[PilotC150]

Good, well written post...until he said "****ing moron". That's where I stopped reading because that's where he lost credibility.

[menteerd]

So i read this, and i did just get my first bike....a 2000 kat 600....oops....but it was 50 dollars....should i get rid of it?....i only got it because it was cheap...but now i like it alot....i think ill be fine...gulp...

[boomer_95]

youl be fine. a kat is a sport touring bike. which means that it has less power than a sport bike of the same size, the throttle is less snappy, and you have to REALLY try to wheelie or do tricks were a sport bike you barly touvh the throtle lol

[clex3]

great article!!!

[JHFMX]

everyone should give this a read, I thought that my skills off road would make starting on pavement no worries on any bike. BIG difference. Street Takes A LOT OF RESPECT

[STULER]

I don't know, but katana's are not not "slow" bikes, I guess its what you compare it to and the rider.

Everyone has their own opinion of "slow". I mean even a ninja 500 is fast. a 12.5 quarter mile is very fast, for a car or a bike. but when compared to other bikes, (I currently have a 07 NInja ZX14 and a 97 CBR 1100xx) the katana is a slug. i just sold my 06 kat, (piped, jetted, filter) it was fast when i first bought it, now that ive ridden many other bikes, it was among the slowest ive ridden. so in my opinion the katana is slow.

[astevens54]

Great read!

[tfamember1]

when i first rode one bieng so close to the ground when turning scared me.

[Trip]

when i first rode one bieng so close to the ground when turning scared me.

Stop looking at the ground, and look through the turn!

[Scout]

The Kat 600 has more than enough power to get a noob rider maimed or dead, if they have zero respect for the bike, or thier complete lack of knowledge/skill.

A LEO I ride with frequently (MSF graduate) started on a 96 Kat 750, and two years ago, got a 08 Ninja 650R. He nearly got himself killed yesterday (after 9 years of riding) because he still lacks the skill to take turns quickly or deep. Got in trouble when he tried to take an on-ramp like I did. He ended up going wide (at aprox 60mph), due to understeer/not enough lean angle, and shot through the gravel on the outside shoulder and over a merge line then across an intrastate (between cars). He left a solid black tire line across two lanes of slab, and banged off the jersey barrier.

My point is: The only two wheeled motor driven machine that is guaranteed to not hurt you doesn't exist. Unless you count a bicycle...and ask yourself how many times you got hurt on one as a kid.

[Wild-Bill]

The worst I've ever been hurt on two wheels was a 25 mph crash. I came off a bicycle and landed face first. (I used to race the things. I had a speedometer so yes, I know how fast I was going.) If I'd been wearing motorcycle gear I probably wouldn't have had anything worse than bruises but I had a bicycle helmet on, fingerless gloves, shorts and a short-sleeved shirt so I had some pretty massive road-rash.

Point is, gear up and don't let anyone you care about talk themselves into not doing so because they're not going to be going very fast. 25 mph on bare skin hurts a lot.

[silcoxa]

Thanks for the info. Enjoyed reading and learning from it.

[msgoodwrench86]

Too bad the 23 year old kid who bought a busa died when he crashed it yesterday didn't read this or wear a helmet.

[Slofuze]

The Kat 600 has more than enough power to get a noob rider maimed or dead, if they have zero respect for the bike, or thier complete lack of knowledge/skill.

A LEO I ride with frequently (MSF graduate) started on a 96 Kat 750, and two years ago, got a 08 Ninja 650R. He nearly got himself killed yesterday (after 9 years of riding) because he still lacks the skill to take turns quickly or deep. Got in trouble when he tried to take an on-ramp like I did. He ended up going wide (at aprox 60mph), due to understeer/not enough lean angle, and shot through the gravel on the outside shoulder and over a merge line then across an intrastate (between cars). He left a solid black tire line across two lanes of slab, and banged off the jersey barrier.

My point is: The only two wheeled motor driven machine that is guaranteed to not hurt you doesn't exist. Unless you count a bicycle...and ask yourself how many times you got hurt on one as a kid.

This

[Noodles]

My first bike was a 1974 honda CB 550, and the top speed was 80 miles an hour, done it once. I ride plenty of different bikes. The fastest I have been lately is 52 miles per hour. I like to cruise and enjoy the ride. I have no need in going 100 miles an hour. I respect the pavement, because I know it would hurt sliding across it.