flippin-credible race reps like the R6.

You just gotta figure out what you want your bike to do & then narrow the list based on the size of your checkbook & then let your heart make the final call.

Any CBR will be reasonably comfy & capable, the Gixxer & R6 are a little uncomfy after any distance, but can spank a twisty road like nobody's business, the Katana and the ZX6 are great values... the list goes on & on.

What is your heart telling you to get??

The Buddha · July 25, 2003, 06:04:26 AM

Yea buy the F4 or F4i...Lesser competition when I buy my next GS...ha ha...
Cool.
Srinath.

werase643 · July 25, 2003, 07:40:01 AM

scratch · July 25, 2003, 08:06:13 AM

Search bike specific websites! There are so many out there! I'll post a couple links.
My freind has an F4i and it is SWEEEET!! The throttle is SOOOO smooth, because of the feul injection. If you look at the R6 site you will notice that alot of them complain about 2nd gear going out and the factory will not cover it under warranty, so they have to pay another $1500 to fix it. Haven't really heard anything bad about FZR's, YZF600's, Kawasakis or Gixxers.

http://pub105.ezboard.com/bhondacbr600f4

http://www.fzrarchives.com/

werase643 · July 25, 2003, 08:27:46 AM

Quote from: JasonBI'm going to be upgrading bikes this winter (keeping the GS tho). I want the sound of a inline 4 and maybe a bit quicker bike. I also want something light and easy to throw about in the curves. I dont need a wheelie machine. I also want something with full fairings cause I like that look. Right now I am looking at the CBR 600 F3 or F4 if its in my price range (gonna have to be a used bike I think)

So any suggestions?

there is an ass for every seat.....
just because ..... likes a .....
and .....hates the same bike...

what kind of riding....

on the cheap...any honda....they just build good engines
F2/3 are great bikes for aggresive street riding....comfy, able to ride all day
kaw ZX6d/e....tranny problems
fzr600's recess the valve seats at about 20k
97-2000 gsxr600 is a good bike....burn a bit of oil with miles....i miss my 97...

Black Snowman · July 25, 2003, 08:28:12 AM

I've always been fond of Kawasakis. There's a couple used ZRX-1100Rs in town I wouldn't mind having.

JasonB · July 25, 2003, 09:17:33 AM

Yeah I've heard the Honda CBR is a great bike and forgiving for the newer rider.

I want a bike that handles well enough to have fun in the twisties and power to get going on the interstate at 80-90mph.

I like the sound of the inline 4cyl thats why I want one.

I wont be traveling more than about 200 miles at a time and the biggest thing when I did travel on the GS with drag bars was my helmet being too heavy and my neck hurting and my hands going numb from gripping the bars. Just wish there was a way to remove my hand from the throttle to shake it a bit without slowing down.

scratch · July 25, 2003, 09:22:38 AM

My freind with the F4i does complain about the seat, but not the position.

I added another link in my previous post.

Parts are expensive, though. If you get them from Honda.

P.S. Honda owns whaling ships.

Rashad · July 25, 2003, 03:16:00 PM

Adam R · July 25, 2003, 04:17:02 PM

I would go with a CBR. If you want an everyday bike, thats my suggestion for you (and it comes via the advice of an experienced mechanic.

Remember that condition is the most important factor and so if you find a spotless and well-carefored F3, it might be better than a F4i at the same price.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Also, go to dealer with a large used bike selection and sit on a bunch of 600ss. You'll quickly see that the CBR is very different from the Yamis and Suzukis.

I would be careful about the FZR, seems the built quality is low as compared to the rest of the Jap bikes.

Happy hunting!

DrtRydr23 · July 25, 2003, 06:06:17 PM

If you want to go bigger than a 6 and keep the naked look (we all know you don't REALLY want a full fairing bike), check out the Honda 919 or the Yamaha FZ1. I love those two bikes, and may look into getting one in the future.

John L.

Rashad · July 25, 2003, 06:46:53 PM

Quote from: DrtRydr23If you want to go bigger than a 6 and keep the naked look (we all know you don't REALLY want a full fairing bike), check out the Honda 919 or the Yamaha FZ1. I love those two bikes, and may look into getting one in the future.

John L.

AND you get the big bike power with the smaller (less sporty) insurance rates

DrtRydr23 · July 25, 2003, 08:10:33 PM

Tru dat Rashad........tru...dat.

John L.

PS- The FZ1's got the R1 engine on the naked chassis. That's pretty cool.

glenn9171 · July 25, 2003, 08:14:49 PM

For the money, I like the Yamaha YZF600R. More comfortable and has 90% of the power of the SS bikes for a couple thousand dollars less.

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Best 4cyl bike out for the money?