ha ya i just verified that with a little bit of searching...
what are yals thoughts on v-twin and parallel twin sport bikes?
way less power than the rr's, f4is' gsxr's zx#'s and r#'s yet they still have a sporty setup too them id imagine

(sorry for hi jacking the thread, but i think hearing ppls opinions on these types of bikes would fit in here as more user friendly beginer bike, yet alot of them are still very capable)

 

Hey Riderx420- I don't know how much experience you have on dirt bikes and 4-wheelers, but that's all I had prior to purchasing my 07 600RR about 3 weeks ago and I have beenperfectly fine. I've been riding 250cc and 450cc dirt bikes for a couple of years and had the same questions/concerns about jumping on a 600cc sport bike. Yes, all these guys on here have good experience and I agree with everything they are saying about 600cc being a bad bike to start on, but in my opinion if you have been on dirt bikes for a while the transition is a lot easier and not that drastic. Yes, the brakes and obviously hp are ridiculous on these things, but it is quickly learned if you have previous knowledge of motorcylces.
Just thought I'd voice my opinion and help you out in your decision. If I were you, I would check out ebay or craigslist for an older 600 if you are still wanting to spend around $4K.

 

though the v-twin sportbikes produce less top end horsepower, they are torque monsters. the purebred vtwin sportbikes like the rc51, 999's aprilia's tl1000r and the like are no more suited to beginners. the engine isnt weaker, only a *different* approach to a race bikes powerplant

 

ahh good point, but i ment more of the SV's the ninja 650 and such. should have been more specific. [sm=oopssign.gif]

 

oh yea, those are great bikes, pretty good for beginners to cut their teeth into sportbikes, as they handle really well

 

awsome! im thinkin about startin out on one of those since i dont have but maybe a couple hours of seat time on the street and id like to have many more haha

 

Someone mentioned the ninja 250 - I'll add my +1 on that bike. It is cheap (especially used) and easy to ride... when you're done with it sell it to the next young rider for almost what you paid for it and THEN think about your shinny new toy.

As was mentioned, it's not just how potent the engine is that matters, it is your mental wiring that matters. A lot of new riders enter the sport saying they will take it easy. Some people can take it easy, however, when you have an inline-4 below you you will want to test it. The bikes are decepitively fast and give a strong feeling of control. (100mph on a 600cc bike feels as effortless as 50mph in a car, whereas, to get the ninja250 to 100mph you know you're going 100mph because of the howling engine) The big problem alot of people have is stopping quickly, and approaching a turn they think they're going too fast for. Your immediate newbie reaction to going to fast will be the wrong 9/10 times. Dropping anchour has lead to many many lowside (or worse) accidents - panicing and grabbing a mittful on a bike is going to lock up a tire (or two) and will be very tricky for a young rider to control. In a car you can get away with this, on a bike it's not that easy.

All I would suggest is that by buying a cheap bike to start on (used ninja 250, a GS 500, or even a ninja 500 - NOT the gtr250 as it has some seriously questionable frame welds) you will learn on a more than capable bike, have money to buy gear, and not loose too much of your investment when you sell it later. I admin over at the ninja250.com board, and many of our members brought 250s with the plan on 'upgrading', and never did... I think that show's just how much bike the 'little' 250 is.

If you do want to go newer and sportier than the sv isn't a bad choice. The Ninja 650 is a paralel twin and it is slightly less powerful than the sv650, however, for many people it is a lot more comfortable and potentially more versatile. It makes a nice linear power that isn't too much different than the ninja 250.

 

well, this thread is interesting to say the least. this is my forum name everywhere, i never posted on this forum and rarely posted on other RR forums due to lack of time. i am the friend of lookin4abike that bought the 03rr new for a first bike. i got a lot of crap about it and how i'd kill myself within a week from everyone on other RR forums except .net. not a big surprise considering the base of the forum and their lax attitudes most of the time. i was 22 when i bought the bike. i wasn't pressured into anything as very few people i knew had bikes. i had no one to ride with. i got it just because i wanted the best bike i could afford that i thought i could handle. the rr was just that. i firmly believe that the bike is only as fast as you want it to be. you may say its a noob statement, but its true. you need to have self control, common sense and read a LOT about riding and what to do in certain situations. riding with improper wrist position, too much grip and tightening all the muscles in your body at the wrong time, will make bad things happen fast. however, these are things you should read about and know before you get yourself into these situations. if someone says "you can't learn from reading", then you should be smacked because reading or being told are the only safe ways to learn about a situation before you're in it can't control it. so, i don't believe it was a wrong move AT ALL. if you crumble under peer pressure, have a little mans complex or have some stupid notion that stunting is smart and cool, then no, getting an rr or any newer 600 sport bike is smart. however, if you have common sense, self control and aren't brain dead, you should be fine. i am always the guy at the back of the pack in "spirited" rides because i don't have the need to prove myself, i never stunted, did wheelies for cameras or even did a burnout on the bike because i bought it to have some fun, relax and enjoy myself. to those who will ask, yes, the bike got dumped twice. once i hit a patch of ice on an early morning ride early in the spring, doing minimal damage and another when a lady in an SUV decided to pass me on a 2 lane road while i was doing 40mph at 7am on a sunday (we were the only two people onthe road), cut in front of me and lock on her brakes to turn in to get her coffee. the parking lot was packed so she couldn't enter and then turned into a big white wall in front of me. i grabbed my brakes tot he point just before they locked up and hit an 8" deep 2 foot wide pothole. both the bike and i went air borne. i got a concussion and bruised hip and it took me over 2 months to walk right again and not have a purple leg. thankfully the bike suffered only cosmetic damage somehow, the lafy pulled a U turn and took off. so, neither one of these had anything to do with having "too much" bike. however, if i had an older 600, i don't think the brakes would have been good enough and i probably would have eaten a lot more **** when i hit the ground or the SUV. feel free to debate anything with me, i subscribed to the thread. it may be easier for you to get into trouble with the extra power, but its a LOT easier to learn on a bike that has such good brakes and is so well balanced as a newer 600. the only thing i'd change is i'd get a GSXR, they're a lot more comfortable for someone who doesn't plan on tracking the bike IMO

 

i get what you're saying, reading is great and all, but it does not equal experience, nothing beats going out and actually practicing your full panic stops from whatever speed you actually ride at, wether it be 60 or 100mph. really go out and practice your evasive maneuvers. until a newb does, he may know what he's supposed to do, but for the most part, its different from that actually goes down (experienced riders included). common sense does not give you the proper feel for the controlls, nor to maturity, or age. and they certainly don't make a half a **** of difference in a life or death situation. what 'normally' does is instincts (we all become a slave to instinct at that point), but while the things you may instinctly do when the worst happens in a car may save your life, it may throw you like a rag doll on a motorcycle. practice practice practice proper high speed braking if nothing else, until stopping hard but safely becomes part of your instinct.

sorry to hear about your accident, and like you said, it wasnt the bikes fault (it never is) but it was a new rider mistake.. when i was 14 i started on a 750 that was 8 years older than i am (i'm 20 right now) which had brakes MAYBE about as good as most cars, i quickly learned to leave a huge safety margin for myself. if someone ever came anywhere near me, or made an attempt to pass me, i slow WAY down before they are even back in the lane, increasing the distance cushion between us. neither would i would ever ride alongside any other vehicle. i signal wayyy in advance of doing anything. i had to learn to ride like everyone is out to get me, that EVERYONE will swerve in my lane, that EVERYONE will slam on their brakes as soon as they get in front of me. thats how you have to ride on the street. too many people die to not ride as safely as you possibly can. but new riders do not know this, regardless of how mature they are, how much common sense they have, riding a motorcycle like you drive a car will get you killed, and for most people, thats all the experience they have. and you are absolutely right, that would have happened regardless of what bike you were on, a lot of these kids jumping on new bikes hear some of the braking figures, and feel all safe, warm and fuzzy, thinking that nothing can happen to them with brakes this good. nobody practices, most people make it ok,... but a lot don't.

it seems that you confuse your being "ok" on a 600 as being the same case for everyone, it isnt, point is new guys die on sportbikes in single bike crashes all the time, a lot more often than experienced riders, otherwise nobody would be wasting time with this post and the 100 exactly like it that come in every day.

 

Yo i not tryin to start anything, but i bought my 05 cbr600rr as my first bike and wasnt stupid on it. I was ok.