Scared to test ride GSXR600

[bindy]

Hello everyone. I have Honda CBR250RR. I am only 5"5 and pretty light. I want to buy my cousins Gixxer 600 but I am used to such a small bike and I am scared that I will crash it. Will the extra power and such a high seat height cause a massive problem? Or will I just have to adjust. Im just worried that I will take off into a bush and then have to buy the bike cause I broke it. Plus he has a gravel driveway with lots of loose gravel and dips etc. !!!!!!

[freestyler_onli]

I went from an RS125 to a GSXR600. I was scared too- but i was taller- being 6ft. The bike is very forgiving. When i think im going to come off, the bike gets me through it.

Im not sure about being your height. You'd have to see how it feels- thats one thing we cant help you on im afraid!

[MarJay]

Its all about confidence. The thing is, to a certain extent if you are worried about crashing it means that you are worried as to whatyou might try when you ride the bike. Conversey it also means that you might treat the bike with respect because you are worried.

You are the only one that can answer which of those fits you.

As for seat height, I'm 5ft6 and used to own a Triumph Daytona 955i (which isn't a small bike by any means). Its just a case of keeping your right foot on the peg and sliding over a little to get your left foot on the ground. You kind of do it without noticing after a while anyway.

The Gixxer probably weighs about the same as your CBR, but the weight is carried in a different place. The main thing that will intimidate you is the physical size of the bike. Unfortunately thats just something you'll have to get used to.

Give it a go, get your cousin to wheel the bike off of the gravel drive onto a straight and level piece of tarmac, and take the bike from there.

Oh and take it easy with the throttle and brakes!
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[dainesefreak]

Get him/her to to move it onto the road for you and have a sit on it, see how it feels. Move it up and down a quiet road and get used to controlling it, you don't need to jump on it and blast about straight away. Time and confidence are what it's all about, you will soon get used to the weight it's all about technique.

[MikeyC]

I had a Honda NSR125, only experience of a bigger bike was the 500cc bike used in my DAS. Went to buy a GSXR600 from a place 20 miles from home. Never ridden such a big bike before, but rode it home... definitely a confidence issue!

[vfr_iow]

[Wave2k]

i went from a 400 to a 750.
you will actually find them easier to ride to day.
big bikes are pussy cats, but if you want them to turn into killing machines just twist the throttle all the way back.
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RS125->CBR400->RXS100->GSXR750K2->Ducati749S->CBR600RR5->TL1000R->DRz400->RSVR1000->Honda VTR SP1->CBR400->GSXR1000K6->Honda H100->CBR600RR3->Ducati1299

[mchaggis]

The 600 fours only really pick up their skirts and take off once they're above 7-8k or so. Keep it below that to start off with and you should be fine. Just don't try to do anything in big amounts (throttle, braking or leaning) until you're confident that you can control it.
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[Chr!S]

If you can ride and operator at CG125, you can do exactly the same on any bike. The only thing that may take you by surprise is the weight difference, but really that isnt a huge issue either.

Any bike can be ridden slowly and in control. It's when you stop respecting the machine that it will bite.

[Bendy]

The bit that's going to stress you is the low speed handling. You'll feel like you're terribly high up and there's nothing you can do about that other than get used to it - trust me, you will get used to it so it's not a reason to say no to the bike.

Other thing you need to do is pay a bit more attention to where you're putting your feet when you stop - watch for slippy things like manhole covers or for weird cambers in the road. Again, you get used to this in time but at first when it feels big and intimidating, that'll be what screws with your head.

Once you're moving at normal pace it'll all feel fine.

[darrenh]

at the end of the day your in control of that bike, just be confident! you control how fast you ride, how hard you brake, how you take that corner coming up! be sensible and you shouldnt end up in hospital
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[craigs23]

It's a Jap inline 4 - it's only as fast as you want it to go. After you've got the basics out the way (which you probably have with the 250), Jap bikes aren't that scary to ride. I'm now confident enough to give anything a go - the jump from 400-900cc wasn't as daunting as I thought it would be.

Think I'll take a ZX10R for a test ride now, just to see what the fuss is about...

[Dom_]

Only the same things are being said here, all repeated, you make the bike go fast, it's not going to bite you unless you behave stupidly.

I'm only small (5'7/8") and when i worked for dk i was only 16 and rode an rs50, i was allowed to ride the big bikes around the back just to move them etc.. Just be careful and you'll be ok. I found the weight and size of them not a problem really.

[mistergixer]

From personal experience, i went from a 125 to 600 Gixer.
At the time i had convinced myself that i should get a 400, until i spoke to my mate who himself had gone from a 125 to a 600 Gixer, he said:
Stop being such a soft twat, it's only going to go as fast as your right hand lets it.

Wise words indeed.
Anyway, i bought the gixer and i've never looked back.
Regarding height, my mate is about 5 foot 6 and he could get both feet down comfortably, i'm 6 foot and i get both my feet flat on the floor.
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[LeonClayton]

got on a cbr600 straight from a 125. scared myself shiteless when the power band kicked in!!!! .

jumped on motorway got to 140 and shat myself!!!.

Just get some open road and try it. ready with the back brake if the front lifts to much and enjoy.

2 weeks later you wont raise a eyebrow at 100. Maxing out a 750gsxr at 2am on the M27 does that nowadays, lol

have fun dude.

[LUXY DJ]

GO 4 IT!

i went from 125/172 SCOOTER - 600 gixxer but i was fine & even @ 130 (the 1st big breeze i did) i still wanted moe

also get some pilot sports on it & you can take the piss with cornering

btw is it a srad or k-series?
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[colin1]

I had a nasty moment when manouevering an r6 at low speed. I was turning and leaning, when the bike cut out at low revs. As it was leaning, when the power went, it went to fall over but as it was low speed I just caught it. Im 5ft8 if i had been smaller i might not have caught it.

Sometimes bikes cut out at low revs if they have been fitted with a race can as they are running lean.

If your mates bike doesnt have a race can you wont have this problem.

When out on the open road you wont have any problems, its just stopping where you have to put your feet down.

Get him to get it off the gravel drive before you ride it maybe.
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[colin1]

i agree with that last comment.

When i test rode an r1, i rode it slower than I ride my rs125. Still amazingly fun tho.
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[Dazbo666]

bindy, I'm only an inch or so taller than you, but managed to progress from a CG125 to a GS500 and a CBR600 without any serious trouble.
A lot of it is down to your own confidence, and even if you're still nervous, that can usually be used to your advantage too... If you're a little nervous it means you'll tend to be careful and not do something so stupid that you'd get yourself into trouble.

I'd suggest asking your cousin to get the bike off the gravel before you start, so that you can take your time to get used to the bike on stable ground?
Even before you start it up, I'd suggest you sit on it with the sidestand still down so that you can get used to the height and balance of the bike (without the worry of dropping it), and you'll be surprised at how quickly you'll start to feel more comfortable.

[Spike_R]

i went from an rd125lc to a CR500, sure the power is fairly different, but at the end of the day dont be scared of any bike, it only goes as fast as you twist the throttle.

its pretty simple, you can ride the cr500 and its no faster than the 125 was, until you give it a handful, see the problem is all these twats in pubs say rarr you'll never be able to ride a bike like that (eg YAM R1), when of course ya can, if you can get both feet on the floor, hold the weight of the bike up, you can ride anything.

All sportsbikes have a relativly low seat height, i wouldn't have said your height will matter at all, i'm only 5' 7" and i can quite easily ride a CR125 motocross bike with a really tall seat height..

Best of luck, enjoy the gixxer.
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[bindy]

Thanks everyone. Good Advice. Someone asked me if it was a K series. Its 2002 so K1 or 2 i dunno. I have sat on it. I should have said. I had boots on with fairly thick soles and it was ok. I could bend my elbows when holding handle bars, i think the top half of my body is long enough its just my stupid short legs. They are ridiculous. I am 5"5 but even for my height my legs are short, It sucks. If i buy it I will try and get some padding taken out of seat. My bike gets to about 180 -90 kph and then nearly blows up. Its a CBR250RR if you all forgot. It redlines at 19000 so im used to having to bash at the throttle. Only has about 45hp and weight of 158 kg But im sick of having to thrash it and it dosent feel too safe on the highway. I need something more stable. The roads here ( in tasmania) are dodgy too. Below any sort of standard.