[snowman81]

OK...sorry for any confusion. By noobie, I meant new to the site. I have riden bikes before but have never owned one. I have taken the motorcycle safety course and passed but I have never owned my own bike. I know that the gixxer is not a great idea even for owning a first bike with little experience but i know the basics and have read through just about every noobie thread that i can find on this site. My intentions in buying the bike are just for cruising and having fun. No stunts or racing here for me, i just like the power and mostly the acceleration. Of course I don't want to injure myself in anyway and I definitely don't want to just throw my money away, so I would not want to damage the bike. My main concerns were that I have never riden a gixxer before...I know that it's more power than anything I have ridden thus far but I think that I am ready for a bike with a little muscle to it. I should have stated all this in my first thread so it wouldn't have been so abruptly closed...my mistake for not doing so. Again, I know the basics and have a good idea of what goes into riding a bike but I am lacking in as much experience as most of the people on this site probably have, so any info would be helpful...again.
Thanks,
Jeff

 

[themeatmanlandry]

I know that the gixxer is not a great idea even for owning a first bike with little experience but i know the basics and have read through just about every noobie thread that i can find on this site.

:shock:

That said, what have you been riding? A Gixxer is a pretty powerful machine just for tooling around on.

There are so many bikes out there that may fit your needs better . . . take a look at the masnufacturers' websites, you may be amazed.

From what I read, you sound like a sport standard kind of guy: Sportbike motor with streetbike ergonomics. You're comfy and bada$$ at the same time. Look into a 1200 Bandit. They're like $8K (or so) brand new . . . they have great ergos, the old GSXR air-coolled engine . . . better insurance rates . . . 100+hp . . . take a look.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Sorry but you haven't added anything in this post that makes me change my mind about you wanting a gixxer.

Great that you took MSF but that is the very basic minimum required for any bike, so you borrowed an occasional bike and went for a few miles, that is a far cry from the experience required to ride a gixxer to it's potential or even half it's potential.

If you must have more power than a GS500 offers there are more middle of the road bikes that can get you into a lot of trouble although usually not as abruptly as a gixxer.

It's not about the power, it's about the power delivery, it's about a twitchy bike with hair trigger controls that will amplify any newbie mistakes you are bound to make..

It's about unintentional wheelies and stoppies, it's about spinning the rear wheel right out from under you coming out of a corner, it's about hanging on to the bars rather than controling them.

 

[snowman81]

This thread has definitely proven to be more helpful than the first...thanks for the info. The bike that I completed the MSF with was a Katana. No where near the performance of a gixxer from what I am reading. This seems to be a very experienced riders bike and therefore I think that I will have to take the advice given and look at something more my speed. I looked at the specs on the gixxer compared to that of the GS500 and I was surprised to see the difference. Thanks again for the info.

 

[themeatmanlandry]

We just want the riders to be safe. New riders (and sadly, old ones too) don't understand the risks associated with mucho hp on tap at the twist of a wrist.

Keep us posted.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Sorry if I was a little quick on the trigger to close the other thread but we get this question maybe once a week from people who think they know it all and just want a pat on the back and a congratulations on a very bad decision.

If our advice was of help then we are pleased because our aim is to promote responsable motorcycling and to keep our members safe.

Many factors to consider when buying a bike, engine size doesn't tell the whole story, bikes such as a gixxer are very popular because on paper they appear to be a lot of bang for the buck, problem is that they are a lot of bang for the buck.

 

[SoCalMike]

Hey man, 9 months ago i was right where you are. I listened to these folks, did some research on my own and some asking around. The only guy IRL who told me i should get a gixxer layed his down and had to have hand surgery (no gear other than a helmet), sold it, and rode with out a motorcycle liscence anyways. Just from that info you should see he wasn't exactly the type of guy you want to take advice from.

What it really boils down to are two things. Gixxers are race bikes. And, they are for experienced riders. After 9 months at pricing bikes and gear, researching bikes and gear im actually not going with a suzuki. I just hang out here cause these guys know thier ****. Im getting a YZF600 which is a sport bike, but more forgiving than a gixxer would be. I feel it fits with my riding skills well and i can learn on it also. This after 9 months of research

Do your own research. Talk in person to some folks who have ridden, (NOT DEALERS). I had a dealer tell me i could handle a gixxer 1000. I told him to go away and found a different guy. Its not a matter of if you can handle it, its a matter of if you can handle it when you NEED to be able to handle it. Keep at it, and don't get discouraged.

 

[scottdog129]

+1, SoCal.

 

[inspiron]

Before you run off and buy any bike, follow Mike's advice and do lots of research. Ask yourself (and answer honestly) what kind of riding you want to do, and what kind of bike you would be comfortable sitting on. If you just want to cruise, there are lots of cruising models (the C50 or S50, for example) with a more comfortable riding position. On the Katana you sat pretty much upright - that's very different from the tank-humping position of the Gixxer.

If you want some extra acceleration on a cruiser, there are different mods you can consider - after-market exhausts, powercommander to reprogram the FI module, or changing the sprocket ratios.

 

[bat4255]

As Uncle Bob stated, "twitchy" is the biggest concern I have with new riders.
"Twitchy" to me means'

Narrow power band, instead of it comming on gradually, it comes on strong and very quick. To use all the power correctly you will be needing to shift every 1,500 to 2,000 rpm or so to keep the max power range. Odds are you will never use all the power, That's not what you want to do when your concentrating on other things, like the road, handleing, turn signals, people, etc.

In everyday 50 - 60 mph traffic all you really need is about 10 hp crusing. A nice 30-40 hp or so, is more than enough to get a nice speeding ticket on the expressway.

Find a ride that has a wider power band so there is fewer suprises and more forgiving. There will be enough suprises the way it is, when your starting out.

 

[scottdog129]

If anyone wants my two cents:

I actually started riding motorcycles when I was young (1971 Yamaha Enduro, to be exact). I have since rode everything there is to ride with the exception of one type: sport bikes.

Seeing how I had no experience on them, I looked for and bought an old 94 Katana. I have since built up enough experience that I am wanting to upgrade, but it was the best avenue for me to go down since I never would have known how different these bikes are compared to the cruisers that I was used to riding.

 

[JES883]

I started on a 2003 HD Sportster and put 20K miles on it in two years. Great learning experiences. But at the close of last season, I found myself pushing the sportster and wishing for something more "sporty". So I started looking at sportbikes.

Well, I picked mine up last Friday. A GSX-R600. I have to look at the Speedometer constantly because it's just so different from the Harley. I find that I mis-judge my speed vs the stopping distance required. I've slid the front end into a corner because of this, and recovered only due to the fact that I've had similar situations on my Harley. Otherwise, it would have been a panic situation, and probably a fall.

I find that I'm a shifting fool, too. Constantly shifting. It will get a bit better after the bike is broken in. And if you wanna' be cool and ride with your left hand on your leg, then you better be in sixth gear and have rock-solid control of your throttle hand. Otherwise you're gonna' go down and look like an idiot doing it.

And cornering. The first couple of decent-speed corners I took, I over turned (I don't know the technical description of this). I was used to the lumbering cornering of the sportster. Basically, I ended turning too sharp because the gixxer wants to DIVE into corners. It's great, but tricky the first couple of times.

I'm 35 years old and not terribly irresponsible (in my opinion). Overall, I can safely say that if I had started on a gixxer, I would have probably dumped it within the first two hundred miles or so and gotten hurt badly. I still fear the powerband on this bike, and I have only barely touched it because I'm still in break in.

Top all this off with gear familiarity (gloves, helmet, jacket, boots, etc). Mine is all broken in (except the helmet). I have slept in my boots and jacket on NUMEROUS occasions, so that wasn't part of what I have to get used to, either. New gear can be a TREMENDOUS distraction, especially to the new rider.

So I don't have a recommendation, only my experiences to share.

 

[Poosey]

Scottdog wrote:

(1971 Yamaha Enduro

Hey I had one of those also!!

 

[snowman81]

Wow, definitely lots of info here. I have decided not to go with the gixxer based on this thread and I want to thank everyone for possibly saving a few of my limbs. I think that I will be doing quite a bit of research on this and I have the time to do it. I won't be back to the states for another month or so and don't plan on buying a bike within the next 6 months. In fact I will be moving from Texas to New Jersey so probably not until spring for a serious look at a purchase. Of course I have no idea what I am going to buy but I think that I will frequent the forums here. There definitely seems to be a plethera of knowledge and experience here. Uncle Bob, no reason to apologize...after reading my first post I realized how it sounded. I am by no means new to forums in general (Acuraworld.com member) and I think that I would have responded in the same fashion, which often happens when highschool kids post a thread about what kind of $30K car should I have my parents buy for me. Just a little annoying. Thanks for all the info in this thread and I will be browsing the forum quite a bit. Maybe I will post more questions in the future.

 

[JES883]

I think that I will be doing quite a bit of research on this and I have the time to do it.

Half the fun of getting a bike is the research, and then the anticipation once you make your decision. Good Luck!

 

[SoCalMike]

Ya im in the anticipation part right now. Got the money for gear and bike, hell i got the cash sitting in the bank, i could go down and write the check right now, but im waiting for the dealer to find me a used one.

its AGRAVATING ARGH!!!

 

[Uncle Bob]

Post as many questions as you want, if we don't have the answer we'll make one up.LOL

 

[scottdog129]

Scottdog wrote:


Hey I had one of those also!!

hehe. i cant remember the displacement of the little thing, but it only had 4 gears, 4 down! :mrgreen: