I've never rode a motorcycle just a dirt bike a few times i really want to get a street bike ive always drove honda so of course i looked at hondas first and a few others but i like these CBR's i am considering getting a CBR600 f4i or RR for my first street bike but i have no clue how to shop for a bike so...

Can someone point me toward some good info on bikes in general?
What mileage is high mileage for a bike?
What should i look out for when buying?
what should i know before i go through the process of getting the motorcycle liscense and shop for a bike as well as rideing it?

 

Whew... this is gonna be a screen full. Typed twice since I already hit the backspace key once by accident

1. Take the MSF BRC.
   The Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers a Basic Rider's Course. The BRC is the best first step for a new rider towards getting their license, will familiarize them with a street bike and provide invaluable information on riding safely in the streets. They provide a bike for the field exercises so owning a bike isn't required.
2. Figure out your budget.
   Many new riders make their very first mistake here. They calculate how much they can spend on a bike and find themselves without gear. Imo, that's backwards. Before looking at bikes at all, a new rider should buy their gear. Helmet, jacket and gloves at the absolute minimum. Riding pants and motorcycle specific boots for full gear. Optional rain gear. Then figure out what you can spend on a bike. Better a cheap bike than cheap (or no) gear.
3. Decide what bike is best for you.
   If you've taken the BRC, you'll most likely be passingly familiar with a cruiser style 250cc motorcycle (I've heard of BRCs with 250cc sport bikes but didn't see one at mine). Take a minute and honestly evaluate your performance during the BRC. If you had a lot of trouble maneuvering or staying on their 250s, you're most likely not ready for a 600cc bike. If their 250cc cruiser intimidated you, you definately are not ready for a 600cc bike. I hate sending anything but Hondas at people. But if you're not ready for a 600cc, I'd recommend a Kawasaki Ninja 250 to start. Some will prolly recommend a Ninja 250 for all new riders, regardless of how you feel. I realize that its hard to keep a 600 out of a new riders hands and just tell them "See the rubber? Keep that side down"
4. Buying a 600cc Honda.
   So you got your budget. And you feel you're prepared to handle a 600cc bike. Based on the wisdom of others that have been riding far longer than me, I don't recommend a 600rr. A 600rr is like the adopted stepbrother to the older Hondas. Yeah sure, same family. Completely different in the genes. The 600rr is a lot more powerful than older bikes even though the engine sizes are the same. A mod here described it like the bike was attempting to pull her arms off. Of the two you mentioned, I'd look for an older F4i to start. Less expensive and you won't feel as bad abusing an older bike while you learn. Dropping a flawless, brand new 600rr will make you want to cry. And the older bikes are more forgiving in a new rider's throttle mistakes. So they're less likely (slightly) to make you drop them. Save the 600rr for after you have more experience. You'll thank yourself if you did after your almost mandatory Noob Drop.
5. Buying a used bike.
   Someone already posted a thread worthy enough for a sticky here on the forums: Used motorcycle buying guide. Covers pretty much everything.

Got any more questions, holla. And welcome aboard

P.S.
I don't care how much money you have. I don't care how great an offer they make you at the dealership. Don't care if like that old commercial you find an ad in the paper where the little old lady is asking an insanely low price and opens the garage door to a hella surprise: If it has more than 600cc, keep looking.

Unless its a Harley. Then I don't know you, never gave advice to you and will fart in your general direction when I pass by you. Kidding

 

thanks alot i've taken some of this into consideration already since my last post and kinda of redecided that i"m gonna make the CBR a dream bike for next year maybe get something like the honda rebel 250 or ninja 250 and probably just get one that has already been drop so i dont feel bad when i do it... how ever if anyone could tell me about how to actually shop for a bike once i have picked out a model i like i want to know what type of mileage bike are typically considered broken down when they usually will need some real service not just fluid changes and gen. service and how do i spot a bike that is one its last leg of life.

Edit: don't worry I'm wont be getting a harley i dont even plan to get and upright until i have back pain from being so old. one of my life goals for biking is to get to 200mph on a track (car or bike probably bike)and i just dont think a harley will get me there soo... untill i get some crazy 1000cc+ bike

 

In that wall of text is a link to tips on buying a used motorcycle. Both from members here and a pretty indepth guide written elsewhere.

As for service, when you buy a used bike find the service manual for it. Then assume it needs everything in the recommended maintenance done for a bike with that mileage on it. By doing so you 1) know everything has been done and 2) create a start point for doing the regular. Mileage on a used bike will depend on the previous owners. One that has been meticulously maintained can have what's considered ridiculous mileage on it and be in better shape than a poorly maintained bike with under 5k miles on it.

Hitting the 100k mark isn't unheard of on Hondas that were well maintained, for example

 

alright what about gear as far as that goes what is absolutely essential besides the obvious helmet what brands should i look at? what do i look for in safety gear?

 

Bare minimums

• Helmet: Minimum meets DOT certification. Preferable is full faced helmet that meets Snell certifications. Snell is an optional standard for helmet manufacturers to meet, higher than DOT.
• Jacket: Minimum textile riding jacket with impact armor in the shoulders and elbows. Preferable leather jacket with impact armor in the shoulders, elbows and back. Optional zippers for ventilation. Leather will resist abrasion better than most textile constructed jackets.
• Gloves: Minimum leather reinforce palm for abrasion resistance. Preferable all leather extending above the wrist, with impact protection in the knuckles. If you go down, human nature is to use your hands to stabilize / stop your slide. Bare hands vs pavement at speed = bone showing in seconds

Preferred additional protection:

• Pants: Minimum textile constructed pants or kevlar reinforced jean. Preferred are leather riding pants. Both should have reinforced panels at the knees and hips against abrasion. Regular jeans will disappear in seconds during a slide at any significant speed. What's beneath that? Skin & bone
• Boots: Minimum anti-slip soles (you will put your foot down in a patch of oil / sand / water), above the ankle with impact armor to protect the ankles, lace restraints (shoelace caught in chain = bad). Prefered calf length with impact armor protecting the shin and heels.
• Underarmor: Minimum shorts with impact armor at the hips and tailbone. Preferred full length underarmor with impact protection at the hips, tailbone and knees. Underarmor isn't designed to protect against abrasion. It absorbs the impact from the fall. I went down at low speed. While the slide didn't burn through my Carhart work pants, my hip and knee hitting the ground caused my leg to lock up.

Brands / manufacturers will be a matter of personal preference. But that'll give you some basic guidelines one what to look for

 

Full safety gear is a must in my opinion. Here in the UK the vast majority of us wear it all of the time - it always amazes me how in other countries (the US in particular) this doesn't seem to be the case.

If someone can't afford the gear, then they can't afford the bike....