You do what you feel you need to do to ensure safety and reduce the possibility of a potential accident.

That being said, I want to point out a different point of view. Pro's and Con's.

The F3 600 is a great bike. As with any bike if you throttle it at the wrong time it can be fatal. Compared to some bikes it seems fast. That being said its not uncontrolable even for a beginer. Time on the seat will give you the ablility to control it better. A lot of people "out grow" 600. I don't think this is the case for you or your wife. This is fine and also great.

If you buy a new bike it is an additional cost. What will you do with the bike when she decides to upgrade? You definetely need tocrawl before you can run but in some peoples opinion you might going back to diapers. Then again, the 250 might just be the bike for your wife. Do what you need to do for you and your wife. I just would hate to see you waste money.

The F3 is a great bike. I can't say it enough. They run well and you hardly see them down for repairs. In many riders experience the F3 is a very forgiving motorcycle and when measured out it sits very well. (I've measured and compared)

Also, your gas milage is great. I believe you had other post asking your milage. It is 40-50 mpg depending how you ride. That is hard to beat.

At the risk of sounding rude, I have a different opinion about new riders on the F3. I have just taught a girl how to ride on a F3 600 and she is nothing exceptional. Is it possible that your opinion of the F3 as a "badass" is slighted by your limited riding and possible excitement because you are riding again. It came out rude but I'm trying to make you understand that buying a new bike may notreplacegetting on the rode and puttingtime on your bike and is costly unless money is not an obstecale for you.

You have twin bikes? I imagine you bought them from another couple? I bet those bikes were babied. I'd hate to see the pair split up.

Either way, I wish you and your wife well and safe riding. I'm sure you'll make the choice that is right for you. Cheers Mate!

 

I got 1996 and it is my first street bike ever , its ideal for learning on cuz of weight, the balence of the bike is great and the best of all is that the frame is solid one peace even if you were to crash like i did recently there will probably be just cosmetic damage the bike can take a beating i see a lot of people making them street fighters and stunten them cuz there so solid and the balance point is good, the brakes are sturdy and effective,handling seems like it drives itself and the power band is controlable IM LOOKING for one for my girl right now so she can ride to

 

Just go with wot you & your wife feel comfortable with, if you & the missus are thinking that she needs to learn the basics on something less, then she is certainly the one that should know her physical & psychological plus & minuses. Feeling comfortable & gaining confidence is wot its all about on the learning curve. I not ashamed to say that I learnt to ride on little **** box jap bikes (mainly because at that time there where no big Japanese bikes). Your wife will tell you soon enough when she wants to move up. Just get out there & enjoy yourselves.

 

I just started riding on a CBR600. I personally think it is a fine bike to start on. It only gets scary if revd. With the gearing the only time you get the serious warp speed is when you go very fast in a very low gear. For someone who isn't looking to explore the limits of a bike straight away it's fine. Maybe I would have more fun riding the s&&& out of a much slower bike but i love this bike. It has a really progressive throttle, is nice and light and virtually impossible to stall.
I think it all depends if the new rider has the discipline to control the urge to let the bike do it's thing. Surely you can absolutely fly on a 250?

 

yeah you can die on a 250 too....

 

I started on a 250, and I believe everyone is right weather saying start small(250), or the f3 is fine. Me being an irresponsible kid, it was good that I started on the little bike and learned on something thats forgiving when I pushed the limits. But just the same I got tired of my ex250 in like 2 months and wanted to upgrade to something faster. I believe the biggest deciding factor is the rider who is learning and if they are responsible or not. If they respect the beast they have a lot less of a chance to get hurt.

 

i don't know about impossible to stall---I've managed to do it numerous times in 1st but mostly after I've been riding all day and am super tired and for the most part can't feel my hands lol......damn clutch control

 

I've just bought my first bike 600f3.It's a graet bike.Don' have problems whit driving it

 

I bought an f3 without ever having sat on a motorcycle, nor did I have any friends that rode. I knew that I would like it but I was told that it's not if you drop your bike, but when. Especially since I'm not a big, strong man (scoff!). I decided to buy a used bike instead of buying new until I got a feel for it but still took a chance with a 600. The advice held true. I have dropped my bike ONCE after a long day, standing completely still on sand soon after I bought it. I have since fallen in love with the bike and know its capabilities completely. I've been through US129 (the dragon) twice now and the f3 handles the curves beautifully. I've been riding for 5 years now and have met many people in the riding community. The only bike I have not been able to outride is a '06 gsx-r 1000. I think a bike's abilities are closely tied to the rider's abilities. This bike was a perfect beginning for me and yet I still haven't outgrown it. I love the shocked expression on guys' faces after leaving them in the dust. I love my f3! I'm sure your wife will too.

 

I guess I'm basically the only one who disagrees, but my F3 isn't stock. It's geared down one in the front and up two in the rear, along with some engine mods that pushes out 98hp at the wheel. I also only weigh 125 so it doesn't have much to pull. Coming from a EX500, I totally would've killed myself if I started on this bike. I'm used to ripping the throttle open on my 500, but I feel like I have to do everything calmly on this bike. Once I hit 7 grand, the thing takes off.