A Yamah YZF-R6 too much for a newbie?

[Carbon]

I plan on taking some safety courses and gettng certified sometime later this year. DOnt get me wrong here, im no idiot, and i am definitely not goin to approach motorcycling as i do driving a car. I have a zero ego approach to this kind of stuff, so

For pretty much the entirity of my life i've been rolliing in used cars/vehicles. I figure i think it would be nice to get something brand new. My plan is to ride the bike in town with some highway driving for about 6 months or more, then start commuting with it. I thought about getting a beater bike but, it just doesent seem right for me financially.

opinions.

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/products/modelspecs/8/0/specs.aspx

[TheAngryDrunkenRussian]

I'd get a beater bike first cause as soon as you drop that thing once its pretty much totaled
remember learn to crawl before you walk.

Edit: thats a nice bike more of a fan to suzski

[onedude36]

I want a 2003/4 model. Too bad my mommy said no...

[Lohman446]

I plan on taking some safety courses and gettng certified sometime later this year. DOnt get me wrong here, im no idiot, and i am definitely not goin to approach motorcycling as i do driving a car. I have a zero ego approach to this kind of stuff, so

For pretty much the entirity of my life i've been rolliing in used cars/vehicles. I figure i think it would be nice to get something brand new. My plan is to ride the bike in town with some highway driving for about 6 months or more, then start commuting with it. I thought about getting a beater bike but, it just doesent seem right for me financially.

opinions.


http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/pr...8/0/specs.aspx

Isn't the R6 power curve intentionally changed because of too many riders letting them slide them out from under them on corners. If thats the bike I think it is than I would stay away from it, even experienced riders have had problems with some of the Yamaha Rs

[lather]

If you can handle paying that kind of cash and eventually accepting a scraped fairing and footpegs then go for it.

If you ride for any length of time dropping your bike at some point is an inevitability, be it on the road, in a parking lot, riding beyond your abilities, even a freak gust of wind knocking your bike of its stand.

[Carbon]

Yeah, ive taken into consideration dropping and the bike getting beat up (aesthetically). I suppose i wont be too concerned about resale.

[BeaverEater]

ya the thing with an r6 and dumping them is that there have been problems with the gas tank exploding due to the design. A lot of racers have had their r6s explode. Just food for thought.

[geekwarrior]

theres several good threads on here about getting a bike, might want to try a search

[Caffiend]

How old are you? Have you looked at insurance yet? How much are you looking to spend? Have you tried any motorcycles forums? I know there is an R1 forum and a gixxer forum, there's probably an R6 one out there.

If you want an R6 for a starter bike, the older the better. A) It will be a cheaper price B) The insurance will be cheaper (REAL cheap if you don't need a loan, 20-30/month compared to 130/month) C) It won't be as fast as the newer ones (not a bad thing) and D) It might already have "character marks" so you won't feel as bad when you hit that patch of sand/gravel in the parking lot and completely scrape one side For starter bikes in general, I wouldn't go anything below a 600. 250's and 500's are okay, but after a few months you'll be wanting something faster with better acceleration.

Beaver, is that the newer R6's? My wife has had two (one of them being totaled ) and her tanks never exploded. One was an '00 and the other and '04, I think.

[Carbon]

yeah ive been looking into the r6 forums and picking up whatever info they have. I figure i'll post here since the AO community is a pretty decent resource for pretty much things fun and dangerous.

Caffiend: im 27, yes i've looked at insurace, all of it seems to be do-able. I think the biggest hit for me financially for me is the combined cost of the safety training, gear, registration and the bike itself.

aslo exploding gas tanks due to design? pls. elaborate..

[gimp]

The R6 is a great bike. I really wanted one, but ended up getting the fz6 due to insurance, and practicality. The hooligan part of me still really wants one.

I'd say 'yes, the R6 is to much for a first bike'. The new R6 is designed specifically for the track, and that's really the only place your going to get the most out of it. It is a bike that gets all of it's power in the high RPM range. I mean really high. But it gets up to those rpms really quickly, quickly enough to get yourself out of control if you don't know what your doing.

Have you considered the R6S? It's a little cheaper, and uses an older generation R6 motor.

Also, plan on spending a lot of money on safety gear. Get a decent helmet ($150), protective jacket ($250), gloves ($50). I also wear riding pants, and I'm waiting on some nice boots when I go out for a riding 'session' with the guys. You'll definetly want to invest in some frame sliders when you first get it. It is inevitable that the bike will hit the ground sometime. Probably something stupid, but the frame sliders can protect against some costly damage.

You seem pretty responsible, and you realize that the bike is fast as hell and can run you into trouble (with the law, or with a tree) really quick. A 600 is a lot safer than a 1000, so your good there. Always ride within your limits, and always assume your invisible.

I'd never heard about the gas tanks exploding. It's a sweet bike. I want one really bad.

[kosmo]

SV650 ftw.

[Bear_Claw]

Personally i think a R6 is a HELL of a lot of bike for a new rider. that little 600 is pumping out a whopping 131hp and 45lbs/tq and being an inline 4 the throttel response is kinda hard to controle and will put you on your butt if ya dont know its curves.

IF i were gona do it all over and go the sport bike route id probely start with a suzuki SV650 S being as its got a 650 V twin motor still ppushing a awsome 71hp but its alot more manageble comeing from the twin than a inline four. Its still plenty fast to get yuo in trouble VERY easily and it aslo has enuff grunt that you wont be bored after a few months in the sadle.

[MANN]

my 2 cents

You guys had to bring up motorcycles didnt you. I just sold my CBR 600 Smokin Joe Ed. to pay for college tuition. (which keeps going up ) A 600 is probally the perfect bike to start out at.

Here is my 2 cents. I started with a 250 ninja when I was 15, and after a year it was too small and slow. These bikes also loose value like no other. Do NOT go that small. I looked like a monkey F****** a football when I was riding it.

The number one thing you have to remember is the first bike you get you WILL lay down with in the first month or two. If you get a used bike when you lay down is not new, and you dont loose that much money if you mess it up. Remember its not a question of if you will lay it down, its a question of when will you lay it down. Everyone does it.

The second reason to find a used bike is that if you have never rode you will want to find out if you even enjoy motorcycles and or sport bikes. They are not for everyone. My boss purchased a brand new harley, and within 6 months sold it because he didnt feel comfortable riding.

Another thing you should consider is that guys have a need for speed. Motorcycles are very similar to paintball guns you will never be content with what you have. You will always want to get 5 more horsepower, and 2 more balls per second, five pounds lighter, and a ule setup. If you buy a 600 to start out with you can get a liter bike or bigger next year after having some experience with riding.

[BeaverEater]

ya if you read the bike racer mags they talked about them a couple months ago. My uncle had a mag and i was reading about the tank exploding when some of the racers had crashed their bikes. Now you wont crash as much on the road as on the track, hopefully. But its just something to take into consideration. It has something to do with how the tank sticks out on the side so when you lay it down, most of the pressure in on the gas tank and wears it away.