Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

i spoke a guy yesterday, telling him i always wanted to move up to zx6r, however he told me it's a waste of money , and i should go straight to 1000cc bikes

any commnets?

well its about you feeling safe,

woudl you be comfortable riding with 4 times as much power and alot more weight that you do now???

though with the group of boys and girls i ride with locally all encourange the newer riders to stick to a 600 to begin with as there is a big jump in the power and handling and riding style already...


but basicly it coms down to you, take both for a ride and see what feels more natural to you.. i know that i will only be upgrading to a 600 when i do as the thought of having the power of a 1000 with little experience kinda scares me.

hidepenny wrote:i spoke a guy yesterday, telling him i always wanted to move up to zx6r, however he told me it's a waste of money , and i should go straight to 1000cc bikes

any commnets?

Yeh, some people will dribble all kinds of shit to bignote themselves in front of n00bs...

but how much faster when comparing a 600 to a 1000, coz as far as i know, it's only top speed difference?

I think any of the current 600cc class bikes would keep you entertained for a very long time, if you are being honest.

hidepenny wrote:but how much faster when comparing a 600 to a 1000, coz as far as i know, it's only top speed difference?

90% of it is rider. But in the right hands a 1000 will eat a 600 in acceleration and top speed. A 1000 has power on tap everywhere and all the time, a 600 needs to be wrung out a bit more as they don't start making their best power until you're right up in the rev range.

IMHO the latest 600 sportbikes are still too much for inexperienced riders. An older ZZR600 or even the old CBR600F would probably be a better option. But it's your money, and I'm old.

But "Outgrowing" a 600 is just BS. I bet anyone who says that can't use one to even 50% of its ability and could be out ridden by more experienced riders on much "inferior" bikes.

hidepenny wrote:but how much faster when comparing a 600 to a 1000, coz as far as i know, it's only top speed difference?

It's been a long time since i made the step up to bigger CC bikes and the bikes today are alot more techniclly advanced
so from my experiance i'd say go to a zx6 or Z750

As someone that owns a 10R it's just to bigger jump from a 250 and i've never ridden the new ZX6R so cant tell you the difference

Everything happens really quick on the 10R
The wheel can come up in every gear straight road or corners
150klm is possible in 1st gear and 190+ in 2nd
if you think you only notice it at higher speeds you are so wrong
Basically the 10R is an animal it's as simple as that

Just learn to enjoy the ride
it's not all about going around corners fast
have some fun and gain a little more experiance in steps on a 600 or 750 i think
but thats only my opinion it comes down to you and what you want

Steve_TLS wrote:A 1000 has power on tap everywhere and all the time, a 600 needs to be wrung out a bit more as they don't start making their best power until you're right up in the rev range.

Just to quantify that a bit though. My scoot, a '98 zx6r, in standard trim is making 40hp at 6k rpm which has any 250 covered and you have another 6k and 60 hp to go. So in stepping up from a 250 a 600 is never going to feel slow no matter where you are in the rev range. I was considering stepping up to a thou, but given a new 6R is about 10kgs lighter and 15hp up on my current ride on which I can be doing jail speeds pretty damn quick and insurance is about 300 a year cheaper than a thou I'm sticking with a 6R. My 2c.

I have heard some people say that a litre bike is really frustrating to ride on public roads...you really can't (legally) use the power.

It is a very Australian (and American too, I guess) thing to not want to rev a motor or change gears- so a 600 might need to be kept in the revs - big deal. The engine will happily cope. These are sports bikes after all...

coming from a new rider perspective, I would not go from a 250 to a 1000cc in one step. Some people have asked why I bought a little 250 when I am licenced to ride whatever I want to. Well, I would rather be an alive 250cc rider and still be able to enjoy myself (I am easily pleased) than a dead 1000cc rider. Suppose what I am saying is experience is everything. If you can handle the power and weight (an expence) of a litre bike then go for it. Me personally, When I upgrade I will be looking for a ZZR600 or a ZX6. Having seen the shear size of bonsters ZZR1200 it kinda scares me to even thing about sitting on something that big and powerful

It's not so much about the bike as it is the rider. If you are a smooth progressive rider the 1000 will be awesome. But most new riders are fairly heavy handed - know I was. It takes years of practice to become totally smooth.

If you rip the throttle open on a ZXR250, it will scream and go quick(ish). If you do the same on a 600 it will go quick. The 1000 will throw you and laugh.

Also, my '99 600 is capable of 250kp/h, and low 11s on the standing quarter stock. I'd love a thou, think they are awesome. But do I really need one? No. Can I get 100% out of my 600? No.

There is a chap from this here club who will lap P.I. faster than me whilst riding his ZZR250. I don't need a bigger bike to beat him, I need better cornering skills. Learn to crawl, learn to walk, and only then should you run.

I started off on a zzr250, I pretty well got all I could out of that, then got a CBR600. Had that for 4 years, then had not been riding for 4 years. now i have a 2000 model ZX9R. It scares the beejeezus out of me, but I am starting to tame the beast......

I've been on a 600 for the last 5 years. The current crop of 600's are great bikes and if you learn to ride it properly, you'll be quicker than a lot of dopes on 1000's.

My intention was to visit every dealer in town when my restrictions were lifted and to ride all the latest 600's on the market. I started at Brighton Kawasaki on what was then the newly released 636. Four hours later and having covered as many variables on the road as I could I was bored and returned to sample the 9. Whooohooo! I'll take it!. I found that after a few short hours on the "600" that I just didnt respect it like I should, plus I found it too buzzy and somewhat uncomfortable on the arse. The 9 on the other hand was and still is a good match for my level of ability and has been ideal for my needs.
So get out there and try them all, or as in my case just buy the first one you come across that makes you want to openly fondle yourself in public.

Some interesting thoughts. Personally I reckon you should buy what you want. Regardless of our opinions as you are going to have to own it for X years.

My First bike was a 400 four Honda, and my second was a 1000cc Ducati, so I can't comment, but here are some thoughts for you to ponder

I started riding the Honda 4 and the Ducati without a licence, so later I went back and bought a 250 to get my licence proper. Glad I did. It taught me how to ride again. Then I got my P's and straight away got a 750, then another 750 (later model) then an 1100, and from then on apart from one bike for a short period, all my road bikes have been 600's.

I learnt that if you can get over your own ego, a 600 is just so much more rewarding to ride in almost all circumstances. Unfortunately most blokes have this penis/ego issue and have to have a manly litre bike. Me, I let my riding do the talking not my bike.

My 636 makes around 112 at the back wheel, and weighs something like 163kgs or something silly. I am a "C" grade racer and cannot get to the limits of the 6 on the road and still live I have never had a bike overtake me up a spur run, not even a 1000.

If your one of those people who enjoy wheelstands, and the biggest lean angle you ever get is on the sidestand, then maybe a 1000 is for you? If you are a corner carver and enjoy a lightweight, nimble, quick steering but stable performer, go a 6.

I know when we get home at the end of a ride I am usually fresher than most of my mates who ride litre bikes. They are heavier, and harder to ride. They have more inertia in the motor to overcome to turn the bike. The power comes in harder earlier, which can catch out the unwary wuite easily.