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Should I buy a bigger bike?

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Should I buy a bigger bike?
Yes
82%
 82%  [ 24 ]
No
17%
 17%  [ 5 ]
Total Votes : 29

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Olids07
Two Stroke Sniffer



Joined: 08 Jul 2010
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PostPosted: 21:21 - 13 Jul 2010    Post subject: Should I buy a bigger bike? Reply with quote
Hi all,
I recently wrote a post about wanting to buy a Honda cbr 600f, however I'm now unsure if I actually need one.
I mainly ride around town in London (mostly outer), and down A and B roads every now and then.
My question is; would a cbr 600f actually be better at doing these kind of trips or should I stick to my tried and trusted Aprilia RS125?
The Aprilia is great for the town riding, but lacks a bit on the A roads, other than that I can't complain!
I've found a great CBR 600f to buy, but unsure if I should spend the money if it won't bring a massive improvement on the kind of rides that I do.

All advice greatly appreciated
Very Happy
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supZ
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PostPosted: 21:28 - 13 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
the 600f is an extremely capable bike, happy pottering around london inner streets or letting rip on the open road.

best of both worlds tbh.

if you want something that works well in london you're better off with a 500 commuter if you do wanna go bigger (cb500?/cbf600?) but if its a sports bike you're after the 600f is a good choice.

wont require as much messing about as your 125 either.

as to whether you 'really' need to go bigger? probably not, but the question is.. what do 'you' want Wink
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Ingah
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PostPosted: 22:37 - 13 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
supZ wrote:
the 600f is an extremely capable bike, happy pottering around london inner streets or letting rip on the open road.

best of both worlds tbh.

if you want something that works well in london you're better off with a 500 commuter if you do wanna go bigger (cb500?/cbf600?) but if its a sports bike you're after the 600f is a good choice.

wont require as much messing about as your 125 either.

as to whether you 'really' need to go bigger? probably not, but the question is.. what do 'you' want Wink


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Olids07
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Joined: 08 Jul 2010
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PostPosted: 19:51 - 14 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Is it a good commuter bike then? One of my issues is that the weight difference will make it harder for me to filter at low speeds, etc.

I guess I would probably be better off getting a cbf600 or a bandit etc, and then upgrading to a 600 sport, but the thing is I love sports bikes, and I can never see myself riding a bike like the bandit.
Is it possible to do a straight upgrade to a 600 sports then, or would you guys recommend that I had a year on a 500/bandit and then bought a sports 600?

Ahh that's the thing, I've found the perfect bike and I really want it, however I have underlying fears as to whether I can handle it (I hear its easy to rear wheel spin off the road whilst going round corners on a 600), and if I actually need it at the moment.


supZ wrote:
the 600f is an extremely capable bike, happy pottering around london inner streets or letting rip on the open road.

best of both worlds tbh.

if you want something that works well in london you're better off with a 500 commuter if you do wanna go bigger (cb500?/cbf600?) but if its a sports bike you're after the 600f is a good choice.

wont require as much messing about as your 125 either.

as to whether you 'really' need to go bigger? probably not, but the question is.. what do 'you' want Wink
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angryjonny
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PostPosted: 19:57 - 14 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
They only go as fast as you tell them to. RS125 to a CBR600 is a perfectly sensible upgrade. Buy a 500 and you'll be itching for more horses within months... I was.

I used to commute/filter through London on my VFR800 every day very comfortably. Big bikes are easier to handle than 125s, both because of the bulk (it just works) and the amount of power you have to play with. The VFR was the worst handling bike I've owned but it was still fine to commute on. A CBR600 will be way better.
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iooi
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PostPosted: 20:39 - 14 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Olids07 wrote:
Is it a good commuter bike then? One of my issues is that the weight difference will make it harder for me to filter at low speeds, etc.

Ahh that's the thing, I've found the perfect bike and I really want it, however I have underlying fears as to whether I can handle it (I hear its easy to rear wheel spin off the road whilst going round corners on a 600), and if I actually need it at the moment.



Even at low speeds you won't notice the weight diffrence... Its only when trying to man handle them that the weight shows up. What you will notice is increased stability once moving.

600 spinning the rear off the road.... Must have been seriously bad tyres or rider Laughing
You could do that on any bike.

Remember its the throttle to brain interface that makes the bike safe to ride.

I actually find riding 600's better than smaller bikes in traffic. If the gap is so tight that you can't get a 600 through, then you sure as hell should not be trying to anyway.
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supZ
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PostPosted: 00:18 - 15 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
you'd find that a bigger/heavier bike is actually easier to handle at slow speeds, especially with one with good handling like the CBR.

the weight or more accurately the balance of the bike helps stablise it. you'll be able to trundle along at <10mph a lot smoother and steadier than you would with a 125.

regarding so called 'rear wheel spin' hell i cant even do that on the blade!! well, not unless im giving it one hell of a handful mid corner which im not likely to do!

in short, thats utter crap. as with any bike with 100bhp+ as long as you're smooth with the throttle you'll be fine. tbh tho on modern tyres you'd be hard pressed to break traction in the dry no matter how hard you're twisting the throttle

you control the speed, not the bike..
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Olids07
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PostPosted: 09:10 - 16 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yeah that was one of the main reasons that I got a RS125, so I would have the "sportiest" 125 that I then could upgrade to a sports 600.
So you wouldn't suggest that I should buy a Hornet/Fazer etc for a year to learn on? Its good to hear that it will be a solid commuter as that will be one of the main uses of the bike Very Happy

angryjonny wrote:
They only go as fast as you tell them to. RS125 to a CBR600 is a perfectly sensible upgrade. Buy a 500 and you'll be itching for more horses within months... I was.

I used to commute/filter through London on my VFR800 every day very comfortably. Big bikes are easier to handle than 125s, both because of the bulk (it just works) and the amount of power you have to play with. The VFR was the worst handling bike I've owned but it was still fine to commute on. A CBR600 will be way better.
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Olids07
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PostPosted: 09:18 - 16 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
I guess I'll get used to counter-steering more than my current bike then! I like the sound of increased stability, as the RS125 can sometimes feel like its not 'planted' enough on the ground, if that makes sense. Also I do have to work quite hard to keep it straight when there's a strong crosswind. With regards to the rear wheel spinning I think it was just some scaremongering tactics used by someone to scare me off getting one! In the end if I treat the throttle with respect and learn how the bike rides, then I guess I'll be fine.

iooi wrote:
Olids07 wrote:
Is it a good commuter bike then? One of my issues is that the weight difference will make it harder for me to filter at low speeds, etc.

Ahh that's the thing, I've found the perfect bike and I really want it, however I have underlying fears as to whether I can handle it (I hear its easy to rear wheel spin off the road whilst going round corners on a 600), and if I actually need it at the moment.



Even at low speeds you won't notice the weight difference... Its only when trying to man handle them that the weight shows up. What you will notice is increased stability once moving.

600 spinning the rear off the road.... Must have been seriously bad tyres or rider Laughing
You could do that on any bike.

Remember its the throttle to brain interface that makes the bike safe to ride.

I actually find riding 600's better than smaller bikes in traffic. If the gap is so tight that you can't get a 600 through, then you sure as hell should not be trying to anyway.
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Olids07
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PostPosted: 09:23 - 16 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oh ok, I'm surprised by that as I naturally assumed that a sports 600 would be worse off for commuting than my 125. I must say that reading everyone's comments on the forum, I have noticed recently that I do make a lot of gear changes when I'm riding around town, and the engine and exhaust noise has become louder! I did also notice that as you said, the power at less than 10mph is quite jerky, and I have to slip the clutch a lot. Yeah I'm just worried that as I've become used to having to use a lot of the throttle to see any reaction on my 125, I'll be a bit clumsy and give it too much throttle when going round a corner and injure myself. Or am I just procrastinating now Confused

supZ wrote:
you'd find that a bigger/heavier bike is actually easier to handle at slow speeds, especially with one with good handling like the CBR.

the weight or more accurately the balance of the bike helps stablise it. you'll be able to trundle along at <10mph a lot smoother and steadier than you would with a 125.

regarding so called 'rear wheel spin' hell i cant even do that on the blade!! well, not unless im giving it one hell of a handful mid corner which im not likely to do!

in short, thats utter crap. as with any bike with 100bhp+ as long as you're smooth with the throttle you'll be fine. tbh tho on modern tyres you'd be hard pressed to break traction in the dry no matter how hard you're twisting the throttle

you control the speed, not the bike..
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Olids07
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Joined: 08 Jul 2010
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PostPosted: 09:27 - 16 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oh and I've got the option now of buying the 'perfect' CBR600f this weekend (great seller, very good condition bike, great price, low mileage etc), so I was wondering if you guys thought I should go for it and buy it, or take a year out on a Hornet/Bandit/Fazer etc to get used to the power. I sat on a Hornet yesterday and it did feel very comfortable, however I do actually prefer the sports bike's riding position for some reason!
Cheers for all your help so far Very Happy
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snomag
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Joined: 12 Nov 2008
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PostPosted: 09:39 - 16 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Olids07 wrote:
Oh and I've got the option now of buying the 'perfect' CBR600f this weekend (great seller, very good condition bike, great price, low mileage etc), so I was wondering if you guys thought I should go for it and buy it, or take a year out on a Hornet/Bandit/Fazer etc to get used to the power. I sat on a Hornet yesterday and it did feel very comfortable, however I do actually prefer the sports bike's riding position for some reason!
Cheers for all your help so far Very Happy


I went from a Honda NSR 125 to my current Kawasaki ZX6R F1 and I'm pretty sure there would have been no point in getting a bandit/hornet/fazer just to get used to the power. You get used to it pretty quickly and than you'll be wanting a little bit more.

So I would say as long as you are sensible, getting used to the CBR600F shouldn't be too much of a problem. And if you're not sensible, you can kill yourself on anything.

Just take it easy in the beginning and progress gradually. The first time on the new bike it might be a bit scary as you'll have almost 10times more BHP than what you're used to, so the throttle response will be quite different.
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Olids07
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PostPosted: 10:17 - 16 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oh I see, what were the main differences for you when you got your ZX6R? Yeah I never really liked the thought of riding a Hornet, although I was willing to give it a go for a year. I definitely agree with what you say about being sensible, the RS is fast enough in its own right, I was thinking of taking the CBR out on the roads in the early morning and practising clutch control, gear changes etc until I got used to it. I think that's the one thing that worries me, that first ride with all the extra BHP, I know I'm gonna have to be very careful and not ham-fisted!

snomag wrote:
Olids07 wrote:
Oh and I've got the option now of buying the 'perfect' CBR600f this weekend (great seller, very good condition bike, great price, low mileage etc), so I was wondering if you guys thought I should go for it and buy it, or take a year out on a Hornet/Bandit/Fazer etc to get used to the power. I sat on a Hornet yesterday and it did feel very comfortable, however I do actually prefer the sports bike's riding position for some reason!
Cheers for all your help so far Very Happy


I went from a Honda NSR 125 to my current Kawasaki ZX6R F1 and I'm pretty sure there would have been no point in getting a bandit/hornet/fazer just to get used to the power. You get used to it pretty quickly and than you'll be wanting a little bit more.

So I would say as long as you are sensible, getting used to the CBR600F shouldn't be too much of a problem. And if you're not sensible, you can kill yourself on anything.

Just take it easy in the beginning and progress gradually. The first time on the new bike it might be a bit scary as you'll have almost 10times more BHP than what you're used to, so the throttle response will be quite different.
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angryjonny
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PostPosted: 10:47 - 16 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Olids07 wrote:
Oh I see, what were the main differences for you when you got your ZX6R? Yeah I never really liked the thought of riding a Hornet, although I was willing to give it a go for a year. I definitely agree with what you say about being sensible, the RS is fast enough in its own right, I was thinking of taking the CBR out on the roads in the early morning and practising clutch control, gear changes etc until I got used to it. I think that's the one thing that worries me, that first ride with all the extra BHP, I know I'm gonna have to be very careful and not ham-fisted!


You'll get used to it in the first half hour and then your RS will feel like a toy. 600cc inline fours have all the power at the top end - if you're nervous then just keep it below 5-6000 revs until you're more settled and you'll come to no harm. Treat a bike like that with a bit of respect and it'll look after you. It'll only punish you if you poke it with sticks and shout "yeah? YEAH?" at it.

If you want the CBR get the CBR. Seriously - do 100 miles on it and you'll wonder what the fuss was about. Get the Fazer or Hornet and after those 100 miles you'll be thinking "I wish I'd got the CBR".

You get horror stories of people not being able to cope with a new bike but these are just idiots who've come straight out of their DAS and bought a Fireblade. You have some experience and evidently some common sense so buy yourself the bike you deserve.
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Kickstart
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PostPosted: 10:56 - 16 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Olids07 wrote:
Is it a good commuter bike then? One of my issues is that the weight difference will make it harder for me to filter at low speeds, etc.


While I like little 125 2 strokes, commuting isn't one of their strong points. Indeed a larger bike can be easier in traffic and partly because they are more stable. One of the easiest bikes I found to filter on was a CB400N despite its weight as it was so stable.

All the best

Keith
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defblade
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PostPosted: 11:14 - 16 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Olids07 wrote:
Yeah I'm just worried that as I've become used to having to use a lot of the throttle to see any reaction on my 125, I'll be a bit clumsy and give it too much throttle when going round a corner and injure myself. Or am I just procrastinating now Confused


I did the same a couple of months back.

Lurching all over the place like a complete noob (just the speed the engine revved up at was catching me out as much as anything) the first day...

.... second day, my brain had re-programmed itself and things settled down a lot.

Using full throttle by the end of the week Smile




Don't worry, just take it easy to start.
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snomag
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PostPosted: 11:41 - 16 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Olids07 wrote:
Oh I see, what were the main differences for you when you got your ZX6R?


The main difference was for me the sensitivity of the throttle. On the NSR it was more like an on/off switch, but here I've to be a bit more gentle with my right hand. I know it was a strange feeling when I opened it up for an overtake and the bike started speeding up without hesitating.

The weight is not really an issue unless you're trying to push the bike around. As soon as you get moving, you don't have to worry about it at all.

I can only repeat myself. If you give yourself enough time in the first couple of days, you will be fine. Just don't rush anything and give yourself enough time to get used to it before pulling wheelies Very Happy.
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MonkeyKnuckle
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PostPosted: 11:52 - 16 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Go for it. Thumbs Up


I had a CBR600F as my first bike after only riding for a week. No deadly wheel spins etc.

Just take it easy, don't go pinning it from the start as it's very quick.

Should be a bit easier to look after than a RS125 as well.
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Olids07
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Joined: 08 Jul 2010
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PostPosted: 23:27 - 18 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oh I see, I'll keep the revs low for the journey home from collecting it then. How many revs do 600's need to pull away- I'm used to having to use at least 4000 revs to pull away on the RS!
Yeah all the help and advice that I've got on these forums has definitely reassured me and helped me to decide to buy a CBR. I'm gonna buy the "perfect" one that I found last week and I'm off to collect it tomorrow Very Happy.
On that note, if anyone wants to buy an RS125...Wink

angryjonny wrote:
You'll get used to it in the first half hour and then your RS will feel like a toy. 600cc inline fours have all the power at the top end - if you're nervous then just keep it below 5-6000 revs until you're more settled and you'll come to no harm. Treat a bike like that with a bit of respect and it'll look after you. It'll only punish you if you poke it with sticks and shout "yeah? YEAH?" at it.

If you want the CBR get the CBR. Seriously - do 100 miles on it and you'll wonder what the fuss was about. Get the Fazer or Hornet and after those 100 miles you'll be thinking "I wish I'd got the CBR".

You get horror stories of people not being able to cope with a new bike but these are just idiots who've come straight out of their DAS and bought a Fireblade. You have some experience and evidently some common sense so buy yourself the bike you deserve.
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Olids07
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Joined: 08 Jul 2010
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PostPosted: 23:30 - 18 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
I can see what you mean now, I think I got so used to using the RS125 around town that I convinced myself that it was a good commuter, but thinking about it now a lot of bikes are better than it! I'm really looking forward to getting on the CBR and giving you guys feedback Very Happy

Kickstart wrote:
While I like little 125 2 strokes, commuting isn't one of their strong points. Indeed a larger bike can be easier in traffic and partly because they are more stable. One of the easiest bikes I found to filter on was a CB400N despite its weight as it was so stable.

All the best

Keith
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Olids07
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PostPosted: 23:34 - 18 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Haha actually that reminds me of what I did when I first got on my RS after doing my CBT and test on one of those old Yamaha's! Ah your post reassured me a lot, I forgot that obviously everyone has to eventually step up and learn how to use a bigger bike, and of course will look silly for the first couple of days. I'm very much looking forward to riding it now Smile

defblade wrote:

I did the same a couple of months back.

Lurching all over the place like a complete noob (just the speed the engine revved up at was catching me out as much as anything) the first day...

.... second day, my brain had re-programmed itself and things settled down a lot.

Using full throttle by the end of the week Smile




Don't worry, just take it easy to start.
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Olids07
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PostPosted: 23:37 - 18 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Cheers mate, its nice to hear owners advice Thumbs Up Yeah the RS does need A LOT of maintenance, and did like to be an unreliable started in the winter (although got better with age). I'm looking forward to having the legendary Honda quality this time!


MonkeyKnuckle wrote:
Go for it. Thumbs Up


I had a CBR600F as my first bike after only riding for a week. No deadly wheel spins etc.

Just take it easy, don't go pinning it from the start as it's very quick.

Should be a bit easier to look after than a RS125 as well.
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Olids07
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PostPosted: 23:42 - 18 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think that's the best advice, I'm gonna try and take the CBR out and get some decent mileage for the first few days, try and have a few varied rides to get used to the weight and throttle response. No wheelies for me though, I'm a safe driver Cool .

snomag wrote:

I can only repeat myself. If you give yourself enough time in the first couple of days, you will be fine. Just don't rush anything and give yourself enough time to get used to it before pulling wheelies Very Happy.
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Olids07
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PostPosted: 23:43 - 18 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
And many thanks again to everyone who took the time to give me advice! I'll post pics of the CBR as soon as I get it Very Happy
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