been pondering this whole bike stuff for a while, trying to decide if I want one.

As a rough idea, what sort of size would you need to get Scooby-style acceleration (at sensible speeds), say 0-60 in 5-6s? Would a 400 manage it?

Really don't want a big bike (REALLY like the Triumph Triple though :notworthy ), but I think I'd be dissappointed with a 250.

cheers

A 500twin will probably match a Scoob off the mark tbh, so a sports 400 should be quicker up to a point, a 600 would murder it once its got rolling.

600s make more sense than 400s tbh, the extra midrange makes life that bit easier and they really are quite easy to ride these days.

a 400 would no prob but would struggle after 100mph or so, however a 600 is a totally different kettle of fish.

they get to 140mph so quick its untrue and will do a genuine 160mph a Scoob would not stand a chance - in a straight line at least

Depends on style of bike don't forget but i'd agree with the above, a Honda CB500 would do it for you off the line but be a bit of a pain at speed, its only a commuter.

Hornet or Bandit 600, especially the faired version should be able to do everything you want and still be sensible. 400 sports are all Jap imports aren;t they and 500's tend to be 'first big bike' type jobs that aren't particulary great.

5t.

I'd need something cheap, so I'd think a modern 600 would be too much.
My brother had a VFR400, but they look a bit small for me (6'). less chance of dropping one.

I'm not deperate to race Scoobies, just gives a benchmark.

I'll take my test on a 500, so I should get an idea whether I'd want one.

A few years ago Fast Bikes mag tested a GS500 against a modded scoob and the bike was a tad quicker over a qtr of a mile, with both in the 13 sec bracket….which is where the 500cc twins and sports 400’s are at..some of these newer breed of super scoots are quicker than that thou!

If your changing from a fast car mate you will want a 600cc bike , a 500cc twin or sports 400 will flat above 80-90MPH compared to the car.

i got a CBR 600 as my first bike and the scooby feels really slow now (however bikes always feel faster when you're riding them).
As for the CBR its cheap to run and does the job fine.

i got a CBR 600 as my first bike and the scooby feels really slow now (however bikes always feel faster when you're riding them).
As for the CBR its cheap to run and does the job fine.

That post says it all, even if a bike on paper was slower thna a car it would feel much quicker.

Can't go wrong with a 5 year old CBR600, great bikes.

You can get a year 2000 R6 for about £1800 and earlier models for less. I have a 2001 R6 first with LED rear lights and had it for 4 years now, and keeps up with most things to 150 - 160mph. It its also ultra reliable and does not even need valve clearances checked until 24,000 miles, the engines are bulletproof, and the finish on them is much better than some 600's. I wouldnt recommend getting any 400 as you will get bored to quick. Ive had fireblades and gixers 750 - 1000's in past and the R6 is still plenty fast if you give it some beans. So you wont get bored of it if you start riding it to its potential.

While it's interesting to compare speed across the ground between different vehicle types, a motorcycle is a completely different bag of spanners. It is a lifestyle choice in one major respect in that you are more likely to crash and be seriously killed or injured™. Secondly while the machine may be capable of 0-60 in 3 point blink of an eye, you +machine might not. One takes a much more active role in pacifying a motorcycle.

Having said that, there is no great secret to riding a bike and petrol heads from whatever religion can cross boundaries successfully, look at Stirling Moss, Damon Hill and wait for a certain V. Rossi.

Adressing your post however and I don't see why you think a smaller capacity bike will be better for you. In actual fact, bigger bikes are generally easier to ride. A big old 'slow' bike (dare I say it) like my trusty Fazer thou, is as easy to ride if not easier than my old Fizzy moped (albeit not quite as valuable as an FS1E these days!).

It depends what you mean by "Scooby style acceleration". You may mean literally as fast as a Scooby, which has been adressed as above or you may even mean in the top five percent (three?) of fast sports cars.

A top five bike would be a Gixxer thou, R1, ZX10 or the like. These machines earn the respect of other bikers as some of the quickest machinery on two wheels. On the other hand, they are so fast that few riders will get anything like near the edge of their performance envelope; on road certainly but also I suggest on a racetrack. They are just "too damned fast" but don't quote me ;)

So much so the latest GSXR1000 (the WRX of the bike world if ever there was one) now has a handlebar switch to tame it's output. One of the kinder descriptions is to refer to it as the BGB switch. Big Girls Blouse.

I don't see the idea catching on, big fast bikes are for big fast guys (and gals).
Not for wimps. You pays your money and etc.

Screwd.

Agree with above, also: 400s are very small. And you will get sick off it in no time at all, especially if a mate zpas you on his 600 or bigger.
600s from 2000 and on, basically all with injected fuel, are fantastic bikes to start with.

just to re-iterate the 400VFR is an import so your insurance is higher straightaway.

Thundercat (like someone else is having problems with) might be a good blend of sports and comfort for you. at your height tiny bikes should be ruled out as you'll be very uncomfy and while you are thinking about your hurting knees you might not be thinking about that hedge coming up very fast in front of you.... i'm the same height and 98/99 zx6r ninja is one of the best 600 sports bikes out there for taller riders, it is just before kawasaki made them stupid small to compete with the R6 (before they changed it back again because no one wanted to do more than 50 miles on one razor like handling or not)

5t.

5t.

I'm 6ft4 and the CBR600 fits me fine, comfortable riding position too

Agree with above, also: 400s are very small. And you will get sick off it in no time at all, especially if a mate zpas you on his 600 or bigger.
600s from 2000 and on, basically all with injected fuel, are fantastic bikes to start with.

Sorry but thats total rubbish. I'm 6'3, owned a derestricted CBR 400RR Tri-Arm for 5 years and 30k miles on it and it was a bloody fantastic bike. People that spout the above normally have never owned or ridden a decent Jap sports 400. That bike taught me how to ride and was a much better learning curve than jumping straight on an R6.

Oh and a 400 sports with someone who knows how to ride will beat a scooby to 60 hands down. Above that a scoob will catch up and be pulling away past 100. I still got over an indicated 140mph (off the clocks) out of mine but it did have a full race system on it that it came with from Japan. It was also a bullet proof engine and took massive amounts of neglect from me as a student and still ran perfectly.

Sorry but thats total rubbish. I'm 6'3, owned a derestricted CBR 400RR Tri-Arm for 5 years and 30k miles on it and it was a bloody fantastic bike. People that spout the above normally have never owned or ridden a decent Jap sports 400. That bike taught me how to ride and was a much better learning curve than jumping straight on an R6.

Oh and a 400 sports with someone who knows how to ride will beat a scooby to 60 hands down. Above that a scoob will catch up and be pulling away past 100. I still got over an indicated 140mph (off the clocks) out of mine but it did have a full race system on it that it came with from Japan. It was also a bullet proof engine and took massive amounts of neglect from me as a student and still ran perfectly.

Spot on post B2Z - you won't read many posts from people who have actually owned a decent 400 who don't rave about them :thumb:

I had a CBR 400 as my first proper bike and it taught me so much about riding. Plenty quick enough for UK roads these days. Gear driven cams, screaming red lines, top bikes :D

I have also had 600's, and the current track steed (a gixer 1000) is just stupid for the road. I dabble in a bit of racing here and there, and the amount of people I overtake under braking for corners is crazy - I put it all down to the experience my 400 gave me - when you have less power you have to brake as late as possible to keep up with the quicker guys.

If I had the space and spare cash I'd get another 400 (for road riding) tomorrow :D

Edited to add a bit like this one :luvlove:

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m295/nidoes/nc35.jpg

Yep i'd have another one too if I had the room and money, the reason I don't have one as my main bike is because I do a lot of motorway riding so its big brother Fireblade is much better suited. If it was back road scratching then the 400 is an easier and faster bike to ride. I used to be on the heels of blades and 916's (the days before gsxr 1ks and R1's) on A/B roads on the 400 and stopping talking to the riders they always assumed it had a 600 lump dropped in it and were never best pleased when they realised it was a 'lowly' 400 thats was all over them and faster in the twisties.

Edited to add a bit like this one :luvlove:

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m295/nidoes/nc35.jpg

That's a beauty.

I'd rather be quick on a "slow" bike than...

S.

@ B2Z -- wasn't that the one that NEVER got serviced? ;)

Yep lol, not that I have mentioned it a hundred time before or anything :p when Jap 400's getting a slagging off ;) I wouldn't have fancied ragging my zx6r, gsxr750 or r1 for 10k without a service!

can i reccomend a cheap 600 being the zzr 600 , fast enough , first bike in its class to hit a genuine 150 at the time and comfortable, insurance friendly and cheap!

My mate has a Jap sports 400 and it's plenty quick at sensible speeds, only thing is he has to thrash it all the time to get that performance as it's very peaky. By comparison I have an SV650 as my winter bike which isn't that much quicker but is far more torquey, much easier to ride around town without having to stir the box as much, and you really notice the difference with a pillion.

I wouldn't discount the SV650, it's not a supersports so not as quick as the R6, CBR600, etc, but is really easy to ride and will beat most cars inc scoobies 0 to 100 (book figure is under 9 secs). Runs out of steam around 120 MPH (top speed is officially ~130 MPH, it'll hit about 140 indicated). They can be picked up really cheaply these days and are pretty reliable, as is most Jap stuff.

I have recently bought an R1 which is parked up until the weather gets a bit better at which point I'll sell the SV650. Obviously it's a completely different beast and I'd agree with previous posts that most riders won't get near its potential -- me included. Main reason I wanted the R1 rather than an R6 is for the extra torque, as I like the best of both worlds of being able to potter around at 4-6000 RPM when I'm taking it easy yet still have the race bike peaky power when I hit the open road.

Smaller bikes can be great fun, i had a 250 2T RG and it was a great bike, well right up untill the pistons let go!!

Imagin if Honda still sold the VFR400 NC30 right now, they would sell 1000's of them. :notworthy

Just a footnote on this, I have a 1976 Suzi GT380 2-stroke triple with a knicker-ripping 37bhp and weight of 380 pounds dry (more than an R1 :eek:)

Tested in '76 at MIRA by MCM, they got:

0-60: 5.8 seconds

1/4 mile: 14.8 @ 85mph

0-100: 38 seconds :D

Mean 2-way top speed (sitting normally in 2-piece outfit): 90mph


That was pretty much on the pace for a 350 / 400cc bike then. The Kawa S3 / KH400 was about the same, only the Yam RD400 was quicker.

Ive just bought a Kawasaki ZXR400, which is a UK bike. Passed my test yesterday as it happens, so im all legal on it. It is a class bike and im very impressed with it so far. These are excellent little bikes and are demmed by the motorbike industry to be the 'best' and quickest of the 400's. The fact that they were made in the UK up until 2003 shows this (as all the other 4's were all Jap Imports and stopped being produced about 10 years ago!)

As for the size aspect of them, I am 6ft 1" and its perfect for me. However, I did look at VFR's/RVF's/CBR's/GSXR's and these were all a lot smaller; but the ZXR is spot on. It seems the perfect weight and size to learn how to ride properly, and has just about the right amount of power.

Id say it would eat my Scoob 0-80. The power doesn't die at that point tho, it keeps pulling very well up until about 120 (will do 139), but at about 80, the scoob would start to pull away.

Hope this helps!

Interesting stuff
That SV lookd loverly (on Google anyway).
My budget seems ever decreasing, and my communter scooter is getting really unreliable in the wet (NEVER buy Chinese!), so I'll need to get something nice and cheap.
a CB500 looks a good bet, for a while at least. same price are 125, and quick enough to go sprinting again, not I don't have a car for it.

Better get the DAS booked...

The CB500 is a great little bike, very well built and reliable, but if you intend on having a bitta fun the SV is a better bet, the finish isn't up to honda standards but they are cheap and loadsa fun. You might get a little bored of the CB quickly when other bikes come past a bit too easily.

Either way, have fun

And If One has a rather usefull RA on a short box, how would this match with a motorcycle off the mark ?

And If One has a rather usefull RA on a short box, how would this match with a motorcycle off the mark ?

Depends on how good the driver of the car is and how good the bike rider is and what bike it is. If was Schumacher in the scoob and Rossi on an R1 then the scoob is going to be looking at the back of the R1 straight from the off. The R1 with a professional rider on it would be capable of hitting 0-60 in a fraction under 3 seconds if the official figures are to be believed and the weather conditions are dry.

Too many factors to give a straight answer.

Fastest 0-60 time on a stock bike I've seen is 2.3 secs. By Chris Dabbs, MCN road tester, on one of the first Suzuki GSX 1000s. Many years ago, when wheelbases were longer and bikes heavier.

It's 90% technique and the lastest superbikes are very hard to get off the line cleanly (or safely).

Richard.

And If One has a rather usefull RA on a short box, how would this match with a motorcycle off the mark ?

Just how "useful" would that be?

Genuine question.

Screwd.