Hello, I'm Frost from the north NJ area. Unlike most of the other intro thread posters, I don't actually have a bike yet. I should probably have had one by now, but the used bike market has been a real pain to deal with.

Anyway, I'm hoping to buy a Honda sportbike real soon, and if I do I'll probably stick around here for awhile.


I had some questions about what bike I should buy as my first though, and was hoping some of you could give me some advice.

I found two rather nice bikes that I should be going to look at soon. One is a '97 cbr600 f3 and the other is a '95 cbr900rr. Both are completely stock (save maybe a slip-on exhaust), have around 15k miles and both sellers are looking for $3,000 obo. Both are in very good condition, the 900rr is in slightly better condition.

I also don't know much about these bikes, their base stats yes but nothing specific about how they handle or how they are like to ride.


So the question is, which would be the better bike for me? I plan on riding only locally this season to get used to riding, but next year I'd like to commute to work on my bike in good weather. Thing is, my commute to work takes an hour each way.



So these are my questions, in no particular order.

• How do these bikes handle? How do they ride?
• Would a RR class bike be too uncomfortable for an hour long commute?
• Would a 95 cbr900rr be too big and too fast for a beginner rider?
• Would a 600cc bike be able to cruise at highway speeds with ease, or would it be screaming in 6th at 80mph?
• Which bike would you consider to be a better buy?
• Which bike would be more fun to ride? Which would you rather own as a first bike?
• Would I end up outgrowing the 600 in a couple seasons? And on the other hand, could I grow into the 900 without it killing me first?

I also had some questions about the type of gear I'll need to get, so if you could humor me for just a bit longer, I'd really appreciate it.

• My brother has a helmet that fits me perfectly that he said I could use, it's barely two years old and he almost never used it before he had to sell his bike. Thing is, it's a Fulmer helmet that is full face with the visor down, but you can flip it up and its a 3/4 helmet. The front visor is only held on by two screws, so in a crash I would imagine the front visor wouldn't hold up well, effectively making it only a 3/4 helmet. It is also only DOT approved, not SNELL. Would this be safe to use or should I spring for a true full face helmet?
• When I buy a jacket, I plan on getting a mesh/textile one. My dad has a heavy leather jacket, but rides in a t-shirt when it's too hot. I don't think riding in a t-shirt is a particularly good idea, hence the mesh jacket. Would a mesh/textile jacket be breathable enough that I'm not cooking myself in 90+ degree weather? Would it provide sufficient protection against road rash should I lowside the bike?

I know this is a lot to read, and a lot of questions all at once. I'm just a bit lost here and need some guidance before I go dropping quite a bit of money on a bike + gear. So to anyone who takes the time to read this and reply, I am extremely grateful and really appreciate it.






Thank you

 

Welcome to the forum!
The "what first bike should i get" topic has been discussed time and time again. Everyone has opinions on the matter. Some say start small while others say get what you want. The thing to understand is that bigger displacement bikes are less forgiving to a new rider's bad inputs. You will make mistakes, lots of them. We all did. Example: Your in a corner and are rolling on the throttle on exit. On an F3, the point at which you start to roll the throttle and how quickly you do it is important, but if not perfect you will get through to corner fine. On a 1000rr, if you roll too soon, or too quickly, there is a much higher risk that the excess of power that the bike has could send the rear out from under you. Now the 900rr is no 2012 1000rr, but it's still more bike than the F3. The F3 is a great bike for beginners and experienced riders alike. It's comfortable and a whole lot of fun to ride around on, and gets decent mileage. You can push it when you want to, but also ride casual. It will do great for commuting, and be a good intro to learning the mechanics of a bike. It will have plenty of power and get you around just fine (unless you weigh 400 pounds!) with a smile from ear to ear the entire time.

The 900rr is a great bike too. It's a bit more aggressive in the riding position, more power, and requires a bit more tinkering. It's designed to be more race oriented that the touring minded F3, but still wont kill you on a commute. I commute on my rr, but i know i'm not as comfortable as I would be on a goldwing after a few hours, lol!

But to answer your questions:
How do these bikes handle? How do they ride? Great! Nothing else like it.
Would a RR class bike be too uncomfortable for an hour long commute? nope. I do it.
Would a 95 cbr900rr be too big and too fast for a beginner rider? maybe. I think so.
Would a 600cc bike be able to cruise at highway speeds with ease, or would it be screaming in 6th at 80mph? yes
Which bike would you consider to be a better buy? F3. But NOT AT THAT PRICE! either of them. you can do better...
Which bike would be more fun to ride? Which would you rather own as a first bike? either. It's your life and your call.
Would I end up outgrowing the 600 in a couple seasons? no. If you feel you have (which you will be kidding yourself) sell it and get a different bike then.
could I grow into the 900 without it killing me first? You could, but you will learn slower on it.

Get you own helmet. You can get a scorpion, and others, for less than $200. Make sure it fits right. It should be snug, but not squeeze your head. Bigger my be comfortable, but your head will rattle around and be damaged in a crash.

I don't think riding in a t-shirt is a particularly good idea smart. It doesn't matter how hot it is. Air flow is key. You will stay cooler in a leather racing jacket that circulates the air around you, than in a tshirt exposed to the sun. You should have a few jackets, for different riding conditions and temperatures.

Good luck finding your bike.

 

Welcome to the forum Frost!

74demon & I think a lot alike on these things. I def agree w/ his answers & recommendations. Additionally, I highly recommend that you sign up & take the MSF course...Motorcycle Safety Foundation. The course will teach you basic riding & safety techniques. The course counts toward your DMV written & riding tests in many jurisdictions. The course will pay big dividends in your riding.

Don't hesitate to ask as many questions as you want.

Good to have you w/ us.

 

Thanks for your input guys, you really helped clear things up for me. I'm definitely leaning more towards a 600 now, I think it should be plenty adequate for what I'll use it for.

As for the price of these bikes, my buddy (he rides a '93 Suzuki katana 750) is pretty good with buying/selling and judging prices, and he keeps telling me all the bikes I'm looking at are too expensive. But I don't know where else to look, I've been searching for a bike for the last two months straight, and have looked at more websites and went to more dealerships than you could shake a stick at. There really isn't anything cheaper. Hell, in my area they want a grand or better for a bike with a blown engine and half the plastics missing. I'm going to try and negotiate for the lowest price possible, but it seems that it is what it is.

Although today I did find two Yamaha r6's for sale, one is 2001 and the other is 2002, and they both want about $3,000 for them. Seems much more reasonable as they are much newer than the other bikes I've been looking at, but seeing as how everything else I've been looking at has been so much more expensive it almost makes me think there's gotta be something wrong with them...

Not to mention that a '02 R6 would probably be almost as fast as a '95 900RR anyway right?




P.S. I do know about the MSF course, I'm already signed up to take it later this month ha.

 

The F3 is a bit overpriced even for the northeast where bikes tend to run high. 2200-2500 would be more reasonable. The 900 is a good price though. You won't outgrow the 600 you may at one point want to try a bigger bike but I don't tbink it's possible to outgrow a 600 riding on the street. I'd so buy whatever one seems to be more well kept and has the best history. If its the 900 just be careful on it. It's a lot of bike to learn on. As long as you keep your head and learn to ride before you open it up I think you'll be alright. Some guys can't do that which is why I think it's always recommend to start on a smaller bike.

 

Welcome. First let me say that the more questions you ask, the more answers you get and they may not all be right, but its a start. As for myself, I have a 98 CBR 600 F3 and I love it. just got it recently. but as a lot of questions, that what this forum is about. Us learning from each other.
But it being your first bike, I say do the 600 and if you outgrow it, then you can move on the something bigger.

 

This is very little input on my end as I'm literally less then 1 week on owning my first bike. So far this forum has had great input with lots of helpful members. I always take advice with a grain of salt.

That said - I found a really great deal on a 98 CBR 900RR and I couldn't pass it up. So far I'm learning extremely slow so that I don't get out of hand. I haven't taken this thing past 4th gear and probably past 45-50mph.

I want to learn correctly! Stopping and going comfortably. Learning to adjust in traffic versus sitting in a parking lot learning, etc.

My sign was a great deal...and yes I have a rather powerful bike as my first but, after 1 or 2 seasons I plan on going for a new 600.