Sportbike riders

Stopped by the Ducati dealer yesterday. These bikes are such gorgeous pieces of machinery!

One day I hope to be good enough to ride this.

696, though. 1100 is probably too much for little old me.

Originally Posted by Cobra

thanks for the all input, guys. i didn't mean to start a flame war with japanese vs italian sportbikes. for the price, though, i think i'm gonna stick with a japanese, especially since i'm a n00b.

so i'm deciding between a 04+ gixxer 600, and r6.

i like the look of yamahas better(headlight design, at least) but i've heard that gixxers are better to ride around town than the r6 because of more torque, and r6's really shine at high rpms on the highway. any truth to this?

seems like now is the optimal time to buy, a lot of people are dumping their bikes since riding season is "over", i found what i think to be good deals on craigslist. '04-'07 r6's and gixxer 600s with single or low to mid double-digit mileage from $4,000 to about $6,000. i realize that a 600 is a lot for a n00b, but i have several buddies who will help me out the entire way, who i'll be riding with until it snows or gets REALLY cold. plus, i'm not gonna squid it out at all, full gear at all times.

cliffs: r6 vs gixxer, pros and cons?

the r6 indeed shines in higher rpm's. but don't expect the gixxer to be much different when it comes down to low-end torque. you have to realize that they're both inline 4, 600cc sportbikes.....they love rpm's. the gixxer is also slightly more comfortable from my experience......it might not be the same for you though.

in the end, there isn't a big difference therefore get what you like most.

Originally Posted by \\\VLADA

...
in the end, there isn't a big difference therefore get what you like most.

+1
there is not much difference in the 600s. find the one that fits you best, one you think looks good, is comfortable for your size/height, etc...

did you take MSF course yet??

2000 Yamaha R6 Stunt Bike

Originally Posted by rohde88

what are your goals for getting a bike? if you just want to go fast in a straight line, then get whatever you think looks better.

i would like to drag knee, eventually. don't just wanna be a typical squid monkey that flys past cars on highways only. hell, i don't think i'll be going on the highway anytime soon, i'm terrified of the dangers .

Originally Posted by \\\VLADA

the r6 indeed shines in higher rpm's. but don't expect the gixxer to be much different when it comes down to low-end torque. you have to realize that they're both inline 4, 600cc sportbikes.....they love rpm's. the gixxer is also slightly more comfortable from my experience......it might not be the same for you though.

in the end, there isn't a big difference therefore get what you like most.

true, thanks for the insight! i just need to find a r6 to sit on and test out, and see which one fits me better.

Originally Posted by motoracergabe

+1
there is not much difference in the 600s. find the one that fits you best, one you think looks good, is comfortable for your size/height, etc...

did you take MSF course yet??

not yet, i will once i practice with my friend. right now, i only have a permit

Take the course, it's important. I still can't believe you guys can simply sit on a bike and ride. Here you have to take a sh!tload of theory and practical tests, and still can't ride a serious bike before your 21st.

A few things i learned during my courses:

look way ahead (this is important when driving a car and even more so when riding a bike especially on a windy route)
stay within your comfort zone (even when riding with other people you should not try to keep up. you'll notice that your comfortzone will gradually expand)
don't use the rear brake too much, but also not too little (applying the rear brake will help stabilize the rear a bit during hard braking, apply gently do not slam on it)
choose the surface on which you ride (avoid marks, arrows and lines on the pavement. also: if it looks wet it's dangerous even if it's only water)

there are a lot more lessons to be learned on these courses, but these i learned the hard way. be safe and happy riding.

Originally Posted by Cobra

i would like to drag knee, eventually. don't just wanna be a typical squid monkey that flys past cars on highways only. hell, i don't think i'll be going on the highway anytime soon, i'm terrified of the dangers .

If you're serious about dragging knee, I (and +50 on this board) will recommend a smaller cc bike like a GS500 or ninja or even an sv650. they are a lot more flickable and you'll learn to become a better rider instead of trying to avoid spinning the rear tire on corner exit.

Originally Posted by \\\VLADA

...
choose the surface on which you ride (avoid marks, arrows and lines on the pavement. also: if it looks wet it's dangerous even if it's only water)...

Yea, I avoid man hole covers, even debate which paint looks "rougher", sometimes the entire lane is covered in brand new paint

Originally Posted by motoracergabe

just my input:
1098 > gsx-r


jk jk

not for me but only cuz i have to pay for it. it is was free, it'd be a no brainer, if maintenance was covered forever.

i'd like a bmw one day tho. maybe an r6 down the line. my gsxr is fun and good enough for me tho.

Originally Posted by rohde88

If you're serious about dragging knee, I (and +50 on this board) will recommend a smaller cc bike like a GS500 or ninja or even an sv650. they are a lot more flickable and you'll learn to become a better rider instead of trying to avoid spinning the rear tire on corner exit.



Yea, I avoid man hole covers, even debate which paint looks "rougher", sometimes the entire lane is covered in brand new paint

more flickable? idk about that, but prob better to start out on. although i didn't, i'm no riding expert.

countersteering and stuff is much easier on the supersports IMO.

Originally Posted by wrighterjw10

more flickable? idk about that, but prob better to start out on. although i didn't, i'm no riding expert.

i kinda agree with them being more flickable. I was able to scrape the pipes of both sides when i had my ninja 500. scared the sh!t out of me the first time.

they are more flickable, especially te 500s, way more flickable that any full one 600 supersport

i need an LED for my bike

Originally Posted by Cobra

i would like to drag knee, eventually. don't just wanna be a typical squid monkey that flys past cars on highways only. hell, i don't think i'll be going on the highway anytime soon, i'm terrified of the dangers .



true, thanks for the insight! i just need to find a r6 to sit on and test out, and see which one fits me better.



not yet, i will once i practice with my friend. right now, i only have a permit

You can drag knee on any bike... it's all about proper body position, speed, etc etc etc...

I don't know why that's a "goal" of yours though. There are many people on the tracks faster than me who don't even drag their knee. And I can drag my knee through just about every single turn and on the streets if I want to. (Don't take note from my street pictures I posted earlier as those were taken for fun. )

i can't say much about the flickability...

Originally Posted by MpoweredM

You can drag knee on any bike... it's all about proper body position, speed, etc etc etc...

I don't know why that's a "goal" of yours though. There are many people on the tracks faster than me who don't even drag their knee. And I can drag my knee through just about every single turn and on the streets if I want to. (Don't take note from my street pictures I posted earlier as those were taken for fun. )

well, basically i meant that i wanna be a good rider, and would want to go to the track often. i don't wanna be a monkey of a squid who only knows how to ride fast in a straight line.

after doing research, and getting flamed on sportbikenetwork, i think i'm gonna go with a sv650s. i wanna become a good rider, and it seems to be unanimous almost that starting on a sv650\s would allow me to improve riding skills easier than someone starting on a 600ss... what you guys think?

sv650 is a great bike, i know a few guys that went from 1000 after a few years back to SVs

^That was some insaaaaaaaaaane sh*t to watch!!!

I'd like to see the police try to catch him...

imagine going up an indoor stairwell, that would be so cool to jump rooftop to roof top

Hey guys, noob here.

Im about to get my bike tomorrow and I was wondering what do I need to register it? Does it need an inspection?
I live in Maryland btw.

thanks!