Want to Buy a Motorcycle (Ninja ZX-6R). Is This Truly Stupid For a Beginner?

I just like to go on sight seeing rides, maybe some camping, just something about being on a bike to absorb the scenery, it's different then a car, you seem to take it in more, it's a different experience, but I prefer going slower too, back roads when possible rather then interstates

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Makes sense. My aunt and uncle take their bikes up the back roads of mass every fall and camp along the way.

 

Much power comes with much responsibility, if you ride with responsibility you'll be fine. And happy. Fine choice.

 

Not so.Not at all. Talk Radio Host Mike Gallagher who was riding his
Vesta scooter in downtown Manhattan had a spill and it nearly cost him
his life.He bruised his leg enough to reguire rehabilatation and about a week
off from his radio duties.He hit a pot hole.Now he couldn't have been going fast enough
to not notice it.He was probably { as most newbies to cycles do } watching all
around him but NOT the road in front of him.That is Key on a motorcycle.
Ya gotta keep a sharp eye out about 10-20 yards in front of you at all times.
If a squirrel jumps out in front,you gotta be aware.
I once was on a windy country backroad { a highway } and after a curve I
noticed a box turtle in the middle of the road.It was a hot summer day.There was a
Harley bagger behind me.I could hear him.I managed to swerve clear just enough
to miss the big turtle.I heard the Harley guy behind me,run right over the turtle.
I coulda swore that Harley guy would have spilled.But he dint.I dunno how.
His front tire musta just cleared enough.But then that would mean his back
tire would need to also.
I once ran over a tree in twilight after a slight hurricane force wind blew into
town in late July.I was at a Tuesday Night Hooters Bike night.I heard a report
from a couple bikers inside Hooters about some fast moving storm.
I beat it like hell home.It was a 45 minute ride home.The couple I was with
took their sweet time.So I left them behind.They dint take the storm serious.
It was a brute,.By the time I got home { totally drenched } the power was off
in my home town.On the way home I encountered many downed branches and
somewhat big trees.I remember running over something really big.I think it was
a small tree.I was on my Rune
Honda's ONLY custom bike { introduced in 2003 as a 2004 model }.
The bike is really big and heavy but very nimble once it gets going.
It has a bulletproof engine & huge brakes.The front suspension is what they
call a Trailing Link { somewhat like a springer/girder }.It uses single sided swingarm
as a cross member.Plus a really nice aluminum frame with a Pro-link { race inspired }
rear shock.It's a Torque monster.Can take it down to 17 mph in 5 th gear and smoothly
pull away.

 

There are old riders and there are bold riders. Take it to the track if you want to rub your knees on some twisties. I would get a more comfortable touring bike. You won't want to ride a sportbike for very many hours in a row. Supermotos are also fun for offroading. If you value your life, you may be better off getting a Mustang convertible or a Miata. Drivers are worse than ever.

 

They have Adventure Bikes,just for that.
Cruisers and Sportbikes are not for any offroad stuff.
Adventure bikes are expensive.Actor Ewan McGregor with a buddy did a
documentary - Long Way Round - { 2004 } in their attempt to take their motorcycles
around the world.Places like Siberia and Mongolia.Then onto to Alaska.
Starting off from London and ending in N.Y.city on their 115 day trek.
Making a stop at OCC { Orange County Choppers } to test ride a couple
big custom cruisers.The Bikes they chose for the Trek were I believe BMW's.
KTM was not willing to offer them bikes.I think BMW did.

 

They'll be fine, what a Mother Hen.

I started on a 49cc scooter and stepped up to a 650cc and now a 1300cc, would have been cheaper to just start on the 1300 and ride like I had some sense.

 

No you don't wanna do that.However Live and learn.I remember a couple years ago
a small group { probably 8 or 9 } Riders on their Busa's { Hayabusa }.
They turned off when I did at a Motorcycle shop.They were gals.After removing
their helmuts. Kinda stocky chicks.Country-style chicks.
I never Imagined.Then I remember the time this Motorcycle dealship
was advertising a Dyno exhibition.They Trailer'd in a Mobile Dynamometer.
I just watched.There was this Guy { older man in his mid-70's }
and he was watching his Busa get Dyno'd.
I talked to him for about a minute.I never Imagined.
He was kind of a small older gent.But his bike of choice was a Busa.
If I was maybe 10 years younger I would have traded in one of me bikes
{ I keep at least 2 motorcycles at all times } for that Kaw Supercharged :
Ninja H2

 

I read some of these posts and laugh!!

I started with a 900cc Sport bike much to the cries of both experienced and in-experienced riders cries of "You will kill yourself with something like that"

My recommendation for what bike is a good learning bike depends on the individual person and what type of things they have had experience with in the past. Some one who is more prone to jump out of a plane or go hand gliding will outgrow a 250cc bike in about a week while the person who enjoys a casual walk threw the park will take years to outgrow the excitement they will get from the same 250cc bike.
The hardest part to figure out is the individuals personal ability to restrain themselves from pushing the limits of the bigger bike too soon!
If your like me and understand the dangers of doing things wrong, can adhere to a solid plan and not cross into using all the bikes potential too soon and understand that it will take time to get good with the bike before you try to keep up with the fast crowd. You will be fine with almost anything they sell.

I have lost numerous friends over the years due to motorcycle accidents and the one thing that is most common between them is every singe one was due to rider error in some way. all but one of them started out on small bikes and the one who started out with the 750 sport bike made the mistake of trying to keep up with the fast crowd too soon.

Since you seem to be interested in speed based on your post I want to impress upon you how important it is to hold back and wait till everything you do is smooth and steady before stepping the speed up. So my best explanation is this.
My friend Steve and I have ridden for a long time now and were both speed freaks all our life. When we got into street bikes we went straight to the fastest most powerful bikes on the market at the time but we held back and let the loser's win for a long time. Yes that's right we didn't try to show what we learned or how good we could keep up with the fast crowd till we learned enough to distinguish who was fast and knew what they were doing and who was just hanging on and talking tuff. Now at ripe old age we are both here to talk about it and still riding in one piece on even more powerful bikes. Its a fine line between enjoying a bike like the one you want and getting killed on it and it must be walked with a personal vigilance if you really want to survive.

Good luck and be patient!

 

I wanted a motorcycle badly when I was in my early 20s. I never scratched that itch and now I'm married with 3 sons and almost 50. The learning curve is pretty steep on a sport bike. The higher center of gravity and greater acceleration are formidable when you have to deal with traffic also. If I ever get a bike, it will be a long low cruiser with a super low center of gravity. That's just how I've progressed with age.

I would consider a Ninja 650. You still get the sexy looks of a sportbike with a full fairing, but you get to sit more comfortably and have a respectable v-twin. It would be a good "learning bike" without going all out sissy on a 250.

Here is an example.
http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/mcy/5839327303.html

 

Your friend is right. Start on a mid range bike and you can still surprise yourself. I've ridden since I was 16. The neatest bike I have owned was a Suzuki TL 1000. They call it the rider crusher because it originally had a twitchy throttle and could do an instant Wheely back on yourself. When I first got it I told the guys at work but it would go 160 and one of them said "yeah once". My girlfriend wanted me to get rid of it because she was afraid I would get myself killed on it. She was probably right because it doesn't take much but one mistake. I don't ride that much anymore and now have a Honda VTX 1300 and it is fine for my purposes.

 

The one thing I learned about a motorcycle,is how they fit.
Like buying a pair of shoes.No sense in getting really nice shoes
if they don't fit are are uncomfortable.Same thing with a motorcycle.
I was once considering a Boss Hog.There was a place about 40 minutes away
that sold them.But the two times I went to the small motorcycle shop they
weren't open.I wanted to ask for a Test ride.I'm glad I never did.They are
about The heavyest and most clunky motorcycle ever made.They are fast.
especially off the line.But I rarely ever see one on the road.They mostly are seen
at Big Motorcycle rallies like Sturgis.
I rarely ever see my Rune.I also am glad I bought the CB 1100 back in 2013.
It is a flawless bike.Best ever starting up and braking Bike I've ever owned.
It is Fast and shifts like butter.Pretty easy to flick around also.
I use it for around town with a backpack.I was interested in an aftermarket
exhaust but for that style bike,they are way too costly.No way am I gonna spend
1,ooo clams { $ 1,ooo }.I spent over $ 500 bucks on a cruiser exhaust back 12-13 years
ago with my VTX 1800.I got the HardKrome Sideburners.Really cool looking
2-into-1 exhaust which resembled a Ford Cobra roadster exhaust { late 60's }

 

A 600 cc sport bike will do the 1/4 in around 10.5, 0 - 60 in 3. It also as massive front brakes that will flip the bike with one finger. Modern sportbikes are race bikes with turn signals. They are really great in the right hands. Take a look at the rear wheel of the average sportbike rider. Their chicken strips are a couple of inches wide meaning they ride it like a Harley.

 

I'm not sure about that.Maybe SOME 600 cc Ninjas.
But I've beaten a few smaller displacement sportbikes with 600 cc engine
with both my Honda Rune and also Honda CB 1100.They don't have any
motorcycle reviews with ET on the CB 1100. I think I saw somewhere in
the low to mid 11's once.It is rocket fast but kinda poops out by 3rd gear.
3rd gear is where Busa's and true sportbikes excel.Sportbikes lack
low end torque for off the line.So in the 0- 60 territory a bike like a
Ducati Diavel { I was considering one } will kick a busa's arse.

 

I ride a Grom, and I am in my fifties, 5 feet 11 inches. It is really light, so cross winds can be weird compared to something that weighs 600 or more pounds.

Suzuki tu250x? Honda CBR300R? First bike, used, or not too much.

If it will go 160mph, you probably will do it at some point.

 

No it won't. The Busa ain't a sportbike but most sportbikes are limited by ones ability to keep the front wheel on the ground

 

Nature. In a car, you're a spectator. On a motorcycle, you're a participant.

 

I watched several videos of stoppies on the Grom, somewhat of a worry of mine, since the wheelbase is like 10 inches shorter than say an old fashioned tu250 Suzuki. I had someone pull out in front of me recently and it was funny, I dived twice, kind of a pumping action with two fingers, some panic involved. I was rear braking and downshifting too. I find the rear brake is somewhat hard for me to use, something about the way my foot rests.

Saw something on the web about requiring ABS in Europe or something.

If he gets a rice-rocket it might be best with ABS.

 

What is your objective?

Do you want to go really really really fast or do you just want to go out for a ride?

Crotch rockets are great to (*)(*)(*)(*) with cops...... Guilty there.

If you're an unrisky person I would go with a Harley.

 

I think ABS is a good thing to have for a beginner but I want to be able to turn it off for any serious sport rides. I have one cruiser with ABS (Triumph Thunderbird) and its fine thing to have on that type of bike even for someone like me who wouldn't want it on my Sport bike. The bike stops quick and without any ill effects. I think as time goes we will see it become more common on many bikes just don't go tyin to do any real hard trail braking when your playing in the tight turns.

Practice panic stops! Many people don't and then when something happens they end up in trouble. So I always stress that people practice for the unforeseen to happen.

I still find it amazing that there are actually people out there that will tell you not to use the front brake or to use it just ever so gently. Fact is its the best brake you have and will provide much more stopping power on almost any bike out there but again one needs to practice using it and get over the fear of going over.

IMHO the most Important thing for a new rider before they even touch a bike is to determine if they are the type who panics or do they react quickly and rationally when something happens on the road in their car/truck? If they tend to panic or react badly they should never touch a bike!

 

Good advice.

I looked up ABS from the point of view of trying to find out if it was possible to install it on a bike that doesn’t have it. One of the other ones, the tu250x Suzuki, I was thinking about did not have it. It is not something simple.

And why the hell not have a Center Stand on something in the 250cc range, it’s nuts. A Center Stand is great for taking naps. Old people need naps.

Being able to have ABS and turn it off would be perfect for a bike someone wanted for stunts too. I just don’t see the manufacturers making a switch for that.

It is not so much that I panic typically; I just don’t have the reactions or ability I did when in my 20’s. That is one reason I don’t want a super fast bike. I don’t need to go on the freeway, so the Grom is a deliberate limitation, and it is perfect for what I wanted. I like speed too much to trust myself on a rocket as I get older.

If he were used to ABS and then didn’t have it, that might be a problem.