-
Read the WELCOME ALL BMWFANATICS post.
First superbike advice please
- Thread starter GreatDane
- Start date
I'd play it safe and go for a cbr 600 , very easy to ride. Off road and street riding are very different. You will have more fun and exploit a 600 more at the track.
Since ergonomics are important , go try out the bikes and see. Arrange test rides.
Full throttle generally have great gear at good prices. If you are not going to the track often maybe don't get a race suit n race boots. Get gloves , leather jacket , helmet, textile abrasive resistant pants n touring boots maybe. More comfy n just as safe as a race suit , racing boots are heavy too.....
Best to buy from a reputable dealer as you have recourse , shop around and see what is available.
At 25yo , get the 600. Ride safe , build a claims free insurance profile then in a few years when you ready for a litre bike you can get it. Injury free and low insurance risk profile.
Just my opinion based on my experience , wish you safe riding:=):
Oh , good idea to keep your gear independent to the color of the bike..... so when you change bikes your gear will still be suitable. ...
The most important advice....
Ride your own ride....
Since ergonomics are important , go try out the bikes and see. Arrange test rides.
Full throttle generally have great gear at good prices. If you are not going to the track often maybe don't get a race suit n race boots. Get gloves , leather jacket , helmet, textile abrasive resistant pants n touring boots maybe. More comfy n just as safe as a race suit , racing boots are heavy too.....
Best to buy from a reputable dealer as you have recourse , shop around and see what is available.
At 25yo , get the 600. Ride safe , build a claims free insurance profile then in a few years when you ready for a litre bike you can get it. Injury free and low insurance risk profile.
Just my opinion based on my experience , wish you safe riding:=):
Oh , good idea to keep your gear independent to the color of the bike..... so when you change bikes your gear will still be suitable. ...
The most important advice....
Ride your own ride....
gumpertapolloss
Member
http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/suzu/suzuki_gsxR600 08.htm
On the above mentioned link, you can read all about how the bike was revised in 2008. 2008 and onwards the gsxr became an excellent bike! I'm not saying the 2007 and lower are not on parr, it's just that suzuki actually gave some attention to the bike in 2008 and gave us an awesome bike!
Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
On the above mentioned link, you can read all about how the bike was revised in 2008. 2008 and onwards the gsxr became an excellent bike! I'm not saying the 2007 and lower are not on parr, it's just that suzuki actually gave some attention to the bike in 2008 and gave us an awesome bike!
Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
GreatDane
Member
gumpertapolloss said:
Thank you, that is a really nice review of the K8 model!
deveng said:
Thanks deveng for that, it's a good aspect to consider from the insurance point and my age.
I will most likely go for black kit, don't know if the colour of kit makes any difference to being visible on the road? But I would like to buy kit that I can keep through various bikes.
My biggest hesitation for a 600cc is my size but I will not rule them out of the equation when looking at bikes. Reading through some of the other threads in this sub-section, I've realized that riding a bike is kinda like modding a car, it's addictive, and I don't think that I will only buy one bike and ride it for ever.
When you say ride your own ride, are you talking about only ever ride your own personal bike?
Its a famous saying ,riding within your own limits 
http://team-oregon.org/resources/whatwouldyoudo/groupriding/
For Black kit , you can get reflective jackets etc that you wear over your jacket. Useful when riding at dark etc
http://team-oregon.org/resources/whatwouldyoudo/groupriding/
For Black kit , you can get reflective jackets etc that you wear over your jacket. Useful when riding at dark etc
GreatDane
Member
So I went today to Cayenne to have a look at the different bikes, and sit on a few.
The 600cc's felt a bit small for me, sitting on them my head felt like it was quite far over the handle bars. So next I sat on the CBR1000 and I felt much more comfortable on it.
So from a physical size the 1000s were better.
From a power wise perspective, I'm still not sure if it's a good idea to start on a 1000cc? The guy at Cayenne was very helpful and pointed out the fact that the gsxrs have the 3 power settings which I thought was quite cool!
Also out of interest I tried the sports tourers from a riding perspective.
My next step will be to get my learners and then I will be returning to Cayenne to have a few test rides which will give me a better idea of riding position. :rollsmile:
The 600cc's felt a bit small for me, sitting on them my head felt like it was quite far over the handle bars. So next I sat on the CBR1000 and I felt much more comfortable on it.
So from a physical size the 1000s were better.
From a power wise perspective, I'm still not sure if it's a good idea to start on a 1000cc? The guy at Cayenne was very helpful and pointed out the fact that the gsxrs have the 3 power settings which I thought was quite cool!
Also out of interest I tried the sports tourers from a riding perspective.
My next step will be to get my learners and then I will be returning to Cayenne to have a few test rides which will give me a better idea of riding position. :rollsmile:
Good move on going to get a feel for the bikes.
FWIW, them 3 settings.--- the words tossed around are that the bikes power is 'cut' to a 600 then a 750 then full power 1000... well, they dont. they DO NOT make the bike feel like that. Sure it cuts the power down somewhat, or better yet, the way the power is delivered to the back wheel. The ONLY thing that controls a bikes power is ur right hand. Many a guy has been fooled into having his bike on the lowest setting and still having a spill.
Bud, u drive a 335i... How fast do u wanna go get the groceries?... and now u worried about too much power on a bike? :nonono:
Anyways bud, go out there and get what makes you happy... and comfortable.
Remember- RIDE FAST AND TAKE CHANCES - it makes for better stories, doesnt matter where u land up...:roflol::rollsmile:
FWIW, them 3 settings.--- the words tossed around are that the bikes power is 'cut' to a 600 then a 750 then full power 1000... well, they dont. they DO NOT make the bike feel like that. Sure it cuts the power down somewhat, or better yet, the way the power is delivered to the back wheel. The ONLY thing that controls a bikes power is ur right hand. Many a guy has been fooled into having his bike on the lowest setting and still having a spill.
Bud, u drive a 335i... How fast do u wanna go get the groceries?... and now u worried about too much power on a bike? :nonono:
Anyways bud, go out there and get what makes you happy... and comfortable.
Remember- RIDE FAST AND TAKE CHANCES - it makes for better stories, doesnt matter where u land up...:roflol::rollsmile:
GreatDane
Member
R0ACH said:
Haha I'm not too sure how much I'm going to listen to the ride fast and take chances :roflol: no matter how good of a story it makes!
I'm probably just going to get a 1000 and learn to ride the bike with respect and grow as my confidence increases.
My car will still be my daily driver so getting a bike will purely be for some weekend fun and a track day here and there :rollsmile:
BillyBob
Active member
Bear in mind that there's a reason that 1000's aren't recommended for novice riders... it's not so much about the outright power and speed (which can admittedly be easy to misjudge in its own right), but rather how easily a poorly-judged twist of the throttle can light up the rear and drop you on your arse or catapult you into a solid object. 1000's demand a level of discipline to ride safely... and experience goes hand-in-hand when you've gotten yourself into a panic situation getting cut off by a car, or going into a corner too hot, etc... so bear that in mind.
Though, if you insist on a 1000, I'm not going to advise against it - they're ultimately much more satisfying to ride than their smaller counterparts.
Get the license, then ride the options before pulling the trigger..
1000's around the R60k mark would give you:
06-07 Honda Fireblade - last of the 1st generation 1000cc models. Easiest to ride of the lot - but engines can be problematic if abused. Not much to say about the bike - their second hand values aren't the best, and a bit of careful shopping can find you one for R50k, which leaves some extra budget for kit and maintenance.
K7/8 GSX-R 1000 isn't going to be doable for R60k - you'll have to stretch the budget.... but it does have the 3 power modes as mentioned earlier, which is nice for a newbie. Realistically, for R60k, you'll get a reasonably clean K5/K6, which is arguably the best GSX-R 1000 of the lot... it's quick, nimble, has a stonking motor, while being significantly lighter than K7/8 models. At the time, none of the other Jap 1000's could touch the GSX-R - it was raw, yet refined... had the most torquey motor of the bunch, while only matched in top-end power by the ZX-10... Suspension is sharp, yet forgiving. It's a gem of a bike - and provided you exercise some restraint / don't get fresh with it, it would be ideal.
2004-2007 Yamaha R1's would also enter the fray - once again, if they've been abused, engines and gearboxes can be problematic - but they present very good value. Suspension geometry makes it a bit wheelie-happy, so probably not the best in the hands of the inexperienced... but it is a pretty darn good all-rounder, and in candy-apple red, it's arguably the best looking of the bunch.
ZX-10R, don't bother... Their values are low for a reason - it's an uncomfortable track-focused bike with its power biased towards the top of the rev range and it somehow always manages to feel twitchy and on-edge... Definitely not recommended for an inexperienced rider.
Hope that helps.
Though, if you insist on a 1000, I'm not going to advise against it - they're ultimately much more satisfying to ride than their smaller counterparts.
Get the license, then ride the options before pulling the trigger..
1000's around the R60k mark would give you:
06-07 Honda Fireblade - last of the 1st generation 1000cc models. Easiest to ride of the lot - but engines can be problematic if abused. Not much to say about the bike - their second hand values aren't the best, and a bit of careful shopping can find you one for R50k, which leaves some extra budget for kit and maintenance.
K7/8 GSX-R 1000 isn't going to be doable for R60k - you'll have to stretch the budget.... but it does have the 3 power modes as mentioned earlier, which is nice for a newbie. Realistically, for R60k, you'll get a reasonably clean K5/K6, which is arguably the best GSX-R 1000 of the lot... it's quick, nimble, has a stonking motor, while being significantly lighter than K7/8 models. At the time, none of the other Jap 1000's could touch the GSX-R - it was raw, yet refined... had the most torquey motor of the bunch, while only matched in top-end power by the ZX-10... Suspension is sharp, yet forgiving. It's a gem of a bike - and provided you exercise some restraint / don't get fresh with it, it would be ideal.
2004-2007 Yamaha R1's would also enter the fray - once again, if they've been abused, engines and gearboxes can be problematic - but they present very good value. Suspension geometry makes it a bit wheelie-happy, so probably not the best in the hands of the inexperienced... but it is a pretty darn good all-rounder, and in candy-apple red, it's arguably the best looking of the bunch.
ZX-10R, don't bother... Their values are low for a reason - it's an uncomfortable track-focused bike with its power biased towards the top of the rev range and it somehow always manages to feel twitchy and on-edge... Definitely not recommended for an inexperienced rider.
Hope that helps.
131GAV
///Member
BillyBob said:
Very sound advice indeed. The reality is that whilst you may outride a 600 very quickly, its teaches you alot of things that you wont pick up as easily on a 1000. There is tons of power at you disposal on a 1000 and my opinion is that you are probably most ready when you have outridden something smaller.
GreatDane
Member
BillyBob said:
Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge, it's really appreciated.
I have accepted that if I do eventually go the 1000 route that I will stretch my budget a bit. The reason for keeping the budget low is to buy a 600, learn to ride nicely, and then sell to buy a 1000. In that way I won't be too concerned about losing a bit of money when upgrading.
My budget for clothing and helmet is entirely separate as this is not an area I want to skimp on at all!
While at Cayenne, they told me about their 'maintenance plan/ warranty'. Now I don't necessarily plan on on buying my bike from Cayenne, but if I do would it be a wise thing to add on? The prices ranged from 4.5K to 8.5K?
131GAV said:
Gav I agree with you one hundred percent and is still the reason why I'm not ruling the 600/750's out of the equation.
I will still make sure I give each bike a decent test ride and at the end I will weigh up all the factors.
osiris
///Member
600cc Super bikes these days are very quick and in my opinion they are plenty fast for someone who is starting out, In my humble opinion I would recommend a 600cc and learn to corner with it properly and take it to a good few track days. 1000cc is full of torque and because of that a small mistake can make you wipe on a corner.
If you want a 1000cc for a first bike then get something with ABS and traction control, that way it will be a bit more forgiving if you mess up.
You can go check my R6 build thread and see a vid of what a 600cc bike is capable of.
What ever your choice, be safe and definitely take it to the track, it will improve your riding exponentially.
If you want a 1000cc for a first bike then get something with ABS and traction control, that way it will be a bit more forgiving if you mess up.
You can go check my R6 build thread and see a vid of what a 600cc bike is capable of.
What ever your choice, be safe and definitely take it to the track, it will improve your riding exponentially.
GreatDane
Member
osiris said:
Thank you for your input!
In all honestly your thread about your R6 build is what ultimately made me decide to buy a superbike and at first I was set on the R6 just based on what you had done. My comment is somewhere in your thread.
So I should say thanks for that thread! I'm doing my learners as soon as my exams are out the way so I'm looking forward to test riding a few different bikes and I'll definitely be going to some schools. :rollsmile:
osiris
///Member
I'm glad Ive inspired you to get a bike The more bikers we have on the road the better, maybe someday south african drivers will be more bike aware. At the moment they are far from it.
Naked bikes are not my thing but there are a few nice ones around, a buddy of mine at work has a Triumph speed triple which is a seriously cool looking naked bike with great performance, he commutes with it everyday and its never given him a days trouble.
The new BMW naked version of the 1000rr is also pretty cool but obviously very expensive.
If you haven't already been, go check Honda cayene, they have every bike under the sun lol.
The more bikers we have on the road the better, maybe someday south african drivers will be more bike aware. At the moment they are far from it.Naked bikes are not my thing but there are a few nice ones around, a buddy of mine at work has a Triumph speed triple which is a seriously cool looking naked bike with great performance, he commutes with it everyday and its never given him a days trouble.
The new BMW naked version of the 1000rr is also pretty cool but obviously very expensive.
If you haven't already been, go check Honda cayene, they have every bike under the sun lol.
BillyBob
Active member
If you're looking for a naked bike...
Honda's CB1000 is pretty much the best all-rounder... not ridiculously fast, but very capable, even as a liter-bike, it's very accessible to beginners.. you could look at the smaller 600 version, but bear in mind that you'll get bored of it very quickly.
Kawa Z1000 is a good overall bike, but like the ZX-10, a bit too hairy for a beginner.
Yamaha's Fazer is just too high for my liking... never been a fan.
Quirk factor would definitely go to the Triumph... Speed triple is overkill for a newbie at 1050cc - street triple is where it's at... 675cc gives a bit of extra grunt over 600's, and it's just an all-round hoot to ride. Character in spades from the 3-cylinder motor, which when wound up sounds very reminiscent of an E46 M3... a nice mechanical "zing" to it.
BMW S1000 is way out of your price bracket.
Joker in the pack is Suzuki's B-king... a naked Busa... A barrel of laughs, but definitely not a beginner bike.
KTM Dukes aren't bad - but can bankrupt you on maintenance if you're not careful. Also, the depreciate terribly - so buy one cheap, or prepare to lose a lot of money.
Whatever you do - don't be tempted by cheapie naked bikes --- Suzuki's Bandits, Honda "Bros" and Hurricane models.... air-cooled motors and 5-speed boxes on bikes built to a budget - and generally poorly maintained.
Similarly, don't touch a converted "street fighter" from a superbike - that's code for "It crashed, I didn't have the money to fix it to spec, and thus I cut corners wherever possible on getting it running" - walk away.
Honda's CB1000 is pretty much the best all-rounder... not ridiculously fast, but very capable, even as a liter-bike, it's very accessible to beginners.. you could look at the smaller 600 version, but bear in mind that you'll get bored of it very quickly.
Kawa Z1000 is a good overall bike, but like the ZX-10, a bit too hairy for a beginner.
Yamaha's Fazer is just too high for my liking... never been a fan.
Quirk factor would definitely go to the Triumph... Speed triple is overkill for a newbie at 1050cc - street triple is where it's at... 675cc gives a bit of extra grunt over 600's, and it's just an all-round hoot to ride. Character in spades from the 3-cylinder motor, which when wound up sounds very reminiscent of an E46 M3... a nice mechanical "zing" to it.
BMW S1000 is way out of your price bracket.
Joker in the pack is Suzuki's B-king... a naked Busa... A barrel of laughs, but definitely not a beginner bike.
KTM Dukes aren't bad - but can bankrupt you on maintenance if you're not careful. Also, the depreciate terribly - so buy one cheap, or prepare to lose a lot of money.
Whatever you do - don't be tempted by cheapie naked bikes --- Suzuki's Bandits, Honda "Bros" and Hurricane models.... air-cooled motors and 5-speed boxes on bikes built to a budget - and generally poorly maintained.
Similarly, don't touch a converted "street fighter" from a superbike - that's code for "It crashed, I didn't have the money to fix it to spec, and thus I cut corners wherever possible on getting it running" - walk away.
