most of you probably know this local forum already, but if not, check out bcsportbikes.com. it has useful info on it and a section where they sell bikes too.

Is an R6 a good beginner? I heard it's the hardest to ride compared to CBR600RR and ZX6R
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r6 has the most uncomfortable seating position out of all the 600/750 sport bikes. newer gixxers are by far the most comfortable and easiest to ride.

Regardless of your physique, the riding schools will teach and recommend you go with a beginner bike ( 250s, 400s, 500s, heck even cbr 125).

The idea they preach is that you will learn faster with any of these vs a sport bike. The learning curve is a lot easier to pick up and you'll be a lot more comfortable. An "oh shit" moment on one of those usually will give you time to react. The "oh shit" moment on a sport bike has a lot less time to correct. Especially when you look at the power curves for the different types of bikes.

Pick up a beginner bike, ride it for your first season, and sell it next season for almost what you got it for typically.

I just got off PRS in June and bought a gs500. Loving it so far and already had a few moments where I probably would've flew off if I was on a GSXR600.

I personally love the R6 ergos.. u really gotta go sit on all of em and check it out. As for ridability, the R6 is really quite gentle up until at least 9-11K revs so I don't know if you'll like the lack of low and mid range power or not, but it makes it quite awkward to ride anything below 10K enjoyably.
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Listen to this guy. Especially the "oh shit" part. A 250 with has MUCH more "freeplay" in throttle before it kicks you into trouble. A R6 with a slight twist will land you in trouble in no time.

I picked an 06 R6 as my beginning bike. I ride it ok now but looking back, I should have picked a 250 instead. The riding position is really aggressive where you are literally bending forward.

For most part, I only ride in city and never go past 6k RPM but I find it quite responsive to the throttle and it has enough power in that range.

Go and literally sit on all the bikes you like to see which one seats you most comfortable. I sat in a friends GSX and it is more comfortable than the R6. I can actually plant my foot on the ground on the GSX.

Does a 250 pack enough power for highways and stuff? Im 6'2 200lbs.... Dont want to be redlining in 6th the whole way

the 250 has enough grunt for the first 2 or 3 months but after that you're gonna be longing for more. the main point however is to learn how to properly turn and make low speed maneuvers, which is much easier on a 250 than a 600. 600s are very easy to ride fast but trying to get around in a parking lot is very difficult at first.

Redline on 6th on a kawi 250 is abiut 160km/h and it takes a helluva long time to get there too. It literally takes about 5-6 seconds on a 600cc, while a 250cc takes about double. A 600 will go up to about 270 before topping out. Decide for youself, but know that a 250cc can easily keep up with 600s on windy roads as long as you keep your speed through thr corners and the people you are riding with don't go balls out crazy (200+) on every straight they see!
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if you are looking for a beginner bike, look for a used 250cc bike. you will probably sell it for almost the same price you bought it when its time to upgrade if thats what you're worried about.

learn to do things properly first is far most important than getting a bike with more power/speed/looks.

if you're worried about your size being on a 250, you can always call up some dealerships and see if you can test ride one first.

I'm not on a bike yet. But here's how I look at it.
Safety gear is about prevention for when you or somebody eventually f*s up.

Getting a 250 would more be like prevention for injury for when you eventually over estimate your skills. We all tend to push the limits a little. You might take a small economic hit, $300-$500? Maybe a bit more for doing smaller bike, then upgrading. But I'd easily pay double or even triple that not to have my friends laugh at me being a retard and getting a bike too big for my skill. And that's ignoring the fact that you could end up breaking a limb. Imagine the sneers of being in crutches cause they think you're retarded? :fullofwin:

i've had my bike license for 10 yrs, after 5 bikes and over 40000km on bikes. i can say the 250 cc bike is freaking amazing. the 125 cc is a toy, but the 250 CC looks good, and rides extremely well
yes you'll be slow on straights but you'll be 1 second behind your buddy with an R1 at the next light. You will not outride your 250 CC. 250 CC bike and a 1700 CC harley packs as much punch when you bail. No one says you can't kill yourself on a 250 cc, it won't prevent nothing, it will however have an easier and more forgiving learning curve.

if you're starting on a new bike, go for the 250 CC.

the 250 CC will pack just as much punch when you are doing a corner. You buddy will be just as slow as you are doing a corner / hair pin turn... etc. they only difference is when you're on a highway, you'll be a bit slower on the stretch; you'll be in 5th gear while your buddy's R1 is on second gear. with your size, if u can land a deal on a cheap second hand R6 or RR.. it wouldn't be a bad idea.

Im not too worried bout looks and that kinda stuff, im not gonna be riding to look cool, ill be riding to have fun.

Getting a 250 first seems like the more reasonable step right now, but then having all that trouble of reselling and looking for a new 600 later doesnt look too fun....

I will be taking a course though, ProRide or PRS?

Are you allowed to take your own bike there?

I'm getting an R1 for my first bike... Uhoh.

Why would you want to bring your own bike? If there are any drops, it's better with their bike than yours.

Reselling a 250cc shouldn't be that hard, it's one of the fastest selling used bikes as most beginners would want that bike.

I think PRS actually uses 250cc for their bikes to teach students
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How bout if i buy a 600cc and want to learn and practice on it? Maybe itll help as you get a feel of your own bike, not getting better at riding on their bikes and then having the transition over to your own bike....

you can always ask but i doubt they will let you as its a safety hazard. if you are new, things may go wrong. they will probably just tell you to practice it on your own time and place with a supervisor.

on a 600cc, with a slight twist of the throttle (especially when you panic), you may end up doing a wheelie and flip over or even accelerate into an object or one of your fellow classmates.

riding a 250 and then transitioning to a 600 is not as hard as you may think. its like going from driving a standard corolla to a standard audi. the skills will always be there, its just a different vehicle.

if you really want to go for a 600cc, its totally your call though. just telling you all i know from experience that its not the best choice. one person may be struggling with it where as its natural for another. just want you to make the most informed and safest decision so you have many riding seasons ahead of you.

depending on where you're located, we can meet up somewhere if you want to try and sit on a 600cc bike. your best bet is still to sit on alot of bikes from different dealerships.

Thanks for your help guys it's not till probably next summer I'll be riding I plan to get my motorcycle license in October....

Another problem is insurance what's the cost gap btwn a 600cc and a 250cc?
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There are a few insurance brackets based on the engine displacement
I'm not too sure about the start and the end of the brackets, but I know that there's one that goes up to 249cc, another 250cc - 499cc, another 500cc - 749cc, and I think the last one is 750cc and up.

Your best bet is to just walk into an Autoplan center and ask them. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes.

My insurance was around 900 with comprehensive but no collision for 7 or 8 months. Might have been a year. I need to double check on that later on. But my friends 250 for pretty much the same policies is around 400 or 450. So it's almost half to go to the lower bracket. Once I confirm when I get home I will edit this post.

Comprehensive is the most expensive part but how much you declare your bike is worth will also affect your rate
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theres no point in getting collision/theft if your bike isn't worth much. when i had my gixxer 750 i was paying 1000 a year with liability only. with collision and theft the price would have been 2100. i really didn't see the point in paying 1100 a year to protect a 6500 dollar bike that may or may not get damaged/stolen.

You don't want to take your own bike to the PRS course. First of all, much better to learn on a Sherpa than any sport bike so you can properly learn all the basics. Second you don't want to do a couple of hours of slow-speed maneuvers on your own bike. Third, good chance you'll drop it at some point. Also, I'm pretty sure PRS won't allow it :)

You can get comprehensive quite cheap from private insurer like Beacon. I think I can't remember exact amount, but I think it was only ~$300-400 to insure my SV for the year and includes storage insurance

if you own a jap bike, i would get theft.