Today I took the bike around the block a couple of time and I tell you this bike is bad ***. More WOW than my 88 ZX750. This is not a beginners bike, to much twist of the throttle at the wrong time and place, you are in a whole heep of trouble.

As I mention before my wife is a first time rider and we came across a good deal on same bikes which is why I got them both. I can not let her ride this bike as a beginner rider. We decided to keep this and buy her a EX250, let her ride that for a year then she can jump on the 600.

I agree, this 600 is NOT a beginners bike.

 

well said
you are doing the right thing. As I have said you must first crawl before you can walk. By buying you wife the 250 you have just decreased her chances of her having an accident. The more she rides that better she will get. Think smart and ride safe.

 

Sure its a beginners bike. I started on a 99 YZF600R with no problems which is very similiar to the F3, rode it for a season, sold it and stopped riding for 2 years, then bought my F3 and have had no problems since.

All it takes is control of the wrist and common sense. Its not like you can jam the throttle in 2nd gear and have it loop, its nowhere near that powerful.

 

I agree. This is my first bike and I think it's perfect! Yes it is fast but not powerful enough to loop it which to me seems perfect. Like RichB said, just a little bit of control and common sense and this bike is perfect for the beginner. But on the other hand I do understand erring on the safe side for the wife. Safe riding!

 

Is this a joke? My wife started on an f2 and did fine. Just take it slow. Find a place where there is no traffic and let her practice takeoffs to get the clutch /throttle balace going on. Then work on turning around in culdesacs, then work on shifting through a couple gears and taking baby turns. In time, she'll be leaving you reading her license plate. If you stay that close. LOL


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Honestly, the stock f2/f3 is decently fast. Like everyone said it is a great beginner bike. If she's tall enough to easily balance the bike/ground herself, I would let her try the f3. Some people are born greatness, and some people have greatness thrust upon them. =P Thrust the f3 upon her. She'll love it.

Although I do understand your fear for her not being able to control it, but then again, if she has a good teacher (you), she should be more than fine.

-Jasper

 

i started on the f3, and i think it has been a great bike to learn on. I think if i had gotten a 250 i would have gotten bored with it to quick

 

I don't think an F3 couldn't work as a starter bike, but at the same time it's far from ideal, and I wouldn't recommend someone to start riding with one. The biggest problem I have with the bike is the brakes, they're too good. First time a new rider panics, there's a good chance he/she will gonna grab too much front brake and either loop the bike, or lock the front. Plus under heavy braking, the rear can also be locked up fairly easy give the amount of weight transfer to the front.

The engine is relatively tame down low, and given the gearing, it is only gonna build power if you're trying to go fast. Although, first gear has the potential to get away from a new rider since the gearing isn't terribly tall. One big positive thing, the steering isn't terribly sensitive due to it's fairly heavy steering so you gotta be more deliberate with it, which means a new rider most likely won't ever give TOO much steering input and cut a corner.

There's a few things a person could do to make the F3 just as good as any other beginner bike, run just a single brake rotor/caliper for the front, bleed some air in the rear brake line so it's harder to lock up on a hard stop, and add a rev limiter and set it to say 6-7k rpm. With those mods, the bike should perform just as good as any other starting bike, and still have a little extra to mess around with until the person gets competent enough to set the bike back to stock. Only downside is the rider would have to re-learn some things after returning to stock, but that's to be expected when switching from any beginner bike to a sportbike.

 

my f3 is my first bike...it's forgivign bike so I would recommend it for a great starter bike

 

I'd never even sat on a bike untill i bought my f3 and it was at my house, its big enough to bite, but i couldnt imagine learning in the context of not respecting the throttle.