hey everyone. yes i know there is a beginner thread but i just have a question between two bikes.

NOT HONDA MATERIAL SORRY

the gsxr 600 and the katana 600, both suzuki bikes.

i know everyone is gonna give me crap about the 600cc for a beginner is a no no and i should use the sv250. BUT i have rode around a few time on my friends ninja 500cc and it was pretty decent for me to handle. im about 6'2 and 170lbs.

by no means would i say that i know what im doing yet, cuz i dont. i'll be doing MSF here within a couple of months and just go from there. both of the above suzuki bikes are lighter than the ninja 500 so it shouldnt be a problem when it comes to weight/power ratio, i mean nothing i cant get the hang of. but i havent heard anything about the Katana. i was looking for a 2004 for either bike due to cost and insurance reasons.

any input on the Katana would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

Damn I wish I had gotten the sv250...

 

did you lay down your first bike or what? i mean like a big time lay down.

 

He's just pulling your chain. I think you meant SV650 ...

 

The Katana would be more forgiving as a beginner bike than the Gixxer. It's more of an sport-tourer, whereas the Gixxer is full on racing replica.

Not that any of them would be my 1st choice for a beginner bike, but I would take the Katana if it was only between the two.

 

The engine size isn't the primary concern.

 

dont get me wrong, im not thinking im the **** or anything haha cuz im not. i was able to handle the ninja 5 fairly easy so im looking for something around the same weight but a 600cc. the katana's seat height is 31" and the gixxer is 32", the katana is a couple of inches longer than the gixxer and is wider by 2 inches also.

i see gixxers around my area left and right, i drive 45 miles to work each way (reason for the bike) and i see at least 3 or 4 different ones per day. im sure people would agree they are played out bikes, or they are just so damn good people pick em up all the time.

so is katana a good bike? it still have the street bike "look" which i do like, i dont like naked bikes or narrow bikes (ninja 500). also wanted something i could put sliders on.

 

if not engine size, then what? engine size is a concern when ur pushing 1000cc on a 370lbs bike. as aposed to a 600cc on a 360lbs bike. maybe the "torqueyness" matters? i not trying to be a smart *** im really curious what you have to say if not the motor size.

 

You do realize that "size" really isn't the issue here since from the Ninja 500 to a GSXR 600, you're effectively doubling the HP rating.

But most people don't look at all the attributes of a bike before buying them since their first and primary concern is ...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by stevew84 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">it still have the street bike "look" which i do like</TD></TR></TABLE>



Personally, if I was actually commuting on a bike, I'd opt for the 500 since it has better gas mileage, even cheaper insurance and cheaper initial purchase price when bought used. That and the riding position is a bit more comfortable than either the GSXR or Katana.

 

ya **** didnt realize the HP, that was one thing i didnt look at. when i say that i like the "street bike look" i mean that i DONT like the naked bikes, like cruisers or anything along those lines.

im not really pursuaded due to the way it looks, in reality they all pretty much look alike. some of the ducatis are the most boring looking bikes out there but everyone wants one.

either way i'de like to start off with a 600 just because i would want to buy a 250 or 500 and then get bored after a few months (however long it takes to get confortable). if i get a 600 and take my time and get good, i wont need to upgrade cuz i have no plans on racing, i have a son to look after.

 

Get an SV650, you will not be disappointed.

and if you must have full fairings, the sv650s is the way to go. Way more fun around town than your average 600.



And it will make any of your friends' gsxr's sound like a p*ssy.

Edit : Proof of teh seckzy soundz.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...lated


Modified by knockout at 2:08 PM 8/5/2008

 

wow thats a decent size bike, 31" seat height. but whats the HP on it? the specs shown include everything but no damn HP. and i see they are new as of 08 and about 7G's. that aint too bad. its a lil heavier of a bike but hey whatever.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by stevew84 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">wow thats a decent size bike, 31" seat height. but whats the HP on it? the specs shown include everything but no damn HP. and i see they are new as of 08 and about 7G's. that aint too bad. its a lil heavier of a bike but hey whatever.</TD></TR></TABLE>

For your first bike, ignore the performance specs. Its obviously fast enough to have basically an exclusive class for it in most race clubs.

But just to answer your question i think the rear wheel hp is somewhere in the 60-70 range. But torque is what you want, which is something that the sv650 has.

 

haha ill try to ignore em, but im a car guy so thats what i look for and since im getting into bikes, this is no different.

the lower hp is fine i had a 90 ef with a stock D15 that was pushing 92hp haha. but thats on a couple thousand pound car. this is 60-70 on a 380lbs bike haha so ya im not stupid i realize that is more than enough on something that light.

i should get just the busa and say [freak] it :-)

 

alright well i just noticed something. the bike in the pic is a sv650s...the sv650 is a naked bike. and the S is naked up until 2008 in the picture above.

 

I used to be the same way so i know where youre coming from. As a matter of fact I'm sure most of us were the same way (though few will admit to it).

The sv650 is a perfect blend of street and track with the right mods. And its cheaper in nearly every aspect. Maintenance/insurance/MSRP. Though the only reason I could come up with it being cheaper on maintenance is buying 2 spark plugs rather than 4.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by stevew84 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">alright well i just noticed something. the bike in the pic is a sv650s...the sv650 is a naked bike. and the S is naked up until 2008 in the picture above.</TD></TR></TABLE>

There are fairings all over the place. Theyre options from the dealer as well as on a few aftermarket websites and on eBay.

 

are you fimiliar with Craigs List? man i was seeing some 2000+ Ducati Super Sports for about 5-8 grand haha. even some of the higher models people are selling for dirt cheap.

 

well we're talking about suzukis here, i was also looking into a honda or yamaha but they are all too expensive even some of the used ones. and are there any lower end cbrs? or something similiar too them in the honda catalog?

 

sv650whore

the sv650 is an awesome bike for both a new rider and an experienced rider. It's got enough torque to get you in to trouble so you do still have to respect it, but it's only got 70hp or something like that so it doesn't melt your face off when you start hitting the higher RPMs. It makes about the same, or a little more torque then most of the 600cc inline 4s but it makes it way earlier. If you roll on the throttle on an SV650 at 4000 rpms it's going to growl a lot and take off. If you roll on the throttle on a GSXR-600 it's gonna make a lot of noise and gradually increase acceleration until pretty soon it's accelerating way too fast.

The SV is comfortable, skinny, controllable, torquey, and unique. Plus there's a huge cult following for them and a large aftermarket in case you want to go nuts.
Since I'm a **** I'll post the typical svwhore pictures I usually do:





/sv650whore

The only experience i've ever had with katanas (besides nearly throwing up every time I see them) is a 1993 katana 750 my room mate bought as his first bike. It wasn't in the best shape, but it ran (kinda). It was comfortable, and I don't think the looks have changed much since then. I remember it was air and oil cooled, but the newer ones may be water cooled. It also made absolutely no power. The bike was completely gutless until you hit around 7500 rpms and then it picked up and it was pretty fast, but the changeover was very abrupt. I think this was probably just his katana, but it was something to note.

As a first bike you absolutely shouldn't be looking at brand new bikes. First of all, everyone crashes. EVERYONE. You will too, and if you crash with your brand new bike you're going to feel terrible, and so is your wallet.

If you absolutely must have a 600, then look at some older ones. They're more readily available and they don't cost as much.

Regardless of whether or not you feel like you can "handle it" it's more about what happens in a stress situation. Sure the ninja 500 felt like you could easily manage it, but so does my friend's cbr954rr if you stay low in the RPMs and keep out of the throttle. The problem with starting off on the more powerful faster bikes is that if you DO find yourself in a panic situation and accidentally whack the throttle or grab too much front brake, then you're more likely to get hurt.

For the most part it's all in your head/attitude. I felt like I needed to have one of the super fast supersports or people wouldn't respect me, or maybe girls wouldn't instantly moisten themselves over the sight of me. But I got over that when I realized that half of the people out there on the newest fastest bikes couldn't ride their way out of a wet paper bag.

My SV650 may only make 70 hp, but it's still faster than most of the cars on the road and it corners like a roller coaster.

 

naked *** bike haha...yea dude the sv650s are kinda growin on me...im sure i can pick one up that is a few years old and put on some fairings right? on the suzuki site, the only one that "comes with" em is the 2008. im assuming they will fit the previous couple of years cuz they "look" the same.

i know what you mean about the panic situations, i am a pretty calm person and very cautious when i drive. im hoping that will transfer over to a bike.

so to sum it up the 650s is torquey and does get up and go. it handles well. sounds decent? or raspy? i've always been a fan of the lower toned exhausts similar to WRX's and EVO's.

other than that i just need to go sit on one and check it out.

 

are you just super into sport bikes right now?

The nakeds might grow on you. I had a 2000 sv650 before. Before i got that bike i never ever wanted a naked cuz i thought they were dumb but boy did that bike change my mind

if i were you id get an sv650s and put a chin spoiler on it like rdblcksv650s. That bike is sex on wheels.

Time to ***** my sv






i still miss that damn thing

im gonna get another eventually

 

/thread

 

the sv650 is a vtwin so it does not sound raspy. Now you can buy crappy cans for it that will make it sound worse, but vtwin sport bikes are the closest thing you'll get to a WRX sound with an exhaust.

I don't have a clip of my sv's exhaust but I have a couple of my RC51, which had gear driven cams. The SV won't have the high-pitched whine that the RC does.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs-zvXrf9C0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzbQF-7Mo1w
and this other guy's RC51
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOJs47vdZ8I
and this video i found of a guy with the same exhaust as me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUe_HqmZXGI

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by stevew84 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
ninja 5
gixxer
gixxer
gixxers

something i could put sliders on.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Oh man!