City riding with a 600rr
 

Hello,

I currently live in New Hampshire along the seacoast, so there aren't exactly a lot of open windy roads or tracks around here. For the most part, it is average city and town riding usually cruising around 35 - 45 mph and in some parts, frequent stop lights. I commute daily to work for 30 miles.

I have owned a ninja 250 as a starter bike for about a year, and can confidently say I am looking to upgrade to the 600cc class. I've been immediately drawn to Honda's great reputation, lighter bike, and overall features / aesthetics.

My biggest question is, are there any other riders who ride often in similar conditions? Would there be many drawbacks to getting the 600rr if unable to really open it up, or is it's racing feature more of an "option" rather than something that has to be used to make the bike comfortable. I have looked at the SV650 / Kawi 650r, and they simply are not as appealing to me at the given moment.

Thank you in advance for any input!

lol i saw this on the 600rr forums lol

there are no drawbacks, but it's not really a comfortable bike.. i feel like buying one for primarily city riding is a waste of money. I would look for something less rigid, and harsh.

wont be all that comfortable in a city setting!

You won't have a problem at all, the 600rr is a great bike to ride in any setting. Don't let anybody talk you out of buying one by telling you they are not comfortable. I've owned everything from GSXR,s to katanas and even sv's and I would even drive my wifes ninja 250 to work because of the fuel economy I would get with it and I can tell you that the only bike that gets close to the 600rr is the yamaha r6 in the weight class. Go for the double R you will love it, but don't sell your ninja 250 I garrantee you will still use it for its economy(70mpg) compared to 45mpg on the 600rr, even my 900rr gets 50mpg. Johnnyh

The 600rr is the least comfortable bike I've been on. Don't get me wrong; I love riding it, but comfort is not its bag, baby

The seat is like a brick and the ergos are for a smaller framed person...but it is overall a great bike and you will not be disappointed.

haha i'm 6'2" 210lbs and I can definitely vouch for that :icon_violin:

I'm 5'8 145 and I have no idea what you're talking about... haha

I have a Ninja 250 and an '09 600. If you are only going 35-45 with frequent stops commuting I would recommend just staying on the Ninja. If you do actually get out on the highway and need to go over 60 in traffic I would consider the 600, or something else bigger. The Ninja is an awesome little bike for puttering around town but I found that it didn't have enough juice at the high end to compete with the traffic on my commute. The 600 has more than enough and for me ( 6ft 220) however I do find it frustrating when driving in traffic. The throttle is VERY touchy compared to the Ninja but you can get used to it pretty quickly, just be ready for some jerky starts the first few days. It also gets host fast when it sits. I live in Dallas so the weather is way different but a 90 degree day stuck in traffic at the end of my commute I was hitting 240 which is less then comfortable to sit on.

The 600 is also the most comfortable bike I have found for me. I do have shoulder issues so getting my hands up high on a cruiser or sport touring style ride causes issues for me. The 600 is bent over but nowhere near as aggressively as some other bikes. So I personally love it.