I am getting very itchy about buying a new bike to compliment the Husaberg which really isnt very practical but i am totally in love with. So i have been thinking somewhere along the lines of sportsbike and am currently leaning towards an '05 ZX636R as there are some cracking deals on unregistered ones about.
My real problem though is that I have never ridden a sports bike only sit-up motocrossers and my supermoto. Its not the power as my ‘berg makes 63bhp and weighs just 114kg but more the riding position especially as i am 6’4’’. Obviously the sports 600s are all pretty compact and maybe its just acclimatisation that i need to get used to it. The most spacious sports bike appears to be the R1 but somehow i think that might be a bad idea! Then my mind wanders away via an Aprilia RSV, superduke, and even a BMW Boxer Cup rep… New GSXR, Trumpet 675 etc etc!
Not sure what the point of this thread is really except to gather anyones thoughts on my ramblings. I am going to go do a big test riding session towards the end of this month so should have a better idea then. I want something interesting though and different that i can learn lots on, take on track and track school and droll gently over when looking at.
Obviously a lot of you guys have been riding for years so what do you think? (I’ll probably end up ignoring you all and buying with my heart anyway)
All modern bikes are made to fit shorties to lofties, there’s some give and take between the models, but they’re a lot more accessible than they used to be. I would have thought you’d be fine on a ZX6 (great bike), but test-rides are the only real way to tell, though you don’t get long on them, and it will be completely different to what you’re used to, so you must expect some sense of discomfort at first as you get used to it, as you say fella.
Cracking deals also had on K5 GSXR 600’s right now, £5k at some places (sorry to sound SO pro-Suzuki, it’s not intentional)…
I used to be anti-sports bikes a bit 'cause I thought they were too focused. Ran a Fazer then a R1100s Sport (basically a boxer Cup without the paint job).
Then I dared to try one. And then bought one. A zx7r, not a bike known for it’s ‘jack of all trades’ nature.
I’ve since realised that you cannot pigeon-hole bikes that easily. I did 5500miles in 3 weeks on the 7 and didn’t suffer at all. Yet it is a thing of beauty (IMHO) and remains very practical. I appreciate that some are more extreme than others, but unless you’re planning to sling a pile of luggage on it they are all pretty equal in the ‘living with’ dept.
Nowadays I say to people (GoF for instance) “buy the bike that makes you feel good”. They are expensive, so you’d better not get bored with them! If we all bought the bike that suited our usage (and even abilities) I think most of us’d be bimbling about on Fazer 600s (nowt wrong per se, but hardly exotic). So I think you buy with both head and heart, but only in exceptional circumstances (e.g. you’re a courier) should the head win.
Does this make any sense? If you fancy a sports bike, and have the cash, try one. If you buy sensibly it should be easily sold. But to settle for something that you perceive as the best compromise, you’ll end up with something that is exactly that. A compromise.
I went from a sit up and beg 125cc bike to my CBR. I did find that the suzuki’s are quite hard on your back when going from something more upright. I found the CBR to fit me quite well and I find it quite comfy despite the seat feeling like concret wrapped in leather
I would say go out and test ride a few bikes because there all diffrent.
There is no substitue for seat time…if you can have a go at riding each bike on your “short list”, you’ll probably answer your own question anyway. Do dealers allow test rides in the U.K? It’s very rare at the dealers in my area here in the U.S.
The trick is to ride what YOU like…to own the bike that YOU want.
Well i am certainly leaning towards a sports bike so its test ride time i guess. How very exciting! Lets see how accomodating the dealers are now… Any recommendations for who to speak to? Think i’m going to start with the ZX636R.
Wish the K6 GSXRs were here now, dont think i can wait until spring…
Can someone just confirm for me that a thou is a really bad idea…
I had a GSXR750 K2, then went up to a GSXR1000Z K4, which was a stunning bike, until it got written off, but thinking back, I think I got more enjoyment out of the 750 as easier to throw around and you felt a lot more in control and could really spank it!!
To replace the thou’ I have decided to get the new 750 K6, which I am collecting early March from Steve Jordans in Bookham.
They have some really good deals on the K5 range as well, so might be worth giving Sarah a bell to see whats what and she can sort you out test rides.
I like your choice of ZX6 mate! I have ridden that model and it felt seriously small and radical after my J2 model and a lot faster so would take some getting used to. I had a Bandit before getting my Zx and I remeber it taking a good while to get used to riding a sports bike. At first it will feel awkward and probably really horrible but it’s worth bearing with because once you get used to it they are fantastic fun.
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I’d love to have your berg 