Hi all!

Looking for some advice from some of you more seasoned riders.

Rode dirt bikes for a few years when I was 10-13. Never rode since. Im 37 now and took an MSF course June 26-27 2021. Bought a 2018 CBR500R ABS on June 28 2021 and rode it almost every day i could after until it was too cold for me here in Wiscosnin. My truck sat un-used for 4 months love the bike, love riding and can't get enough of it! Racked up 4,000 miles in those 4 months and got another 1000 so far in 2022 (weathers been crap).

Been learning how to do my own maintenance on it and all thay fun stuff. Its really been a great time!

Anyways, I've got the itch to get a bigger bike with some more oomph to it. My communte gives me some great spots to open things up a little and im itching for more.

I'm definately still learning a lot every ride and I'd be lying if I said I ride perfectly safely like a noob should all the time or that I ride like a good gentleman 100%. I do my best though and slowly feel for my new limits as I improve. Just rode in heavy rain for 100 miles the first time the other day, that was an an experience haha

Basically I'm just wondering thoughts on IF i should upgrade yet or give it another year or if i would be ok to now AND if i do, would going to a 650r make me happy in my selection for a while Or should I just go to the 600rr? 1000rr seems too soon still?

I worry a 600rr may be too much too soon for me but also that if i go with a 650r ill be wanting a 600rr in 2023?

I feel like i THINK i could ride responsibly with a 600rr but..... i also understand the margin for error on such a bike is a lot smaller than my 500r.

I'm not dead set on upgrading but I started thinking about it a little the end of last year and its been bugging me a lot already this year. Wise advice could change my mind though.

Any input and advice is appreciated!

 

First, welcome to the forum!

Second, I can only relate my personal experience- Started riding at 49 on a Ninja 300 and, like you, rode the heck out of it for about a year. Started thinking I'd done as much as I could on it but, in reality (again, similar to you) I just had an itch for more power. Found a screaming deal on a mint F4i, sold the 300, and quickly realized that it was much heavier and much, much faster than my 300. If I had been using my "adult" brain, I would have realized that another year on the 300 would have been a good idea as I continued to improve my basic skills. I adapted to the F4i and I loved that bike, but it took me quite a while to get comfortable with it. Other than the riding position, it was a totally different animal than the 300. Pretty docile down low and a screaming banshee around 8k rpms.

If you have even entertained a track day, I'd encourage you to do so with that 500 before moving on to something else. You might be pleasantly surprised at how much your bike is capable of and how much you still have to learn, without worrying about ridiculous levels of power...

 

Hey fellow newbie! I've been riding for almost 40-years and I'm a believer that it's best to consider your body size/weight when looking at buying and riding a motorcycle. You may be able to adjust your riding style to different bike configurations, but handling a bike - as powerful as they are today - can be more challenging than most riders without a lot of experience realize. I have an older '97 600F3 that's about as powerful as anything I could want or handle (when it's running), but it will beg for more @ 120mph screaming out, "FASTER, Monkey Boy!!!" 🤪

The newer CBR650 class seems ideal for more experienced riders. The biggest problem you might have with a quality bike like that is staying off the throttle. An extreme machine is ready for extreme riding, and as your experience grows you will have the tendency to push the envelope more and more. Believe me, I know.

I'm not trying to deter you from making the upgrade, but if you do just to be prepared every time you get on a bike like that to keep yourself under control, and remind yourself that there is "no margin for error," a mantra I repeat to myself before I start my CBR, and frequently while I'm riding.

 

Thank you both for the replies and for both not roasting crap out of me! Ha..... you're free to roast now though!

Great info and insight and makes a lot of sense. Been wanting to take a track course, maybe that should be my next step with the 500r along with another of season of riding.

I've seen the videos of pros killing noobs on the track with 250s so I know I will never get the most out of any bike i own unless it's my old 50cc yammie from when I was 6. Though, I'm sure even that's questionable 😆

Got me thinking I may regret dumping the 500r and only having a 600 if the ride experience is that different. I don't really want to get into the position of only being able to ride a bike everyday that I'm not at ease with fairly quick.

I am sure that as Johnny said the 600 will have me begging to hit the throttle and i will probably have it way beyond intended speed before i realize it. Even on the 500 hitting 80-90 can happen pretty danged fast I've learned 🙄

It got me thinking that as im lucky enough to be in a spot where I don't need to let the 500 go to get a 600 and, with the markets going the way they are, I may be able to get a 600 for a steal later this summer. Then I could hang onto the 500 the rest of this season while better polishing my skills on that and get acquainted with the 600 on some shorter rides in the mean time. Heck, maybe hold onto both for another full season. Maybe I'll find I prefer one over the other for some commutes and vice versa?! (sp?)

To me that seems reasonable? And SLIGHTLY sane? Well, as sane as anybody contemplating a 600cc bike for commuting can be? 🤣

 

Late summer and early fall is the best time for buying a motorcycle. Look for bikes sold in the northern part of the country. Shorter riding seasons and people are trying to decide if they want to store it for another winter. Just some food for thought.

 

I should be in prime picking territory then, southeast Wisconsin here. Maybe could grab one a bit sooner if I look in the Iron Mountain area, weather up there tends to get colder a lot faster than here and it's only about 4 hours away from me. Then again, it seemed I was a lone rider even down here in early November last year which I hope to stretch longer now that I have the right gear..... rather than the 3 hoodies, under a down jacket, mesh air jacket, 2 pairs of gloves, long johns, jeans and 2 pairs of wool socks I was riding in last year lol

 

I like any of those plans! It is a big jump in power and it can be done without too much trouble if you are "throttle mature" and willing to spend the low-speed practice getting the basics down. I spent quite some time in my local school parking lot doing that but I also wasn't very mature (at first) while out riding the streets. Racked up two tickets in fairly quick order and realized I better get myself under control or face a real chance of losing my license.

Also, remember that even with the 500, you are still quicker than 88.3% of cars on the road!