F4i Good Start Bike?

Hi, I've been debating this bike as my 1st bike, but figured I'd ask people who already own this bike for there advise. I'm just looking for a rough idea if this bike is beyond my scope, as in I should get something in the lower cc before jumping into this bike. Will this bike be forgiving to a new driver?

well it really depends on what your riding experience is. Alot of people say that the F4i's were the best bikes made, and by far the best entry bike, but that doesnt mean anybody can just jump on one and ride it. These bikes are very forgiving only if you respect the bike and your skill that goes along with it. I'll say that the F4i doesnt have as much HP as some of the other 600's out there but is def. a good bike to start with. I rode for a year and a half before i bought mine but a very good entry bike

I guess I did forget to give some background on myself. I've never rode before but became intrested after my cusion got his 1st bike a SV650. I want to take the MSF traning in my area come this spring (06). When I do complete the course the next step is a bike. So i've been looking around and came apon this one along with the new 06 ninja 650R and suzuki GS500F. I've always concidered myself a very careful driver when it comes to my car. I'm not the type of person to do 50 in a 30 zone eather or start doing wheelys my 1st week on a bike. I really would appricate some direction from people who have more riding experince than me.

Well I can tell you that the f4i was my first bike and man did it take a beating!! when i wrecked the first one i got another beacause i liked evrything about it so much .its more than powerfull enough for a beginer and manouvers better than bigger bikes. but like i said it will take a beating.....(which a new rider will give it while learning) and still run great. but hey thats just my 2 cents

Don't get something that you will lose interest in after the first month of riding, as you would with a smaller bike. I just bought a 02 F4I, and I have been on big cruisers for 5 years, and this bike is great.

2 cents : get a 600, don't go smaller.

i agree with that, anything smaller you will probably get discouraged with it when you learn more about the bike, but with a 600 you still need to treat it with respect. People that have never ridden before and jump onto 600's and 1000's and try doing wheelies the first week, end up crashing, killing themselves, or hurting someone else. Those are the types of people that make the rest of us riders suffer by having to pay rediculous amounts of insurance, and more or less setting the stereotype that all people that own sport bikes are idiots. You'll love the bike, and the power is all there, but please dont do anything your not capable of.

I dont think getting something smaller is a bad choice...but be aware your gonna ride it for a couples months and want to upgrade. I bought an 01' F4i for my first bike and still have it just got done with my first season and im not dissapointed at all. Infact I am quite happily surprised how easy a second gear sit down will come up. So yes in agreeance with everyone else respect your 600 its not just a begginer bike.

Thank you all for your responses and look foawrd to anyone else who can shead some light on this motorcycle. I've also been wondering about where to find this bike for sale. I've used the obvious choices such as ebay and cycletrader, but was hoping there may be some other avenues I could go down to find this modle in a 01-05 range.

I rode a suzuki bandit 600s for 2 months, sold it, and then 6 months later bought an f4i. I had the guy I bought it from ride it over to my house because I was afraid I wouldnt be able to ride it and would crash. Well, once it was at my house I hopped on it and it was easier than shit to ride. It fealt like a toy compared to the Bandit. Every control input you do on a sportbike is instant, every movement has some effect on the motorcycle. I dropped the bandit 3 times, all from killing the motor (I had NO clue how to work the clutch) and the bike jumped out from underneath me and I couldnt hold it up (bandits are heavy). So the point is, you might drop it a few times, so be prepared for the fact that you might damage your pretty new bike. I usually talk shit about Hondas and the f4i, but really its a good bike to learn on. My only major complaint is that it had more power, ive only put 5000 miles on mine and it just feels down right slow. But if you are new, you dont need more power anyway. I wanted to sell it and get something faster, but everyday it teaches me something new and makes me a better rider. Once you get used to the bike you will feel like you're one of the Hayden brothers, but the truth is youll have a lot more to learn and its a great bike to teach you. Dont get a ninja500 or suzuki 500, or any of those psuedo sportbikes, they are just waste of time and money. A ninja650r or sv would be allright, but I think the f4i is your best choice. Any 600 supersport is manageable with respect and brains, but the f4i is probably the easiest out of them all. Look in your local newspaper for f4i's. They have been making them since 2001, and it seems everyone and their mom owns one or knows someone who has one.

You could contact your local dealers and have them put you on a list for a used one. The dealers in my area were pretty good about that. You just have to go in knowing what it books out at (kbb.com or nadaguides.com) and not take any crap from them. But I think cycletrader is a good place to be when you are buying or selling.

For the record, I started on a 1999 F4.

Is the F4/F4i a good bike to start on? Yes and no. I had never really ridden a bike until I bought mine. I RESPECTED the bike a ton and learned to ride on it just fine. Is a 600 sportbike the best thing to learn on, probably not. If you are dead set on a 600 sportbike, get the F4i, it is a great bike.
There is nothing wrong with a smaller cc bike like stated above. Some of those bikes are great for a beginner, they teach you great skills and have a lot less horsepower which would get you in less trouble.
If you would get a smaller bike, like stated above, don't expect to have it much longer than one season.

I would find a cheaper F4i, because you are bound to drop or wreck it unless you have a bunch of money to replace plastics. Don't dump a bunch of money into mods until you invest in some good gear (jacket, helmet, gloves....pants and boots if you want to ride aggressive). Take the MSF course (Beginner and Advanced if available). Rider upgrades are much better than bike upgrades.

I bought my first F4i a couple of months back after not riding for a year or so. I found this bike is perfect. Before I had been riding a 600RR. Now, I like the fact that the F4i has a decent amount of power for a 600, unlike the Katana which are heavier in the 600 class.
I think it's best to start with, cause like all the guys said a 500 is basically not worth it. As one of my buddies told me it's better to grow into a bike than grow out of it. I have no desire to upgrade to a 750 or larger for a few more seasons. This bike is great for helping me perfect forgotten skills and learn more. I love this bike!!
The great thing for me is my '01 is aproxx 373 dry weight, and being a female that's an important factor.

Oh, btw try Craigslist.org for bikes . . . . . that's where I found mine :) At a killer deal too!

my first bike is an f4i as well, i got it about a month ago. not the most powerful bike out ther, but enough to scare yourself with. like everyone else is saying, respect it. ride casual and take the time to get comfortable with it. as far as for a first bike its an excellent choice, dont settle for a smaller bike, if you got to make the payments on it, you might as well get something youll be happy with , right!

or craigslist.com, its where i found mine for $4850 with only 6000 miles and not a scratch on it

good idea not to get a brand new bike for your first bike. the gs is a good bike, also look at the ninja 500. i rode for a year on the street and had previous experience before i got my f4i....

I'm going to offer a perspective that is probably not popular here with the general consensus. I'm not saying its right or better but just something for you to think about and consider.

First, lets starts with some assumptions/facts:
1. you are a new rider with little to no experience.
2. your desire is to ride a sportbike which implies that you [eventually] want to ride it aggressively.

Now on to my soapbox...

Several here have said that you should get what you want or you'd otherwise be unhappy. I disagree with that. Keep in mind that this is your first bike. If you truly end up loving sportbike riding, then it won't be your last bike. No matter what you get, there will always be something newer and better out there. So there will always be some degree of dissatisfaction.

People have often said that you can start on a 600 as long as you ride responsibly and keep your head. I think that's true 99% of the time. Its that 1% that can kill you. 600s are so smooth (yes, even the older ones) that many are riding high speed without even realizing it. I'm sure we've all experienced looking down at our speedos and saying, "Oh SH!T! I'm doing 90mph". Now put a new rider in the twisties, cruising along being as responsible as can be and then......BOOM....you in a corner too hot. What do you do???? (there is no right or wrong answer here as there are likely several options) This is where the 600 can be outright deadly and people learn that a 600 isn't as forgiving as once thought.

In these situations, the higher horsepowered bikes would prefer to throw you off and continue on their merry way. But its these situations that you need to learn to suvive on the streets. Things like panic breaking, mid-turn steering adjustments, when and when not to apply the throttle are not easily learned on a 600 (though not impossible). In these situations, the smaller, lighter, less powerfull and more forgiving bike is what will teach you what to do and not do in a safer (and hopefully, less painful) manner. And isn't that the point of your first bike (which brings me to the first assumption/fact)???

Some have said that if you get a small bike as your first bike that you'll be wanting something with more power in a short time. Though I have no evidence or hard data to support this, IMHO, I believe the people who say this are the ones who are only concerned with going fast in a straight line and don't carry the corner speed. A small bike will force you to use all available horsepower and carry the corner speed (which brings me to the second assumption/fact). You'll learn much faster how to ride aggressively and ride a sportbike the way it was designed to. Take it to the track and you'll learn [quite quickly] the advantages to starting on a small bike.

Anyway, this is just a perspective from an avid track rider who pushes his bike more than the average street rider. Ultimately, the choice is yours. Just realize that your choices can have serious consequences. I believe a smaller bike will better prepare you for all the crap that the street will throw at you.

Good luck!!

abadfish this is the same thing I've also been told from my uncle a long time rider. I'm torn between spending this amount of cash on a bike that I will grow out of in short peroid of time. I'm mostly scared of buying at lets say 4,500 and having to sell it after a season becuase I want go into the 600cc range. Just seems like a waste of cash taking a likley 1-2k hit on a 500cc bike so I can upgrade. I'm also scared that a 600 bike may put me way over my head. I'd also like to point out my favor towards the sports bike is it's style and less about it's speed, not a big fan of the crusier style. I'm mostly in this for a new learing experince and something nice to drive on those great spring and summer days.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Melantus

I'm torn between spending this amount of cash on a bike that I will grow out of in short peroid of time. I'm mostly scared of buying at lets say 4,500 and having to sell it after a season becuase I want go into the 600cc range. Just seems like a waste of cash taking a likley 1-2k hit on a 500cc bike so I can upgrade.

One of the points of my post was that a small bike won't be something you'd outgrow quickly. But it would be futile to argue that point. Anyway, where I live (SF Bay Area), smaller bikes are so popular that you would easily sell it for the same amount that you bought it for (or even more). From what I've heard, its the same in other places. Maybe your area is like that too.

quote:

I'm also scared that a 600 bike may put me way over my head.

I won't lie to you... that possiblity is also there with the smaller bike. The real issue becomes which would you be more likely to recover from as a new rider. When you're learning to drive, do you start out with a fancy sportscar or do you start on some beater and eventually get the car you want?? (same principle here)

quote:

I'd also like to point out my favor towards the sports bike is it's style and less about it's speed, not a big fan of the crusier style. I'm mostly in this for a new learing experince and something nice to drive on those great spring and summer days.

that's certainly your perogative. But do remember that these aren't just weekend toys.

It sounds like you have your mind set on a 600. That is fine. Buy the 600 if that is really what you want. Just be sure to take the MSF classes and get GOOD gear, none of the squid, look-cool stuff (A lot of the ICON gear is more for show and other stuff along those lines).

craigslist, got an amazing deal, 5500 for only 2100 miles. thats practiaclly new, well its not new anymore

Unfortunately, like with anything, failure is the only way you will get better. The bad thing is, on a motorcycle, if you fail the consequences can be quite severe and permanent. But really, to get better you have to push yourself and push your limit. If you are striving to be a better motorcyclist you will fall down or make a mistake. Luckily for me, I havnt made any major mistakes yet that have got me into a situation I couldnt get out of. But I am positive that in the future I will, especially as I advance to more powerful motorcycles and/or begin to ride at the track. Rossi has crashed numerous times and he is arguably the best rider in the world. So you can tiptoe your way into motorcycling and buy what I consider the equivelant of a scooter, or get a F4i. Either way, eventually you will make a mistake. The 500 will definately prolong your existence a little longer, but as you advance and desire something faster (which you will very shortly after buying a 500) you eventually will fall. I say just get the f4i, it is just as capable of teaching you the same things a 500 will, and it can teach you more. Sure it can also hurt you more easily, but that's only if you let it. Just dont twist the grip and think about your every move. Basically, just dont screw up. But then again you have to screw up to get better, jeez what a dilemma.

I have to agree with abadfish, and go with the unpopular opinion on this one as well. I started off on a ninja 250 for about 3 months, moved on to my yamaha fzr 600 for about four years, and then moved on to my f4i a month or so ago. Riding skills are MUCH easier to learn on a smaller bike, as they are more forgiving. In my experience, you will be a better rider after 6 months of owning a 250 or 500 than a modern 600. And those bikes are no slouches either - I remember a time I scared myself with a huge wheelie when shifting into 2nd on my 250!

As far as resale goes, there's no problem there. You can easily pick up a USED ninja 250/500 and sell it for the same price you paid for it. heck, if you buy in the wintertime and sell in the summer, you could probably MAKE $$ on it! And if you do end up dropping it (highly likely), would you rather drop your $2000 ninja or $5000 f4i?

The F4i is an awesome all around bike, but in my opinion, is a bit much for a first timer... I know, lots of people started with it, but you could be a much more skilled rider in a shorter amount of time on a smaller bike...

IMO...you don't have to push your limits to get better...that is a farse...IMO...again...
for instance, you take the same corner everyday...each day you grow more comfy with it and take it a bit faster.
eventually, there will come a time when you're going much faster than before and you're only going at 60% (where as previously, you had to go 90% to do the same).

that's not pushing...and ever since i crashed...this is what i have done...and i am much faster than before...much smoother...why?
because i stopped pushing and i try to get faster and better by focusing on being smooth.

big bike or little bike...be very careful. be responsible...where the difference is comes when there's an emergency situation and you lack the experience to cope with it...that's when a smaller like will likely be more forgiving than a bigger bike.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tahoe SC

IMO...you don't have to push your limits to get better...that is a farse...IMO...again...

+1

A lot of people go balls out at the track going 100+%. Personally, I don't take that approach. I think, in general, people don't make good decisions when they're going 100% or more. I ride at 80% and raise my 80% comfort level. While its not as fast a learning curve as the guys who go 100%, it tends to be a bit safer (and presumably less painful). But that's what works for me.