Being an "Old school" biker myself, I see things perhaps a little differently.
The new mods to the 600's with traction control etc, and the ABS braking and slipper clutches on the bigger bikes make the bike easier to ride
BUT THEY DON'T MAKE YOU A BETTER RIDER
The bikes become more "forgiving" of mistakes which perhaps an older generation bike won't do, BUT if you can ride an older gen bike the newer ones will be easier.

Here's a "leap of faith" story.............I went from a 180cc Yamaha to a Katana 1000cc with a full Yoshi kit AND A TURBO. Believe me when I tell you that it was a learning experience OF NOTE
It didn't make me a better rider, it just scared the living bejeezus out of me because I couldn't handle the power, and I sold it before it killed me or I learned to handle it. Probably the best thing I could have done at the time.............

My suggestion for new riders would be to find an older generation bike, anything up to an old 750 would be fine to learn on and before 1990. The power back then was a lot less, the weight about the same, but no smart new gadgets. Yes, you won't look like "the new boy with the new toy" but when/if you drop it you won't feel as bad as dropping a newer bike and having to handle the costs involved.
My wife used to ride an old 350 Honda, and after a break of many years I found her an old CB750 Custom. She jumped straight on it and went. Still rides it to this day.
Would I put her on a newer 600 ?- NO WAY even with her experience level now.
Would I even let her near my 1000F ? - ditto, no way !
It's easier to ride a bike with bars which aren't tucked in like sports bike bars - newbies should start with something that will turn easily at slow speed and aren't too heavy.
What we want to do is help riders be the best they can be, and then move up to bikes which are faster, more powerful and more difficult to control.
Any keyboard commando who advocates jumping straight on even a moderately new 600 should get out there and do it before making fatuous remarks about "oh it's not that fast" - pffft but I suppose even muppets are allowed an opinion.

Sjona had it right IMO
Raylee too !
And any man who jumps straight on a ZX14, even after riding a Harley, deserves all the pain that will come his way, be it in his wallet, or in his hospital bills. I see them the same as I view Gixxer riders who go out there in shorts and t shirt. No brains.

My 2c worth.

 

while the "ninja" might help, im pretty sure their "dicks get hard" because of the '14'. stop pretending like these are real riders. these are guys who could care less about riding and who don't know what it takes to ride a bike. they have no clue what they're talking about - they think the biggest motor is the best and thats what they think they'd want if they were to ever pick up riding - which we all know 99% of them won't.


it's just like kids who say "when i grow up im going to own a cigarette boat". sure, you hear the loud air exhaust and they go fast. wooo! but you can't use them hardly for anything else. they're expensive and even more expensive to own. non boaters and young kids don't care about that. when they actually decide to buy a boat - people usually end up buying something more practical with more uses that the whole family can enjoy.


if they were to ride a 600 - i'm sure they'd all be scared if they opened it up. It's easy to say "i want a busa", "i want a zx-14", "i want a ducati" and it sounds way cooler than "i want a 250r"

 

My kids probably know more about the different model bikes than most people.While they know the ZX-14 is a very fast bike( my friend owns one)and know which bikes cost alot.They all will be starting on my Aprilia RS 50 and working their way up.It's all about self control,I know lots of people that started on liter bikes with great success and others on 250's that wrecked right away.

 

I started on a 600. I turned out just fine (i think). Only one lay down at a low speed turning into a gravel driveway. Hell the wind blowing my bike(s) over has done more damage than I ever have. For me tho starting with a 600 was financial. At the time I was not rolling in the duckies so what ever bike I bought would be mine for a number of years so the idea of getting a 250 then 6 months later graduating up to a 600 just wasn't going to happen.

In a perfect world, yes start on a 250, but the circumstances are going to be different for everybody. If you respect the power and aren't an ***-hat I think starting on a 600 can be ok.

 

I want a 250r. Hopefully I can get my weight down and my skills up enough to get into some racing next year and the CBR250R will probably be my weapon of choice.

I sometimes forget that motorcycling brings together people from all walks of life (not just those who are track day/race junkies) and this weekend really tested my mettle. That and the fact that I decided to try and run myself on 2-3 sacks of cashews and bottled water (literally) per day. The MotoGP experience was pretty awesome.

 

me too. well, maybe i don't want to get down to 250r weight, but i'd love to drop lbs to where i could at least be competitive - one day on a 600 for example. im working on it though - i've lost 20lbs since new years. 30 more to go until my goal.

there's a bike in that pic?

 

Discussions like this never fail to give me a headache.

In my opinion, the displacement, type of bike and power of the bike play an important part here but I also think that common sense and natural (and teachable) ability also come into play.

I started off in the early 80s with minibikes. I built my own with a B&S 5HP engine that I mounted to a minibike frame my uncle had.
Then I got a Kawi KE100 enduro when I was 15 (a rather fun bike for both trail and street).
About 10 years later I got an 89 EX500 when I was in college. I stopped riding it when I joined the Marines in 98 and aside from riding my friend's ZX6 a couple of times, I went on a several year hiatus until I got to ride my neighbor's R1.
The R1 was no scarier than the KE100. Why? Because I know better than to blip the throttle on a 400lb bike with 140+hp, the first time I ride it.
A couple of years later, I got my 954.
The biggest reason I got a 'liter' bike rather than a 600 is that it would also serve as a part time commuter and I would be going through town sometimes. They have more usable low/mid-range power. That '54 could have the same HP as a 600 (yet still keep its TQ) and I wouldn't be upset in the least.
When I got the 954, I didn't get out on it and blip the throttle right off the bat. I used a bit of modulation and control. I learned it's powerband, and it's behavior. I also respect its capability...a LOT.


Only two reasons I would recommend that someone start out on a smaller bike.
1. They have ZERO riding exp and should at least know the physiology of a bike and the physics of its behavior.
2. Dropping or laying over a smaller, less expensive bike isn't going to 'hurt' as much when you do.

I would not recommend a 600 SS for an inexperienced rider not because of the total power output, but it's specific type of powerband. They are peaky; you have to wind them out.
I would also not recommend them due to their ergos. At least start out on a slightly more upright bike.

You nailed it, letsride.

I say this to the people out there who aren't stupid and with common sense (as the stupid people wouldn't heed this anyway)....use your best judgment. If you ride something bigger than you have before, respect the bike's ability. Know your own. Whatever you get, USE COMMON SENSE and respect the bike's ability.


Not trying to stir the pot here but it sounds like you didn't have much 'throttle modulation' skills back then, or an understanding of the parabolic power curve of a turbocharged engine.

 

LOL...yep, right between those two models who are getting paid to be nice to all the folks that come in to see the bikes.

 

Awesome man. It was actually this picture that got my gears rolling about trying to adjust my diet. I dunno if I'll be able to get down to 250 weight, but my wallet probably can't afford racing in the 600 class if the reports are accurate and getting my race license and racing is number one in my "bucket list"... well, that and figuring out a way to do forced induction on my RC51...

 

still can't see it.
i hear that! it's on my to do list. and here's some motivation for your rc51 ambitions