who owns a Honda CBR 600? I'm pretty much set on getting one as a first bike.

holden j caufield

Diamond Member
Dec 30, 1999
6,324
10
81
I practically drool everytime I see one. How does it rank against other 600cc bikes? I'm looking at 2004-2009 are there years that are better or most prefer? 2007-2008 are best for price/performance bang for the buck?
 
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Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,512
21
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I give up. From now on when some dumbass squid wants to start out on 600 supersport I'm just going to keep my mouth shut and let the dipshit make his own mistakes.

ZV
 

holden j caufield

Diamond Member
Dec 30, 1999
6,324
10
81
I've ridden my friend's 09 ninja 250cc a few times. I dig the looks and it's kind of peppy but it's something that I will be bored with inside a month.
 

EightySix Four

Diamond Member
Jul 17, 2004
5,121
49
91
I give up. From now on when some dumbass squid wants to start out on 600 supersport I'm just going to keep my mouth shut and let the dipshit make his own mistakes.

ZV

Let's sticky a thread on why it's a bad idea and not respond to these threads anymore.


I've ridden my friend's 09 ninja 250cc a few times. I dig the looks and it's kind of peppy but it's something that I will be bored with inside a month.

We don't give a fuck how "bored" you are with it. The point is you learn how to properly ride with far less opportunity to over power your skills. 600CC bikes have a very intense power band which hits very rapidly, if you make an emergency maneuver and gas it to get out of the way, the bike could double it's horsepower in a very very short amount of time and will be far out of your ability to handle. You do not learn how to drive in a Viper. You learn in a shitty beater and work your way up to it.

The ONLY time a bigger bike is recommended is for abnormally large people (such as myself 6'6 230lbs) and even then I am only looking for a small KTM or Aprilia. They sit high and have a nice and flat torque curve.
 
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jlee

Lifer
Sep 12, 2001
48,511
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I've ridden my friend's 09 ninja 250cc a few times. I dig the looks and it's kind of peppy but it's something that I will be bored with inside a month.

Clearly, that's why you should buy a 911 Turbo as a first car...because after you become a skilled, experienced driver in your Civic (after a month), you'll be ready for a step up anyway so why bother with the Civic in the first place.
 

CurseTheSky

Diamond Member
Oct 21, 2006
5,401
2
0
Starting on a 600cc?

Do your family a favor and pick out a cemetery plot before you jump on it the first time.
 

fbrdphreak

Lifer
Apr 17, 2004
17,556
1
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Why not buy a used bike at a good price to drive for a few months, then resell? Little out of pocket cost and you'll live longer.
 
May 13, 2009
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If you're getting a 09 or newer get a Kawasaki. I believe in '08 Cbr was the 600 to have. The 600's are rather tame below 10,000 rpm. I don't see you doing a power wheelie by giving it a little too much gas. Now if you rev it and pop the clutch sure but they get a little over dramatic in here.
Here's my bike.
SAM_0315.jpg
 

Turin39789

Lifer
Nov 21, 2000
12,219
8
81
I give up. From now on when some dumbass squid wants to start out on 600 supersport I'm just going to keep my mouth shut and let the dipshit make his own mistakes.

ZV

The least he could do is provide his name and ssn and any other info we would need to take out a life insurance policy.
 
May 13, 2009
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In here and in every other motorcycle forum on earth.

Squids... :rolleyes:

ZV

Squids? Don't squids ride with no gear and only go in straight lines? If that's the case then I'm the complete opposite. To me there is nothing better than taking corners. Hell I traded in a zx14 for a zx6r so I could have a more competent track/twisties bike. I search for windy roads. It's a beautiful thing when you hit a curve just right. Your not fighting with the bike you're flowing with the curve and your stomach is in knots.
 

Turin39789

Lifer
Nov 21, 2000
12,219
8
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Squids? Don't squids ride with no gear and only go in straight lines? If that's the case then I'm the complete opposite. To me there is nothing better than taking corners. Hell I traded in a zx14 for a zx6r so I could have a more competent track/twisties bike. I search for windy roads. It's a beautiful thing when you hit a curve just right. Your not fighting with the bike you're flowing with the curve and your stomach is in knots.

Here's a good definition from google that I can agree with. It's not exactly like there is one definitive idea of it.

http://www.associatepublisher.com/e/s/sq/squid_(motorcycle).htm

Squid is an irresponsible motorcyclist; it is generally associated with a new or reckless motorcyclist seen riding erratically and/or beyond his or her capabilities, often without appropriate riding gear.

The origin of the word is varyingly attributed as:# A contraction of squirreley and kid, or an acronym for "Stupidly Quick, Underdressed, Ignorant and Dangerous" or "Stupidly Quick, Underdressed and Imminently Dead"# Observing a squid underwater, it seems that the creature is unable to change direction while swimming without first coming to a near complete stop. Once the squid does stop and change directions, it can very quickly accelerate back to its regular swimming speed. Beginning motorcyclists (especially sports bike riders) commonly have trouble turning the motorcycle with any substantial amount of speed (causing them to slow down to unnecessarily slow speed to take a turn), while at the same time have a tendency to ride very fast on the straight sections of the road.# Newly-inducted sailors based in San Diego in the '60s would frequently buy an inexpensive 2-stroke moto for transportation while on shore, whether they'd ever ridden before or not. So, you had large numbers of unprotected, inexperienced "marine life", squirting through traffic in a hurry and leaving a trail of black "ink" (smoke) behind them.

Often young, this motorcyclist is identified by their reckless abandon (speeding, wheelies, stoppies etc.) and by their inappropriate attire (Shorts, backwards ball cap, flip flops, Wife Beater T-shirt, etc). Such a rider eschews all or most of the protective gear worn by many riders (helmet, gloves, leather jacket, riding pants, and boots) and the social and legal norms of riding behaviour, and as such is looked upon with derision by experienced motorcyclists, who also refer to them as "organ donors", "Zip-Splats", "Skin Crayons", and "soon-to-be-ex-motorcyclists".
 

PlasmaBomb

Lifer
Nov 19, 2004
11,815
2
81
Why not just start on a Fireblade? Actually that might get a bit dull after a while... why not go for a 180 BHP, 190 MPH BMW S1000RR?
 

halik

Lifer
Oct 10, 2000
25,696
1
0
I practically drool everytime I see one. How does it rank against other 600cc bikes? I'm looking at 2004-2009 are there years that are better or most prefer? 2007-2008 are best for price/performance bang for the buck?

I've owned 2, 04-09 don't make good starter bikes.
 

roguerower

Diamond Member
Nov 18, 2004
4,564
0
76
Can't someone make a sticky where each person is only allowed to post once and presents their view on the subject and no one is allowed to quote? Cause fuck, I know I'm new to this whole riding thing but even in the 7 weeks that I have been, this subject pops up almost every single fucking week.

For the OPs use: I ride an 07 Suzuki GS500F. It has 487cc and puts out 44bhp stock. I've maxed it out at 115mph on a straight road with no incline or decline. I can accelerate from 70-90 in 4th gear in a matter of seconds. I can take a corner marked as 35mph at 70mph. I get 60mpg commuting (easy on the gas and keeping the RPMs low) and 40mpg when I'm going flat out (keeping RPMs between 9-11k and redlining at 12k). Yes, I will get bored with it, but after hanging out this past weekend with a dozen other riders, all of which rode larger bikes than I did, they all commented on how good I was doing and that when I decided to upgrade to a 600cc+ bike I would be really good because I built up a good base. In the group I was in there were a couple of new guys, all on 600cc+ and I beat them all because they were being too timid.

Kill yourself or don't just listen to the people here and buy your bike. But don't complain when you eat it. There are two types of riders, those who have gone down, and those who will go down.
 

BZeto

Platinum Member
Apr 28, 2002
2,428
0
76
I own an 07 600RR. Solid bike, I've put 10K on it (including track miles) with no maintenance needed other than oil changes. I didn't start on it but it sure help me fall in love with motorcycles that much more.
 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,512
21
81
For the OPs use: I ride an 07 Suzuki GS500F. It has 487cc and puts out 44bhp stock. I've maxed it out at 115mph on a straight road with no incline or decline. I can accelerate from 70-90 in 4th gear in a matter of seconds. I can take a corner marked as 35mph at 70mph. I get 60mpg commuting (easy on the gas and keeping the RPMs low) and 40mpg when I'm going flat out (keeping RPMs between 9-11k and redlining at 12k). Yes, I will get bored with it, but after hanging out this past weekend with a dozen other riders, all of which rode larger bikes than I did, they all commented on how good I was doing and that when I decided to upgrade to a 600cc+ bike I would be really good because I built up a good base. In the group I was in there were a couple of new guys, all on 600cc+ and I beat them all because they were being too timid.

:thumbsup:

Too few people realise that it's about building skills and that you aren't going to be a good rider (hell, you're not even going to be an half-decent rider) after only a month or two. It's not about avoiding boredom, it's about learning bike control and getting a couple seasons under your belt before you go out and buy a bike that's built for professional racers.

ZV
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
20,281
5,054
136
I'm just going to say that I think starting out on a race bike is stupid. You will of course buy whatever you want no matter what we say.
I wish you the best of luck and hope you always make it home.