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Katana 600 as a first bike?

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  • Katana 600 as a first bike?

    Okay i am new to this. im just finishing up high school and am looking to buy a toy, i have never tried riding a motorcycle but i have rode many different things like manual atv's jet skis,snowmobiles and i drive a manual car so the manual aspect of riding a bike would not be hard for me to learn and i pick up pretty quickly how to ride many different things. But so to my point, i have a uncle who is willing to sell me his 94 katana 600 and i am just wondering how easy or hard it would be to learn to ride on a bike like this, and if anyone would recommend getting it, or looking for something different. By the way i am 5'11 and 168 lbs if that changes anything
    Last edited by AustinF19; 02-12-2012, 04:38 PM.

  • #2
    If you have a good deal on one I say go for it. It's not nearly as touchy as modern bikes are. Don't be stupid and you should be fine.

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    • #3
      The only thing that would make a Katana a bad starter bike is that it's pretty heavy. Other than that it's a great starter, def better than a GSXR.
      90% of motorcycle forum members do not have a service manual for their bike.

      Originally posted by Badfaerie
      I love how the most ignorant people I have met are the ones that fling the word "ignorant" around like it's an insult, or poo. Maybe they think it means poo
      Originally posted by soulless kaos
      but personaly I dont see a point in a 1000 you can get the same power from a properly tuned 600 with less weight and better handeling.

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      • #4
        same height, same weight, decent build

        i bought an 88 1100 for my first bike.

        never regretted it, still love it.
        charlie was a chemist, but charlie is no more. what charlie thought was h2o was h2so4

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        • #5
          Originally posted by scottynoface View Post
          The only thing that would make a Katana a bad starter bike is that it's pretty heavy. Other than that it's a great starter, def better than a GSXR.
          Exactly. I don't know the specs on the older ones, but mine was definitely heavy for a first bike. If I didn't squat and deadlift so much for my weight, my bike would have been on the ground a bunch. Just watch your footing with the heavy bike, and be smart with it. Give it a few months till you really get on it (6000+RPM), because once you do, its like riding a different beast.

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          • #6
            Just remember though, it's easy to rely on power instead of proper cornering technique, so you WILL learn more bad habits starting on a bigger bike instead of something light and small like a ninja 250.

            A few months till you get on it? We're talking about Katanas
            90% of motorcycle forum members do not have a service manual for their bike.

            Originally posted by Badfaerie
            I love how the most ignorant people I have met are the ones that fling the word "ignorant" around like it's an insult, or poo. Maybe they think it means poo
            Originally posted by soulless kaos
            but personaly I dont see a point in a 1000 you can get the same power from a properly tuned 600 with less weight and better handeling.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by scottynoface View Post
              The only thing that would make a Katana a bad starter bike is that it's pretty heavy. Other than that it's a great starter, def better than a GSXR.
              this is actually a good thing... the heavier the bike is, the more stable the bike usually is... i love my kat, its a much more comfortable ride than a gsxr or any other superbike out there less aggressive stance means you will be able to ride longer more comfortably. with lighter bikes you have to worry bout throwin it around too much but i find the kat stable at all speeds, i dont even think i could high side my kat if i tried! plus less of a chance of you comin off that clutch too fast and tryna keep that front wheel down

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              • #8
                Well, nobody else's said it so I will. Get yourself into a MSF riders course. Riding a bike is different from driving your car or even an ATV. The Basic Riders Course will get you used to the clutch (it's not the same kind of clutch as your car has) and teach you how to corner, start and stop properly. Look for a class where they provide the bikes. That way if you spill (and you may. They have you pushing yourself and the bike pretty hard.) then it's their bike, not yours getting scratched up. Talk to the instructors about the Kat and what adjustments you'll need to make with it. If they're any good they'll probably suggest you bring it (on a trailer or with a licensed rider on it) on the last day of class so they can help you out with that.

                You'll be fine with a 600 Kat as your first bike. It's a nice, easy handling bike with enough power to get you on the highway without too much strain (unlike most 250s). You'll learn to deal with the weight pretty quickly. Normally, I recommend a new rider find a 250 or 500 to start with but if you've got a 600 Kat being offered then that'll do just fine.
                Wherever you go... There you are!

                17 Inch Wheel Conversion
                HID Projector Retrofit

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                • #9
                  Ya i definitely am taking a riding course, i assume it would be easier learning on a bike that is a lot lighter than a kat and it reduces my insurance quite a bit also

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                  • #10
                    buy something crappy that you wont mind trashing. give it hell in the dirt, gravel, dry and wet grass and after that concrete and blacktop with a little oil on it will not be a problem.

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                    • #11
                      You're 18/19 ish? (just guessing based on graduating H.S.) Not that I have years of experience or anything, but I am one of those boring types who will tell you that even as "mild" as a katana is, I really don't think it's a very good starter bike.

                      Comparing my Kat to my Ascot (35 hp, 500 cc single) and I'm very very glad I learned to ride on the Ascot. It's lighter (<400 lbs). Slower (with the current gearing it MAXES at 80 mph) and I would say more stable at lower speeds (fork rake is just a little bit steeper).

                      I rode the two back to back and the Kat just feels HUGE compared to the Ascot. And the difference in power delivery was very surprising to me for some reason.

                      Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Katanas are bad bikes, just maybe not the best idea for a beginner.
                      I would argue that something in the 25-50 hp range would be better for a beginner (250 Ninja, up to like a 750 twin cruiser. 750 cruiser is typically WAY less power than a 750 Kat, or even a 600 Kat for that matter). It's not about the displacement, it's about the horsepower, and to start with, less horsepower is more likely to teach you good habits and not let you get into as much trouble.
                      Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard. --
                      H. L. Mencken

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                      • #12
                        I would say a Katana 600 is a pretty good bike to start out with if you're looking for a long-term bike, which I was. Ideally, I think spending your first season on a 250 would be a better choice and then upgrading to a 600, but if you want a bike you'll fully enjoy for at least a few years, I would say the Katana 600 is a great choice. However, be ready to accept the fact that you're going to drop it. I thought for sure that I could be more careful than everyone else and I would do anything to keep myself from dropping it, but it went down a couple times when I first started.

                        I also highly recommend the MSF course. I want to take the intermediate and/or advanced course sometime in the next year or two.
                        Last edited by Jcates888; 03-04-2012, 08:37 PM.

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                        • #13
                          A 600cc Kat is not a rocket ship, but it will probably be the quickest thing you have ever had control of. Why not (if you can) get a Ninja 250 or a gs500 or something similar and learn on that. Patience and the right bike and you will learn the basics properly and stay in control... you don't need to fall off.

                          Anyway what ever you decide enjoy the pleasure that two wheels offers, keep it rubber side down
                          1984 750 and a 1991 600
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                          • #14
                            I just bought a kat 600 in November for my first bike. I don't find the bike heavy at all but I am also 6'6 and 295#. I love the bike. I will upgrade in the future but for now I know I made the perfect choice. Take the other guys advice. Take the riders coarse. It's worth every penny to get comfortable.

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                            • #15
                              You should be fine on the Kat 600, i took the course and rode my friends 250 for a couple weeks, then purchased my Kat & had no problems with it. It was a lot heavier than the 250 but you'll get used to it. Just take your time like a lot of ppl already said and you'll be fine.

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