Total Newbie. Need Advice
 

Hey all,

My names Travis and I'm 20 from Massachusetts. I'm in the market to buy my first bike. A friend of mine is looking to sell his 93 cbr 600 f2. He is the 2nd owner, and the bike has less than 17,000 miles. Starts right up, sounds good, however, this will be my first bike and I'm not sure if there's anything specific I should be looking for? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I'm sure this topic has probably been killed to death in these forums but what are your guys thoughts on a 600 being someones first bike? I've been driving standards for years and am not really worried about the shifting aspect. It seems like I've been reading mixed opinions - some say to get a 250 to learn and gain experience on and others say to flat out get a 600 since most people end up getting them down the line anyways.

So yeah, that's about it :) I'm sure I'll be learning a lot here.

welcome first off,

the 600cc question has been beatin to death. yes i know. i personally think starting on a 250 is a great idea... that been said.. i myself started on a 600. it can be done if you have the right mind frame...you need to take the MSF course..no matter what. the benefits are enormous and you will learn a ton. if you are willing to start slowly, learn, take your time, be patient and not have the temption to twist that throttle hard a 600 is not a bad bike to learn on in my opinion.. but if you think you might have the thoughts of being a bit reckless and stupid on it.. get a 250..

hope this helped. cheers

Welcome to the board. I do not think a 600 would be a bad starter bike, BUT its a case by case basis. If the person is gonna get out there and tear it up with reckless abandon then they should start on something smaller. (actually they shouldn't be on one at all, lol) If you are gonna take a course and take very much time to learn and be safe, you'll be fine. Maturity mentally is a main factor in being safe on a larger bike (or any other) than a 250. I M O only. You'll get many different answers on that subject all over this board. Throw some pics up of it.
LJ

where did you get that neon kit for you bike man>? i've been looking around a bit but thats the best looking one i've seen.

You'll hear alot of people saying that they recommend starting on a 250, but that they had personally started on a 600. Honestly the smartest thing you could do is start on a 250, though alot of us didn't. For instance, a 250 is what I reccomend but my first bike was a 750.
Theres really one main indicator of whether you should hit up a 600 or 250. Are you one of those people that get easily excited and would be prone to getting on the throttle when having fun, or maybe show off a lil when passing a carload of chicks? If so, get a 250. If your cool headed and a lil bit afraid of the bike and can manage to treat it at all times like it could and would kill you if you let it, then by all means, get the 600. Being honest with yourself about this could mean the difference between being a survivor and lifelong rider, or just another statistic. Sorry if this sounds dramatic, but a 600 will kill/injure you pretty fast if your not careful. And that's one fact noone will argue about. So choose carefully.
Oh and the MSF course reccomended above? Hit that up, seriously. Driving a stick uses a far different skillset and muscle memory than riding does, don't count on knowing how to control the bike properly. Whatever you do, good luck and welcome.

Thank you. Its two kits+, Streetglow and some pieces from Custom Dynamics. PM me if you need any other info. I don't wanna jack his thread. Lol.
LJ

Thanks for the suggestions. I definitely plan on taking the MSF course, but won't be able to until summer due to college/work scheduling.

And I've definitely done some stupid things in sports cars in the past, and think it's best to get a 250 starting off. Can then buy a 600 once I feel comfortable and know what I'm getting into.

thx!

When I was looking to buy a bike, I thought about a Kawi 250. Went to several dealers and they all told me they couldn't keep them on the showroom floor; sold them as quickly as they came in. That being said, there's an abundance of them in the used market which can be found for real cheap.

Yeah they are everywhere, and those new Ninja 250r's look nice as all hell, can find a 2008 for about 3 grand around here. Would prolly be the bike I'd buy if I wanted one and hadn't ridden before.

Reality
 

Bikes are only as dangerous as the riders on them..
If you feel a little put off by the thought of a CBR600 as a first road bike
remember this well...
The reality is that a 250 will do 100mph and can kill you just as quick as a 600 .

A few over looked facts..
Power can get you into trouble , BUT, can also get you out of trouble!!
The 600 would have better brakes
The 600 has the power to get you out of the way of incoming danger.
This point may be argued? , but the 600 IMO would handle better as well.

My summary
A responsible learner would be better off on the 600
An irresponsible learner rider will get into trouble just as easy on a 250 as a 600..
You can get killed on EITHER !!! if you are not a responsible learner..