400 Or 600??????

[scott_hood_88]

I know you've probably heard this a tousand times.... I'm 17 In August and would like a bigger bike, I currently have an Aprilia RS50 which has been OK as a first bike/moped just very slow, I've been doing motocross since I was 14 so am very comfortable handling bikes, I was initially thinking of the RS125 as a stepping stone up to a 600 but seem to hear nothing but problems, I do quite a lot of milage at the moment getting to and from college, work and my friends and girlfriends houses approx 400 kms per week, so I really need a reliable four stroke machine, I did consider bikes such as the Suzuki GS500 and Kwaki ER500 but to be honest they look like really boring bikes (no offence) so I'm focusing more on the sports bikes, the sensible option would be a 400 which I have looked at a lot over the past couple of weeks-


Honda CBR 400 - Seems a good bike
Honda VFR 400 - Good bike hard to work on
Honda RVF 400 - Nice bike expensive
Suzuki GSXR 400 - Unreliable (Great looking though)
Kawasaki ZXR 400 - Unreliable, Cam Chains???


Another thing is that 400's seem to have died out most manufacturers no longer produce them a lot are imports and the more modern ones are over priced, so this is why I'm now considering a 600 (I know your all rolling your eyes) but a 600 seems like a much more sensible option in some ways to me-

There a lot more popular
Parts are cheaper
Insurance is the same
THe prices are more reasonable
Tyre - Especially on the hondas are hard to find on 400's

As I'm 17 I will be restricted to 33bhp no matter what I choose I am happy to begin riding one with 33bhp but after I am happy that I can handle the power I would like to remove the restriction and put a rev restrictor in its place and gradually unleash the bikes power as and when I can cope with it.

I am focusing on the following two bikes

Late 90's (1997-1999) Kawasaki Ninja ZX 6R (G Model)
Late 90's (1996-1998) Suzuki GSXR 600 SRAD Model

I favour the Kawasaki as its a more sports tourer and Im assuming maintance wouldnt be as feirce.

What do you guys Reccomend



-17 YRS
-Had experiance on large capacity (250) motocross bikes
-400km per week
- Price Limit Of £2750


Thanks
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FOR SALE 1990 TZR 125 SPARES REPAIRS - SPENT OVER ?300 ON PARTS FOR SALE ?300 O.N.O

[JonB]

The insurance will fuck you over on a 600cc Sports bike. 400cc VFR/RVF/CBR/ZXR400 etc etc will be much better on you price range.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[Ric]

basically im from north west london, ride a zxr400 and im 19(20 by nxt insure) got a year Ncb soon to be 2

atm the mo im payin TPFT £670 on a £2000+ 97 zxr400 w/ datatool system 3

i cant afford to insure a 600 even when my next renewal comes in. So i doubt the insurance would be the same

id go for a 400 in your shoes, a 600 still works out more expensive to buy aswell, i was after a 600 for a while, it flopped cos i couldnt even swap my 400 for a price near a decent 600

as for the

Honda CBR 400 - Seems a good bike
Honda VFR 400 - Good bike hard to work on
Honda RVF 400 - Nice bike expensive
Suzuki GSXR 400 - Unreliable (Great looking though)
Kawasaki ZXR 400 - Unreliable, Cam Chains???

i dont think any 4stroke is unreliable as such, just others more so.

the hondas have been said to go round the clock if looked after.
Gsxr i have herd rumors they are less reliable and the zxr's seem ok.

RVF is the only overpriced 400 IMO
a new RS125 is about 3500 of summin a new ZXR4 was about 4000 i think before they stopped making them. also is there anythng wrong with imports?

The pro 600 arguements are half true
theres a lot more aftermarket bits, but the parts are still the same kinda of price, even breaker bits are similar

and i beleive the 400 which run a odd size tyre arent that common and can be changed for vfr/rvf wheel not sure which way round if i remeber

i kno you probably wanted a 600 more (as i did) but if you work it out do a few on line quotes and look in bike trader with a butget of £2750 u'd be better off buyin a 400 and insurance for a year than a 600

i assume theres no real difference in performance? the 600 woul dbe slower on 33bhp id assume too.

as for the miles 400km which is 250 miles is a lot to do on any bike comfort is minimal on most sports bikes

i do 216m a week plus all the riding in the week and its ok on a 400

dont mean to sound harsh in any of this just tryin to chuck stuff off the top of my head to help u

[scott_hood_88]

Im budgetting 900 for tpo or tpft if my years ncb works out

Ric thanx that has answered a few of my questions I'm 50/50 at the moment the zx 6 r is really becoming more appealing to me though I've spoke to a few people and they all say its a comfortable all rounder, theres also a lot on the market for reasonable prices,

I guess its going to come down to what money I have come august

Do you think a 600 is a big jump my main concern is being able to cope with the weight of the bike and power, but if im sensible im hoping I will be ok???
____________________
FOR SALE 1990 TZR 125 SPARES REPAIRS - SPENT OVER ?300 ON PARTS FOR SALE ?300 O.N.O

[JonB]

Well I am going from a 50 cc moped to a 600 Bandit restricted to 33BHP, but tbh the insurance is a lot lower on a Bandit. But I have rode the Bandit behind the house a bit and it is a lot more powerful, but controllable.
____________________
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[Ric]

id say the powers not a major jump, you'll get used to it, weight on the other hand is more to deal with

[numark1]

I've got a zx6r and i'm 17. My insurance is £1,300 TPO with an accident so i reckon you may get it for your price.

Power is manageable at 33bhp. The 600 restricted is faster than the 400, i used to have a GSXR400 for a while and can vouche. Also if you are a big person then 600's are a hell of a lot more comfy.

[mchaggis]

You could go for a GPz 500. It isn't as 'boring' as the other 500's, certainly not in the go department. It has just as much poke as the 400's, is more common and almost certainly cheaper.
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I must not be a troll...
Mmmm, Guinness
Discovering the delights of Hammerite and a 3/4" brush.

[Bendy]

[Ant]

[Ric]

tru the zx6r is 170kg and the 400 is 159

so near enuff the same

[vfrjane]

Hi All

Hope you can help!. I just passed my test (restricted to 33BHP) and I purchased a VFR 400 from a private ad which said it was thought to be restricted. I think it is speedo retricted only as it seems to go quite well. Is there any way to tell if it is 33BHP restricted?. After taking off the tank (With Help!) i see the intake almost touches the chassis (Gasp!). After taking off the airbox - I see four rubber trumpets but nothing in the trumpets that appears to make it retsricted.

Am I way off? Should I look elsewhere?. Am i doomed to a Dyno CHeck?. Yours.

Broke jane!


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Jane

[Ste]

How fast does it go? ~105mph and it's 33bhp.

Scott, are you going to be keeping the bike restricted as there is little point (IMO) in getting a powerful bike and then restricting it as you still pay a huge amount for insurance. If you're going to be staying at 33bhp then you're better to get something closer to 33bhp than a sports 600 which is ~100bhp.

Also, I'd be wary of the whole "I've done motocross since I was 14 so am very comfortable handling bikes".