awiner

My Toys:

2005 MV Agustsa F4-1000



2005 Kawasaki ZX-6R




Only problem with getting into bikes is you will end up getting back into your car and wondering why the car is so slow and turns funny.

chiromikey

nice mv. now that my duc is finished i need to find an '02 senna to play with.

Akara1

Nice bikes, I almost pulled the trigger on the '07 Senna. What a beauty. Where do you ride Adam?

awiner

All over So Cal.. All the canyons of Malibu (Latigo, Piuma, Stunt, etc.).

Angeles Crest, Ojai, etc...

WayneE

Get an older, used bike if you are just starting out. Part of riding is wrecking and you will drop your bike. Take the MSF course and start riding in parking lots and back roads.

Just remember, it's easier to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow

Everyone always wants the biggest, baddest bike, but they don't want to take the 10-20yrs of riding that many of us have done (dirtbikes since 6 yrs old, 18+yrs of street riding for me) before they step up. A local guy just came by my house the other day to pick up some spare parts for his rashed 'Busa. It was his 2nd bike and he dropped it. Nice way to turn a $10,000 2006 Busa into a $5000 bike. Another guy on the 'Busa board died recently when he returned to the sport as an adult. He'd ridden when younger, but had a 10+ yr hiatus. Single vehicle accident, he put the bike into a jersey wall in a turn

If you really want to ride and not just pose, take your time, start small and gain experience before stepping up. Track days are an awesome way to gain more skill, as Akara suggested.

You may find that you're more of a cruiser guy than sportbikes, too. Try out different bikes.

It's not a beginner bike, but I'll throw out a shameless plug for a bike I'm selling - it's a 2007 Victory Vegas Jackpot. Bike is brand new, barely ridden. I just decided I wasn't a cruiser guy. I always ride my Hayabusa when I go out (click for big pics)

eLTURCOamg

thanks to you akara im probably gona be out $15000 within the next month, now i have to mess with that lol

dragonAMG

Thanks for the info guys... I'm thinking of picking up a 2001 GSX-R 600. It has 8500 miles and the owner said he'll take $3,900. Seems like a good deal. Not salvaged and in pretty good condition.

jangy

You'll get bored with a 600 in 2 months. Make sure you can sell it for not too much loss at that point. Regardless of what people here are trying to imply, a 600 just does not have the BANG that an E55 does.

chiromikey

i've ridden a 600 class sportbike since the day i started street riding and have absolutely no desire to ride anything more powerful than that. a 600 is PLENTY for anyone south of 250lbs and 6'4". you'll never use a 600's potential on the street or on the track. unless you just want bragging rights of owning a litre bike, you're making the right choice. besides, it's a beautiful thing to pass most of those guys on litre bikes on the inside of corners and have them wonder why they can't catch you on the exit or down the straight.

jangy, i love ya man but you're looney if you think your car can take a 600.

WayneE

You have no idea what you're talking about, jangy.

cantdriveonly55

That blue busa and MV are 2 of the best looking bikes I've seen! That busa is clean and looks much better than most I see, really digging the color. I'm often tempted to get into bikes beyond the few dirt bikes I have out at the ranch, but every time I hear about a friend of a friend getting killed on one, I think twice.. Those Yamaha R1s and R6s are really gorgeous though..

jangy

I am indeed LOONEY. We get into this same theory EVERY time. Why is it that in the end no bike shows up to prove their point? Why is it always that the "rider" didn't know how to ride?

You can love a 600 all you want, and yes back in the day, the 600 class was the best all around. BUT, that was over 10 years ago. The 750s and now the 1000s have taken over. You can have the best braking and handling in the world, but you are the loon if you think ANY 600 will hang with a 1000 on a straight.

jangy

For not knowing a thing, I've seen it happen plenty of times. Is a 600 a good bike to start on? Yup. It is the safest way to go. But, that has nothing to do with the beast that is a GSXR1000. Go to ANY dealership and ask how many stories they have of people buying BRAND NEW 600s only to come back and take a bath on it when they upgrade to a 750 or 1000.

Just for reference, lets look at the AMAs designation for racing classes. What race track can you name that has a record held by a 600? NONE. They are all either 750s or 1000s. PERIOD. But, I know nothing. Funny cross post, but this comes from the same dude that thinks the salt flats are an unstable spot. LOL.

SDCfla

I just picked up a Daytona 675. Love it! For one, I believe the story I raced a R1 in my 2001 Porsche 996 a few years back and I was far ahead at 100 plus.
The guy gave me a big thumbs up. The wind resistance is huge on a bike. You helmet feels like its going to pull your face off at triple digit speeds. A Hyabusa would be a different story though. I would'nt count out all 600's this new tripple engine will hand alot of 750's their ***.

WayneE

I'm not comparing a 600 to a 1000, you keep doing that. I currently ride motorcycles. I currently RACE motorcycles. I have done track days on current 600s.

As far as the Bonneville Salt Flats, I have several friends who run there and can not get traction at 200+. If you've run there, post your trap speeds, which course and pics of your car there. Based on what happens to their equipment, I wouldn't put my beater out on the salt - only a dedicated race car.

Wolverine55

As for a car possibly having an advantage from the dig...here's a link to a video showing a mid-11 sec. Cobra (I know the owner) vs. a Gixxer 750. There are a few mid-11 sec. E55's out there.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have yet to hear of a mid-11 sec E63.

Akara1

Lol, Jangy you keep saying 750's as if there is still a 750 class around. The GSX-R 750 is the only remaining 750. BTW, the latest generation of 600's are putting down almost as much power as a 750 of 2 years ago. As for the track record, Will Eikenberry holds the lap record at Streets of Willow, on a 600. All those stories you speak of about people who take a bath when they trade the 600 for a 750 or a 1000 are the reason that a thread like this even exists. It's not the bike, it's the rider, and too many riders will NEVER be a ble to ride a 600 to its full potential, let alone a 750 or 1000.

Akara1

Here's another fun fact just for some perspective. In May, at the AMG challenge I had the chance to drive the 55k cars on the oval at California speedway. I think the fastest I ever hit on the front straight was about 142. On that same straight, but with a later entry point (i.e. lower entry speed) and earlier braking marker, I easily hit upwards of 170 every time on my ZX-10.

jangy

I don't doubt your experience. I guess why i bring up the 600 vs 1000 is because i do think that my E55 can pull on a 600 in the real world, where i know i don't hold a candle to a 1000 in a straight line.

As far as proof that i took my car out to the flats, I'll see if I can dig something up. It was back in the day and well before digital technology. I was driving cross country with everything I owned in a highly modified, but DD, M3. I came accross Utah and dropped by, being an enthusiast. It was such a mellow and killer place that I ended up staying for a week and paying to take my car out there (still loaded with all my crap). All you needed was a helmet. I ended up making 3 runs. 143mph, 147mph, and 150mph. The only factor was me (i.e. *****). By the last run, I was more comfortable and so I held the power down. The open area is an optical elusion of sorts and you always feel like you are about to run out of room.

jangy

Good point. I am a die hard GSXR fan, so that is my "Gold Standard". Why they go back to trade the 600 for a bigger engine is irrelevent. The fact that they do is all I brought up. Funny you bring up Streets of Willow. I am sure a 600 would also do better in my cul de sac, but lets at least compare apples to apples.

chiromikey

750's are all but extinct so they're not taking over anything. you're misquoting or misinterpreting everything i've said. i never said or impied 600's are the best all around bike. my statement was that with modern 600's putting down 110hp to the ground in stock form, mere mortals are not going to EVER be able to use the full potential of one on the track or the street so there's no need to go litre bike.

...btw, i also didn't say a 600 will hang with a 1000 on a straight, i said it's funny when the litre guys wonder why they can't catch you on the exit or down the straight after you just passed them, implying that it's all about the rider not the cc's...which ironically brings us right back to the race between a 600 and an e.

we shouldn't have to prove any point to you...it's common sense that a potential 10 second 600 is quicker than a potential 12 second e55/63, but if you insist let me know the next time you're in the phoenix area.

jangy

Keep a few things in mind with reference to Fontana. You did max 2 laps in the E55k at a time with a number of cars on the track at a time all with drivers of varying experience. It had Street tires on it. Traction is no issue there, engine is. MANY of the people that were in my group slapped the limiter and the fact that NONE of us were pushing traction or even close to it is something to consider. Also, keep in mind that some of us had the staff in the cars with us during these runs and they were in no way getting scared or asking us to slow down. Given that, I hope you weren't implying that 150mph is anywhere near the handling limits of an E55 on that track?

On another note, kudos to you for taking a ZX-10 to 170 on that track. It must be one hek of a thrill.

Coalman

Ask Ben Rothlesburger (Steelers QB) about 'Busa's. He almost bought the farm on a 2006. I rode for 15 years without an accident (Suzuki GSX-R1100, V65 Magna, Yamaha 650 (first bike)) and decided to quit while I was still ahead. Biggest concern, a little old lady or an airhead teen on the cell phone rear ending me at a light.

jangy

Thanks for clarifying. I stand corrected. Let's not argue about "potential", as that is irrelevent to me. I want to see reality. I will be in Phoenix over the X-mas holiday break. Perhaps I'll arrange to have the E there as well and we can have a little fun with this?

jangy

That is a decision each person makes for themselves. Clearly our discussions here have not been over safety. I did give up my bike for fear of life as well. Having two kids AND dropping my GSXR on the twisties in Palomar twice in 3 months was the last straw for me. I bought a brand new GSXR1000, had it wired and track prepped with the intent of ONLY riding it on the track. I never went. I sold the bike for a small loss after it sat for 3 months. Once I got scared, it was just done. That was where the E55 came in.