if u've riddin some motorcycles and ur comfortable riding in all situations, get a 1000, because a 600 will be really reved out and screaming all the time (unless u want that). But highway and faster roads, the 600's aren't as fun as the 1000's. If ur riding is mostly in tight turns and slower city riding, a 600 would do great, but u'll want the extra cc's once u hit more open road, or even in the turns if u don't like to keep ur bike rev'd really high all the time. Thats just my opinion, because there were times I wanted even more power than the litre bike had.

 

My 1000RR will hit 103 in first Not that I've tried it of course


~Nick

 

Box5, let's not kill the guy, 145 pounds is nothing for a 600. I weigh 210 and my 600 was plenty fast. Eventually, I would have liked more power, who doesn't, but I ended up sellin the bike.

There's always the aftermarket to make a bike go faster.

 

I do agree with not getting a 1000 of the bat....they can be kinda touchy at times!! I however got one for my first bike, but I'd ridden a bunch of different friends bikes many of times so I knew what I could handle.

In the mountains I think at times the 600 is more fun, you can still rip through the corners pretty good but don't have to worry about keeping the rear planted on the road like you do a 1000. I've had a few instances where you come out of a corner and grab the throttle and the rear will bust loose!! That'll pucker your butt!

If you are looking at early 2000 the R6 and the GSXR 600 are my favorites! The GSXR is by far the most comfortable in that year and just an all around nice bike. I never really stated liking the Honda's till about 2002.


~Nick

 

i vote for a 1k bike. the 600s may be quick at the track but they have to have some one who knows how to keep them in the power band to ride it well. the bigger bikes have a lot more tq and are a much better all around ride. and when you sell it, it is not a starter bike. i have never head any one that bought a 1k or bigger and wished they bought a 600. buy it once and be done with it. and it is nice to have the power to pull off from all the little bikes when the road opens up.

 

you will kill yourself. you cant even ride and youre gonna buy yerself an 185 hp 400 lb motorcycle capable of 140 mph 1/4 in the mid nines.
i wish you luck. enjoy it before you get hurt.
i race and finished 10th in the region ccs south last year in my class and i cannot ride a new 1000 to its potential by any means. i can ALMOST wring the neck out of a 600 but when yer on the bankin at daytona or hometead and they dust ya by 40 mph you realize its not the bike
i wish you luck and hopfully youll stay lucky but in my experience ive lost a few friends and see it all the time on trackdays of people who buy a bike way more capable than they are.
good health insurance should be your priority not what size bike to buy!!
sorry if i offended you but thats my take on it. ive got the dead friends to prove it....

by the way i race a zx-10 and an r6 and pick anyone ya like cuz the major diffs in em is the color....

 

Um, BMW R100 RS?

Sorry, I dont like buzzboxes.

 

if you look the 1/4 mile times are not much different from the 600s to the 1k bikes. i know way more people dead on little bikes than big bikes. i started on a 440, got a 650, then a 900 then all 1k plus and some at 200 rwhp. i did some stupid stuff on the little bikes. i did not respect them, once i had bike that could scare me at will i have never had another wreck because i was acting a A22. but i only have 3 or 400k miles on bikes, so what do i know. when i turned 40 i officaly turned into a old fart, i bought a harley tour glide. now i rarley go over 80.

 

I totally agree with you on the point of not respecting it.......BUT not having ridden a smaller bike to begin with, he won't have the chance to learn to respect it, one small ooops and you're gonna be eating some asphalt. In my opinion a smaller CC bike is a little easier to control when you do something stupid because the torque isn't there to screw you. Many of times people get into a situation where the bike gets wobbly and instead of riding it out....they grab the throttle. Now wouldn't you much rather have the power of a 600 compared to a torgue monster 1000 when you GRAB that throttle? I now have fake teeth because of a similar situation!!

The 1000's are just to tempting to do stupid stuff on....I know cuz I have one and have the urge all the time!! Granted the newer 600's are no slouches, but they still don't have the instant snap of the 1000! I personally don't think a 1000 for a starter bike is wise for someone who has never ridden before.....but if he feels comfortable and can restrain from getting throttle happy than have at it!

 

all i'm saying is if he has experience, a litre bike is a better choice because u can drive it conservativly, or rev it out and have plenty power for whatever you want. For a first bike, NO WAY, I learned dirtbiking, then on a Honda VTR 250, then went to a Honda 600, then went to the R1's. Any roads above 55mph and the 600 will be screaming at you, which can get annoying if u just wanna cruise around. The R1 would cruise in 4th at that speed, and has 2 more gears to go through to 12k redline, lol, but make the smart choice, if u have little experience get a 600, otherwise get a 1000

but even if ur experienced, that front wheel can come up at unexpected times on a litre bike, lol. I left a stoplight in 1st and wasn't even thinking about it and the front was 2 feet off the ground because I wasn't paying attention

 

I was messing with WUnderwood last night and my measly 600 pulled the front up in 1st and I weigh 220lbs. That was not trying, just from power. I want a 1000 but a 600 is enough.

 

600's are fun for twisty's, but theres alot of 55mph roads here so they get old.

 

I would recommend starting on a smaller bike such as a Suzuki SV650 or even smaller such as a Kawasaki EX500. An older 600 in-line such as a Honda F2 or F3 will be OK. If you have never had any motorcycle experience, I would recommend the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Rider Safety Course. Only takes a few hours for a couple of Saturdays and it will teach you enough to get started. Once you have been riding for a little while, get to a track and do a few track days. You will learn more about your and the bikes abilities by doing track days than from years of riding on the road. Take it from someone that can spank 90% or better of the people on the latest greatest liter bike with a 6 year old Kawasaki KLR 650 in the twisties. It's not the bike, it's the rider!

 

1st bike.... '95 Ninja ZX-7
2nd bike... '99 CBR900RR

Smart move taking a class first. You would be amazed at how quickly
things change when you are out on the road. I will agree with the guys
that say start on a used, smaller bike... I think the saying goes...

"it's not a matter of how you drop your bike...it's a matter of when"

Me, it was the first day I brought it home in the back of my truck, let
loose of a tie-down too quickly... word to the wise, that plastic gets expensive.

Good luck and enjoy riding

 

I agree with you-I weigh 245 at 6'5" and my "little" 2005 R6 will loft the front tire in 1st and 2nd, and definitely does not scream anywhere near 55, more like 155, but thats what you get with a 15,500 rpm redline. Sounds like pure music to me! 600cc is more than enough.