your first big bike and was it a good choice

[glenbat]

well? cbt booked ofr tuesday and DAS month after and wondered what your first big bike was and was it a good choice? do you think a 600cc sportsbike would be too much straight after DAS?

[stinkwheel]

I had a highly tuned 350 2-stroke and it was far too much bike for me to handle. Learned quick though. (Note, I did my test on a 125 before restricted licences came in).
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[EllioTT_GiXXeR]

Full power Gixxer at 17, its fine.
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www.gixerjunkies.net www.gixerjunkies.net www.gixerjunkies.net www.gixerjunkies.net

[McGee]

89 ceeber and yes cause it was a piece of shat
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◙◙► K6 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 1000 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► 96 RF600r ◄◙◙
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Its pronounced Jixxer!

[Cillit-BANG]

The odds are that you'll crash it.

Probably not in a 'kill yourself' type of incident, but the statistics show your likely to have it sliding down the tarmac at some point in the first year or two.

If your a level headed mature person, then you'll be fine with the power, it's suprising how you become used to it. But having said that there is a hell of a lot of power to play with, especially if you've never ridden bikes before, and this can often work against you espically whilst cornering or riding in wet/crap conditions.

Personally I rode a 125cc for 6 months, then did my DAS, jumped on a 65bhp (600cc sportsbike approx 100bhp) 750cc Ducati and have riden it for a year, and am now thinking about upgrading to a 600 sportsbike. Yes, I have crashed it, giving it too many berries round a corner with my knee down, it's easy to get caught up thinking your better than you are, and then the bike will make it's point by spitting you off.

Even after a year 65bhp still feels incredibly fast. I suspect that after riding somthing larger, it will feel slow as feck, but its all relative. 65bhp is seriously fast if your used to driving everyday type cars.

But thats just my opinion.

Insurance is also a major factor. For example a sportsbike at 25 with 0 no claims would have been up near £2k full comp. Which was out of my reach.

Have you considered a 400cc sportsbike, or a 600cc street-bike; bandid, hornet, sv etc? Still all very capable bikes aimed specifically for riders like yourself.

Personally I respect riders far more who have learnt to ride their bikes well, than one's that can ride the fastest down the straights.

[camcam]

i went from a 100cc scooter > 125 nsr > 600cc gsxr with no problems ive had it since november so i got used to the bike in shitty conditions now its etting dryer its alot more fun.
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laugh now cry later
SUZUKI GSXR600 98 SRAD RED/BLACK ***sold gonna miss you***
SUZUKI GSXR750 '00 K1 SHAPE BLUE/WHITE

[G]

A KLR650.

Got around 45hp or so, but a fairly broad range of torque so moderately easy to ride.
Top speed of around 100 or just under sees a /lot/ of wobble from the bars, so you don't tend to get up there that much.

Crashes pretty well, never had to replace anything after a crash apart from a clutch lever.

I did want something quicker fairly soon when I was riding it after passing my test, but I had been riding for quite a few years then, including this same bike previously (but only off road, of course, mr police officer ).


If you actually want to use a 600 sports bike, then it's not for you as a first bike.
If you don't want to use it, why bother with the expense?
Catch 22.

[innominate]

I had a Monster, it was pants.

Not a very reliable example of the bike.
Sounded great and was fun to ride, but constant mechanical problems lead me to swap it for a CB500.


Now got an FJR1300, comfy fast & big
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I, as a responsible adult human being, will never concede the power to anyone to regulate my choice of what I put into my body, or where I go with my mind. From the skin inwards is my jurisdiction, is it not? I choose what may or may not cross that border. Here I am the customs agent. I am the coast-guard. I am the sole legal and spiritual government of this territory, and only the laws I choose to enact within myself are applicable.

[Kickstart]

Hi

First big bike after my test (and this was quite a while before 33hp limits, DAS or any of that stuff) was a CB400N (Superdream). Not that quick but heavy and cheap. Good way to get used to having some torque and a decent amount of weight to catch you out, and not much to damage when it does catch you out. Fun bike? Not a hope, but when you pass your test you are still very much a learner (and I had done something like 25000 miles on a 125 before my test).

I would not say to go for a sports 600 as a first big bike. More power, handling and brakes that someone who has just passed their test can use, and expensive results when they make a mistake.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[veeeffarr]

Hi Keith,

What do you think of a 500cc GPZ after doing 4000 miles on a 125?

Sorry for the hijack!

Toby

[Kickstart]

Hi

About perfect. Reasonable amount of power and weight, fair to manage and quick enough to keep ahead of traffic. Only real down side is the ease with which they can be damaged when you drop them (eg, indicators mounted on the fairing on the early ones, no metal support so they tend to break off the fairing fairly easily).

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Tom C RX50]

They look gay and aint nice to ride. Bad choice. Get a gsxr600 and restrict it till your used to it, then take em out and have some fun
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**FOR SALE** Aprilia RX50, full system gianelli exhaust, 70cc MK big bore, MK pro race filter, 20mm Dellorto carb, aftermarket sticker set, small plate, carbon look indicators, new rear tyre, years tax and mot, new chain and sprockets, very fast bike. 1200 ono **FOR SALE**

[the grim reaper]

I had an NC30 for a year or so then bought a Thundercat and then a Blade. The NC30 was more than enough to start with and taught me a lot about how a big bike handles (even though it was incredible in the handling stakes).

The Thundercat would probably have got me in trouble if I'd gone straight for that.

My tuppence worth.

Cheers

Grim
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Adverts don't always work: Remember that advert, where the army are running across the desert and they have a wounded man on a stretcher. They get to a ravine, the bridge is down and a caption pops up that says, 'What are you thinking?'. I don't know about you but I was thinking, 'Christ, I'm glad I'm not in the f***ing army'.

[zaknafien]

Bought a thundercat after my test, still got it and never had a problem.

I was on a 125 for 2 years before that.

I think if i'd gone for a 400 or something i'd have got bored and sold it by now.
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02 Firestorm.

[GearboxGeezer]

im jumping from a moped with gears to a restriced 600, think ill keep it restriced for at least a year, but dont hold me to that..

[Kickstart]

[akaDAVE]

Still on my first bike, a ZXR400 I've been riding since August.
It has proved to be just what I needed in terms of being easy to ride and learn skills on without being too powerfull. I've had enough runs around in the wet to feel the back spinning though.
Overall it has been neverending fun so I can't complain!!
I'd highly recomend one as a first bike. They're good for insurance if you're a starter but it seemed like there were few good ones around and thier prices are relatively high when compared to 600s.
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GSXR600

[veeeffarr]

[fuzz]

Still riding my first bike bike, SV650S. Perfect choice for me, I'm so glad that I found one in such well looked after condition. Just under 70bhp is plenty for on the road. I'm after something more sporty now, but I've had this for the best part of a year.
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https://www.bikepics.com/members/fuzzbcf/
Bikes: '99 NSR125R, '00 SV650S, K1 GSX-R600, '97 CB500, K3 SV1000S, '16 VFR800

[Bullet]

i got a zxr 750 as my first bike, still got it and my riding ability is still below the bikes, but gradually getting closer! some may say this is a waste but i disagree if id got a 400 (not really any cheaper anyway) im sure that i would be bored by now, and would then have the expense of swapping bikes after 6-12 months. very glad i didnt go for the nc30 i was planning on. but i have no ego problems with holding back, if self controll is a problem i wouldnt get a big sports bike as your going that much faster when you eventualy fuck up!
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nonstop unicorns vomiting sunshine pills into a rainbow toilet
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past: ZXR750 J1, K1 & H1, GPX600R, Yamaha Radian. present: ZXR750 J2, SP-1, CB350

[VTR SP1]

I did direct access and went straight onto a 99 CBR600FX. I had ne problems, no crashes but then again my priority was not getting my knee down within the first few weeks.

SP1
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I rode the Nurburgring backwards.

[craigs23]

My first bike was a 1978 400/4 - and it was a very good choice. It taught me about the aspects of motorcycling I enjoy most; riding with road craft, forward planning and machine control for momentum/speed (flowing corner complexes together and out handling modern day tackle was so much fun - 80mph everywhere allowed me to pay attention to cornering - without brakes (didn't want to go any faster incase it went pop - also, it wasn't a thrasher's bike (out of town of course)).

Also taught me how satisfying it could be to work on, rebuild and restore my bikes, plus riding around on machinery that you didn't see everywhere (the heads I used to turn riding to bike meets - especially after showing how old (young?) I was at the time. Probably started my fondness (obsession?) of keeping my bikes clean and tidy.

Second best 400 I've ever owned (and I've had 5).

[Simple]

I rode a ccm600 when I was 10, threw it in a hedge and never got on it again

but proper road bike more than a 125 (though the varadero was pretty big ) is my gpz500s

I've dropped it once on christmas eve after I stalled it and lost balance, Its a good bike, looks okay, good on fuel, cheap to insure,
I like it..

so yeh I'd say its a good first bike apart from, I did like to do all my own engine work etc, but there is no way I'm touching shims with a barge pole, tappits and 2strokes I dotn mind..but not Shims..so i have to pay (£70) to have those done.
simple
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Insta - FemFeral

[Simple]

[Kickstart]