if u were to compare this bike to lets say a gixxer6 … whats it like? as raw…more forgiving? reliabilty? was messing around with the old insure quotes (online) and managed to get tpft for about 670ish been trying to avoid the 600 hundreds due to lack of experience + insurance…but seeing that has made the voices in my head start whispering…should i tell them to shut the **** up?:w00t:
I jumped on a first generation R6 after a year on a few 125 bikes and 1 scoot…Was riding pretty much only in town, but was riding everyday in all weathers so built up a decent amount of experience on London traffic behaviour.
Don’t know your history, but most inline 4 600s can be ridden sedately and not cause any scares…
Probably not the best engine type for an inexperienced rider as most of it’s power is at the upper end of the rev range which means you have a narrow (ish) band of power to work with which takes some skillful use of the clutch (lots of revs to move off) and gear selection to exploit. The power also comes in with a pretty big hit which may unnerve someone without much experience.
Have you considered an SV 650? Much better compromise for a new rider especially from an engine point of view as the Vtwin motor has a much greater spread of power and this power is also linear so doesn’t come in as a sudden spike.
Although the basic components like brakes and suspension aren’t on the same level as most 600s of the last 7 years, what they do have is more than you will have the skill to fully exploit at present and they handle in a confidence inspiring way which can help you learn rather than be afraid of the bike.
Saying all that, inline 4 600s like the ZX6R are great bikes to start with…The 6R has the advantage of having a slightly higher capacity engine (from 02 I think) and will be a great bike that you won’t outgrow for many years to come.
The 02 6Rs are more comfy than the later ones, a bit tamer and more newbie friendly. The 03 6Rs are pretty flighty (wheelie easy) with stiff suspension…They’re great on track but need some suspension adjustment at the least for the road…Kawasaki made the bike a lot more road friendly again in 05 and this is probably the 6R to have. Even better than the latest 07 model IMO.
If you read Jay’s write up of his LA trip it tells you a lot about the difference between the two machines.
Quote:
We’ve got the 600’s now. I’ve got the ZX-6R and Foxy has the GSX-R 600 K7. I wish I had gone for one as well but I thought I would try something different. The ZX-6R is pants, it has NO power at all, even when screaming it.
Yep I think that’s the 07 model Jay is riding where Kawasaki moved back to a very over square 599 cc engine…Short stroke piston travel means lots of revs for great top end power, but not much power low in the rev range…Good for trackdays where you will be riding the bike at very high revs…Not so good for the road where most of the time you won’t.I’d definitely only really be looking at the 02 or 05/06 models if it was me.
I’d go for the V twin if it was me;)(Surprise surprise;):P:D
thanks for the replies Mr CM and Mr Afro! hapy belated new year by the way!! ill defo give te sv a look…i saw quite a nice one the first time i went to a Bm meet…i have zero riding experience (well im decent on a pedal bike) so i was worried that newbie type mistakes that wouldnt really make a difference on a 125/250/400 could get me in real trouble on the 6r…
Some of the 400s would give you a few things to think about too, but forget them if you are quite tall! Otherwise they are good bikes to learn how to ride on
Ummm, that’s at odds with what most of the reviewers in the UK have said and several people on LB. The bike Jay had was a Californian model which is probably different from UK model and it looked very odd too, the colour scheme isn’t standard from what I can see so maybe it had been badly tinkered with. Don’t forget Jay is also used to a UK gixer 1000 which is going to feel a million miles faster than a 600, whichever one you ride.Always make sure you’re comparing apples to apples 
It is common for US bikes to have different colour schemes and a few other detail changes, but it is rare for them to have different power outputs. Californian bikes do have some differences again though due to more restricted emission laws.I wouldn’t say the new ZX6R is crap although Kawasaki should have left the old motor in.
It’s a common example of how sports bike manufacture seems to be going…Most manufacturers are sacrificing road performance for track performance. The 08 R6 is another prime example.
I think the new ZX6R is basically a track bike, compromised to be road legal and it will work best on track.
Can’t really say much about the bike itself … however I noticed last night that elephant.co.uk now insure bikes.
I did a quote for my R1 and it’s like £200 cheaper than what I paid for with Bennetts! Give em a try
The ZX6R is a sports bike, works really well on the road and is absolutely storming on the track, even for somebody with my limited ability 
Out of the box it’s a bit too hard for the road but once softened and different tyres fitted, it’s incredible. One mag managed to pedel it faster than the 07 ZX10 and a 1098 round a road track, don’t dismiss it so lightly It’s not all about the last few drops of bhp :PHave to say that I’m not always in the mood to rev the tits off it, would like a second bike that makes it’s power at half the revs, maybe a CB1300 or older Blade.
You should try one with half the cylinders, it might shut you up then;):P:D
No, but the old 6R made more usable power sooner in the rev range which is what you’ve just said you want (and why I advised you to get the older model when you asked )
No I didn’t The old bike may have been tuned for more power lower down but the new engine makes both more power and more torque in the upper rpm ranges and is faster for it. You need to rev it hard, keep it above 10,000 rpm but between 10k and 15k it screams and howls and accelerates like a manic bike from hell 
It’s brilliant 
How could you not like that ? :hehe:
What I would also like is a huge naked bike that makes all its power at 6000rpm, has masses of torque and feels completely different. There are days when I almost feel a Harley would be a good bike . . . I soon snap out of it but a big torquey bike would be nice for a change. The 6R is fantastic, I can’t imagine selling it right now, even for a litre bike, having managed to learn how to ride it, to keep it in the right rev range and to work with it it’s very rewarding both at the weekend and on track. This year will see it doing a lot of track days 
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dannyboy (22/01/2008)
Not a Harley, please, tell me there’s something better :w00t: I looked at a Zephyer 1100, nice retro look and probably got enough power and torque to be fun and cheap. Kawasaki ZRX1200 also looks OK. CB1300, GSX1400 or even a Bandit 1200.
How about a 900 Speed Triple…
I really like those myself.
The kawasaki should be cheaper, can be bought with finance more easily from new. I can’t comment on the 599cc version, but if you can get a 636cc model, it’ll blow the pants off any other 600 - I’d choose it (and I say that as the owner of a GSX-R750, so I’m not biased either way). Given that they dropped the extra 37cc, I’m not fussed with any of the new 600’s.
However, I found my ZX6R to be poorly finished and, ultimately, had concerns about the engine reliability.