[snaxboy]

I have a friend who asked me, " if you had your choice based on overall satisfaction and performance which would you get a 636 or a zx10?" I thought about it and having had an 1100 GSXR and a CBR1000 both 90s'era, I told him my new 636 was still my choice. He wanted to know if there is significant low end difference. I have not ridden a new ZX10. Does anyone have any input? I understand he is a fairly new rider and the first bike should probably be the 636, but that aside does the ZX10 really wow you over the 636?

 

[QKENUF4U]

litre bikes will ALWAYS have better bottom end TORQUE. but him being a new rider i wouldnt even recommend the 636. but its his money and his life so he can do what he wants. :roll:

 

[1Adam12]

For street riding the 636 has more usable power,however on an open straight there is no doubt that the displacement will leave the 636 behind.

As far as your friend is concerned - as mentioned above - It's his life and don't let him ride around me if thats the case. A young rider munched himself and a rider close by to him a couple weeks back because he was riding a new sportbike and didn't know what kind of power it really had.

Do us all a favor and urge him in a different direction as a trainer bike.

 

[Cale]

I will say zx10r is the worst choice for beginners. 636 is also in the worst 10 for beginners. This is just my opinion.

 

[Freakinout]

I will say zx10r is the worst choice for beginners. 636 is also in the worst 10 for beginners. This is just my opinion.

I would have to agree with both of those. 250 or a 500 would be a much better (and less dangerous) option.

 

[Aikata]

I will say zx10r is the worst choice for beginners. 636 is also in the worst 10 for beginners. This is just my opinion.

I would have to agree with both of those. 250 or a 500 would be a much better (and less dangerous) option.

I would second the motion... but if he's even talking about a liter bike then he'll laugh at you if you mention a 250. Most people do when they think that big.

 

[ZX-2R]

Seriously

IF this fella is really a FRIEND..then tell him about what he is asking about...take him out fo ra ride...then take him to an insurance agent and ask about the insurance costs...and then ask about a used 250R or a 500R even new ones...I think that the insurance agent will convince him that he should get something small and used to start off with to proove that he will be able to handle a bike and get some street experience before he ges a hi performance bike...I can't believe the numbers of people that still tink htat a 600 is an okay bike to start off on. Even the off road guys that are excellent riders and have all sorts of experience witht ballance, conditions have no idea of what it is like on the street with cars trucks RV an severybody not lookin gout for bikes...WE ARE invisible on the roads...Have him look at the statistics...seriously IF he is a friend YOU must be serious with him and set him up with a used smaller bike...Unless he truely isn't a friend and you have no conscience...

 

[snaxboy]

Thanks to all

Thanks to all of you who took the time to reply to my question. I copied all of your common sense comments and gave them to my friend. I got him to sign up for a local bike saftey course and told him I would join him in his efforts to find him a 250. He has Big eyes when it comes to toys. I ride with several friends, he really wants to be involved. I guess the desire to have the best equiptment overtook his common sense. The fact that you who answered me echoed the same sentiment made a compelling arguement. Thanks again. Glad I found this site.

 

[1Adam12]

Glad to here it.....and he's lucky to have a friend like you.

Tell him smart move on the class and he will have no regrets. In short order he will master the ride and as he grows out of the 250 there are plenty of rides out there for him. The key is to live long enough and he's taken the right steps to success.

 

[Curt]

I guess the desire to have the best equiptment overtook his common sense.

Lot's of people go through that. Sometimes it seems like everyone is talking about horsepower instead of brain power.

If you ever make it to Minnesota, I'll be glad to show you what a 250 can do. It can do a lot more than most riders (including myself).

When it comes to racing or just being cool with your buds, there is a lot of emphasis put on engine size. I think that the most important factor is not the space in your cylinders -- it's the space between your ears. That's what wins races. Displacement is a big factor too, but it's not the biggest factor in determining the winner.
Curt

 

[ZX-2R]

OUTGROWN?

I've ridden Harleys, Honda Interstates, goldwings, several liter bikes and larger...and have owned nearly a dozen...still the 250 is something that I haven't outgrown. It is a Riot, and a serious bike if you want to do some things to it...in the aftermarket world...still in its stock form it will tripple digit MPH for you. It will tripple digit a lot faster with some modifications...still the bike is nearly bullet-proof in performance...when you get to about 8,000 RPM it starts working and carries that on till just a little over 13,000 RPM...it's a pretty serious bike...when you consider that it is only a 250cc (1/4L) and weighs in at a little over 300 pounds. Some of us have ridden much larger bikes and still like the lightweight and performance that brings big smiles to out faces. You get on some serious twisting and winding roads...with little to NO straights and you will walk away from Harleys, most of (there are some exceptions) the larger big bore bikes because thay are heavier...Then there is the insurance and cost of fuel, maintenance...etc...seriously the 250R is not a laughing matter. I'm really happy that you have taken your friend under your wing and explained things to him. Having him follow you, at a safe distance, and then following him at a safe distance you can learn alot about riding...just be safe....and remember to always KNOW that you are INVISABLE to any other traffic on the road...

 

[ZX10 Guy]

From a ZX-10 owner, this guy can't be serious. This bike is NOT a bike for beginners...PERIOD. Sorry for the exuberant response. The thing will get you in trouble in a heart beat. There's accounts running around the internet about people buying the bike as their first one. One guy had the bike come back to the dealer 12 hours after he picked it up. Crashed it pretty good. My previous bike was a 90 Ninja 750. Got pretty comfortable on that bike before I upgraded to this one. I still wasn't totally prepared by what I got with the 10. The wheelbase is just shorter on the 10 than the 636. So you have a bike with about 150 HP at the wheel on a frame that is just shorter than a 600....you have a looping candidate if the rider doesn't know how to modulate that throttle. And it doesn't take that much movement of the throttle to get yourself into trouble. The 10 is absolutely horrible in stop and go riding. You have to keep the revs up to overcome that tall first gear...again throttle control is a must here. Too little and the bike stalls or bogs. Too much and you doing a wheelie on your way up to 100 MPH in first...I exagerate you not. To sum up what the 10 is, there have been some privateers that have taken a totally stock 10 onto the pro racing circuit to compete and have done decently. Do what the others have suggested....push him towards a 250 or 500.

 

[ZX-2R]

BRAVO!

Thank you ZX-10R Guy. None of the street motorcycles sold by Kawasaki are toys. If you get on ANY public roads, highways, interstates...you will find out that there are things about motorcycles completely different...even the power and weight are factors...thanks for your input!

 

[chunky]

i had a few years gap after passing my test to getting a proper bike, and i was all set for a brand new 600 suzuki bandit, my mate managed to talk me out of it and i got an fz 400 yamaha.
This was rather lively even though the bike turned out to be a right shed.
I parted company with the fz when i got married and have only just got my zxr 750 which even at the moment not running quite right is rather quick but ive grown up enough now to be able to resist winding that throttle open at the wrong times.
The guy i work with has an aprillia rs250 that he raced and that is outrageous for pace and agility

 

[ZX10 Guy]

ZX-2R,

No prob. Just want to make sure people are informed about what they're getting into. Many new riders are star struck from all the "glamour" around images presented in the Slow and the Stupid...ahem....Fast and the Furious and other movies like Torque and Biker Boyz. Health of our sport of riding depends on having good/experienced riders and keeping newbies around to be good/experienced riders.

 

[ZX-2R]

SAFETY

Safety is the key...

 

[vaporgas2000]

there is a guy in my home town that was sold a 636 as his first bike. he did a light layover at a stop light because he popped the clutch and couldn't handle it. he stood the bike up, pushed it to the side of the road 1\2 mile from his house and swears to never ride again. it is lucky that he wasn't seriosly injured but it is also tragic that a young man is so discouraged from riding just because the dealer was more interested in profits from the sell instead of steering him towards the right bike and talking him into the msf course.

 

[Green Knight]

Ok, here is my suggestion. What the guy rides will depends ENTERLY on experence. Since this is his first bike he doesn't have much there so not so good for the big bikes. Does he know how to drive a clutch and does he drive one normaly? If yes to both questions that is an extream plus. How does he drive and how do you think he will drive? Responsably? Crazy? Insane? I would say if you got negatives for more than 2 of those questions you should have him consider a different machine. I started on a 750. That doesn't mean everyone else can. That was a lot of machine but I was used to some high proformance stuff and I had driven a clutch every day since I learned to drive. The people I see who are the most dangerous and scare themselves the most are ones who are not familiar with a clutch. If he can use a clutch, like I said, thats a huge plus. He just might be able to start on a bigger bike, but I would strongly suggest not the 10R. That is a lot of bike. Anyone buying a "sport bike" 1000cc and up better know what they are doing or they could end up dead or worse. Just use common sence.

 

[ZX10 Guy]

Well, I will argue on the contrary. Knowing how to clutch on a car cannot directly translate into success in clutching on a bike. It's two totally different concepts. In the car you're using your left foot on the clutch pedal. On the bike, it's your shifter. Your left hand controls the clutch. Your right hand does the shifting which is the throttle and brake on the bike. Where as your right foot is for the brake and throttle. A newbie to riding can easily get confused and overwhelmed by all these "foreign" controls even if they know how to drive a manual trans car. I remember when I first got on a bike. My friend was selling me his bike which was a 90 ZX750. He was teaching me the basics and I almost creamed myself against a mailbox. This from someone who has years of experience driving some high power manual trans cars and have done some stints in SCCA Solo II racing. Fortunately, I already had the foresight to have sign up for the MSF class. So it was only about a month or so later from when I got my bike that I was in the MSF class. During that time I did put around on the bike and got better at controlling it. But I was even better after the class. There are some things that self taught riders never would have thought to practice as a skill.

Again, I have to say that the best aftermarket mod to make on a particular bike (or car) is to upgrade the skills of the rider. Doing this has the highest return on investment than any mod on the market.

 

[Green Knight]

The reason why I think know how to use a clutch, and I mean use it well, is so important on a bigger cc bike is because there are so many things that that little thing can do to you. Kill your bike in an intersection or pop it out and rip a wheele. As far as taking the MSF course I would agree. No matter how good you think you are, if you are self taught, you can always learn more.