newbie rider where I work - need suggestions

[FB400]

hello all -

First off, yes, I did try searching :shakehead: but can't find that really sobering thread which essentially tries to talk new riders out of getting an Fz6 or any mid weight sports bike.

Will someone here please help me out? I want to forward it on to this guy as required reading. He is set on getting the ninja 650R as a first time rider. He will take the MSF coming up in May.

Thanks all..
FB

 

[adberns]

You mean this one?

http://www.600riders.com/forum/new-riders-q/983-potential-riders-must-read.html

 

[FB400]

Yeah man.. that's it.

Thanks for locating it. Appreciated!!

 

[iSteve]

I think the Ninja 650 is a good first bike, especially the 2012. I got to try one a few weeks ago it was comfortable, great low to mid torque, clutch was smooth as butter, east to touch the ground, easy to ride and a lot of fun.

 

[FinalImpact]

It's all about self control so I'm not certain it matters what size of bike you start with. A line of respect must be drawn quickly with the wrist. . .

Perhaps some will not be intimidated by too much power. For me personally, I think the Fizz is a great first bike. . .

 

[FloppyRunner]

Yeah, and I think the 650R is pretty tame, though still a lot of fun... I rode an ER-6N when I was shopping (essentially a naked 650R) and I liked it. I think they make good starter bikes that won't get old anytime soon.

Sometimes I do think the FZ6 can really bite you without experience...but there's a simple solution to that. Keep it under 6000 RPM. Not to mention my only "off" which was at really low speed probably took place with the engine at about 3 or 4 grand. In other words it had nothing to do with the "Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde" nature of the engine.

 

[dpaul007]

My FZ6 is my first bike. I respect the bike, and keep hoping it will do the same to me.

 

[SweaterDude]

My FZ is my first road bike. that said i have logged 1000s more miles on dirt than i have on the street, and could ride pretty well before i got it. And a BIG +1 on respecting the bike. make sure he understands that stupid hurts, and costs $$$$. but i still think the FZ6 is a good beginner bike.

 

[FB400]

Thanks all for the responses

I agree the FZ6 is a great first bike in the right hands. I started 3 years ago on it @ 45 yo. this kid is only ~24 yo. Thinking he would do just fine on it since his maturity level seems very good.

 

[RJ2112]

Thanks all for the responses

I agree the FZ6 is a great first bike in the right hands. I started 3 years ago on it @ 45 yo. this kid is only ~24 yo. Thinking he would do just fine on it since his maturity level seems very good.

I like the FZ6 as a second bike, rather than a first one. It's still too strong/good of a bike to teach a rider to really excel at the things that a rider SHOULD be good at.

Having started out off road when I was ~11 YO with 65 cc Hondas, Yamahas, etc., etc. I can tell you that I have a much greater appreciation of power band, and being smooth to go fast than I would have developed if I had exclusively ridden my older brother's Husky CR250.

All that thing taught me was that going stinky fast in a straight line is big, big fun.:rockon: I learned a lot more about control by riding something that wasn't as capable of killing me as readily. I had time to learn to ingest the data, and take the appropriate actions at a rate I could deal with.

 

[FZ6_Black]

It's all about self control so I'm not certain it matters what size of bike you start with. A line of respect must be drawn quickly with the wrist. . .

Perhaps some will not be intimidated by too much power. For me personally, I think the Fizz is a great first bike. . .

My FZ is my first bike. I read alot of info on what an appropriate bike would be for a newbie. After reading the thread on this site I almost bought a Ninja 250. I'm glad I didn't. Took the MSF a year before buying the bike so I was a little rusty. Spent the first month in a parking lot and on local/light traffic back roads practicing. It's all about what type of rider you are and having respect for the bike, this activity and knowing your limits. With that said, wouldn't get anything larger than a 600 although I did have my eye on a Ducati Monster.....

 

[ebster1085]

I also agree with many of the people above that the 650R is a great first bike. It was my first bike and is tame enough to learn on but at the same time has some nice power and decent handling characteristics for when he gets a little more comfortable.

It is less about the bike and more about the rider and their level of control and restraint. Regardless of what they get, they need to respect the machine and understand the dangers involved in riding.

 

[outasight20]

I agree with all the above posts. A ninja 650 is a perfectly good first bike. It's about the rider's ability to control the power at the end of the day. I started on a Ninja 250 and I loved every minute of it. Light, nimble, and quick enough for a beginner. I feel that If I had started on the FZ6 I would have eaten **** rather quickly.

 

[nsaP]

An FZ6 was my first bike as well. It rode me around for years until I spent some time on a Ninja 250. The 250 taught me to ride. It's more than just respecting the throttle, it's the weight and handling of the bike, and how it punishes your newbie mistakes.

If your friend is riding for show or bright sunny weekends than it'll be an alright bike for him. If he wants to learn to ride properly a smaller bike will be better to start with.

When I switch back to the 250 I have more fun on the street, as you can actually rev it out and use the gears. The fz6 rarely sees the top of the rev range. Combine that with being able to throw the 250 around like a dirt bike and it's way more fun/way better to learn to ride on.

I have some friends like yours, OP, who don't even want to consider ninja 500s because they "want to be comfortable on the highway." I've given them enough advice and harped on about it enough, soon I'll sound like a converted anti-smoking zealot.

They'll understand what I mean when we hit the kentucky riding roads and they show up 5 minutes later than me on a 10 miles road. If you learn to ride it the 250 is great at serving up humble pie to egos with 600SS.