help a newbie out

[dapig]

I am looking into getting my first street bike in te next couple of weeks. I really like the Kat im trying to decide between the kat and cbrf4i. Right now im leaning towards the kat. Question is do i get the 600 or the 750. I am 32 yrs old 6foot 250ibls i grew up riding 2 stroke 4 wheelers and dirt bikes. the last dirtbike i had was a 1998 rm 125. I know dirtbikes are not the same. I am taking the motorcycle saftey classes as well as riding with my brotherinlaw who is an experienced rider on a gsxr 600.

[Anonymous]

I just got an 06 600 kat, havent rode for about 12 years. I used to have a ninja 600r. I am very happy with the new kat, put a D&D pipe on it have 550 miles on it now. 50 more for the break in got it up to 110 under 8K. Got the front wheele up yesterday. You wont be disapointed with the kat.

[The CyberPoet]

Here's what you should know to make your decision:

The Honda F4i is a fairly small, flickable, fairly lightweight, higher-output water cooled fuel-injected sports-oriented bike. It fits my girlfriend's frame well (she's a former fashion model) -- you may find it feels very small under you. That said, Honda build quality is excellent, and it's a good bike if your primary riding is an hour running with the boys in good weather. Throttle caution is highly advised. If you drop it, expect to have problems restarting it until the bank sensor resets or is replaced. The minimal fairings fit into the whole sports-bike image, and don't offer the same kind of protection levels you'll find on a Kat. If you have a bit of a belly, the way the tank raises up may catch you in the gut.

The Suzuki Katana (both sizes): a fairly large, robust mid-weight, oil-air cooled carb'd motorcycle-equivilent of a tank. It fits larger and heavier guys really well, and the full fairings do an increadible job in rain & bad weather. It's been said to be the best commuter on the planet, and while it will do over 130 mph in either guise (600 & 750), it won't accelerate as hard or handle as nimbly as the F4i. The engine is virtually bullet-proof, and many riders have gotten more than 100k miles out of theirs (some much more than 100k). It's a great bike if your primary riding is commuting to work and long-range sports-touring in all-weather rather than just scratching the curves with the boys on the weekends. Lighting to the ground is much better than the F4i, comfort factor is way up, storage space under the seat is humongeous, and a skilled rider can give an F4i a run for it's money in the curves, but it won't beat an F4i off the line or in acceleration. It's also not likely to catch you out from throttle mismanagement, one of the primary reasons new street riders tend to wreck. On-going maintenance costs should also be cheaper.

Factors for your decision:
If insurance is mandatory in your location, contact your insurance agent and get quotes on both -- a price difference may be significant enough to help you make the decision.

What to know:
The Katana hasn't really changed much in the last 8 years (few cosmetic tweaks) and being a tank, used ones tend to be much better values than new ones -- find a three year old model for 50 - 60% of new cost and save yourself the depreciation. If you go that route, post back up or use the search button to seek out the used-bike checklist I have posted for inspecting used bikes before purchasing.
The current Katana line-up has been officially ended in the USA effective this year. Whether that means we should expect a serious revamp next year or year after, or if it is just gone for good is unknown. This may factor into the first-year depreciation on the purchase of a brand new one very heavily. Suzuki's parts availability on discontinued models is normally a minimum of five years, so getting repair parts won't be an issue for at least half a decade. Right now Suzuki is also offering a $100 gas card and free tank bra for buyers.
Many dealers sell them discounted. The best prices I've seen are about $6k for the 750 out the door (including tags/title/taxes), but prices vary heavily, so shop around. Best price I've seen on the '06 Kat 600 new was $5399. Always factor 10% off for a last-model-year version still new on the dealer's floor -- because as soon as you roll out the door, it's an used '05 and value isn't based on time of purchase, but on time of manufacture.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[rwcreigh]

i would and did get the 750 kat.

[slayergsxf1]

750 all the way....It will fit you just right dude...

[KatanaSoldier]

The Kat rides like a dream and I would not give it up for anything! Easy to work on, they handle great and look awesome. Notice how all the new sport bikes look the same? Well the Kat looks different!

[01blewkat]

750, but the insurance will be higher than any 600.

[ronin]

if you're going to get a kat, get a 750... you won't be disappointed

[JZ67]

Dayyum, didn't I recently ask myself the same question??

Luckily Honda and Suzuki had a demo day at the same place and I tested both bikes. I own a Kat 600 and love most aspects of the bike. I am 35, 240 lbs, first bike with lots of riding on the Kat and there is still plenty of throttle left for me.

Cyberpoet is on the money. If you want to screw the pooch around town and have fun tearing off the line the F4i is a blast. It certainly has horny styling.

If you want to ride for hundreds of miles at a time your 32 year old body is going to feel all the discomfort the F4i can offer you. The Kat is very comfortable by comparison. If you have an unsympathetic wife or GF then the F4i will not buy you pity points

In my area the F4i is mare than $1000.00/year greater to insure than the 600 Katana.

This may sound Kat biased and it is not intended, as I said I was looking at moving into the F4i. You need to determine your needs and wants to choose which bike will fit your intended use.

Also, visit the companies web sites to see if they have demo rides coming up in or about your area soon so you can actually ride before you buy.

Some dealers (in my area) have a demo bike for trial and will let you take it out for about 10 miles to get an idea - others won't.

Have fun.

[rwcreigh]

they take a heck of a risk giving out demo rides.thats cool of them

[Steve_Guelph]

I purchased an 06 Kat and must say it was a good choice. I did look at the CBR the GSXR the R6 and the Kawi's. For me...I wanted the ability to cruise all day, reliability and ease of working on my own bike. The styling to me is still one of the best looking machines out there. I did have the benefit of trying several bikes over the course of last year as I was in no rush to get rid of my old bike. The amount of power is not comparable to a true sport bike. As Cyber mentioned that could be a good thing. I do find myself looking for more power here and there at times (not top speed) but would surely sacrifice the difference for the comfort offered in the Kat. Now you do know that most of us here are Kat riders so I would suggest going to a Honda forum and posting the same question. When you receive the comments from Honda riders put a little summary together and post it here. I am sure they will have many good points to offer when it comes to something they ride. If you can't get out and ride both bikes go into a dealer and put the bike on the center stand and camp out for a couple of hours in a riding position on each bike. You will soon get a feel for comfort level on each bike. Ok I rambled enough. To sum it up...only you will know what fits you after you spend a little time camping out. Don't forget the marshmellows .

[Najus]

R6...and remember Blue means go.

[katman05]

I'd get the 750 for that little extra bit of power!

[rwcreigh]

get the black one!its the fast color.then paint it blue then you got a rocket

[KAT600]

I just bought a 89 Kat 600, with 21000 miles. I'm 6'3, 205 lbs. and 47 years old. I fit mine and love it. It has all the power I need, and is very comfortable. My longest ride so far was 105 miles and I had no problems at all. Great Bike.