I'm a scooby fanatic through and through. Though reluctabtly now selling my pride and joy.

I am now looking at buying a bike,as and when i have passed my test.

The only thing is I know nothing about them other than they have to wheels and nearly always leave me standing.

I have been told to go for a 600cc. so have looked around and like the sports bikes.

But need advice on which, what gear i'll need and what insurance I'll be paying.

Thanks all
:iamwithst

I'm going to tag onto this thread cos I'm going through a simular process.

<Hijac alert!> :D:D:D

safety gear is v. important! spot the obvious but its the only thing between you and a long stint in hospital.

the sports 600 class of bike is very much of a muchness over the last couple of years. it comes as much down to looks and feel as much as anything, just because power wise their aint much in it.

have a wander round a few showrooms, have a sit on a couple and see which suits you best. even the position of the foot rests is fairly important for your build etc...

as far as insurance goes, i passed my test at the start of last summer, got a 01 cbr600 and ins was £280 TPFT with no bikes no claims. i have been driving a few years and they take it into account but dont qualify car NCB.

Apart from Leathers, back protector, helmet, gloves and boots.
Would you recomend anything else ?

nope sounds like you have it pretty much covered. a neck sleeve comes in handy! but not for safety :)

I would go for something like a Fazer, etc to start with, keep it for a period of say 6 months - 1 year then go for either a 750 or 900!

All depends what you want though from a bike!

Do Fazer's hold their value well ?

Yes, relitivly.

Take a look on www.motorcyclenews.co.uk (http://www.motorcyclenews.co.uk) or www.biketrader.co.uk (http://www.biketrader.co.uk) you will get prices etc.

If you want a road bike (just a road bike as a commute) then you'll probably want a Bandit/Hornet/Fazer 600 type bike.

If you want to do the Road and Trackdays, and the insurance is a killer with 0 years NCB. then consider an SV650. Can be made to handle very well, if a little underpowered.

If the insurance is sensible and you want performance, then go for a Supersports 600, ZX6R, GSXR, CBR, R6, What ever takes your fancy.

They are all fun ,and far more rewarding (if ridden properly ) than 99.99% of cars ;)

the route suggested above splits opinion pretty much. i think you should get the bike you really want, as getting bored with a bike, or wanting something different than what you buy just works out expensive. a bike will only go as quick as you twist the wrist etc..
i think you should buy what you really want to end up with. if thats a fazer all well and good. but if its an R6, then the fazers never gonna be quite right and you will get bored and want to change very quickly.

Is it handling that's the main difference between these two types of bikes or do sports bikes have a lot more power ?


(trying to justify the extra insurance ;))

When you get your first bike it is never a case of how quick you twist your wrist. You have to take into account of how "forgiving" a bike is. You want a bike to get used to first before getting a race rep (if thats what you want!). Dont forget you want a bike that is comfortable and easy to get along with and is forgiving, thats something you wont get from a modern 600 race rep.

After a short time you will likly get bored with a 600 and want something bigger so I would advive something like a fazer as said then go for a bigger CC :), more fun but watch that license!!

like i said "splits opinion"! i got into biking becasue i inherited a 600 hornet. good bike, well balanced etc.. but i almost imediately went to a cbr600. i found the cbr easier to ride as it had a lighter frame and more responsive steering. on paper the cbr is quicker but real world road riding there aint a great deal in it. you can just as easily have an "off" on either machine.
maybe i'm a rarity but i dont feel the need for more CC.
comes down to personal choice in the end.

Cool, thanks for all the advice guys!

Got my CBT tomorrow and then direct access later this month, so no doubt I will pester you all later! :D

pxr, sorry for stealing your thread!

:) good luck with your CBT m8

There are loads of threads on this on which SBradley, myself, Bravo2zero, Drunkenorgy all have commented on many times. A search through the threads is the best bet.

Briefly, CBR600, R6, ZX6R, GSX-R600 are all pretty similar with the CBR being the most forgiving and best bet for inexperienced riders. Having said that none of us are keen to recommend such a bike for a just passed rider as they will not be the easiest to learn on. Power delivery is sharper than other bikes, and the handling is less forgiving so it is harder to get the best from the bike and it is harder to learn as much as quickly. They also cost alot more when you drop them.

As above best learner bikes are Honda Hornet (powerful, but power delivery a bit peaky in my opinion, nicely balanced and easy to ride well), Fazer 600 (similar power to Hornet, Handles well but looks arent to every one's taste), Bandit (underpowered and will bore you quickly), SV650 (most fun, best handling but personally the nature of the twin is harder for newbies). Just my opinions of course.

Try as many as possible before buying, but dont panic as you wont lose much if you buy then have to change (I actually made money on my SV650).

You won't get bored of a 600cc sportsbike. I very much doubt that you will ever ride it to it's limit on the road. Getting something like a 1000cc bike is all well and good, but they are infact more boring than the 600's. You don't have to work them as much to ride fast. Yes they are more powerful, but if you can't ride a 600 to it's full potential then you certainly won't be bored of it.

NO probs mate let me no ho you get on
best of luck


Cool, thanks for all the advice guys!

Got my CBT tomorrow and then direct access later this month, so no doubt I will pester you all later! :D

pxr, sorry for stealing your thread!

Thanks for your advice.

I will defaintly look at the bikes you have suggested.

Least now I know what to look for

PXR


There are loads of threads on this on which SBradley, myself, Bravo2zero, Drunkenorgy all have commented on many times. A search through the threads is the best bet.

Briefly, CBR600, R6, ZX6R, GSX-R600 are all pretty similar with the CBR being the most forgiving and best bet for inexperienced riders. Having said that none of us are keen to recommend such a bike for a just passed rider as they will not be the easiest to learn on. Power delivery is sharper than other bikes, and the handling is less forgiving so it is harder to get the best from the bike and it is harder to learn as much as quickly. They also cost alot more when you drop them.

As above best learner bikes are Honda Hornet (powerful, but power delivery a bit peaky in my opinion, nicely balanced and easy to ride well), Fazer 600 (similar power to Hornet, Handles well but looks arent to every one's taste), Bandit (underpowered and will bore you quickly), SV650 (most fun, best handling but personally the nature of the twin is harder for newbies). Just my opinions of course.

Try as many as possible before buying, but dont panic as you wont lose much if you buy then have to change (I actually made money on my SV650).

CBT PASSED! :)
Just got direct Access and then my test on the 29th now :D

(Sorry, just had to share that :))

Perhaps mods could do a sticky at the top of the biker forum as this question is nearly asked weekly! A combination of threads with good recomendations would answer this question.

As dtriggs says above, have a search back throuigh the bike forum over the last couple of months and there are loads of threads on this subject.

As I have always said, Honda 400 sports is the best way forward for a newbie :D