whick bike is right for me?

i am looking at purchasing my first bike in the next couple weeks, i am very skinny 5'10" and only weigh about 130ish...im thinking that the 600cc engine size would be all that i could handle due to my light weight and complete inexperience in riding; so that leaves me with the f4i vs. rr 600 honda; ive been looking at the two for several weeks and cant seem to figure out what the major difference will be, could someone please clarify if my line of thought on bike selection is correct and briefly explain the major differences between the 600 f41 and rr or at least post a link to which i can read a compare/contrast on the two bikes

Thanks for any help

The f4i is more of a touring bike, as where the RR is more of a race inspired model. Both bikes pack quite a punch, the RR is going to give you a little more power. If you plan on doing a lot of travel... the F4i will be more comfortable. The RR's ergonomics are extremely aggressive, you lean forward quite a bit and the seat is quite rigid (which is great for performance, but not so great for touring). Personally, I love my RR. I love the performance... and after a little while I grew comfortable with the bike... I just had to figure out the best positioning if I'm traveling a good distance. The choice is yours... either way you'll be happy with both bikes, just depends on which style you are leaning more toward. Don't be turned off by the F4i as far as power goes... there's still PLENTY of power.

It sounds like you have little to no riding experience. If so, IMHO, a 600 sportbike (regardless of year) is NOT a beginner bike. I suggest getting something smaller (e.g. Ninja 250, Ninja 500, FZR 400, CBR 400, etc). Learn to ride and build up your skills. Then get the more powerful and less forgiving bike.

I am about the same size as you i am 5'11 and 150 lb. For my first bike i bought a f4i. i love it i think it is a nice bike to learn on because it is light weight bike. like me i have laid it down at like 2 mph and i was able to pick the bike up by myself. I think a 600 is a good starting bike because you will have more respect for the power. what you need to do with the bike is just take your time and dont rush it learn control first. i kinda wish i bought a rr but from listening to the guys on this forum an rr is not a beginer bike. Also if you think your f4i starts to seem slow you can change the spocket, chain, exhaust, headers and intake filter. Also take the Bike class it is very helpful plus you can ride a 250 to see what you think. Some might disagree with what i am saying. But i bought my bike so i can learn to ride and keep it for a while get the experience i need to move up to an rr.i think if you put money into it and you get what you want you will take better care off it and respect it and understand what it can do to you. thats how i feel. i have never rode or been around bikes until a few months ago and the guys on this forum have help me out with a lot of good info. Just remember you have the power and it can get away from you so ride safe and take you time learning. hope this helps

If this is your first bike and your not track racing it, pick up i nice used f4i. you can get one with decently low miles (5k) for about $4500 just wait for it. Then when/if you lay it down it wont hurt the heart as much

I went through this same thing before I bought my 2005 CBR600RR. I wanted something small. I looked at some bikes smaller than 600cc but I ended up with my bike. My main thinking behind it was that I plan on keeping this bike for 5 or 6 years. I didn't want to get the smaller bike and then in a year want to trade it off for something else. The 600 is a great all around bike. I think the 1000 is more than I would need but under 600 was just not enough. I had NEVER riden a bike before. I just took it slow, took a driver class and I am doing just fine on my 600RR. I will say that it isn't the best for long rides. It hurts my back and ass after a while. I like the under tail exhaust though so that also pushed me to the RR. My wife is going to ride with me and not having the exhaust on the side seems like it will be good for that. I would say atleast go with a 600. Just take your time and you will get it.

Supersports are not beginner machines. Sure, you can get one, but you won't learn as much as you would as quickly w/ a smaller machine. I forget the statistic but there was something on the % of R1s that are purchased every year that enter salvage status w/i that year. It's a big number though, something like 50 or even 60%. Get a 250 or 500 Ninja. I sort of wish I did.

quote:

ORIGINAL: mikem317

Supersports are not beginner machines. Sure, you can get one, but you won't learn as much as you would as quickly w/ a smaller machine. I forget the statistic but there was something on the % of R1s that are purchased every year that enter salvage status w/i that year. It's a big number though, something like 50 or even 60%. Get a 250 or 500 Ninja. I sort of wish I did.

I saw a good stat. 80% of all motorcycle accidents and deaths from accidents involve riders that did NOT attend a motorcycle riders class. I think that anyone that learns the right way, takes thier time and is smart about it can get anything. If you learn on a 250 and then get a 600RR what is the difference??? You will be use to a 250 and think that you can handle everything. Then you will crank on the 600 and have all kinds of problems. There are two ways of looking at it. I learned on a 250 in the drivers class I took, then went to my 600. There was a HUGH difference.

It is a like a car. Do you think that every 16 year old should go out and by a four cylinder Festiva or something till they get us to driving a car??? Just something to think about. There are drivers ed Hummers now. Talk about far from what most people will drive.

quote:

ORIGINAL: josho66

If you learn on a 250 and then get a 600RR what is the difference??? You will be use to a 250 and think that you can handle everything. Then you will crank on the 600 and have all kinds of problems. There are two ways of looking at it. I learned on a 250 in the drivers class I took, then went to my 600. There was a HUGH difference.

There is a HUGE difference!!

Firstly, you didn't learn on a 250. You rode a 250 for a weekend to pass an MSF class. Its even arguable that you "learned to ride" during that MSF class. IMHO, the MSF class gives beginner riders like you just enough knowledge to be dangerous.

Secondly, a 250 would teach many things that would take you much longer to learn on a 600. Things like precision throttle control, precision braking, late braking, being smooth, etc are not easy to learn. A 600 is not forgiving to learn those finer points.

Start pushing your bike to its limits (or even better take it to the track), you'll learn in a hurry just how much of a non-beginner your bike your 600RR really is. Especially when a 250 comes around and smokes you.

This conversation is timeless.... It seems to come up all the time...

It goes like this, it is your safety that is at hand. A small motorcycle like a 250 or 500cc bike is an excellent beginnerbike. It will teach you the usage of the clutch/brakes very well because the bikes are """"FORGIVING"""" as a 600 is less forgiving and can punish you harshly. This is on a personal level what you feel would be best for you. It is a known fact that 90% of the racers (Motogp) started on 250's and worked their way up. 250/500 are highly underrated. They are EXTREMELY fun!! There is nothing like flogging the throttle on a 250 and feel as if your flying at only 80mph. The difference is, if u flog the throttle on a 600, you will be looking at 140mph and if rattled (And you WILL get rattled) can cause you to incorrectly input the wrong amount of brake/throttle and can cause you to do a highside/lowside which can result in bad injuries that a 500/250 would have been more forgiving. The way I look at it, you have to walk before you run. Some people can start on a 600 and do ok, but their learning curve is much much slower and they will never realize it until they ride with someone who is more proficient than they are. Its not because they are stupid, just unexperienced and this will cause their learning curve to take longer.

The truth be known, it is your personal choice. I had 13yrs of dirtbike/road riding before I bought my Katana 600, and YES I could have bought a 1K bike and done fine. But I wanted to make sure that I was capable of handling such a bike before I took the risk of getting on a bike with that much HP. The way all bikes feel will be different than the one you ride, so that is no big suprise. The difference is do you know how to control the bike when it does something unexpected, and that's where experience shines and unexperienced is punished. If going through a corner a little hot and the back end kicks out sideways, how do you handle it??? Stomp the brake and you highside, slam the gas and you lowside... How do you handle it?? Sounds good on paper, its 1 sec decision when it happens in real life and that can cause big mistakes. Just because you start on a 600 and everything has gone fine to date doesn't mean that your a proficient rider, it means you haven't been put in a compromising position yet, and your experience will be tested sooner or later. This is not to scare anyone, this is to make you think about what u want to start with. A 500/250 is very less likely to pull the wheel off the ground in a turn. Heck I have done that with my Katana!! Feels kinda strange half through a turn and the handlebar is dangling, that can cause a beginner to panic and thus something bad can happen. It only takes 1 sec. Throttle control and respect is no replacement for experience.

You make the decision. It doesn't have to be your bike for life, just to begin. But my question still stands, what is the rush???? You will always have a bigger and better bike that you will want, that will never change. So why in such a hurry to walk into a supersport bike??? I'm just giving you some food for thought.. The current crop of some of the 500 series bikes look really really cool,, soooo... Happy riding everyone.

Well then I must just be an over achiever. I got a 600RR as my first bike. I get a long just fine. I have taken my time. I started out slow in large parking lots. Then went around a few blocks around my house. Just kept going little more at a time and I am getting a long just fine. Do I think that someone should go get a 1000 or bigger bike, no. But I say get what you want. It all comes down to the driver. There is no set rule that says what bike is the best for everyone. I know people that would kill themselves on a 250 and guys that could get on a 1000RR for thier first time and be just fine. Again I will use the car comparison. When I was in high school I argued like hell with my parents to get an Iroc Camaro. They said I would kill myself in it. Well I didn't. It comes down to being safe. No matter what you get you can do dumb things that will get you killed. I guess I am just saying that there is no exact rule for something like this. There are to many variables with every rider to say there is a cut and dry answer. I guess I am either above the average or just a dumbass that will kill myself with my 600RR. I will say that I don't go over 80 MPH on my bike, I don't drive at night and I don't do any kind of stunts.

If someone is screwing around and going 100 MPH in a 55 it doesn't matter if you have a 250 or a 1250, you are going to have problems. Just because the 600 CAN go faster quicker, doesn't mean you have to. A 250 can go 100, it might take a little longer but they can get there and cause some problems. Hopefully my rambling gets my point accross.

Your getting your point across alright, your defending your decision and you feel that everyone can be like you. He posted a question about what bike he can get as a beginner, and the choices that I listed are excellent bar none. You may ride fine, and that's great. I don't know if you have encountered problems that would put your expertise to the test, but it will happen. Due to the fact I have ridden all these bikes, I know what I'm referring to. A 600's brakes are much more powerful than a 500, or 250. A compromising position can come up where you have to hard break, and when u endo, how do you react?? On a bike with less braking characteristics, it would be easier to avoid such maneuvers and thus recover unscathed.

The facts are, you can kill yourself on any bike.. Sure! So you want to get a supersport to start as your first bike, that is your life. He asked what would be a good first bike for a complete beginner and I gave him suggestions for a safe first bike to start with. Not everyone has the coordination that you may have yourself, and by your reiteration of your feelings about starting on a 600 may cause somone to get injured. That is what I am trying to avoid. I have trained people to ride, and have seen how mistakes could have caused major wrecks if they were on anything other that the 500cc bike they were riding. But because of "My" recommendation of the bike they purchased, they are still riding today, and quite well at that.

So don't get your spurs all in an uproar because you feel that you are an exception to the rule, anyone can start on a 1k bike. But the people who will still be riding after a year would be a different story.

quote:

ORIGINAL: josho66
I will say that I don't go over 80 MPH on my bike, I don't drive at night and I don't do any kind of stunts.

Am I the only one who thought, "What’s the point"?

Just kidding Josh I think you make good points. I bought the 600rr as my first bike when I haven't ridden in over 12 years and when I was riding way back then it was on a classic 75 CB400F.

I will say that take my riding very seriously to the point where I read a lot and constantly discuss riding technique on this site and with very experienced friends locally so I keep improving my skills. I also always wear riding gear. You might catch me with out a jacket on but that is very rare. It is amazing at how much I've improved over the last three months. I do ride aggressively but I also ride very disciplined by always practicing everything thing I learned about braking, shifting, looking far ahead and through turns, riding position, etc, etc. The sad thing is that there are surely riders here who don’t have a clue that riding properly is so complex. I don’t care how much experience you have, if you haven’t already read the book Total Control and you will learn something to improve your riding skills.

My next step to keep improving my riding is going to a few track days and even Freddie Spenser’s riding school out in Las Vegas. I can't wait until my wife is through with school and starts bringing in some "nursing wages" so I can afford to do this.

I know there are people here who think it is a bad move but next year if I can swing it financially I will be on a CBR1000RR with the wifey following close behind.

I think everyone here has made great points. My main thing was I only wanted to buy one bike over the next five or so years. I tryed to find the middle of the road. I wanted to get a F4i but the only dealer within about a 200 mile area only had a few RR's left so that is what I got. Do I know what to do with all situations...No. Do I hope that I don't have to hammer my brakes...YES. I guess I will just do what I can to learn and ride correctly. I guess it looks as though I made the wrong choice on my first bike.

What should someone do that only wants to buy one bike over the next five years or so??? What should somone like me do that doesn't want to trade from a 250 then to a 500 and then to something like a 600RR???

quote:

ORIGINAL: josho66

What should someone do that only wants to buy one bike over the next five years or so??? What should somone like me do that doesn't want to trade from a 250 then to a 500 and then to something like a 600RR???

Since you asked.....I think someone in your position should still start on a smaller bike. The majority of sportbike owners don't hold their bike for that long. They either crash it or want to get something else. It'll be interesting to see if you still have your bike in 2010.

But this is your first bike, not your last one (unless you decide to give up riding). this is also a decision that involve's ones safety. And also the safety of those they share they road with.

In the case of the smaller bikes, they're pretty easy to sell because they are in high demand by other beginner riders. I know of many instances where people got their money back or even more in resale. So its not like you'd lose anything. In the worst case scenario, you buy a smaller bike and learn that you can handle a bigger one in a relatively short time. I don't see it as a big deal that you change bikes every few years.

Think of it this way. You learn to fly a plane. Do you just immediately jump into a fighter jet and off you go? Of course not. You start small (like a Cesna) and gradually work your way up, as with anything that requires fine-tuned skills.

You used an example of a car earlier. Comparing a Camaro (or whatever its was) to a sportbike is not in the same league. A Camaro (though aruguably a sportscar) doesn't have the acceleration that most motorcycles have. Most level-headed individuals can deal with the top end but with bikes, its the quick acceleration [and deceleration] that gets you in a world of hurt. Plus, in a Camaro, if you do f*ck up, you have all that body armor to protect you. Cars, even sportscars, are much more forgiving to ride aggressively when the driver doesn't have the necessary skills to do such. So I don't think your comparison is a valid one. But I digress...

Anyway, just my 2 abe lincolns.

quote:

ORIGINAL: abadfish

It'll be interesting to see if you still have your bike in 2010.

I have to!! Wife said so.......

Anyway I see your point and the others. I guess I made the wrong decision. There are also others that got a 600 or higher cc bike for thier first one also. Starting small would have been better. Hell I ALMOST bought a Ninja 500 but they didn't have any at the local dealer. I then looked at a Katana 600 but didn't like the whole carb idea.

More food for thought. I was told a fuel injected bike is better for a beginner instead of carb. The justification was the carb bike would lage some at acceleration and would mess you up where the fuel injected would take right off. Since we are going over what is the best for beginners I would this should be discussed also.

quote:

ORIGINAL: josho66


I guess I made the wrong decision.

I wouldn't necessarily call it wrong....If you abide by my previously stated philosophy on beginner bikes, then I guess you could say that you could've made better (or safer) decision. But that's neither here nor there....you're decision has already been made. The trick now is not to have you regret it. Sooner or later (if you haven't already), you'll want to start pushing your limits. The safest place to do that is the track. If you can't do it there, you'll need to make sure you do it in a place that has lots of room for error (although I have no clue as to where that would be).

As far as the carb vs FI thing, I don't think a beginner would benefit from one over the other. No doubt that FI has smoother power delivery overall, but a well-tuned set of carbs is just as good. Throttle control and precisionis more important at that stage.

fi is A LOT more touchy than carbs. i started on an CBR 600F1, and moved up to my 600RR. i still find myself slipping a little too much on the gas mid corner occasionally due to the fi. with carbs, i never had that problem, it was always smoother on the throttle but with a little less responsiveness. carbs are great for beginners, but everyone started with something different so anyone giving you crap needs to pull their panties out of their ass and respect your decision. so long as you're not starting with a liter bike, then i say go for it. one word of advice, however. get frame sliders IMMEDIATELY because most riders i know have dropped their bike in a parking lot or driveway, and that is one easy way to prevent cracking or messing up the plastics on your new bike.

I love this thread. I think this issue has a lot more levels than we are giving it credit.
To start off with, My first bike was a XR250 dirt bike that I put turn signals on to make street legal. That was 22 years ago, and I was 16. I actually hid it in friends garages and yards because my parents wouldn't let me own a bike. I rode it for about a year. And I must have dumped it 20 or thirty times, mostly on dirt trails. And I never even owned a helmet. Couldn't afford that and gas as a dishwasher. I would highly recommend an old enduro for a beginner rider(helmet too,never see me without one anymore). The amount of control over changing road surfaces is irreplaceable. And that carries over to any bike. Plus, if you drop a $1000 dirt bike, it's still worth $1000!!, try that with a Super Sport..
My next bike was trouble, with a capitol "T". A '77 supersport 750, must have weighed 900lbs. Be careful going from a dirt bike to a street bike, I never gave it much thought about laying it down.... Until I had to lift it up!
Had that sucker up to 145, what else do you do when you are 18? On that bike I learned a lot about riding on the street. I had bike control down already, but I was ill prepared to deal with other drivers, strong brakes, and road conditions on street tires(they weren't anything near what they are now).
Over the years, I've had many bikes. I currently own a '87ns250r, an '84rz350, an '98f3, and an '04f4i. Let me tell you the motor on the f3 is alot smoother and controllable than the f4i. The f4i doesn't have the same fuel injection as the accord! As far as either of them being a beginner bike- not unless I stayed in parking lots the whole time. That's another point, I said that it wouldn't be good for me. I don't know any other riders as well as I do myself.
As far as buying a 250 ninja or whatever, My friends would poke fun at me. Isn't that funny, and all my friends are in their late thirties or 40's. They even did when I bought the f3. "Why didn't you just by an R1?" or " The new zx-6r is what you should have looked at, then you wouldn't have bought that!" Man, street credit rears it's ugly head when you're never expecting it!
Either way, People are going to put their money where their heart leads them too. And That will rarely be a Honda rebel. Anyone buying a 600rr or F4i(as a 1st bike) is not a stupid or crazy person. They've obviously looked at other bikes in the class and made a educated decision. They aren't buying the most powerful(zx-6r, gsxr), the lightest(zx-6r, r6), the best looking(749-now that's a sexy piece,r6, zx-6r), they are buying, the best balanced, the most reliable, and best finished bike available, in it's class. And they are definitely not buying the cheapest!
These people are on this forum to gain information. I'll lift my beer to that(never when I'm going to ride, or work on it). Let's welcome them and stuff them full of our experiences, that's the best part of this forum. We all need to know when to keep the bike in the garage and drive the car! E