sly_papa wrote:Mostly freeways, a little city every now and then (not much), but mostly open freeway roads as the 6r or 10r will be my weekend bike so to speak and my trail bike or 250r 09 Ninja as my going to work bike.
I live 85-odd kilometres from Melbourne and on the odd occasion I ride to work down the Calder Freeway. I don't like riding on freeways as they are really
really boring, after all they are built to move large volumes of cars trucks and buses from Point A to Point B in the quickest possible time. Unless you're the only person on the freeway, the cops are on strike, or you have a death wish you need to fulfil, then buying a litre-class bike for riding the freeways is a waste of time. As one of the guys said earlier, anyone can ride a bike fast in a straight line…and a freeway is essentially a straight line, the curves are slight and very open, you won’t even have to lean.
I can tell you from experience that the jump from 250 to 600 is a pretty major step, even a old-school bike like my old ZZR600 was a jump from 29HP to approx 100HP. When the train line up here was ripped up and replaced a few years back I used to ride the ZZR in and out every day, a round trip of 170km (freeway was about 150km of this). At the end of a few months my tyres looked like car tyres and I was replacing them long before I had even reached the edge of the tread, never mind worn much away from the edge. I now catch the train, I can sleep and it’s cheaper than feeding the beast ULP (PULP for the Hornet) and replacing $450-odd of tyres every 10-12,000km.
At the age of 38 when I bought the ZZR I was already a dad three times over and well aware of my responsibilities to my family and what the limitations of my 'skill' level were. I live 15km from the nearest town, losing my license would be a major bastard and by the time the I went looking at the ZZR I had done 11,000km on my GPX250R (a bike I don’t recommend for freeways). I initially only wanted something that had less hand and arse-numbing vibrations at 110km/h and I thought I could handle the jump to a bigger bike…and I did, but I scared the shit out myself a few times in the process. I did 45,000km on my old ZZR, I think we knew each other at the end of the time we had together, but I am not foolish to say I had reached anywhere near the limitations of the machine, she was just a bit old and tired at the end and it was time. The Hornet is a different bike, pulls like a train, sounds like a sewing machine, but it suits my riding ‘style’ (such as it is) and I don’t have to shake gravel out of every fortnight (I live on a gravel road).
However I'm guessing you're looking at the step up to a bigger bike from a different angle. You're obviously a lot younger than I am/was at the same stage in your riding life, and as is typical with a lot of young males you think you know better/best and are supremely confident in your own abilities, your indestructibility, and your skill in keeping a 160-odd kg bike with approx 160HP on tap on the straight and narrow, even when dealing with traffic flow, the myriad of wankers that try and cut you off, and the occasional red mist.
As some of the other guys have pointed out, you look like you had made you mind up long before this thread was written. Tell me this though, have you even guessed how much it would be for you to comprehensively insure a litre bike? Do yourself a favour, ring Swann, or punch your details into one of the online insurers’ websites and prepare yourself for an unpleasant surprise. Then try the same with a 600-class sports bike. Then try a naked 600/750cc bike, just for the comparison.
If you still decide to go down this route, then make sure it’s your decision and it’s made for the right reasons. If you want to look good on the right bike in front of the right crowd in front of the right nightclub on Hindley Street on Friday night, then I may respectively suggest this isn’t the right reason. If you doing it so you can ‘keep up’ with your mates on bigger bikes, then I may also suggest this isn’t the right reason either, a
good rider on a smaller bike will run rings around most average riders no matter what they are on. May I also suggest that ‘my mate said this is a really good idea, and I'll be right’ may not be a good reason either.
…so what are your ‘right’ reasons? Are you a follower trying to buy street cred with a new shiny set of wheels, or are you going to wait a while, learn the craft, and
earn the respect by being able to tame the beast?
Food for thought. Whatever you decide take it easy.
Mick
) then the 6r or 10r (whatever i decide) as my joy ride bike, going to the shops, going out to the malls, going to the city to see whats going on, crusing with my mates in there cars, and bikes. So yeh, everything but work. I have been thinking anyway, arnt zx10r's speed restricted here anyway? Thats what my kawasaki delear said. They can go 290km but thats all, (unless u take it off) but who wants to go that speed anyway? I just want a quick accelerating bike that can also go fast and from the specs i see the 6r can do 0-100km in 3secs and 10r is pretty much the same
So why is the 10r so much worst so to speak? And the 6r can still reach 270+ depending on mods, but once again i wont even take her past 200 but i just love the power, and if i get a good deal and the 10r is similar to the 6r in price thn why not im saying?? Also one day ill be into track days but for no im not. I dont even no if there is a track in Adelaide? But looks fun and i will definatly one day. And as for how long iwll i keep my 6r/10r for? I plan on keeping one of them for at least 3year if not more, or even keep it. Get my moneys worth and maybe upgrade to another model but most probably end up keeping the bike and by 3years or so time if i want to upgrade ill have the cash anyway so no need for a trade.
and it was nothing (performance wise) compared to a 10! Yes, you will be able to ride around on a 10, but it is a total waste having something capable of it's performance being ridden like a grandma. As everyone has suggested, stick to a smaller bike and develop your skills first and you will end up a better rider in the end.
