New riders please read this - updated

i drive a 2001 vfr which is one of the best bikes to feel at home with right away. the 1000rr is a deceptive bike for it feels safe at any speed. you dont know you are going fast on it. that is good and bad. for an experienced rider it is a joy. for a newby who wants to see what it can do that can kill you. not because of the bike but because you may get scared and tighten up and not ride technically. the bike can go a lot faster than you can. always trust the bike. just stay at the speed limit and put a few thousand under your belt before you put out the money for a track day. if you keep the rpms below 8 and work on being smooth, and pay attention to traffic vs trying to go fast, you should do ok. just because the bike can do 175 doesn't mean you have to. i flew jet fighters and i keep mine at normal speeds, even though i did 150 on the track. by the way i have never crashed. if you get as much training as possible, pay attention to driving vs showing off, wear good equipment, and put the best gear on the bike you can, you can literally drive forever and proabably never crash or have an accident. i am going on 37 years without one and i have driven all over the world. plan your drive, drive your plan and you will enjoy the ride...drive safe...  

I don't expect to be a regular contributor to this forum but...

WELL SAID!! I'm one of those who've attempted to counsel newbies away from those high performance muscle bikes as new rides. I think more often than not, I/we are successful. But, your post put it more eloquently and completely than anything I've ever said. Your post should be on the start page of every motorcycle forum that caters to new riders. Again, well said!  

great beginner article- you probably just saved my life  

Quote: A number of people have emailed me recently and asked the following question, “I have ridden a friends street bike a few times, and grew up riding off-road bikes. With this history, would I be OK on a modern 600cc bike?” The answer is “No”. Off-road and street riding are totally different worlds. Granted, someone with off-road history knows things like shift patterns, how to use a clutch, etc but the power, weight, and handling of street bikes are a different ball game altogether.

In my opinion, a modern 600cc sport bike is a good starter bike if you have been riding for a while and have the basics under your belt and you also have been driving a car for more than a few years and you are not in your teens.  Modern 600cc sport bikes do not have much torque as long as you keep the revs low unlike a liter bike.  As a new rider gains more experience, they can then take it out on the track and test the limits of their modern 600cc sport bike and it will take a lot more experience to keep the revs up on a 600cc at speed than a liter bike.
Because new riders come with different sets of skills and coordination, I do suggest that new sport riders take a MSF safety course and have an experienced instructor judge their riding skills before they take it out on the mean streets. I in no way advocate an inexperience driver especially in their teens to get a modern 600cc sport bike and I've seen many road kills in that category. Having posted my legal waiver and because I do not want to come off as a hypocrit, I just want to add that I have never taken a MSF safety course and have ridden for 18 years.  I have over 90,000 surface street miles under my belt and learned how to ride on my own. I did read as many motorycle safety technique articles and racing technique articles, I can get my hands on and tested them through trial and error on my bikes.  During those 18 yrs, I have not crashed, even though I've had many life threatening close calls and 2 full contact accidents, when I was rear ended.  Both times my black ZX6 was knocked from under me, dropping me on my ass!!  I did not sue either driver (both were talking on their cell phones and failed to see my black bike and bright tail light.) I did make the 1st guy one pay for full repairs because my bike was only 6 mos old at the time and those fairing parts were very expensive, so I thought that was punishment enough. The 2nd one was a crying girl that was very apologetic and a co-worker that followed me out of the work place parking lot after work and because my bike was old and had about 50,000 on the odometer, I took pitty on her and requested that she pay for only repairs to get it going, which was only about $100.(To all crying girls out there, that is a very good trick to get away with murder.   ) Even though I was bruised and sore for a week after those accidents, I never sued because I'm not a money hungry low life that gives bikers a bad name. oops, that was sort of off topic but that's how my mind works.  

thanks for the info i just bought a 94 zx6e was i glad to see it on your list of good starter bikes and i just signed up for the puget sound motorcycle safety course starts
6/7/07 (have to luv cancelations)looking forward to it, Thank again for the advice.


                           Donny B.  

I just bought a ninja 250 it sounds like I made a good choice for a starter bike after reading this information. It is also used not new for the very reason of having to lay it down. if anyone could help me out where is a good place to get affordable riding gear. This is the next thing on my list to get.  

Its much cheaper to buy online but then the crap might not fit right. Im here in Dallas and there is a few places that are great on prices. Where r u?  

Dude this is my first post and interestingly though its not a question and not a comment but my heart felt thanks.
Im new to the sport bike world and was on the verge of getting my dream bike a 2003 R6 yamaha even after reading all those posts in many websites urging newbies not to kid themselves with starting large.i guess i was just looking for validation of signing my death warrant!!
Anyway your opinion is painfully true and am literally fighting off the urge of ignoring your post but damn...that is the truth.
Thanks for saving my life mate.
Kawasaki250 here i come......  

I'm going to get a Daytona 675 as my first street/sport bike regardless. I used to own a 05 Kawi KX 250 (2 stroke)with fmf exh . And I think if you have good experience on a  dirt bike better it a 250cc+ bike and took the motorcycle safety course  took your time very slow learning the 600. Even if that means not getting on a busy freeway for a couple of months or just riding around your empty neighborhood streets at night, following the speed limit ect. you could learn on 600 and you'd be alright.  But. If you have no motorcycle experience whatsoever (and that doesnt count  riding a friends bike up the street) Yah whatever you do dont get a 600 sport bike you'll crash it soon after you get it. dirt bike would be ok to learn on.  at least you will have a wayy way better chance of not killing yourself on a 600 sportbike. A little over one-third of cyclists that died were speeding, approximately twice the rate for drivers of passenger vehicles or light trucks. Almost half of the fatal accidents show alcohol involvement  

everything u said realy did help me but i have an other question for u i am 6'3 and 250 do u still think a 250 or 500cc bike would be a good choice?  

Everything mentioned has been very reputable.  I am a 25 yr old former Sgt in the USMC.  Currently going to school and I intend to return back to the corps as soon as I graduate.  I still intend to purchase an '07 or '08 Yamaha-R6 in a couple of months as a first bike.  Reason being is that I also am comfortable on motorcycles having grown up riding in the dirt.  I also have gone through a '97 Integra GS-R (very first car) and a 2001 Honda S2000.  So I have pretty much have been exposed to this area of speed and clutch/throttle and quite frankly I have the "speed" out of my system.  I plan to ride with friends but no more road racing.  I am NOT looking for someone to agree with me b/c I already made up my mind, or something like that.  I also have been doing my homework on motorcycles for the past few months.  I have been reading tons of reviews, I read the MSF second edition manual ($30) twice, the PA Motorcycle Permit study guide from cover to cover 3 times, took the permit test, and am taking this whole process in strides.  I am not rushing in to this but rather setting checkpoints along the way.  I own my vehicle now and I live in downtown Pittsburgh.  I plan on keeping the bike at my parent's house and ride with my dad on the weekends for a while before I even bring it back to the city.  I do know what respect is and I have very much grown out of my "cocky" days as a 19 year old Marine.  Skill drives motorcycles and I don't intend to ride hard until I have proven myself to myself.  I am doing what I am doing because I want to be a life long rider and you need to CRAWL before you can WALK.

If anyone is in a similar situation or has any advice please feel free to reply.  

I too am new to the sport bike world, 25, Air Force Vet, and bought an '08 cbr600rr just five days ago.  I just stumbled across this site today and was kinda shocked about the concern of new riders getting 600cc bikes.  I've ridden everyday since i've gotten it, baby steps/breaking the bike in proper,  and it's the best thing in the world.  I have the pleasure of my good friend Garth, who has been on two wheels since he was four and is starting his first race season this year.  He has given me a plethora of information that has helped me get started on the right track, or street, if you will. I ride within my limits, and i respect my nearly 10,000.00 machine.  Get your R6, and have a good time man..  

first of great thread thing i amnew hear first post i just thought id let ppl know not tht i say yes do it but i do belive please correct me if im wrong but the gsxr 600 and maybe 750 to not sure have limiters on them so u can limit the amount of power not gona help if u drop it but power wise its good so u can turn a 600 into lets say a 250 to learn on for a bit  

Excelent, very informative and very right. I drive 150+ miles a day commuting back and forth in Houston Tx. and it is Crazy driving here, always looking around trying to second guess the Idiot beside you in front or behind. What I am trying to say is listen and learn this man has a lot of good advice to offer.  

j.rocket600_rr:
I too am new to the sport bike world, 25, Air Force Vet, and bought an '08 cbr600rr just five days ago.  I just stumbled across this site today and was kinda shocked about the concern of new riders getting 600cc bikes.  I've ridden everyday since i've gotten it, baby steps/breaking the bike in proper,  and it's the best thing in the world.  I have the pleasure of my good friend Garth, who has been on two wheels since he was four and is starting his first race season this year.  He has given me a plethora of information that has helped me get started on the right track, or street, if you will. I ride within my limits, and i respect my nearly 10,000.00 machine.  Get your R6, and have a good time man..

With all due respect, you have been riding your bike for 5 days. Yet, with this "experience" you advise others to get an R6.

"A side note, you may see people on the net and elsewhere saying “600cc bike are OK to start with”. Look a bit deeper when you see this. The vast majority of people making these statements are new riders themselves. If you follow their advice you’ve entered into a situation of the blind leading the blind. This is not something you want to do with motorcycles."