Katana 600 has about 65-70 HP, Katana 750 has about 80-85 HP

I'm 6'3, about 160. The 600 would be a good size to start, but you will want to upgrade to a 750 soon. My opinion would be to go with the 750. That's what I did for my first bike anyway. The katanas are forgiving in throttle response and handling, very good bikes to learn on!

I would also recommend a 750. Kats are great bikes to start on. Some might steer you towards starting on a dirt bike just to get the basics down, but you'll be fine on a Kat.

270 *might* be a little heavy for the 600 after a year. I'm 6'2", 235, and I love my 600. I gear up for it, but generally stay in the 90-100mph area (as reported by speedo). Anyway, I'm happy with mine, and you might be, too. After a year of getting used to it, you might be ready for something bigger. Also, if you're planning on doing any two-up riding, you'll want a bigger engine. My wife and I together ride fine, but I want her to have her own bike both for the room and the engine.

Either way, a Katana 600 is a *great* bike to start on. It's cheap, easy to work on, air cooled (read: less maintainence and hassle,) and easy to learn with. Enjoy yourself, and be careful!

+1

Oh, by the way -

Don't bother with anything smaller than a 600, whether you go with a sportbike, cruiser, whatever. Guys our size don't fit on anything less. Believe me, you probably won't be totally happy. My best advice is to get a Kat 600 to start with (pre 98 are the best!), then consider moving up in a year or more, depending on your riding style and preferences.

As an aside, a pre 98 is a great option because they're so cheap and plentiful. Did I mention that I like the pre 98 for you?

The downsides to the Katana as a beginner bike are normally listed as

1) she's a heavy bike
2) full fairings = big money to replace in a drop

for someone your size the weight shouldn't be a problem, but to be honest the only time the kat's weight is really noticeable is when moving it around in the garage. Once moving it's not really an issue.

I've got the 600 but if I had to do it over again I'd go for the 750.

id get the 750, your a little bigger than me im 5'10 160 somethin and i think the 6 is perfect for me, only bad thing is when she takes a spill shes kinda heavy, but shouldnt be a problem for you. with this being said your not gonna have the same feelings on a 6 as you would a 750 i can almost guarante(sp?) if you get on a 6 then on a 750 you'll pref the the 750.

I'm 6'0" and 250lb. I have an '06 600 and am very happy with it. If you're a beginner rider it will be a good bike to start riding on. Its got good power and will still go plenty fast.

I'd also say go with the 750. I'm 5'10 160 lbs. I got a 2002 KAT600 about 10 weeks ago. I wish I'd bought a 750 already. Think next year I'm going to get anothre KAT (750) if I can sell my 600. It is way comfy on long rides! I've put almost 5000 miles on it already. I've been riding dirt bikes for a few years but the KAT600 is my first street bike. 8)

thanks everyone for the replies but im looking more towards the 600

Understandable - but, if it's a fear of getting into "too much bike" with the 750, all I'll suggest is that you try both before deciding. On the post-98's, the bikes are cosmetically the same. The bigger differences come if you're looking at a pre-98 version of the Katana.

The 600 will generate around 86 hp @ 11,000 rpm, while the 750 does something in the neighborhood of 100 or 106 at 10,500... But that's not the only difference.

The 600 seating position is more "sport" with lower bars; the 750 is more "tour" with handbars that are about 1.5 - 2 inches higher.

The 750 swingarm is about an inch and a half longer than the 600's, and is connected to a heavier unishock (that's also adjustable with a slide mounted under the seat).

Though the two bikes are built on the same frame, the 750 has a difference subframe around the tail; heavier footpegs; a more sensible gauge cluster; and a slightly taller windscreen.

If you're looking to do some 2-up riding, the 750 is much more comfortable.

One the plus side, whatever you get into, the either bike is unbelievably easy to modify - motors swap out (600, 750, 771, 1127, B12... whatever) simply; swingarms, shocks... you name it. And, the motors are virtually bullet proof.

The Kat doesn't do anything "at the top of the heap." There are some bikes that do one thing particularly well - better than any other bike out there. But, the Kat does a lot of things very, very well and is a solid all-around bike.

It really doesnt matter if you get a 600 or 750...once you are used to the speed you will want something else, no matter how fast of a bike you have. If you get a 600, just dont ever try a 750 then you will never know. I went from riding my 02 600 to a new gsxr 750 and already think I should have gotten a gsxr1000...it never ends...plus the katana 750 isnt really a rocket anyways so buy a 600 if you see one that is a good deal.

Im planning on getting a more powerful bike once I put a few more thousand's of miles on my kat 750. I've been thinking about getting either a gixxer 750 or a Ninja ZX-10R. Think it would be best if I get the Ninja rather than the gixxer. My plan is to eventually move up to a 1000cc bike in the future anyway. Would the 1000cc bike be that much more powerful than the gix 750?

Sorry for the

It all depends how fast you wanna go...the 0-60 times are pretty close 2.8-2.9 but after that there is a big difference. I chose the 750 because it is a 750 engine in a 600 frame and more nimble then the 1000. I dont know where you would ride to really use the extra power of the gsxr1000