Would you recommend a 600cc supersport to a noob?

[bennice]

Awww Erv - come on dude! Don't do this and take it there. This, nor the other few threads, are saying, "Everyone new to bikes should ignore everything else and get a 250." Slow down and read the threads, bro! You're a smart guy and have some pretty valuable advice for other riders but don't flush it all away just because you disagree about one argument taken completely outta context.

[SixFiveOh]

CC's don't mean beans. HP is the ONLY factor that should be considered. That's why a 650cc bike MIGHT be a beginner ride, but a 600cc Supersport will never be.
As to my answer...
NO!
Supersports are not for newbies...

[JimmyD]

It's also why tiered licensing works. Doubt you'll see that this side of the pond though.

[seadood228]

My answer would be "no" but I also beleive that for some riders, myself included, it's easier and safer to learn on a SS. I started on a Zuk SV650, and found that the lower powerband actually made the bike handle less predictably. This led to a few low speed cornering scares, many of which I feel could have been avoided with smoother throttle response.

I do think this category is quite small, and therefore a blanket "no" should suffice.

If there was a way to govern a supersport to say <6k RPMs, then imo you'd have one of the perfect beginner bikes.

[seadood228]

Originally Posted by JimmyD

It's also why tiered licensing works. Doubt you'll see that this side of the pond though.

I think this is a great idea, but yeah people here are too worried about having their "rights" chipped away little by little. This is a country that lives off paranoia

[Uthor]

Originally Posted by seadood228

My answer would be "no" but I also beleive that for some riders, myself included, it's easier and safer to learn on a SS. I started on a Zuk SV650, and found that the lower powerband actually made the bike handle less predictably. This led to a few low speed cornering scares, many of which I feel could have been avoided with smoother throttle response.

So how does a SS's "nothing, nothing, nothing, warp speed!" powerband help?

[seadood228]

Originally Posted by Uthor

So how does a SS's "nothing, nothing, nothing, warp speed!" powerband help?

Below the "warp speed," it's extremely smooth and less likely to stall or accelerate too hard if the new rider is experiencing any issues modulating the throttle/clutch. I know this isn't an issue on the 250 or 500, but it can be on the 650 twins.

[stevend135]

No, I wouldn't recommend a supersport for a beginner.

[honestlyinsane]

Well start flaming because I give it a strong "DEPENDS" if the rider is mature I say why not.
My wife was getting into riding 6 yrs ago and I wanted her to get a zx6r then considered a supersport.
Only due to the fact that if she got a 250 (which she did) I knew she would get sick of it (which she did).
and got rid of it in less than a year.
Now me riding bikes for years know that most 600's even the new supersports aren't really that powerful until you wind the crap out of them.
which any sane mature rider will not due especially if they took the MSF course because they wanted to properly learn how to ride a bike.

Now if someone came up to me talking out there behind about how great of a rider they are going to be and how they are going to be stunting with there boyz I would tell them to wait a couple yrs before riding until they grow up

Also I always recommend that any noob doesn't go on group rides no matter what they are riding they usually get in over their head............been there done that was smart enough to pull away from the pack and go home before I got killed.

[cmptrmn.1]

Before I purchased my VN900 my friend let me "try" out his GSX1000. Now I had ridden before (30,000 miles about 30 years ago), and had just taken the MSF course. I had nooooo idea what something like that would do. My old Kawi 500 triple did not have that kind of ooomph. A supersport for a noob could be asking for trouble.

[MR.S7]

guess depend of the Newbie.. there are newbies with skillz learn pretty fast and a minor bike would make them upgrade instantly.. that happened to me in my first bike.. but for scurity i woludnt reccommend it. so i sayid no.

[JimmyD]

Originally Posted by seadood228

My answer would be "no" but I also beleive that for some riders, myself included, it's easier and safer to learn on a SS. I started on a Zuk SV650, and found that the lower powerband actually made the bike handle less predictably. This led to a few low speed cornering scares, many of which I feel could have been avoided with smoother throttle response.

I do think this category is quite small, and therefore a blanket "no" should suffice.

If there was a way to govern a supersport to say <6k RPMs, then imo you'd have one of the perfect beginner bikes.

Twins tend to have a jerky throttle response. The SV would be the worst of the offenders because of the torquey v-twin, but a 650/500 would be almost the same. It's very easy to tell when your chain needs adjusting on mine as any throttle input without slipping the clutch = JERK.

There have been some amazing small displacement 4s released elsewhere in the world, the ZX-2 and ZX-4 come to mind. Japan has some nice 400cc liquid cooled hondas. There was a 400cc bandit around here at bike nights, mid 90s maybe. They just never make it over here, thinking they won't sell. Any dealer around here can't keep their 250s and 500s on the floor so I don't know why that line of thinking still exists.

I also don't know why people "get tired" of a 250/500. You're not riding it right if that's the case. Flogging them to their limit is half the fun. Those things are nimble corner cutters with a set of good tires and some stronger springs and I'm constantly amazing my friends with what "just a 500" can do to keep up with their CBRs. Maybe they live in the prairie side of the country..

[evmo]

Its all about the rider. I met a kid (20 years old) who lives in the same apartment complex as me who went out and bought an 07 R6 as his very first ride based soley on the bikes looks. He took the MSF course and bought full gear.

I've taken him out to some twisties a few times and told him to go at his own pace. Guess what, he does. He rides the bike with respect and doesn't push his limits. My point being that he has a smart head on his shoulders and even though he bought a monster knows not to push it.

On another note, how old of an ss are we talking here? My first (non dirt) bike was an 84 fj 600 that had been set up for racing, that thing was old but man would it get up and go once you wound that engine up.

[honestlyinsane]

Originally Posted by JimmyD

Twins tend to have a jerky throttle response. The SV would be the worst of the offenders because of the torquey v-twin, but a 650/500 would be almost the same. It's very easy to tell when your chain needs adjusting on mine as any throttle input without slipping the clutch = JERK.

There have been some amazing small displacement 4s released elsewhere in the world, the ZX-2 and ZX-4 come to mind. Japan has some nice 400cc liquid cooled hondas. There was a 400cc bandit around here at bike nights, mid 90s maybe. They just never make it over here, thinking they won't sell. Any dealer around here can't keep their 250s and 500s on the floor so I don't know why that line of thinking still exists.

I also don't know why people "get tired" of a 250/500. You're not riding it right if that's the case. Flogging them to their limit is half the fun. Those things are nimble corner cutters with a set of good tires and some stronger springs and I'm constantly amazing my friends with what "just a 500" can do to keep up with their CBRs. Maybe they live in the prairie side of the country..

I very rarely see 250's or 500 hundreds . I think with the updated styling the 250 will do better as that was one of the resons my wife hated hers but I still think they need to squeeze some more out of it. If it was such a big market for a 250 sportbike other companies would still offer one also.

[adamp961]

i do not recommend it but it can be down, because that is what i did

first bike a cbr600, just have to be extra careful and use your smarts

[JasonFMHS]

i say a 500-ish class is the best to start on... maybe a little larger if its a cruiser.

[jbsmd]

No. Would I recommend a 250? Maybe!

[RichLockyer]

Absolutely not.
There is a HUGE difference between a "sportbike" and a "supersport"

There are more than a few people (riders and non-riders) who have the opinion that supersports don't belong on the street period, and while I don't agree with them, I can see where they are coming from.

Before recommending a supersport to a beginner, recommend a good life insurance agent.

And that brings up something else.... insurance for supersports is double or triple that of a regular sporty.


Yes, it can be done and is done often.... perhaps too often, but it is really not a good idea.

[RichLockyer]

Originally Posted by Uthor

(or that weighs more than 500 lbs for the "1000 cc = 45 hp" cruiser crowd)

That pretty much eliminates anything bigger than the Vulcan 500.

There's a big difference between a 500 pound sporty and a 500 pound cruiser, and a HUGE difference between a 600cc sporty and even a 1000cc cruiser. Apples and oranges. The 900-1300cc cruiser class is a perfectly acceptable beginner's ride. The 1600 was my first street ride, but I had a few years with a 250 on the dirt.

[Averitteg]

Originally Posted by D-Day

Depends on how well I knew them and if I thought they were responsible enough to handle it. Someone I didn't know well? No.

I agree...