New guy with a size question. 400 or 600cc?

[miles]

Hi there. My names Miles im 24 and from Northamptonshire. Planning to get a bike fairly soon but not 100% sure what to go for.

I used to have a 50cc moped when i was 16 and have been on a few geared bikes from 125 2stroke to 400cc 4 strokes so im not a complete noob but havent riden any bikes for about 3 years.

Just after advice what would be a half decent starter bike, something that is still fairly quick but itsnt going to get me killed within a week lol. I weigh 92kgs and 6 foot tall.

I was looking at 600cc gsxr as suzuki's are my favourite but then came across some older 400cc like the hondas and kawasaki and even a faew late 80's 400 gsxr.

Would what you guys suggest?

And if anyone fancies a swap with a mx5 or a r33 drift skyline let me know lol

Miles

[Nick 50]

Welcome Miles,

Can I ask 2 questions:

1. Budget?

2. Bikes use? commuting, hooning, touring etc etc
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Current Bikes: ZX7r 97 (Black Beauty), VFR400 NC24 (The banana)
Previous Bikes: Aprilia Tuono 03 (The Beast), CBR600f (97)
First bike: A GZ125 Lemon.......

[miles]

Hi Nick,

Around 1500-1800. pref less so when i get it i can give it a major service,brakes,tyres etc

commuting every so often. 40 miles around trip to work and home and then just for fun really. Maybe a track day at some point.

thanks for the reply

[Slacker24seve...]

To be honest, that very much depends on your self restraint. Even a 400 will get to license losing speeds faster than either of your cars, I'm guessing.

What do you want from your bike, apart from a non-murderous one? Do you want to tour, commute, move on to trackdays in future?

Plenty of people have started with 600s and haven't died. Myself included, despite my best efforts. I saved the full on sportsbike for my second bike though
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Triumph Daytona 675 track bike + girlfriend's Honda Hornet 600
Selling a hack/winter bike for less than a grand? PM me.
Banger rallies are ace

[miles]

umm i dont own much self restraint unfortunatly

The nissan is just over 400bhp when it works and the mx5 about 23bhp lol

Mainly as i said in the other post. Occasional commute to work but mainly just for fun and when im comfident some track days hopefully.

Going to get some insurance quotes on some 400s and some 600's to see if theres much difference.

[Rogerborg]

[miles]

seen it? ive fucking felt it mate.

Got knocked of my scooter when i was 16. Coming home about 10pm on a sat night from cricket, A women pulled out of a petrol station without her lights on and some how manged to hit my tiny moped side on.

Got up on the other side of the road. Thought i was ok. Took my gloves off and my little finger on my left hand was hanging of! Broke it in 2 places and disolated it. Had to have 2 operations and its still fucked!!

What would you guys recommed then. 400 or 600 and which one?

Miles

EDIT: HOLY SHIT!!! i didnt click on the link before i posted. That makes my little pinky look like a paper cut compared to that

[dungbug]

Hi Miles, welcome to BCF......You ain't too far from my neck of the woods.

I'd say go for a 600, alot of 400's seem to be imports which will possibly add to your insurance & parts availability might be an issue. With a UK 600 parts and insurance is straight forward (should be anyway )

I recently got a Yamaha 600 Thundercat;

https://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b29/dungbug/Thundercat.jpg

It seems to be a good commuter and is more than happy to get up to speed when you give it the berries. These can be found for around a grand which would leave you with cash over.
____________________
CBT: Pass 25/06/2011 Theory Test: Pass12/06/2012 Mod 1: Fail 08/07/2012
Mod 1 Retest: Pass 15/0702012 Mod 2: Pass 03/08/2012
Suzuki GN125 (Sold) ~ Current bike: Yamaha YZF 600R Thundercat

[U_W v2.0]

go to a dealership and sit on a few different bikes in the range your looking at (400 - 600)

see which style and size fits you best.

as best i can tell (having done this myself) finding a "big bike" is kind of like finding a jacket.

you want one that fits well, suits your personallity (or to your taste) isnt to restrictive but doesnt make you stand out like a sore thumb (or in your case, sore pinky) and generally goes well.

so translate that to bike

fits well: riding possition, size and weight
suits you: color, faired, half faired, no fairing, your ability to control
restrictive: gives you the speed you want but not out of your handling range
sore pinky: more in terms of catching the cops attention so again with the speed, something you can be responsible and safe on.

theres no point going for a sports style if you where to have back issues and need a sitting up possition like a commuter.

no point getting a bright yellow bike if you hate yellow ect ect

thats the advice i was given by an older, more experienced rider the other day while standing outside chatting.
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[Teflon-Mike]

First question.... do you actually have a full licence yet?
If not, makes much else rather irrelevent.

However, what we are looking at here is not a question if size but style.

Your looking at sports-bikes.

And you are essentially a newb.

Personally, I'd suggest you go look out a full-faired SV650 or GS500,maybe a GPz500s.

Two cylinders, similar style, more all round useability, less focused on shear fast, they have a softer margin between 'god this feels good' to 'Oh FUCK this hurts', in which you get time to actually think "WHAT D'FUCK, DIZ ent RIGHT!" and maybe do something about it.

problem with the 600's is that ALl they tend to do is 'fast', and they make it Oh-So easy.... and egg you on to go faster, making youbelieve you really CAN handle it...... until you find out VERY suddenly..... you cant.

twins will actually give you more of that 'in the margins, riding on the ragged edge' sensation, and probably give you more all round riding satisfaction, while keeping you away from that hard edge between working for you and against you, and in all likihood, giving you more 'feed-back' giving you clues about what the bike is doing in the margin, and how to 'cope' with it, so if you progress to a sport-four, where that margin IS that much tighter, you are more likely to be able to recognise the clues and do something about them.... and apreciate what the bike is doing for you better, and get more out of it.

Stepping straight on a sport-four, NOT the best thing to do.

400's? Personally I say avoid as they are a mine-field of old and imported non-uk bikes, pampered over-priced sunny day toys and bargain basement kiddie-go-kwik on a shoe-string thrape-machines.
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[janner_10]

Much as Mikes' advice is correct.

I wish I brought my CBR straight after passing my test. Does pretty much everything you describe.
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Yamaha FZS600 (Now gone to heaven) > CBR600F4i (SOLD) > '99 YZF-R1

[miles]

Thanks for the reply's guys.

Are there many dealers that will do these types of bikes?

I dont mind where it is as i will travel anywhere. I read one in fast bike today but cant remember the name as its at work. I only brought it as it had a review of a zxr 400 in it.

I dont really like the v twins if im honnest and want a full faired bike.

And nope i havent got my full license yet. Booking my theory as soon as i get paid. Then will prob take a das.

Sound like a good idea?

Going to get some insurance prices now.

[colin1]

400s are old and knackered, except the ones which arent, which are expensive

you can get a 2001 triumph tt600 for less than £1000 on ebay

I got a 600 after my rs125, because I wanted a decent step up in power, but in truth I now realise that a 500 may have been a good idea if I had known about slipping the clutch for extra acceleration.

I didnt so they felt a bit underpowered.

When I had to retake my test on one, after I had got into slipping the clutch on a regular basis, I realised they are actually pretty speedy and certainly fine for around town, possibly not so much fun on weekend rides or the motorway.

with a sports 600 you do get a lot of bike for your money though, decent brakes and suspension and often not much more than bikes that would have been half the price when new

however fully faired is easily damaged each and every time you drop it
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[Teflon-Mike]

[Slacker24seve...]

[P.addy]

[miles]

[miles]

Just got a quote on mcn for a 98 gsxr.

25 years old
Full license ( i know i havent got one yet )
0 NCB
£300 excess
TPFT
Garaged at night

£390 one off payment or 464 if spread over the year thats with bikesure.

FUCKING AWESOME

[dungbug]

[banditjohn]

Over the years I've had both 400's and 600's, as previously stated either can kill you along with crossing the road. You'll have to use restraint what ever you ride but for your sort of size, money and practicality I would say the 600 would be the better choice. I don't take anything for granted on the road as I think if you treat everybody as an idiot and are going to do the worst, then if they don't it's the better way of getting shocked. That isn't to say everyone is an idiot but treat them as one, I know that it could be considered as the glass half empty but it's got to be prevention is better than cure.
All the best John

[Ol]

[waffles]

Good advice on bikes has already been given but I did something similar to your plan.

I spent some time on a 125 then did DAS and hopped on to a 600 sports straight away, currently on a k6 gixer 600 and see no problem with doing that at all. The bike will only go as fast as you want and will very quickly teach you your limits. There is no "dark art" of riding sports bikes, they lay down the power differently but there is no reason why you shouldn't go straight on to one.

However make sure you consider all of your options! Look at fazers/bandits/hornets too as they are newbie friendly and things like boxers can be uncomfortable to ride if you aren't used to the hunched over position. Also, don't buy a bike until you have passed your tests! Nothing as depressing as seeing your shiny toy sitting around while you wait for a new test date.
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Theory test - 19/8/09, CBT - 11/10/09, MOD 1 - 16/8/10, MOD 2 - 27/10/10
Past rides Yamaha XT125X, Triumph TT600, Honda XR250
Current rides Suzuki GSXR 600, Honda MSX125