Is a CBR/Ninja 600 too big for me?

Question

So I'm going off to college in the fall and instead of getting a car, I'm considering buying a bike instead since they are cheaper and get better mpg. I've been looking at many different types of bikes and the two that I found most intriguing were the Ninja 600 and the CBR 600.The only thing I'm concerned about is, are these too powerful for a first bike and a rider of my size? I am 6'0 and weigh 140 and I feel like the torque of any 600+cc bike will just trow me off because I'm so light. I have been looking at the 250cc ninja and cbr but I read that people get bored with those really quickly and considering I'm a college student, I'm not going to have the money to upgrade. What do you guys think? Even though I'm pretty small, should I go with the 600? I am a very responsible driver (with cars anyways) so I feel like I would be the same, probably more cautious, on a motorcycle. Also, my friend suggested that I buy a street legal dirt bike to ride around and learn but I feel like those are just loud and obnoxious. Thanks for help!

Answer 1

1. Do you have secure parking?



2. Do you have insurance quotes?



3. Have you taken an MSF course/have a motorcycle license.



College + sport bike not chained up inside a garage = stolen.



Insurance will be way more than a car if you have full coverage.



If you don't have riding experience, why do you want a bike than can go from zero to dead in less than two seconds?



Have you budgeted for a waterproof riding suit, helmet, gloves, boots?



How will you haul more than a backpack full of stuff?

Answer 2

Sv650 is the perfect bike to start out. Lots of torque, 135 top speed, super sport feel, manageable for a new rider. Big enough so you won't get bored

Answer 3

Your question is pretty typical of people in your situation, who are looking into riding, going to school, trying to save money, and don't quite know the lay of the land in the motorcycle world. First of all CBR600's and ninja 600 (zx6r), are not and never will be suitable for beginner riders. They are not practical for your purposes (thrift, transportation, ease of riding... etc), are insanely expensive to insure, and are only designed to go around a track fast, not comfortably, or practically



I had a motorcycle as my only means of transportation in college. IT WILL NOT SAVE YOU MONEY. Insurance, gas, maintenance every 5k miles, oil changes every 3k miles, new tires every 6-8k miles to the tune of $200+ each, and the inevitable drops along the way damaging $1k plastics. You will also need to buy a quality helmet, jacket, boots, gloves, rain suit, and saddlebags and luggage. You have to be a committed, experienced rider to realistically take on that kind of transportation choice. You will miss being protected from the elements.



A note on saddlebags, A backpack is helpful, but ultimately adds to the strain of riding. If a bike is your only means of transportation, then lockable secured saddlebags are absolutely necessary. End of discussion.



Simply put the most efficient bikes for commuting in college is either a ninja 250/300, cbr/250, CBR 500, Ninja 500/650 Suzuki SV650, and KLR 650. All of these options are fun, and cheaper than most to own, maintain, insure, and ride. They all have significant after market options and accessories can be found cheap. They use smaller, less specific tires that are much more cost effective than their supersport CBR600 counterparts.



A note on speed, Almost everyone thinks that they will control their speed when they begin. The fact is putting a race car in the hands of a freshly minted 16 year old driver is a recipe for destruction 99% of the time. There are exceptions, but they are few and far between. I never would have guessed I would be traveling as close as dammit to 200mph on my sport bike, but I did, because I could not resist the throttle. Fortunately, I pushed my limits after tens of thousands of miles of riding experience. Most do not have that restraint and end up going way too fast before reactions, reflexes, and real confidence are sufficiently established. The result is little crosses on the highway.



Speed is one of the most addictive aspects of riding. When you are learning, (IE first 10-20k miles) stick to a bike that is forgiving, not overly powerful, that you dont really care if you drop once or twice, (we all have dropped our bikes).



A half inch of twist on the right hand can be the difference between traveling 10mph, and 60mph in 1st gear of a CBR600, It is about 10mph and 25mph on a CBR 250. It doesnt sound exciting, but every single rider I know who started on a smaller, lighter, cheaper, less powerful sport style bike is still riding safely, now on much bigger, more appropriate bikes for their developing skills as a rider. The ones who started on the fast race bikes either wrecked and quit riding, wrecked and died, or just gave up riding all together.

Answer 4

'Too big' is not the question, or even 'too powerful'. So long as you can sit on a bike with both feet flat on the ground, the bike is not too big for you.



The problem with some 600cc bikes is not their size, or even their power, it's what kind of bike they are. Kawasaki does something I think is a little dishonest. They use the word 'Ninja' for motorcycles in two (maybe three) totally different categories.



The Ninja ZX 600 is a hot sportbike, we call them 'supersports' these days. It is a dedicated single-purpose tool, a racing bike with license plates, really more at home on the track than the street. It's not comfortable, with an extreme riding position and a small, hard seat. It's got extremely sensitive steering geometry so the steering is almost 'twitchy', so it's more work to ride, it takes more concentration (and skill). It's got a high-performance engine, meaning that it's got a very narrow powerband and it has to be kept revved up near the redline to get the power out of it.



OTOH the Ninja 500 and 650 are sporty-styled but 'standards', general purpose bikes, and very popular as trainers. More comfortable, easier to ride, more forgiving for beginners. And they're plenty fast and good-handling enough to be a lot of fun.



The 'supersport' category is very popular these days in the developed countries, so every Japanese mfgr makes one. They are wonderful machines for what they are, but they aren't optimum for general purpose transportation. If you definitely want something like this, you should see it as something to work up to.



BTW your weight is not going to be a problem on any of these bikes. Motorcycling is not about strength or weight, it's about finesse and balance. This is one reason girls do it as well as guys (also girls are more level-headed, they don't suffer from 'testosterone poisoning').



Honda has now taken a page from Ninja's playbook, releasing a whole line of bikes called "CBR". The CBR 600 is a supersport. The CBR 250 and 500 are sporty-looking but mild and easy to ride, actually designed as trainers. Honda also makes a bike called the 599 (unofficially called the Hornet, because that name is registered to a car). It has the same engine as the CBR 600 but it's a standard with softer shocks, wider powerband, more comfortable seat, etc.



About 250 vs bigger. A 250 is all the motorcycle you will ever need under about 50 mph. So it depends on how you see yourself riding. If you ride only around town, and out into the country on weekends on back roads, a 250 is all you need. But they're marginal above 50 mph, so though they can keep up with traffic on the Interstate they're not really comfortable or safe at those speeds. A 500 or 650 is a little bigger/heavier, but it's really only the next size category up. It'd be a little more trouble to learn on but you could handle it.



I strongly recommend learning to ride on a used bike. Also the MSF course is an excellent idea.

Answer 5

I have two friends who are brothers. Neither had ever riden a bike. One bought a 600 about a year ago, and wrecked it a week later. Nice road rash. About 8 months later his brother bought a 750. Wrecked it 3 weeks later. Spent 2 months in the hospital. Point is, learn to ride before you get anything that has the potential to scare you. Have a qualified friend or family member teach you all you can possibly know, and take riding slow. Its a form of transportation, not made for making you look like a badass.

Answer 6

Consider the Honda cbr500r. It is cheaper than a 600, and it is only 471cc. The engine is not to intimidating for a first rider.

Answer 7

The problem with most new riders, and even some experienced riders, is that too many people have "clashing" requirements.



They want "cheap transport" but then put out that they want high end crotch rockets. They want reliable transport, but then don't consider that motorcycles in heavy rain, snow, ice, etc are very annoying to drive thus making them semi-unreliable.



The short and skinny of it? Motorcycles are not very economical to a majority of people. The reason is because of again, clashing requirements. The most cost effective motorcycles, are either dual sport "street legal dirt bikes" or scooters. However, as you just commented yourself on "I feel like those are just loud and obnoxious" or when talking about scooters, things like "people get bored with those really quickly" when talking about their power.



What I am getting from your description? You are trying to give yourself a reason to buy a crotch rocket that you will abuse, show off to your friends, and rip around the streets. Now I am not saying you are stupid, a child, or anything of the sort, but you have to be realistic with yourself.



You don't need our approval, so with that, you don't have to sugar coat your true goals here. If you really want cost effective? You wouldn't even think about considering sport bikes. If you really want to keep safety and intelligence in mind when picking out bikes for beginners? You wouldn't even think about 600cc race replica bikes.



So back to the original point. Do you want a cost effective bike to save money, and be a smart choice for beginners? Get a dual sport or a scooter. Do you want a sleek, sexy, powerhouse of a racing bike? Then say so, but don't try and cover it up by saying you will be safe because sorry, we know that is BS. Its not being mean, it is being logical. Do you trust an 8yr old with a $100 to go spend it wisely? No, you know better.