I'm gonna be a new rider (I posted close to a year ago when I was thinking about it) and now I'm ready to start on a bike. I took the first day of MSF, but due to heavy rain I failed on exercise i think it was #16 (4th of the 2nd day) so I still have to go back. But before going back I'd like to own a bike and ride up and down the street a few times away from any traffic, just to get more confident in the motions. I'll be stopping by the DMV some time this week to take the written to get a permit before finishing MSF.

I was looking at these following bikes as starter bikes and I thought the R6 Raven in particular was one of the better deals i've seen locally. I already sent emails for them all but i'd appreciate some opinions from experienced riders.

R6 streetfighter for 2500$? (meaning no fairings + no windscreen right?)
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/1253966981.html

R6 Raven for 3650$ clean title. (20k mileage)
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/mcy/1250424850.html

R6 track bike 3200$(It seems fairly simple to get it street legal again, i'll look further into it tomorrow. this is one of those bedtime posts )
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/mcy/1251153062.html

or should i just bite the bullet and get a cbr600rr for 4-5k?

I'm pretty dead set on an R6 or CBR600RR as a first bike and think i'm capable of taming it as long as i'm cautious and respect my own limits and capabilities. I plan on riding for practice every dry day until probably October when rain normally starts here in SF. Don't know if it's a good idea but I was also thinking about a beginner track day in late August if there are any going on within a reasonable distance.

As far as gear I have some ugly used stuff in good condition, does anyone have any suggestions for brand new gear? any pros/cons/insight as to why you might suggest something would be greatly appreciated.

my gear so far is:
GPX helmet thats DOT approved
Joe Rocket leather jacket
Alpinestars gloves with the CF knuckles

the helmet and gloves fit pretty good and is comfortable, I left the helmet on for a couple hours in the house and it wasn't too bad at all.

the question i have is for the jacket, how big should it be? It feels like motion is limited in the elbow padding area but the rest fits pretty good.

Thanks in advance H-T

 

A tight fit is good when you are sliding down the road at 55 miles an hour. I would stay away from the street fighter because its A. a street fighter B. has been stunted. Why do you want an RR for a first bike? The seating position sucks for long(er) rides.

I would find a bike that is around 2,000 and ride the crap out of that before dumping 3-5k on a used bike you will end up trashing anyway.

 

if i was gonna choose out of those three id go for the 05 for 3600 but i wouldnt ride a r6 anyway. no midrange or bottom end.

its been said over and over, get a ninja 250 or 500r, sv650.

 

Get a SV, you won't regret it! They are AWESOME bikes for a starter bike, and not just that. I'm speaking from experience. You can do so much to them, and make em look like whatever you want. And not to mention they go for really good prices and they are very reliable.

 

thank you for the suggestion guys but i really want either of the 2 lol.. I may consider the SV, GSX-R, or daytona as well but that'll depend on what i find in the coming week.

which of the following have the most comfortable (probably shortest) seating position? CBR, R6, or GSX-R?

 

NONE of them

i have a 600rr and commute on it. i wish i would have got a f4i because of the better seating position.

my .02 is to get a sv

 

i don't plan to commute on it, but rather i'd like to ride for a good amount (probably a good couple of hours) until I'm confident executing maneuvers in live traffic. I have 2 gutless commuter cars for comfort, i want my bike to be raw and aimed for recreation.

trust me, i've thought it over in my head and weighed it with jellybeans and to me even if its not the best choice, it's what i want to do. All i ask are the questions i have, i've somewhat made my mind on bike choice already and i'd like for everyone to respect that.

Another couple of questions i thought of while talking to my friend with a zx6r is seating position (height) and power delivery for the 600 supersport bikes.
As mentioned a couple posts up the R6 is gutless until the top-end? what about the cbr, gsxr, and zx6r? my friend said his bike comes alive after 5k until right around 14-15k where it flattens out for the remainder of the 18k.
for seat height of the 600cc supersport bikes, which fuel injected model has the shortest seat height? I'd love to be able to flatfoot one but my inseam is for pants is just above 32.5" for medium pants. If I pull jeans up to cameltoe status, there's about 2" of ankle showing lol if that makes sense

 

Go sit in some bikes and figure out for yourself. Some people find themselves comfy on a Ducati, others in a R6, and so on.

And you're not searching for advice...you want confirmation on our part that a 600 I4 is a good bike to start on.

Oh well, it's summer again.

 

you're right, i'm asking questions that probably have been covered but im not exactly asking to be spoonfed lol. i setup a couple of times throughout this week to see the bikes im thinking of buying, as well as going on bikez comparing specs but they're overwhelming me with all the different model years and im sorting through slowly.

thanks for the reply anyways, i'll be sure to report back after i make a purchase haha.

 

Specs are only good on paper, on the real world until you have more riding experience you will not be able to tell the subtle differences between the big 4 600 I4. They will all ride the same on the hands of a rookie.

 

okay... haha

 

^--- dont you have that SC61 i sold awhile ago? damnit and here i am looking for another SC61 for a DD

 

que?

 

the only 600 i4s ill ride are 600rr's or f4i's.

r6 has no torque. if you gear it properly -1/+2 i could probally deal with it

gsxr 600, not into them, its the known squid bike, lowest seat height i believe though stock

zx6rs are decent, i like the 03-04 636s.

if your set on a 600, my favorites have been in order,

1. 7/08 600rr
2. 05/06 600rr
3. 03/04 600rr
4. 00-02 f4i
5. 03/04 636

just my general opinion, take it for what its worth, but if i was a noob and could do it all over i would have got a ninja 250, road it for a season, then switched to an sv650 or 600ss.

that is all

 

didn't you buy a Precision SC61 from me a while back? Ugly hot-side housing, came with a AN fitting + a stainless steel braided line. Think it was almost a year ago in late 08'.

and thank you Hooligan.

 

I'm not sure about that. In my experience, the gsxr6 rides higher than the r6.

 

No way, at least not the newer R6s

THe 06 gixxer has a really low seat height, thats why chicks ride them

I've had a 07 CBR 600RR, a 06 gixxer 600, and now an 07 R6

I would ride the 600RR on the street but it still sucks *** on the road

 

Not I... sorry

 

lol nm musta been something else chu.

the 20k mileage raven owner got back to me today, gonna give him a donkeypunch lowball and see what he says

 

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/mcy/1277010260.html
200 in back fees. anyone think its a taker?
needs tired and maintenance

 

Junk. Stay away.

 

id buy that for 500 in heartbeat if it runs.

 

if he still has it ill pick it up, wouldn't mind it for a 700$ investment if it runs and no obvious mechanical signs of fail. if oil, coolant, and gas stay in their respective places im sold!

but today it looks like im either picking up a 05 CBR with 40k miles (serviced recently too), or a 600 daytona thats too good to pass up. if i get the F2 ill probably track on it so if i wreck it it's only 700 bucks lol (relative to speed sports, thats cheap imo.)

 

how much for the cbr with 40k on it?

 

3200$