Stop me buying an R6...oops too late!

[rhone81]

Passed my test a few weeks ago and have been looking for a bigger bike. I'm well aware of the cons to buying an R6 (not from experience of course but from research online and talking to the saleman)...but there's something about these bikes that makes me want one. He explained that if I keep the revs below 10k for the first few hundred miles and wasn't over eager with the steering it should be ok. Insurance along with a couple of '00 models I've looked at is just about affordable.

I'm probably wasting all your time. I'll probably go ahead and do whatever I want and buy one. I just feel I need some of your own experiences, be it for warning, validation or just general feedback.

Thanks in advance.

[bonehead]

50/50 mate, nice bike to learn on, take it easy and you'll be fine.

[tristan]

DONT BUY IT!
nah joking.



Like ppl told me (i did a similar thread, look at mine about cc jumps) u should be fine, just that throttle, and responsiblity.

[Mooncatt]

yeah been on an R6 above about 9k (rev wise) they take off, but below that they are pretty tame......dont get me wrong below that they do have a lot of power but as long as your gentle,responsible and dont get any silly urges you will be fine, i chose a 400 because i know what id be like
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current bike...CBR400RR
"you always need more chicken"

[R6Armadillo]

Hi,
I bought a '99 R6 as my first bike and after 4 years and over 20,000 miles I still love every minute of riding it so I say if it's what you want, go for it...
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When Eric eats a banana, an amazing transformation occurs. Eric is Bananaman. Ever alert for the call to action.

[carful_16]

Something tells me there is something wrong with R6 ...

[cc123]

Stop messing about and buy it, once your riding along you'll wonder why you tried to stop yourself in the first place.
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[Dazbo666]

The 1st bike I rode immediately after my DAS pass was a 600 sportsbike (a demo ride on a CBR600RR), and it was quite a step up in performance from the GS500 I was used to.

Personally I decided to stay with a 500 for my 1st bike, basically cos I don't think I could have trusted myself to be restrained on a 600 without experience.

But assuming you can trust yourself to keep those revs down, and ride conservatively, I'd still say go for it
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1st bike (Sept'06 - May'10) : 1991 GPZ500S / Current bike (since Nov 2009) : 2003 Suzuki Bandit 600N
Word of the day : DILLIGAF

[moonym20]

The R6 is a lovely bike i'd just be very weary of making a big leap onto a powerful bike.

Its a scream to ride and encourages you to abuse it (it takes a lot of will power to keep it under the speed limits )

i'd also say to be careful when you do start to open it up, like some other bikes the front end gets very skittish under harsh acceleration on rough roads, i'd go for it

p.s. just make sure the gearbox is ok on it first
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A scientist crossed a skunk with an owl. He's got a bird that smells but doesn't give a hoot

[dainesefreak]

Some worthwhile bits from moonym20. The gearboxes can be quite clunky and the gear selector spring can go, cheap to fix but a pain in the arse. They can also be quite front end slappy, obviously dependent on the roads you ride and how you ride. I found myself backing off on B roads and A's that were quite bumpy or rippled. A steering damper is a bonus although there's not much steering lock so be careful with low speed maneuvers as it could catch you out as a new rider. Otherwise just take it easy. Mine was a 2001 by the way.

[skida]

Ask yourself "Why do I want a sportsbike for my first big bike?"

I believe you will learn to be a good rider more quickly on a naked bike with less power. If you have just passed your test you aren't a good rider yet. You have reached the necessary minimum standard.

Some people graduate straight to a sportsbike and never crash. Some don't. Some are no longer with us.
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Previous: Suzuki GT125, Honda C50, Honda C90, Suzuki GS125, Yamaha XJ600N, Triumph 955i Sprint ST, Triumph 955i Speed Triple, Triumph 955i Tiger, Triumph 955i Sprint ST
Current: Honda CBR600FR

[St0rmer66]

[dainesefreak]

You're not replacing the gears if the gear selector spring goes, it's the spring that returns the gear lever, it's about a £2 part plus labour. If you're replacing gears you've got more of a problem than the spring.

[St0rmer66]

[dainesefreak]

I didn't mention it jumping out of gear, I mentioned the gear selector spring going. They also go on R1's, even the mighty 98 can fall foul, I've owned both R6 and R1.

[woo]

If your really unsure why not just get an R1 and really learn how to control the throttle at all times not just below 9000rpm, its a bigger challenge?
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Elen sila lummen omentielvo!

[tristan]

[dainesefreak]

Woo just suffers from R1orgasmatronic syndrome.

[woo]

I most certainly have to agree with you there!

The bike just fits me perfectly as im so small at only 5'5!

The R1 even feels smaller than my old 00 R6 i used to have.
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Elen sila lummen omentielvo!

[St0rmer66]

[rossidude46]

as long as you take your time to get used to it, no reason why you should not get one.

my only worry would be about it getting nicked, so get an ALMAX chain & lock it so something solid when you are not riding it

[G]

Reasons not to buy it:
Those that bought powerful bikes then killed themselves on them aren't here to offer their opinions.

It sounds like you are buying it because you like the looks, rather than because the bike suits you.

The bike has, for me, an uncomfortable riding position for daily use - they make perfect sense when going for it on the roads or on track, but is terrible going to the shops or sitting on the motorway.

The r6 from that era was naturally very unstable and has been known to get into some nasty tank-slappers. I've been following R6s and been very surprised the rider hasn't come off after the whole bike has started shaking.

Keeping the revs down will help, but the R6 can be a very fast bike which will bite if you treat it badly. Leant over in a corner you need to be relatively smooth with the throttle or it's liable to throw you off. Similarly, the brakes are very good - meaning a light touch at the wrong time can see you losing traction before you've considered what you've done.
Even though it's fairly lacking in midrange, we're still talking maybe similar power to an SV650 in the first 10k revs where the SV650 stops making power and the r6 goes on to make a load more.

Buying a fairly shiny powerful bike may mean you enjoy the riding less than if you'd bought a tattier less powerful bike which you could make more use of.
Some people are happy to gain enjoyment from owning bike from looking at in the garage and thinking 'cool' and believing (often incorrectly) that others will think the same when they see you riding it.

A lot of people will say "get it if you want it" - often ignoring that people 'want' it because the bike looks pretty, not because it offers them the riding experience that would be best for them. Now, generally pretty bikes (unless you think cruisers are pretty) do have half decent performance, but I've seen plenty of cases where people have bought a bike based on looks or 'reputation' and I'm pretty sure they would have actually had more fun if they'd bought a cheaper bike that didn't look as nice or they didn't associate as being as 'cool'.


Saying all that, you can get an early R6 for not much these days.
You might find the riding position comfortable - though the consensus is that it's not great, some are fine with it.
It can be ridden slowly, but an R6 doesn't do slow as well as many other slightly more sedate bikes, however as a first big bike, you won't know any better.

My general advice would be to not buy from a dealer unless you've got several people that have told you they are one of the few 'good ones'. Private sales should save you money and, in my experience, are less likely to have people lying to you etc.
Dealer or private, get someone that knows about bikes to go along with you - I've seen plenty of bikes sold by dealers in totally shocking states with the dealer plain lying about work they've done to it pre-sale.

[moonym20]

Its funny you should mention the riding position G, although the R6 is my first propper super sports bike i find the seat much more comfy than the NSR, i have sat on the saddle for over an hour at a time and my arse has been fine, the only problem i have had with the riding position is painful wirsts after 45mins or so... its horses for courses i guess

It is a heavy bike and can be diffficult to handle at very slow speeds during full lock turns... as said the full lock is rather poor.. if you had a width of the M25 available you may be able to complete a U-Turn without stopping

As with the gear boxes some bikes suffer from it, others don't most folks just go and grab a gearbox from an 03 lump which is why you may find 2003 motors in short supply. Its not a difficult job to sort (so im told) but the cost can soon sky rocket depending what you do

I would just sit on the machine and make sure you are happy with it, as G said you should buy the bike because it suits you rather than how it looks
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A scientist crossed a skunk with an owl. He's got a bird that smells but doesn't give a hoot

[G]

An hour I'd personally still consider a fairly short ride, but I never had a problem with the r6 seat it's self, as you say it's your arms (or would be your back if you had your arms in the 'proper' riding position ).

The gear box is probably expensive if you pay someone to do it, but shouldn't be more than a day or two's work if you're doing it yourself.

[cc123]

Stop faffing, just buy...........hmmmm look, how nice!!!



https://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z42/cc123_album/P9050028.jpg
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