hey. i'm a total newbie to motorcycles. i want to learn how to ride soon...my plan for that is to get an old POS dirkbike and then work up from there. i was wondering if any of you could offer your opinions on how the different brands of sportbikes compare (honda,yamaha,suzuki,kawasaki) or point me to a website which has that kind of info. but i'm really looking for your honest real-world experiences.

thanks!

 

same question...try to read before you type...thx have a nice day

 

just the reply i expected from a little punk-***. no, thank you for you time. that was exactly what i was looking for.

 

I'm a rookie so don't take my words for the law or anything. Generalizing the brands. Honda cbrs are very stable, a bit heavy for my taste and have a good amount of oomph. I've only been on a 600 though. Basically, it'll make you look better than you are. Yamaha's are harder to generalize b/c the R's are just ***** out "maybe in 5 years" kinda bikes. The regular line is supposedely very competant as a streetbike. No personal experience w/ yamaha's. Suzuki gsxr's are the ***** of the sport bikes... apparently for each class they are either the fastest or next to it. The gsxr 600 didn't seem all that much faster than the cbr but my *** dynonameter might be off. The kawasaki's I really like personally b/c of the ergonomics. The riding position is a good comprimise and the handling is predictable. They also haul enough for my *** and are a pretty good deal used. These are just brand generalizations and can't hold true to every bike. It would be more accurate if you were to compare a couple specific bikes. In general the older kawa ex250/ninja250, ex500 are a good first streetbike. At least in my opinion. Course, I'm not as displacement hungry as a lot of the guys out there. browse around the newbie forum at esportbike.com. Very helpful, a lot more riders posting there than here. Hope this gave you a little insight.

 

thank you, that was perfect. esthetically i like the yamaha YFZ600R, followed by the honda cbr.. now i am thinking that maybe an old ninja250 would be a better bike to start on than a dirtbike...not sure yet. thanks!

 

I'd suggest the 250... there's a world of difference between a dirtbike and a streetbike and displacement isn't even 1/2 of it

 

thanks!

 

visit http://www.sportbikes.net
the guys on there could b brutally honest though

 

The first bike I took on the street was a TL1000R, Its all about the rider, I work at a suzuki shop so ive riden bikes around the shop before i took them on the street, but by the second night ever bein out on the street, i was already riding on that back wheel. im a fast learner. you have to look at a few things when it comes to buying a bike. First, Are you a fast learner? Does any of your buddies have a junk bike to learn on? What kind of riding do you want to do? Do you have the funds to buy a more expensive bike. You need to take many things into consideration. Chances are you will lay a bike down, i dont own a bike but im always on one. Either buddies, or people ive done side jobs for in exchange for "rides"....Ive never layed one down, and the slowest bike ive been on was a R6. You must know your limits. If you cant afford insurance, id get a used junky bike so when you lay it down, you will just laugh....ninja's arent my favorite, but a 500 would be a decent starter bike. All around ratings. mostly for handling and speed. It would go Gsxr, cbr f4i, R6, Ninja. Also, the baddest thing out. GSXR1000, nothing will touch this on a race track, i mean nothing. but, id shot for like a barely used Gsx-r600 (FI, 99 +) if you are into competition. yeah there are plenty out there, but for the performance, and handling, that gixxer 600 wont be beat. its a personal preference, if you dont care about being the fastest, best handling bike, get whatever you like, if you maintain it right, it will last, just be careful of who you buy from. Sorry for the long post. but feel free to ask anymore questions

 

after talking to some different people i think i've settled on finding an old ex/ninja 500. i'm a bigger guy (6'2, 200lbs.) so i figured this would be a good beginner size for me. i don't wanna pay more than $2000 for a bike i might wind up laying down. also, i just bought a house, have an integra motor i'm rebuilding, so i'm not rolling in extra dough right now. i also want something manageable enough for my gf to learn on when the time comes. as far a looks go, the yamaha YZF-R1 and the YZF 600R are my favorites...especially the R1. seems likes everyone else around likes the suzuki best. how are the yammies performance-wise? i would only invest in a bikes like those after a few years of experience. thanks for your post.

 

R's are ***** out fast. Straight, leaning, flat and sliding... always fast. Low friction plastics Don't try to commute or anything on an R though unless you can really deal w/ the sport position 24/7. Personally i don't like lying on the tank all the time. I think kawa's a generally a bit cheaper to buy(good used supply) and maintain (cheap parts). Also most of them have pretty good ergonomics. They serve the dual purpose better. I like mine b/c i don't hafta struggle when i lay it

 

dude, i wouldn't buy a bike as beautiful as an R1 or even a 600R until i had a damn good idea about how to ride. they strike me as gorgeous and deadly. but something i certaninly do not deserve yet! someday though.....

 

OK here goes....

HONDA has the best build, traditonaly weak gearboxes, and they tend to make the best all rounders.

YAMAHA have so-so build and tend to push the envelope. Their bikes are generally more sports

KAWASAKI are the sensible bunch. They stay with designs and build quality not quite up to big H but not far off

SUZUKI dont care about much! They build ***** out stuff and stick two fingers up at power limits. Recently have joined Kawasaki in a joint platform venture (which is producing utter dross) Worst finish of all the majors.




[Modified by luke, 2:00 PM 7/31/2002]

 

Haha, that one made me laugh really hard.

Well I guess you havent read any magazines for the past few years. Infact Im actually sick and tired of hearing how the Gixxer 1000 demolishes the competition, other companys need to step up. Nothing will touch it. Look at Service records, Sales records, and then look at the raw power, performance, handling, and price. Nothing will compare to Suzuki (for streetbikes, off road is different). Go look who Rider Magazine named Bike of the Year for 2002. And just so you know, Suzuki didnt Initiate venture. Kawasaki came beggin.

 

Ive owned (and still do) a Honda, Yamaha, and a Kawasaki

Honda, very good in most places. They stock up parts for old motorcycles for quite a long time, and everytime i order parts, i get them in no time. The only shitty part is getting some of the HRC parts. They require u to have a racing lisence, which i dont have (i dont compete in big known races). From my experience, their engines are alot stronger than the others.

Kawasaki, Ive had no problems but... Most of the stuff kawasaki makes seems a little less aggressive than the others (other than motorcross stuff like kx). They also have a weak engine from my experience (hp wise and durability wise).

Yamaha seems very stable. ive only owned a tzr250, so i dont have much experience with yamaha, but for now, no problems.

Aprillia, ive ridden before (rs250), but i was amazed. insane power (75hp), light, and the parts they use are WOW. Its track ridable right away, and from what i know, it seems that most of the stuff aprillia makes is like this.

thats all from my experience

 

thanks for the info, guys! keep it comin' !

 

I did know that, and also know a little about GSXR's and Suzuki's thanks. Like I said very average build, mostly ***** out stuff. However it makes me laugh when you say no one can touch it, Honda have 'touched' it and won IMO. As for mags, what a bunch of BS, they are all in one or others pockets plus the minor fact that Rider magazine is garbage in the first place

A Honda will lap within tenths of the fastest yet be practical, last longer and have higher resale value. No contest. Oh and when's the last time Suzuki one a damn thing in high level motorcycle racing?

 

You're a funny guy, Not gonna waste my time on this convo, but, damn bro, I work at a Motorcycle dealership, I know all that goes on. I love honda Bikes, Great motor, but they just arent the best anymore. Check out the AMA results man....Im not gonna sit here and argue, i have no idea where you pull out these comments. And actually. FACT- The newer honda bikes- cost more, have more repair records, lesser overall sales. Do you see any used Suzuki bikes at my shop?!?! hell no those are the first to be sold. but you will see is a bunch of honda's that people traded in for suzuki's. You can think Honda bikes are the best, I dont mind. Honda is awesome, but not the best anymore. cheers.

 

As a side note for those who actually ride, Suzuki is in the "all out" business BUT they have a very bad reliability record on gixxer 1000s and Hayabusas.

One last point, we can argue all we want about what is the best bike but it is the rider that matters, a good part of the gixxer (or else) riders out there are beginners and they will be fast... in a straight line... if they do not loop the thing.

 

Three letters for you my man N S R or to put it another way the most succesfull GP bike of recent years cheers! AMA what-e v e r hahahaha

 

Finally, A person with some intelligence


Edit: Oh yeah mr. luke, and you probably think these bikes they run in the series are in the stock form right? haha


[Modified by CDooMe2, 5:11 PM 8/1/2002]

 

Is a F3 still a good choice for a newbie rider?

 

Yes it is, pay no attention to the guys who slag it off. They have enough motor and suspension to fry most peoples brains and are very reliable and have good resale. But if you have never ridden i would suggest something smaller to start


[Modified by luke, 8:37 PM 8/2/2002]

 

dude still get your F3, its a great bike for a newbie rider

 

Alright!

Now if these dudes selling F3's will ever call me back