New guy with a simple question!

W

white boys inc

New member
Zombie,

I don't know if the Honda 600RR is the only bike in its class with a steering dampner. Frankly, for your skill level, (which is to say, "novice"), it doesn't matter. A steering dampner is helpful for very skilled riders who push the envelope to the limit. For most people, a steering dampner, (like a slipper clutch, traction control, monobloc brakes, carbon fiber bits, or any of the other racing goodies put on modern sportbikes), is just a bit of bling. Hopefully, you're not going to be riding your first bike in a manner that necessitates a steering dampner. I wouldn't let the presence or absence of one be a determinative factor for you.

Just my opinion.

Elton
 
Forget the silly steering damper, get the best deal you can on any of the bikes. All the 600's are so close in performance and quality you'd probalby be better off choosing based on the colour you most like. Skip the damper and get good tires, there's no way you should be riding hard enough to need a damper as a novice or on the streets.
 
If this bike is going to wind up being your daily commuter, I'd say to take a peek and maybe try to test ride an upright bike like a monster or Triumph Street Triple (drool). Street triple is an ever so slightly de-tuned version of the daytona 675 and from what I've heard, is a BLAST to ride. If the bike is fun for YOU to ride, who gives a shit if it's sexy? There's no ruling that says you can't have two or three or four bikes in your stable, it's just wise to start on something a bit less "balls to the wall" oriented. Just my 2 cents.
 
Between the R6 and the rr I actually know what I'm talking about for once, my best friend has a rr I have prolly put 2000 km on and I just sold my 06 R6. And from my personal review the rr is a much better beginner bike. The clutch has a wide sweet spot, the seating position is more upright so its way more comfortable, the power band is very wide so it has smooth power all the way to red line. Very very reliable as Elton has mentioned and aftermarket parts are cheap and common. The rr is a very confidence inspiring bike for a new rider. The R6 is a great bike, but its focused for the track a little to much. The clutch pull is very on off, it does have a slipper but that clutch pull will make you look like an ass when you stall it in front of everyone a bunch the seating position is very track focused an rather uncomfortable around town, it tries to keep you in "the position" at all times. The powerband of the R6 is way up high which sucks for a new rider because you have no power till 12000 rpm and then a sudden rush of power comes in screaming all the way to redline, which is very intimidating for new riders. The handling of the bike is awesome if your an experienced rider, it turns in extremely quick not is kind of unstable feeling compared to the rr which seems very stable. I have ridden both bikes very hard and can honestly say I have never felt the need for a damper on the rr where the R6 can give a bit of a head shake some times gassing out of corners. So in my 100% honest opinion the rr is the best beginners bike between the two. I just bought the R6 because of the looks and regreted it intill I got a lot better on a bike. Oh and for a Japanese bike the rr sounds sick with a yoshi slip on. The R6 pretty much sounds the same no matter what you put on it. But no matter what a duc would be a horrible decision just because the price and availability of parts as rapt has said, and the abundance of maintenance they require, get a bad example and you will be working on it more then riding it. Hope that helps.
 
My 2 cents from a guy whose been riding for as long as you've been alive-

Modern sport bikes are really really fast. Even the 600s are as fast as the biggest baddest sport bikes from when I started riding and they were scary fast at the time.

There are many good "starter" bikes out there and a Ducati isn't one of them. A have to have it now mentality could very likely get you killed (spare me the I'm really carefull stuff). If you must have a twin go find yourself a used Suzuki SV650 or SV650s and learn how to ride on the street. Take all the money you saved and buy a really comfortable helmet, jacket with armor, gloves that have protection, riding pants and a solid pair of riding boots.

Put 5-10k on your starter bike and go from there, that would be the mature thing to do which is knowing your limits and that you don't have the skill yet.

Good luck, be safe and keep the rubber side down.
 
Two power pulses for two revolutions of the motor hence the lower tone. Inline fours fire two per revolution (the new R1 not included) so they have the high wine you hear from most sportbikes. The twin makes power lower down than a 4 and will have a lower redline, that
 
Having been there as everyone there are so many approaches to getting a bike. The bottom line is pick the one that you find the most attractive and within your affordability and buy it. You can't go wrong with the RR or any jap bike for a starter.

But....
There is nothing cheap about owning a bike. The only cheap to keep aspect is the gas in the tank. You have to factor in other costs to stay within your purchasing and ownership budget. Helmet, boots, jacket etc all add up and can go near $1000. If you ride a lot on a sportbike you'll need a set of tires every 3000 ish miles. Insurance and maintenance costs all add up. Get insurance quotes before you buy it as this might be a determining factor in your purchase.

Add up all of these items into the budget and you'll find that you will then have to buy a bike that sells for a couple grand under what you really like.

Welcome to the addiction
 
What about the approach about getting a bike that suits your abilities no matter whether it can win a beauty contest or not? While the sex appeal of a sport bike is certainly there...it does not look that sexy anymore once you hit the ground...
 
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