hi just wanted some advice on what people think would be a good first bike? i want somthing sporty, but also somthing that would be good for riding around touring. My mate shave got ninja 600’s and cbr600rr’s so i dont want to be getting left behind. oh and did i mention ive only got a budget of around £1,500 thanks any help would be appreciated.
I wouldn’t listen to any mate calling himself ‘shave’. :D;)
cbr600f is good for what ur looking for
agreed cbr600f, or consider a 96-99 blade as they can be found within your price range quite easily, older shape but it’ll shock your mates when you open it up
agreed cbr600f is a great all rounder, but then i am biased
if you want the rr, try it on for size first
Anything you like the look of and can afford, tax and insure and run. And don’t forget the cost of the riding gear.
It’s your first bike, and unless you buy a complete dog, it will be one of the best bikes you ever owned. (Sooner or later.)
I loved my Royal Enfield. (Off stage, cries of “You what! You tozzer”)
I thought the Triumph 6T was the dogs. (It was, of course, the borrocks bit) and the Vespa was pure bloody magic. (Bit of a debate here. It was bloody good and more reliable and comfortable than the two old Brit. bikes.)
Oh, and the 1961 Mini was the “best” car I ever owned. In truth it was crap.
The point is, it’s not what you own, it’s the freedom that comes with owning something that takes you out and about. Particularly if it has two wheels and an engine.
Now read the first paragraph again. And good luck.
Get A Busa :w00t::w00t::)
Everyones going to say what they 1st had or an SV 650 arent they
I learnt on a CG 125 for a year & then done my test and bought a GSXR 600 because it was what I wanted. A bike will only go as fast as you make it, I use it for commuting to London every day, the odd track day and general weekend fun.
No point in buying a bike you dont really want ride
I got a CBR600F for my first bike. I have done quite a few track days, lobbed it down the track and road, it’s been 100% reliable in any weather even if left untouched for several weeks and it’s done about 50,000. Ok it’s not the fastest thing out on start/finish straight at Brands for example but increasing the number of teeth on the back and dyno gives it some extra umph. It’s super forgiving but not sluggish!
Would totally recommend it as a first bike.
What he said…Great first bike (great whatever number of bikes you’ve owned) and better than an SV650 in my opinion
I think you need to follow your heart.
and once i’m better we’ll go look at lots of bike shops and sit on some.
get the cbr600f
Joe
I have a CBR600F… and love it. My first bike was a CB500. Obv not as quick and not as sporty but great bike to learn how to get the most of your bike and great for getting a good idea of keeping up corner speeds etc…
for the money - you will be looking at a '93 - '96 CBR600 i would say - unless you wanna go near newer ones (that are priced down for a reason!)
I know a few ppl selling theirs… ones a 94 done in Repsol colours and polished wheels etc… (looks the muts) if you are interested pm me.
Good luck, and def go and test ride some - only way to know if you like it.
My first bike was a CBR600F '99…it was brilliant. Perhaps a bit powerful for a first bike but if you’re sensible you’ll be OK. Then again if you’re trying to keep up with somebody called ‘Shave’ on a Ninja you might kill yourself.
CBR600Fs can really do anything, with a slight bias towards fast road riding/touring. They’re a great tourer if you’re not too big, but a bit cramped if you are. If you’re pretty big you might be better off with a VFR or ZX9 for long journeys.
Then again, to be honest £1500 isn’t really going to get you a decent sportsbike. It might get you an old CBR600 or clapped out Blade or ZX9, but to actually ride it fast safely you’ll need new suspension and maybe brakes as well, plus it won’t have been serviced for a long, long time. Older Blades tend to be upwards of £2000 in good condition, and you’re still talking over 20k miles.
You could feasibly get a very old (eg1994) CBR600 or ZX6 for that, but you should really think about what sort of riding you’re going to do, and whether £1500 will cover you for that…if I were you I would try to buy a newer Fazer or SV650…it may not be as fast in a straight line, and may not make you look as cool, but the suspension will at least work, and you stand less chance of chucking your money away on something that blows its rods out of the engine casing the second time you use it.
If you can up your budget to £2000 you might find a decent alloy frame CBR (WAY better than the pre '99 models) or maybe even a tidy early Blade. To be honest £1500 will mean you will, in all probability end up with something a little bit shite.
Yeah the CBR600F is a good one, but dont discount the Yamaha Thundercat, very solid and quick bike, it will stay with modern 600s.
Here are loads of FZR 600’s that is on for less than 1500, which would be a good starter, although at that age some of the suspension will probably need an overhaul:
My first and current bike is a CB500. I bought it for 1100 and once it had a service it’s been fine ever since. It is a great bike for around town and I can just about keep up on rideouts but that is more due to my skill level than the bike.
Lots of bikers have told me that “anybody can go fast in a straight line” with this in mind it might be better to buy something slower that is better value and hone your skills in the corners rather than buying an old nail of a sports bike so you can go fast in a straight line.
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Elad (09/02/2009)
Yeah the CBR600F is a good one, but dont discount the Yamaha Thundercat, very solid and quick bike, it will stay with modern 600s.Here are loads of FZR 600’s that is on for less than 1500, which would be a good starter, although at that age some of the suspension will probably need an overhaul:
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/bikes/YAMAHA+FZR/Ne-2-4-7-8-27-64-104-133-146-236,N-9-13-121-239-4294966086-4294967248/search.action?showMoreOptions=&formSearchParams=Ne%3D2%2B4%2B7%2B8%2B27%2B64%2B104%2B133%2B146%2B236%26N%3D9%2B13%2B121%2B239%2B4294966086%2B4294967248&sort=p_VehiclePrice&make=YAMAHA&model=FZR&min_pr=1000&max_pr=2000&max_mileage=&dealerGroupId=&dealerId=&radius=1500&e_mileage=&postcode=EC3N+4HJ&keywords=&e_agerange=&ukcarsearch_full.x=66&ukcarsearch_full.y=11[/quote] Watch out for gear boxes on old fazers. They have a habit of playing up badly.