[sob3k]

That's a great article, and describes so many people to a "T". I can't tell you how many idiots I know that spend 13k on a 1000cc and ride 20 days out of the year because they are literally AFRAID of thier bike in the wind/rain/traffic.

[desertaliloff]

This is a really good read. I just wish I hadn't gotten my first bike for such a great deal, It's an 02 CBR954. The first day I was on it I almost laid it down while practicing in a parking lot, caught it just before it touched the ground. I would leave it parked at my buddy's house until I had went through the MSF course, but have him meet me at the high school parking lot so I could practice. I learned early to respect that bike, she has alot of power. But I'm a very conservative rider, compared to my buddy who likes to push the limits on his Kawasaki ZX6R. Looking back I would have liked to start with a smaller bike. Now I'm working on a rebuild with my 99 Katana and yes I still have the CBR, its never been down and I still ride it daily......it has over 48,000 miles on it.

[willbdish]

great read , my starter bike after 20yrs of not ridding is a 88 600 about 2 months a go. thought I was getting used to it and today just about rear ended a stop car trying to get thur an intersection on a yellow light. got it stopped in the bike lane about 2 feet passed his bumper.

[Whit]

My Katana 600 is my first street bike. I had ridden dirtbikes and am guilty of most of the newbie newbie remarks mentioned in the article. Had my bike not been sitting for 5+ years and running correctly I would have quickly realised that 600cc provides much more power then you need.

I would definately tell any person who wants to get their first bike not to get a 600. I would definately not suggest any new rider follow my friend's footsteps and buy a GSXR 750. That bike is STUPID FAST.

[c_buckler]

I know a few people that started on some 600 / 750 including my self. Two have them have never dropped their bike, and one has been riding for 8 years or so. This article is very well written, and a good read at that... but IMHO, you can not tell everyone that is it the truth you need to start on a 250 lol...

Edit: The two I knew were also very responsible, are total against stunts / street racing. Though I would add that in!

[unohuu]

Great Read

My very first bike was a Kawasaki 440 LTD. I never got licensed completely and sold it during hard times. Later bought some similar Honda that I kept for a few years. Fast forward 20 years (because my daughter is now 16) and I am proudly riding the 750 Katana. But I am older, wiser, have no interest in racing or super sport riding.

This Kat had been calling to me over and over again through CL ads during the summer. It was between this Kat, an adult-female ridden ZZR 600 and GSXR 600. Something told me that I would likely prefer a sport-touring bike over the super sport and one quick look and a ride confirmed that for me. The Kat had much more power than that old 440 LTD, but I just played around the neighborhood with it, practicing stopping, starting, basic cornering and figuring out the shift sequence (Kawi was one down then up). Turns left, turns right, dodging manhole covers for practice and zig zag between the yellow lines on divided streets.

Next week I take the MSF course and should be ready for full motorcycle endorsement from there. While I think this 750 has enough power for me, it would be a thrill to ride the 'Busa and perhaps a Vulcan. It gets me from A to B much faster and with more "fun" than my "adult-driven" Scion. Most of all, I like the freedom and thrill of the rushing air around me. Like my old soft-top jeep. My buddy has a big old Goldwing cruiser that he wants to sell so he can buy a HD. I might take him up on that.

A long rant about safety and speed. I bought a mesh jacket and gloves before I had the bike. A textile jacket two days before and 2 helmets. I have added a couple leather jackets and riding boots because it will be cold on my morning rides to work (10 miles) and I know that it is easier to replace leather than my own hide.

Ride safe and stay vigilant.

[Crash]

Well I'll be that noob that will admit that a 600 probably wasnt the best bike to get for a beginner bike. I traded my 99 Ram 1500 for a 2000 Katana 600 last year in May. I had it for three days and got clipped going about 10mph by a vet who hit the gas instead of a the brake at an intersection. I got up I was fine for the most part and went to work. Not but 10 days later I leave work after what was pretty much a crazy storm and a near fight with a coworker.

First two mistakes right there, bad weather, bad state of mind. But wait theres more its 11:30 at night and I'm inexperienced. Well I low side going maybe 30-40 around a long swooping corner. Well after all is said and done I finally rebuilt the bike and learned quite a lot from doing that.

Now after another year of maturing and the bike being my daily driver I have been doing great. I brought it back up from my moms house in Fort Myers to Tampa where I go to school , and in the two weeks that I have had it up here I have already clocked about 1500 miles. Every chance I get to go for a ride I take it. Now I love the fact that I have a 600 however had i gotten a 250 or something a bit lighter for my first bike I probably would have enjoyed the entire season of riding last year.

So from a Noob to other Noobs you may think you want a 600 but don't go and get a gixxer or cbr get a less powerful bike to learn on. Two high ankle sprains and road rash hurt real bad... Ask me how I know. Oh and if you think you wont go down, I always remember this saying that gets thrown around. There are two types of riders those that have gone down, and those that WILL go down.

[scottynoface]

get a less powerful bike to learn on.

Thats what makes the Katana a good beginner bike.

[Crash]

I'll agree that the Kat is a good learning bike, its downfall is its heavy and takes more getting used too IMO. It is a good bike though. Just don't start riding one in the middle of FL's rainy season, cold tires+ wet roads= bad news

[newkatbie]

My first bike is the post kat 600. I rode other bikes before. When i was 14, an older friend said he would teach me ride. I got on his 750 and he said let go of the clutch slowly then roll on the gas. He sat on the back. I let go of the clutch until it moved then rolled on the gas. I did my first wheelie, and he fell off the back. I did not wreck it or anything, but i learned to respect the power. I also rode a gsxr 600 in my very early twenties. I did not have a license then. I rode for about a few miles. A few years later, i rode a friend's dirt bike. This was two years ago. It was like riding for the first time. I think it was a 125 or 250 cc.

The good:
My first bike is a post kat 600. I learned to ride on this bike. It does not feel heavy, since it is my first bike that i have really got to ride. I am still learning and i finally got the suspension dialed in. I have yet to wreck a bike. i am trying to get my knee down (on a road with no traffic). I have about 3/4 of an inch or so on my rear tire on each side that has not seen pavement (chicken strips). I don't try to show off. I think i could have handled a gsxr 600.

The bad:

There are times that i am glad i have a kat and not the gsxr. I have given too much gas starting off a few times. On the kat, it jerks up, but i can control it easily. On a real sport bike, I would have probably been on the ground waiting for the bike to drop on me. I have had a couple of bad shifts because i was not paying enough attention. The kat forgave me, but a gsxr would not have been so nice. I rode with low air (23-25psi) and went two up. On a highly tuned machine, i would have been run over by the car behind me as i fell off taking a turn. I have yet push the bike to the limits it is capable of.

The conclusion:

Riding a street bike is not like a bicycle or dirt bike. It takes practice, practice, practice. Everyone makes mistakes. On a r-model bike, those mistakes can cost you your life (being a vegetable at 20 is not fun either). If you want a bike that is not bad looking (like an older ninja 250, admit it), get something that is manageable. A kat 600 is great, but it is still fast enough to kill you. It can keep up with a corvette easily. It maybe heavy compared to a race bike, but so is every other bike out there. A new Harley sportster weighs about 600lbs w/o rider. I don't feel the extra weight of my kat. Also, when you are ready for a real sportbike, it will feel like a feather.

If you still want a gsxr, r6, ninja 6, or something similar, please don't forget to write that all your stuff goes to me when you die in your will. I will be expecting it in about a month or less. Hey, while you're at it, rev the bike up to 9k and release the clutch while going WOT ( i am not responsible for what happens). Search for new motorcycle crashed on youtube and see how much fun it can be to learn on a sportbike.

BTW: The MSF course sucks and teaches little unless you don't know crap. Real life experiences, like some idiot making a left turn when you are 30 ft away at 50 mph, is the only way to really learn. Drive on side streets for a long while. Then move to faster roads with traffic. Remember you can die on a bike after 30 years of experience.

[Solomon]

Great read. Unfortunately, I just bought an '04 Kat 750 as my first bike (I really don't think that it was unfortunate). I was planning on getting a Ninja 650r to learn on, but I couldn't find one at a price that I was willing to pay for one. So when I came across a kick *** Kat 750 with only 2,500 miles on it for less than 4K, I jumped on it. All of the 650's that I was looking at cost at least that much and the Kat was a lot more comfortable. I figure that if I drop it, I didn't spend a whole lot on it. We'll see what happens.

[jcrawford]

This is a nice write-up and I highly agree with it. In-fact we just got my fiance a 2010 Ninja 250r to learn with. The only reason we got the 2010 was because it was priced aggressively compared to other used machines.

I personally started on a 2006 Katana 600 and this is my first season. Currently I am almost at 4k miles for my first season and (knock on wood) I have never dumped the bike while moving. It has been dropped 3 times by me trying to put it on the center stand improperly and once by my fiance sitting on it while on the stand.

New users arguing that you will not drop your bike.... GET REAL! It will happen and just hope that it is not while moving.

I've almost dumped my bike about 4 times this season but luckilly my reactions were on point and I was able to recover. Most of my actions were instinctive and just happened but I am used to riding dirt bikes as a child so I am familiar with the throttle, clutch and front brake.

Riding the 600 for me was not that difficult, did I have more fear/nervousness than if I were sitting on a 250r. Ofcourse there is much more power between the two bikes.

Great write-up!

[NoGutsNoGlory]

I didn't see where the article says how you'll know when you are ready for a 600cc+ bike.

I started riding on a 750cc Honda, so I guess I was just way off. I rode for about a year, then I quit riding for 20 years. When I bought my Kat 600 it took me about a week to become re-acclimated. I think it is a decent learning bike.

...Or maybe I'm not, and I just don't know it. Maybe I just think I'm comfortable on it. How is one to know?

[newbouldg]

I remember my first bike..... It was a '96 Suzuki GS500E ( naked) right off the showroom floor. I also remember the first time I took it on the Interstate, doing 45 MPH and thought I was FLYING.... till I looked down at the speedometer. It was a GREAT first bike. Low- sided it after about a year, but learned some valuable lessons while doing so ( don't go into an unknown exit ramp at 70 MPH+ !!!!). I think if I would have purchased the GSXR that I wanted I probably wouldn't be here writing on this forum. Moral of the story..... Start small and start slow, being a good (notice I didn't say GREAT) rider will come with experience and PATIENCE!!!

[Nanakat]

Omg now I am even more nervous then before after reading these three pages of what not to buy and why;-( now lol she may never make it out the garage! These guys are saying how heavy this bike is and I'm 5'2" 130 and petrified of getting back on to learn clutch control!!"cry"
Very good information thanks for sharing
Maybe. Should get those training wheels after all "grin"!!