Hey, im looking into buying a sport bike for my daily commute to work, about 1.5 miles away. I have a leased car and have almost close to my years allowance in the first 7 months, so i want to put it in the garage for a while. My question is, in the 600cc size, what would you say is a better "beginner" bike, the Suzuki GSX-R600 or the Yamaha YZF-R6? I want a light bike b/c I'm not that big , 5'7 135. Both those bikes are under 370lbs, whereas all the others in the same class are at 400 or over. Thanks for any input!

edit: Just saw the Kawasaki Ninja 250R....that looks like it would be a good beginner bike...any opinions?

-Chad

 

What bikes in the same class are over 400lbs+? The ZX-6R/GSXR600/F4i/R6 are all the bikes in the competing class and are in the 365-377lb range.

Neither a GSXR 600 or an R6 is good to learn on. You don't even want to think of these as "beginner" bikes. The SV650S is a good bike to learn on that's 600+ CCs.

If you're thinking about commuting, the GSXR is the last kind of bike you want. Have even tried sitting on one?

The 250R is definitely a good bike to learn on, since it's smaller, not as powerful, and more comfortable. If all you care is about commuting for gas mileage, then this bike is fine.

I recommend getting some 400cc bike, because they're also small, agile, and have some speed. The ninja 500 is also good. There are just a lot of nice beginner bikes out there.

Just, don't jump into getting a new 600CC bike (GSXR, R6, etc), because you don't exactly learn how to ride and handle these bikes right off the bat...TRUST ME.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by integrate
[B]What bikes in the same class are over 400lbs+?

 

You're piling up the miles on a 1.5 mile commute?

How about getting a bicycle?

Actually, a Ninja 250 would be an excellent choice for your circumstances. Sometimes I think I should add a bike like that to my garage for commuting purposes, since my 900cc Ducati is definitely overkill for my 2 mile commute.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by scottrnelson
[B]You're piling up the miles on a 1.5 mile commute?

How about getting a bicycle?

Actually, a Ninja 250 would be an excellent choice for your circumstances.

 

Definitely good advice and smart to avoid the supersports as beginner bikes. There's nothing at all gentle about these things...they put down easily 100 hp or more in a sub-400# package. They are basically street legal race bikes. But it seems you've already figured that out.

On to the recs, for a 1.5 mi commute, why not go with a scooter? They are fun, cheap, you don't need to take a road test to legally ride one... If you are set on a "real" bike, I would suggest a Suzuku GS500, Kawasaki EX500 or 250 (while the 250 is a fine bike, you will quickly want a bigger bike, but it is great to learn on), Yamaha Seca II (air cooled 650 cc I4...this was my first/learner bike), or a Suzuki SV650 (while inexpensive and light, this one is actually a very high performance machine and can easily get you into trouble, but it's also something you won't get bored on - ever...)

Currently, I have a '94 Honda VFR and an '01 SV650, both of which I love. I think I'm selling the VFR though since my new s2k does what I use the VFR for, in many ways. And with a little modification, the SV will be able to do almost everything as well.

One more thing...don't get a bike for "practical" reasons. Riding is dangerous and you really have to have a desire to learn to do it right, otherwise you will very likely get hurt. Do it because you want to, it's a huge a amount of fun. Also, with whatever bike you get, get good gear to go along with it. Helmet, boots, gloves, jacket as a minimum, and never ride without them. Pants are good too, and as the rash on my knee can testify, should be worn more than most people wear them.

Good luck!

 

I think your rationale for wanting a sport bike is false economy.

What's your excess mileage charge? Let's assume $0.20/per mile.

Your annual excess mileage cost would then be ~ $0.20/mi * 3 miles/day * 5 days/wk * 52 wks/yr. = $156

Compare that against the cost of the bike, the insurance (which alone will be more than the excess mileage charge), and the gear that I hope you're planning to buy, and you'll spend a lot more $ than you save.

Also, commuting for short distances sucks IMO. All the extra time to put on and remove gear, dealing w/ traffic, etc. w/ none of the fun stuff like twisties, wide open roads, etc. I've commuted on my bike 2 times in the last year, as I prefer a weekend ride in the Hill Country anyday.

If you want a bike for other reasons, then go for it, but be prepared for a reasonably sized hit to your overall vehicle budget.

 

Neither! Both bikes are easy to ride .....but not for a beginner. Get an SV650S. Light, narrow and you should have no problems getting both feet down flat.

HTH

 

Do u plan on only using this bike to get places? or are u going to ride it and have fun? i think u should buy a used sv650s, that way u wont be ed if u drop it because it isnt much money, sport bikes are really fun and the svs is perfect to learn on. but if ur only using it for transportation then the 250r would be just fine

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chris S
[B]I think your rationale for wanting a sport bike is false economy.

What's your excess mileage charge?