Buying a streetbike.. need advice!!!

[Mustangbelle306]

Originally posted by kiku2sleep

I am not trying to be rude but you don't seem to grasp the physics of riding a modern sportbike.

bwahahaha

[929PhoenixSquid]

Originally posted by rbatson
I actually read it somewhere. I'll see if I can find the web page or rag that said that. This mag must be wrong because it only shows a 51 dry weight difference. Where do you get your info??

BTW... WELCOME to the board!!

Man, I hate being wrong... I just checked and you are correct. Damned 2002 numbers. I am used to the 1999 -2000 numbers. Damned bike used to be close to 500 wet compared to the R6's 426 wet weight. It appears it's up on power as well. It used to be rated below 65 hp and 34 lbs of torque.

It may very well be possible with the increased torqu that it could take the R6 on short distances...... I stand corrected

heeh... hey dude, I wasn't hammering ya, I just wanted to find a place that had reliable #s. This mag already came back and corrected some mistakes it made in the buyers guide.

[929PhoenixSquid]

Originally posted by rbatson
heeh... hey dude, I wasn't hammering ya, I just wanted to find a place that had reliable #s. This mag already came back and corrected some mistakes it made in the buyers guide.

Well, to be perfectly honest....reliable numbers are IMPOSSIBLE to find. The manufacturer's are smoking crack when they post their "weights." They ALWAYS use dry weights, which mean different things to different people. The best way to weigh a bike is with all fluids filled to proper "usable" levels and a full tank of gas.

Let's face it, how useful is a bike with no oil or gas in it?

Another misconception is hp/torque ratings. Everyone posts "peak" power. But you're not always at peak power. You;ve got to analyze the power bands accross the board to properly compare bikes, which is not easily accessible to the general public.

Sooooo.....ride what you want, buy what you want, and tell peeps to stuff it when they tell you the "power" of their bike, cecause the truth is they have NO idea.

[kiku2sleep]

Originally posted by 1965GTO
I still believe a heavier bike will be less likely to pop over, when the extra weight of a rider is placed on the back.

Your right that 15lbs will make all the difference in the world and that extra 40hp will not aid in doing 12 o'clock soil your britches wheelies. I stand corrected, I will shut up now.
~Kiku goes under bed and sticks tail between legs~

Originally posted by Unit 5302


If you want a heavy bike, get a Harley Fat Boy, lol. You're just not gonna find a heavy sportbike anymore.

Aww yea, a 50 HP 700lb bike with a top speed of 100mph I bet that will be stable when driving over cats, and you damn sure don't have to worry about wheelies. A true good beginner bike; great handling, as long as you ride in a straight line.

Why in the hell would you want to find a heavy sportbike?

[Unit 5302]

Originally posted by kiku2sleep


Your right that 15lbs will make all the difference in the world and that extra 40hp will not aid in doing 12 o'clock soil your britches wheelies. I stand corrected, I will shut up now.
~Kiku goes under bed and sticks tail between legs~





Aww yea, a 50 HP 700lb bike with a top speed of 100mph I bet that will be stable when driving over cats, and you damn sure don't have to worry about wheelies. A true good beginner bike; great handling, as long as you ride in a straight line.

Why in the hell would you want to find a heavy sportbike?

The Fat Boy is probably stable running over Wal Mart greeters.

I forgot about the Big Block Boss Hoss. She tips in at about 1400lbs. Never wheelie, but it'll still kill you. LOL. I refuse to believe a Fat Boy only weighs 700lbs. Hehehe.

[96SNAKE]

Ok, I've got the money and have been looking all over the place for the perfect bike for me. I think I've given up on the Ducati. I know the reliability issues aren't always right but I've heard enough now to stay away from them if I want a commuter bike that won't be a pita down the road.

The bike I've found is a 2001Ninja ZX9R for around $7000. It has 3300miles on it and is painted a custom yellow that just looks incredible. It is owned by an older guy who has to sell it for his daughter's medical bills.. He seems like the perfect person to buy a bike from and I get the feeling this is the bike for me but I know it is a risk to buy without seeing it up close.

I would have to have it shipped. Have any of you done this? I know there are places that will but at what cost? I figure the bike weighs about450lbs since they aren't the lightest bikes around.

[Unit 5302]

I'm going to be the first one to tell you. A 130rwhp ZX-9R isn't a good choice for a first bike. I was contemplating getting one when the possibility came up to grab a 94. My 600 has more than I can use right now. There is no way I'd endorse a vehicle faster than most drag cars as a first streetbike. Low 10's@135-140mph in the 1/4. Top speed in excess of 160mph.

I don't know how good of a rider you are or how hard you'll push the bike. A good number of people would die on that if they chose it as their first ride. If you choose to get it, be mindful of the machine. It requires a great deal of respect. If you do what you should, and you don't screw around the 9R is no more dangerous than a 6 or 250, really. It's just really hard to refrain from surpassing your limits on a bike that can hit 60mph in less than 3 seconds, and can do 100mph in just a few seconds more.

[96SNAKE]

Thanks for the advice Unit,

Actually, I'm no youngster at 31 and won't abuse the power of any bike I end up buying. I know the dirtbikes are a totally different animal but I've been riding them for 18 years now so I feel comfy on two wheels. Many people have been telling me that I with this experience I will be fine. I do like to get all rowdy in the woods with those bikes but on the streetbike I will drive like a grandma. I'm not an idiot and understand the risks involved so I will ride in many secluded areas first before I even think of getting involved with normal traffic.

[Unit 5302]

Dirt bikes are different as far as the vehicle, but the respect for the machine is the same concept.

Respect the machine, and your real capabilities, and the kind of bike you get won't really be a contributor to a problem. The bike doesn't cause the accident in almost any cases. It's almost always the rider.

[1fastchick]

I guess all the advice has fallen on deaf ears. I just hope you get to ride on roads that are straight and w/out anyone else on them so you don't hurt yourself when you have to do your first emergency manuver...

[96SNAKE]

WTF??? What was that for? You're the one who implied that starting off with a 600 might be a waste of time, now you want to backtrack?

You actually are the only person who thinks my dirtbike experience is basically useless other than knowing how to shift. I've told this to others and they laugh at that. They've seen what I can do on two wheels and say with care, and caution, I will be fine.

Anyway, I've found a ZX6r that may outprice the 9 so there.. Like I said, I'm taking the course, I'm going to practice all I can in seclusion. I guess I need to be a mod of a cool website to be considered a potential rider that won't kill himself or others.

[Unit 5302]

I agree. Telling somebody they are going to crash on the first turn they take, and that they are a danger to others just because of the bike they ride is judgemental, insulting, and childish.

Perhaps a person who takes snapshots of themselves riding with no hands on the handlebars, and admits to pushing their bike isn't the proper person to tell somebody else they are asking for a wreck?

As somebody who has ridden snowmobiles since I have been 4 years old (I was riding full size sleds at the same time as that Kitty Kat avatar was taken), dirtbikes for years, and just about every other motorized vehicle, I can say with experience it's the respect you have for the machine and your limits that keeps you out of trouble. Learning not to fear the machine, but to respect it is the most important lesson anybody can learn. All the experience on dirt bikes will no doubt transfer that knowledge, and the workings of the systems on a bike to him. While the 9R is not the same machine as a dirtbike, it's not much more dangerous for a person who respects it.

The only difference between the 9R and the 6R that I can see is the rider. The liter bike is much more capable of surpassing a persons limit in very short order than a 600, but either will have you doing the street luge on your back if you take it lightly. My FZR has more than I can handle right now. It didn't take much for me to comprehend that. I don't feel the ZX-9R I was looking at would be any different. In other words, I didn't fear the 9R, and I still don't even knowing I cannot handle it's potential.

As I said above, MOST people would kill themselves on a ZX9R if it was their first bike. Some will not. The person who comes out okay doesn't take the machine or their abilities lightly. That's all there is to it.

[1fastchick]

so you are telling me you want to be next to when when all the sudden he needs to avoid something on a bike that size???
Whatever I don't enjoy riding with people who buy stuff thats over their head and over their experience lvl.

[Unit 5302]

You're right, as already pointed out in other topics, the physical size and weight of the 9R doesn't dwarf the 6R.

Thanks, but if you want to try to make a point of this, I wouldn't want to be around you hot rodding your bike around, either. I'd certainly choose a person with over a decade of experience on two wheels more than a little brat on a 600 for their first bike.

You should learn some manners and remember where you came from. You were a hell of a lot more out of your league on that R6 for a first bike than he is on the 9.

[joe4speed]

You know what?? You may be a good rider, with some good advice, but you almost always have this holier-than-thou attitude that wrecks your credibility.
How do you know what's over his head??? Let him learn for himself, he is NOT you.

[96SNAKE]

I like how everyone should look out for me on the road even though I've been kicking azz on different bikes for nearly 20 years. What a f-cking joke her opinion has turned out to be.


Anyway, the deal on the ZX6R is all but finished. Should be done in a week. Here are the details.. 2001 Green/Black w115miles all stock for $6250. I didn't think the 6 was for me at first until I sat on it. It just felt like it fit like a glove compared to the 9 and a whole lot more comfy for me than the GSXR. So, I'll let you guys know how it rides when I get a chance. Thanks to those of you with helpful replys.

[1965GTO]

What is all this emergency maneuver crap? If you are driving on the road and paying attention to what is going on you shouldn't have to be making many emergency manuevers. The ability to hit the brakes and come to a stop is the most needed skill in an emergency. I can tell you that dirt bike riding is much more demanding,although you can't apply it all to a streetbike it sure doesn't hurt.

[929PhoenixSquid]

Originally posted by Unit 5302
Thanks, but if you want to try to make a point of this, I wouldn't want to be around you hot rodding your bike around, either. I'd certainly choose a person with over a decade of experience on two wheels more than a little brat on a 600 for their first bike.

You should learn some manners and remember where you came from. You were a hell of a lot more out of your league on that R6 for a first bike than he is on the 9.

Very good point, Unit. The handling characteristics of an R6 improperly dialed in (suspension settings all wrong) is FAR more dangerous than simply a heavy bike with a cautious rider. The absolutely worse thing in the world is an overconfident little brat thinking that their "little 600cc" is not going to kill them. Highside City for the R6 (imo).

[1fastchick]

there is a reason everyone at SBN disliked you so go along your little way/
Brat no but I tell it straight up unlike people who beat around the bush. Okay so you ride all cautious and "take it easy" but that doesn't mean that punk kid in that Mustang/rice burner/ls1 or anything else is going to while he is trying to cut people off to get to you to race you or the old lady pulling out infront of you because she didn't see you. The road hurts ALOT more than the dirt does.

You can do EVERYTHING to avoid the stupid people on the road but that doesn;t mean they are looking out for you.

Yea I can hurt myself on a pw50 just as well as on Any other bike. Holier than though attitude no sry look above for two people with that attitude. . I PAY for my bike and I ride other peoples bikes to form my opinons. I didn't have a boyfriend or someone else to give me a bike or pay for my cars insurance or anything either.

I go on group rides and ride alone and I see enough of the attitudes that alot of you have out on these rides and they are usually the people who have troubles just with pulling into a parking spot or making a simple turn from a stop sign.

Most of you miss the point and one of you is just a banned idiot someplace where everyone was glad to see him go cause of his stupidity and causing nothing but drama. Being seeing thats all he is good at.....

So enough get a busa hey maybe throw a turbo on it also. I am sure you will do fine on it.....