600 Katana for new rider

[littlenorty123]

Hi all
I have just passed my test (live in uk) and the only expirence I have is on my 3 day course before the test. Fancy a 600 GSXF (as they are called in the uk), but I'm a bit worried about the weight with this being my first bike. Im 5'11" and about 13.5 stone.
Also what is the difference between the 600 & 750, beside the engine size.
Thanks
Graham

[GenericEric]

Well, I'm from the "Colonies" as it's stated to me by my british friends..

I'm 5'9" and weight 140lbs and a Kat 600 is my first bike ever.. I've logged about 1800 miles on it in 4 months.

If the weight is an issue.. Don't buy anything you don't feel comfortable on.. When it comes to bikes, it's all about you and how you feel on it. PERIOD.. Always remember that. I personally haven't had any problems with the weight of the bike.. But that's just me.. I'm comfortable with it.

The downside to the GSXF is that's it's full fairing.. Meaning if you do drop it, plastic replacement isn't cheap.

It's a forgiving bike to an extent.. It does have plenty enough power to get yourself into trouble.

The Power aspect demands respect, so maturity is a factor on anything with 2 wheels.

You really don't have to worry about slipping the clutch and accidentally pulling a wheelie (In most circumstances, if you dump it at 11K rpm in First Gear I have no idea what will happen).. You have be trying to do such things on a Katana.

The Katana is air cooled so coolant isn't a worry. One less maintenance item.

The Katana is a rock solid bike, just maintain it and it'll be your friend for a long time.


The 750 Katana has higher handle bars, you already mentioned the engine size. People on here know more about the differences than I do... Do a search and I'm sure you'll come up with something.

[slamcool]

Hi!
Don't worry about the weight, my father's bikes were much heavier when I was a kid. That didn't stop that generation to enjoy riding and pull some wheelies

The katana is of a normal weight and much lighter than older 750s. Maybe you are thinking of the new GSXR? They got a dramatic weight reduction in the few past year and let's not consider them as the NORMAL weight reference. Only that class is specifically very light with big engines.

To give you an idea, the scooter burgman 650 is heavier than the katana 750!

It drives very well, you are tall enough to be very comfortable.

The difference between the 600 and 750 (1998+):

              600        750
Weight:       208 kg    211 kg
Wheelbase:    1470mm    1465mm (Yeah 750 bit shorter)
SeatHeight:   785 mm    790 mm
Compression:  11.3:1    10.7:1 (Almost 12:1, the 600 could require higher octane fuel at sea level)
HP:          80@10500  92@10500
Torque:     41.7@9500  52@9500

Pwr/Weigt:  0.38hp/kg  0.44hp/kg

Same tires, same brakes, etc... the remaining stuff is all the same pretty much.

[KatanaAirman]

I'm 5'6" and weigh about 155...the wieght really dosn't bother me at all, I just had to lower it a bit so I could at least touch the ground.

[scottynoface]

I'm 5'10" and around 120 and i bought a 93 katana 600 as my first bike, the weight was really only a problem for the first day or two until i got used to it. I think its a great starter bike and have logged almost two thousand miles on it in the last 4 months. Very comfortable, very forgiving but still enough power to get you in over your head before you realize it. But i do still have a little trouble backing it up going up a hill...

[tzortn]

I think that the Katana is too heavy for a first bike. Plus it carries its weight up high which makes it difficult to handle at slow speeds. I would go for something like a GS500. It has similar power, but is a lot easier to handle especially at slow speeds.

[stevens4life2]

Well its my first bike and at first i never really noticed it being too heavy.... lol.. until i dropped it and had handled other lighter bikes

[allblackkat]

Kat was my first bike and my wife handled it just fine..

congrats on passing the msf, and welcome to KR

[KustomKata]

I think that the Katana is too heavy for a first bike. Plus it carries its weight up high which makes it difficult to handle at slow speeds. I would go for something like a GS500. It has similar power, but is a lot easier to handle especially at slow speeds.

ok big fart on that 500 idea. there are plenty of first riders that started with a kat 6. I did and scored a 100% on the ride test. Also it was rated best first bike and best bike all around. tushe my friend tushe

[tzortn]

ok big fart on that 500 idea. there are plenty of first riders that started with a kat 6. I did and scored a 100% on the ride test. Also it was rated best first bike and best bike all around. tushe my friend tushe

What the heck are you talking about? I know that you can start with a Katana 600. That was my first bike. Thats why I know that the Kat is heavy (458 lbs for the 2006 model). A lot heaver than the GS500 (397 lbs for the 2006 model). More importantly the Kat is top heavy. It is more difficult to deal with at slow speeds. Plus once you get to a certain angle it is really hard to keep up. A lighter bike like a GS500 or Ninja 250 or 500 is a lot lighter and easier to handle for a beginner. Heck even a Yamaha YZF-600R is a better choice than a Kat because it is lighter by 41 lbs (based on 2007 model). Plus it has a lower CG which makes it easier to handle.

BTW did you mean touche as in you have scored a hit? Tushe or tush is usually a reference to a persons butt.

[KatanaSoldier]

You will be fine. At 5-11 189 pounds you should be able to handle the Kat with no problems whatsoever. Practice, practice, practice, ride safe and enjoy!

[KustomKata]

ok this forum is not to criticize people on their gramar, two that is nice that you can look up the specs of a bike, three the yzf should not be compaired to the katana because they are two completely different bikes on many levels, and four if you were to get a gs as your first bike you would probably outgrow it in two weeks and wish that you got the kat 600.

[tzortn]

1) Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation shows intelligence and respect for the reader. Plus if you are going to try to burn someone it looks better if you use proper English.

2) I looked up the specs to back up my argument. It is easy to say "big fart" on an idea. It take more to back up why. A 61 lb weight difference is huge in terms of handling, especially when you combine it with an improved CG (CG = center of gravity it has lot to do with how easily the bike handles).

3) The YZF-600R is the same class as the Katana 600. Here is how Yamaha describes the bikes ergonomics:

"Easy-to-reach clip-on bars, a wide, plush seat for two and slightly rear-set footpegs create an ideal ergonomic balance between hard-edged supersport machine and everyday commuter/sport-tourer."

Does that sound familiar? I am not talking about the YZF-R6 or the YZF-R6S which are supersport bikes.

4) New riders are often too quick to move up in their bike. There is a lot to learn about keeping corner speeds and choosing a good line that a smaller bike will force you to learn. Plus I would bet that there is not a huge amount of difference in peformance between a Kat 600 and a GS500. The reduce weight and added agility will make up for the 100 cc's. I would bet that a GS500 would give a keep up with a Katana 600 in the hands of a decent rider.

[Jabara57]

Nope, youll be fine. Im 5'10 155 and it wasnt a problem after the first few days.


Whenever and if you move to something as light as a GSXR, you'll feel like your riding a razor scooter but have great bike control

[sportbikeridr]

bike

i started out on a 2006 ninja 250, then graduated to a 2006 katana 600 .. i weight around 170, 6ft tall ... i can throw my kat around like a toy, i dont see u haveing any trouble at all ... get it its a great bike !!!