[ADyingBreed]

oh i know ill end up getting one of the behemoth bikes, just not for a VERY, VERY long time.

the only reason i have a 600 now was because it was only $600 lol. and its a 96 kat, nothing compared to todays 600's. But still my dad rode a buddy's 600 back in the day, 1970's, and nearly shat himself


but i ride my 250 scooter like a sportbike its hilarious to see me trying to lean off the seat, its still satisfying to hear the stands scrapping as i do 58 around a 25 curve

and yes i have already had an accident. i count my self lucky i only scraped the side of that mountain. still, knocked some sense into me because the next day i went and bought myself a m/c jacket.

[HexKrak]

I suppose it's a good time to clarify. The katana is NOT a super sport, and a 600 kat is actually a very forgiving great starter bike (IMHO). The katana is classified as a sports tourer. A 600 gsxR is a different beast entirely. Depending on the year it can be a few hundred lbs lighter than the the kat and a decent bit more powerful. This means that while you're trying to learn throttle control as a noob you're more likely to start wearing the gsxr like a hat due to a slipup than the gsxf katana.

I'm sure there's people still that say a kat 600 is still a bit much for a noob, and they have valid concerns but this is MY opinion, and I believe there's quite a number of people who do agree.

[ADyingBreed]

oh i had no delusions that this was a supersport. i picked sport tourer for a compromise in looks, comfort, and power. love the agressive looks of sport, need the comfort of touring for my weight and height (ill ride as far as a tank of gas will take me and more depending on how long it took to use that tank lol), and the compromised power that goes with sport-touring types is perfect for me, not to say im going to be like "oh this is perfect!" and WOT it. ive already got my m1 endorsement(god that was easy lol), i just need to learn MY bike's characteristics before i go into the canyons <- my home away from home

[HexKrak]

The kat does deceptively well in the twisties I might just have to try and arrange a Friday ride

[ConnectiKat]

Getting an -02 Katana in 5 days, most likely. Was kinda set at the Ninja 500R at first but the Kat does make for a better ride and the dealer I was at recommended it. The Ninjas weight felt more comfortable though, how long you reckon til you get used to the Kat's size and weight?

Still haven't decided 100%. Haven't done much riding except for a couple months on 250 dirtbikes in Thailand and various 125 scooters in other places. Speak now or forever hold your peace

[JasonChen]

I hopped on mine and got used to the bike on the same day.... Ninja 500 is also a great bike to start with, but think of it this way, if you start with something a little bit challenging *a little bit more weight, a little bit more manageable power* it'll be easy as piece of cake for you to move on to whatever your next bike might be.

my $0.02

[STULER]

Well, this was by far on e of the best ways to put this argument. Although young newb riders are still stubborn. But great article!!!

[alzeNL]

My reaction is 'only valid in the US' where the MSF still doesn't provide enough education to make a person a safe rider. I'm not saying our american cousins aren't good riders, but I think here in main land europe its takes more time to get a licence and most riders are ready for a bigger bike (500cc+) by the time they have passed their test.
Totally agree in principle, and even after passing my credo is 'if you have to ask is <insert sports bike here> good as a first bike' means in all likelyhood that it isnt for you

[Blackysheldon]

My first bike was a brand new 03 500 ninja. I'm 6'1 & I felt that I was to tall for that bike(legs were to high against the tank). I put 2200 miles on it and the power felt crappy after the first 100m (after proper break in). I had almost no moto experience before that. I wish I had started on my Kat that I have now. People say Kats are heavy but I like the stability that comes from the weight. I think the 500 was a waste of my time and money. Everyone is different.

[Kattie]

I like this...and as a "noob" 2 the sportike world i was looking for something a lil cheaper and i didnt really want anything to big and when i found my katana that was exactally what i was looking for,thats one of the reasons i bought it bc its a pretty good looking bike,low miles,dependable,runs good and it came with a parts bike...lol

As far am me starting out on a 600...ive been riding since i was 5 years old on everything as far as dirtbikes,atv's,side by sides,everything...so i know a bit about riding and i really do believe i can handle a 600...and one of the big reasons i wanted a sportbike is that ive road cruisers and to me they seem way hard to handle compared to a sportbike...a sportbike to me reminds me somewhat of a dirtbike...your over top of the bars which already gives you better control over your bike...and the way you have so sit gives you even better handling bc your not all leaned back.

As far as drivers on the roads not paying attention and everything that comes along with riding on the roads no im not quite used to that but i have delt with it seeing as how most every off road vehicle ive ever owned has spent more time on the pavement then the trails...lol

Riding is very dangerous even if you do ride safe and its something every rider should think about...because like they say...It's Not A Matter Of If Your Gonna Go Down It's When.

[jL03k]

my thoughts on the 600cc

It was last summer (2008) Late May/ Early June about this time... Gas prices were extremely high and I couldnt afford to drive the ford explorer around...

so with my student loan i sort of bought a 2003 Suzuki Katana 600cc...

I thought great a lower cc bike for the first one isn't that bad... I'll be able to sell it and get something better...

However i've been riding for a little over a year now.. and i can say that i wish i would have learned on something bigger and more powerful so i could exactly know where my point of insanity would be... a 600cc isn't **** to me.
I'm almost 6'5 and 250 pounds... its like a little toy..

i was looking on katriders.com and fell in love with the early kats like the 1100's and such... but ive been thinking about customizing my 03 into a streetfighter type deal...

[MainSt.Saint005]

great read

[Freebird01]

yes absolutly a great read...

guess i went the wrong direction with gettin an 89 kat 1100 for a first sport bike....

i had a yamaha 550 maxim awhile back... in all honesty i didnt go looking for the bigkat, it found me. I had a post on CL tryin to trade off my ranger for a bike...preferably a 250 ninjo or buell blast or something like that. and this guy sends me a message saying its older then what your looking for but how bout this... even up swap. the ranger had 236k on it so long story short now i got an 1100 kat. its taking some getting used to since its a heavy bike but im not riding it crazy and staying off the interstate...

[StevieB]

Yea, a Kat 1100 is a big, powerful bike. Sounds like you may do alright with it, though.

[Freebird01]

so far the only bad luck ive had is dropping it at a stop light cause it stalled while trying to make a right hand turn.

i found that if i keep it in 4th or 5th the bike has more then enough torque to keep me moving but its lugging enough that if i blip the throttle it wont take off from under me.

knowing your limits and not having the pride or thickheadedness to go beyond them out of the box i think is something that has kept me upright while riding. at some point you got to push those limits but im not at that point yet and im not to proud to say that.