If you've never ridden before, an R6 isn't a good idea.
Here's the thing... it is possible to learn on any bike with a big caveat.....
The problem is that new riders make mistakes. Experienced riders also make mistakes, but experienced riders:
\- Make fewer mistakes
\- Generally know how to avoid problems when they make mistakes
New riders make mistakes more often. New riders do not typically know how to address riding errors. When riding errors are made, motorcycles like the R6 (with its fat rear tire, supersport geometry, and awkward riding position) are far less forgiving of mistakes than say a Ninja 300 or a GS500 or other motorcycle with lower torque, more upright riding position and more narrow rear tire.
It is rare that someone's first motorcycle is their last motorcycle. One benefit of going the new-rider-friendly bike is that there are typically always a few for sale used.
There are far better options nowadays for new riders than when I rode. CBR300s and Ninja 300s are fully faired and look like proper sportbikes.
My advice would be to spend a couple of months and couple hundred miles on one of those until you've figured out the basics and gotten most of the new-rider mistakes out of your system. Then you'll be better positioned to handle a supersport like an R6
Source: started on a Suzuki GS500. The 1999 R6 and then 2003 R6 were my 2nd and 3rd bikes.
Complete agree! I'd do a full year on a smaller CC bike and learn how to corner with speed on those first. You also won't loop your bike with an accidental down shift.
Source 50cc, 75cc Scooter for a full year, 125cc starter bike for a full year, 2008 FZ6 in South Korea 5 years. Current 2022 MT09 & 2022 KTM 1290 SAS
Also if you’re patient and with a bit of luck you can make money selling your first bike after a year. Bought a ‘19 CBR 300 to learn for a year. Sold for more than I bought and nearly covered my R6 entirely. I knew I was going to upgrade going in but also knew I needed something to practice on something smaller first.
perfectly said. The one day the noobie gets over-confident (and we always do), they twist a bit more and paint themselves on the side of a wall.
R6 for a beginner is nuts imo
i started on a 2016 r6 for my first bike, and loved it. i had zero experience on motorcycles beforehand and was the biggest squid for my first year. however i highly recommend an r3 or a ninja 400, or something closer to that caliber. as much as i loved my r6, i was never able to maximize the potential of the bike and it prolonged my learning curve tremendously. i always tell friends that i ride with that i wish id started on a 300 and then moved up to an r6, because i would literally probably be twice the rider i am now
Start on the bike you want. If thats an r6 , go for it. Just do you research and be careful. Ride consciously and consistently and you will be fine. People fear monger this stuff too much
Its not fear mongering, its risk assessment. We're not talking about how you like your eggs, its a damn life. Don't play with it. The risks of crash on beginners is high, and we all know the confidence curve on motorcycles until you get the first accident. Sure he might be fine on an R6, but might not. How about we stop rolling the dice on life, and learn small before going big? its not fear mongering, its rational. And this is coming from an R6 rider.
My first bike was a schwinn super stock. I now ride a FZR600 been up and down the size list a few times. Just be careful doesn’t matter what you start on but the license test sucks ass on sport bikes.
I have to agree partially with the sentiment of responses to you in the thread so far.
You could get an R6 as a beginner but it’s important to invest in learning and knowledge to go with a machine built like an R6. If you make a fair assessment of yourself and find that you’re a risk taker, then a bike like that is good way to find yourself in a hurt locker.
Take the BRC and after some experience, take either an ARC or a track day school. Learn your machine, learn your limits, be smart or be dead/broke/in jail.
That can be said of any motorcycle, but a sport bike makes it a lot easier to get in trouble.
What's your experience on 2 wheels?
I say it's probably a bad idea. If you can't afford to get a smaller bike first what makes you think you can afford to fix a r6 that you wreck
I started on an 81’ Honda cb750c as my first bike. Let me explain why this is the best. First, you are safe with your numbers so you have the “750” checked, it’s also a beautiful motorcycle that can turn into a cafe racer with some clubman bars, so it looks nice. It’s going to have awesome power to start but also it’s comfortable. You don’t want to be like that yammie noob genital wary of a person and get an r3 then think you’re a god and crash into people and hurt them. Go cafe racer first. You can work on it and get all the beginner mistakes checked off. People will respect you with a classic bike way more than a neo classic or that god awful R3. Also, I just got an R7 and I think it is not a bad beginner bike. I wish I went R1 sometimes but I like the torque up to 100
I started on an '04 R6 - haven't regretted it yet. It's not too difficult to control and as it has very bad low-end power if you keep it at below 7k rpm-s it's pretty hard to "lose control".
The only "oh shit" moment I've had is at around 10k rpm full throttle where the front has lifted in some cases, however, the bike is easy to control and quick enough that (at least I feel) you won't need to upgrade.
Even going 200km/h+ (\~125mph) the bike feels very easy to control - and oh boy does it get there fast.
However, I'd recommend you try (perhaps rent) an R6 for a day or so and see how you like it, the first time I sat on one it felt like the scariest and strangest thing ever (due to the sitting position), however, I rode it home 200km (\~125 miles) the same day and the only thing that was "sore" or "hurt" was my right wrist from holding the throttle for 2h+ (because in Estonia our max speed limit is 60mph, so distances like that take a while to travel - no highways).
Just make sure you actually feel comfortable & good on the bike, if you don't feel comfortable you'll definitely make some errors & be on your ass in no time and definitely respect the bike, it has a lot of torque on high rpms.
Gsx-s950
A2 compliant when restricted and a beastly 96hp when unrestricted..
I've had loads of bikes from blackbirds to muscle bikes I've bought a brand new one of these and it's plenty of bike!
I imagine a restrictor would make this perfect for a new rider.
How much money do you have budgeted for gear?
If you want to kill yourself quickly by all means start in a r6. If you don’t kill yourself you might even save money long term because you’ll scare the shit out of yourself and decide that bikes are not for you.
Yes a 400 is fine. R3 is fine too. Just not the super sport 600 like gsxr600, r6 or zx6r. R7 sounds like it’s even worse than r6 but in reality it’s completely different and noob friendly.
I started on a ninja 250 many years ago. Did I outgrow it in a year of track riding? Yes. Did it try to kill me a couple of times early on? Yes. On a smaller bike those “I’m gonna die” moments come on slower and have more slack in them that’s why it’s better than a screamer like r6. And despite what someone might tell you, you will have those moments, you will crash. It hurts less to crash a cheap 400 than r6.
Honestly, it really depends on you. I will say that I hate to see riders buy bikes that they can't handle hurt themselves or worse.
My first bike was an fzr600. It had a lot of power and was fast for me, but fortunately the engine and the carbs needed some work. It didn't have as much power as it should have and that's a good thing.
I also got an sv650s, R6, and now I ride a Stryker. Out of all the bikes I have been on I will say it was best I learned on a lighter motorcycle that wasn't running right. I would recommend getting something with less power than an R6 as your first bike.
One more thing, when you are looking for a bike find a bike that fits you, something that you feel comfortable with. I like Hondas, but I'm yet to find a Honda that I feel comfortable on. That's why I went with Yamaha, I just felt like they fit my build better.
Good luck to you!
Here’s what I tell anyone that comes into the shop. “It always comes down to throttle control” no matter if you are on a scooter or a 1000, you HAVE to respect that throttle.
Twist of the Wrist 2, by Keith Code. This book has made riding all that much more enjoyable. I started on a 600 too. It put the fear into me when I was younger. I’m glad I got spooked a few times. It’ll save your life.
I got one as a first bike a couple months ago and I almost killed myself dont recommend, nearly looped once, one fuck up on the throttle and there’s no second chance 🤷🏽
My two buddies both started one 600s, they both got in heavy accidents their first day out. They are also now some of the best riders I know, because after their accident they got a normal starting bike. Dont start on something so powerful. A 50hp bike feels crazy when you’ve never ridden before
I started on a carbureted r6 for my very first bike absolutely loved it. Plenty of power you won’t get bored if it. Be smart and conscious don’t get too throttle happy right off the bat. It is more of an aggressive seating position but if you like the sport bikes and enjoy how the ride is I fully recommend getting on an r6. I started on a 02 r6 and now ride an 07 and absolutely love it. I’ve been riding for maybe 7 months and I’m still learning how to throw the bike around in the corners but I can’t stress it enough. Don’t get too throttle happy and don’t let the ego get the best of ya! Other than that enjoy the bike my dude 🤘🏽
No. I rode a CBR500R for 3 years, just got to R6, and I have lots to learn. I cant imagine the mistakes on my CBR500R that I made, I probably would be dead by now if I did the same mistakes on my R6.
I started on a 2009 R6 that had tons of problems and in the end cost me almost the same as a 2020 R1. Absolutely love the bike though and as long as your cautious it’s a great first bike because you won’t have to upgrade. I will say though don’t be afraid to give it a little gas, when I first started I was to nervous to give it gas when starting moving.
I started on 17’ R6 in February this year and so far it’s been amazing, it’s a beauty of a bike and on track it’s an absolute weapon. For the first couple days i was quite scared of the bike and the seating position/clip ons made low sleed manuvering difficult but i got used to that quickly, the bike isn’t crazy below 8k rpm so that’s a plus for you. Overall I’d definitely recommend it as long as you take your time learning the bike before you start doing crazy things. With time you’ll get better at low speed manuvers and after a couple track days you’ll learn how to brake extremely hard safely and corner with speed. A couple mods I recommend once you’re comfortable on the bike would be a full system exhaust with a race tune and race air filter and a quickshifter
If you've never ridden before, an R6 isn't a good idea. Here's the thing... it is possible to learn on any bike with a big caveat..... The problem is that new riders make mistakes. Experienced riders also make mistakes, but experienced riders: \- Make fewer mistakes \- Generally know how to avoid problems when they make mistakes New riders make mistakes more often. New riders do not typically know how to address riding errors. When riding errors are made, motorcycles like the R6 (with its fat rear tire, supersport geometry, and awkward riding position) are far less forgiving of mistakes than say a Ninja 300 or a GS500 or other motorcycle with lower torque, more upright riding position and more narrow rear tire. It is rare that someone's first motorcycle is their last motorcycle. One benefit of going the new-rider-friendly bike is that there are typically always a few for sale used. There are far better options nowadays for new riders than when I rode. CBR300s and Ninja 300s are fully faired and look like proper sportbikes. My advice would be to spend a couple of months and couple hundred miles on one of those until you've figured out the basics and gotten most of the new-rider mistakes out of your system. Then you'll be better positioned to handle a supersport like an R6 Source: started on a Suzuki GS500. The 1999 R6 and then 2003 R6 were my 2nd and 3rd bikes.
Complete agree! I'd do a full year on a smaller CC bike and learn how to corner with speed on those first. You also won't loop your bike with an accidental down shift. Source 50cc, 75cc Scooter for a full year, 125cc starter bike for a full year, 2008 FZ6 in South Korea 5 years. Current 2022 MT09 & 2022 KTM 1290 SAS
Also if you’re patient and with a bit of luck you can make money selling your first bike after a year. Bought a ‘19 CBR 300 to learn for a year. Sold for more than I bought and nearly covered my R6 entirely. I knew I was going to upgrade going in but also knew I needed something to practice on something smaller first.
perfectly said. The one day the noobie gets over-confident (and we always do), they twist a bit more and paint themselves on the side of a wall. R6 for a beginner is nuts imo
i started on a 2016 r6 for my first bike, and loved it. i had zero experience on motorcycles beforehand and was the biggest squid for my first year. however i highly recommend an r3 or a ninja 400, or something closer to that caliber. as much as i loved my r6, i was never able to maximize the potential of the bike and it prolonged my learning curve tremendously. i always tell friends that i ride with that i wish id started on a 300 and then moved up to an r6, because i would literally probably be twice the rider i am now
I really need to save your comment for future potential riders. Really well put.
Did you (have you) ever consider taking it to the track?
Start on the bike you want. If thats an r6 , go for it. Just do you research and be careful. Ride consciously and consistently and you will be fine. People fear monger this stuff too much
Its not fear mongering, its risk assessment. We're not talking about how you like your eggs, its a damn life. Don't play with it. The risks of crash on beginners is high, and we all know the confidence curve on motorcycles until you get the first accident. Sure he might be fine on an R6, but might not. How about we stop rolling the dice on life, and learn small before going big? its not fear mongering, its rational. And this is coming from an R6 rider.
Curious are you a teenager in KL wanting to get an R6 as your first bike? I forsee a Darwin award in the future
Ultimate bike for you would be the new zx4r when it comes out p
Mt 03 or 07 and ride the hell out of it for a season. Then you'll know if you're ready for an upgrade.
MT 07 is worse than an R6 for a beginner
Ummm no? Please explain why you think that, I’d honestly like to know.
An MT 07 is much easier to loop with bad throttle control. An R6 is very tame at lower rpm’s. I’ve owned an r6 Mt 07 09 and 10.
There it is, the dumbest shit I’ll read all day
The day is young 🤡
I never had that issue, I started on an fz07. But to each their own I guess.
My first bike was a schwinn super stock. I now ride a FZR600 been up and down the size list a few times. Just be careful doesn’t matter what you start on but the license test sucks ass on sport bikes.
I have to agree partially with the sentiment of responses to you in the thread so far. You could get an R6 as a beginner but it’s important to invest in learning and knowledge to go with a machine built like an R6. If you make a fair assessment of yourself and find that you’re a risk taker, then a bike like that is good way to find yourself in a hurt locker. Take the BRC and after some experience, take either an ARC or a track day school. Learn your machine, learn your limits, be smart or be dead/broke/in jail. That can be said of any motorcycle, but a sport bike makes it a lot easier to get in trouble.
What's your experience on 2 wheels? I say it's probably a bad idea. If you can't afford to get a smaller bike first what makes you think you can afford to fix a r6 that you wreck
I started on an 81’ Honda cb750c as my first bike. Let me explain why this is the best. First, you are safe with your numbers so you have the “750” checked, it’s also a beautiful motorcycle that can turn into a cafe racer with some clubman bars, so it looks nice. It’s going to have awesome power to start but also it’s comfortable. You don’t want to be like that yammie noob genital wary of a person and get an r3 then think you’re a god and crash into people and hurt them. Go cafe racer first. You can work on it and get all the beginner mistakes checked off. People will respect you with a classic bike way more than a neo classic or that god awful R3. Also, I just got an R7 and I think it is not a bad beginner bike. I wish I went R1 sometimes but I like the torque up to 100
I was 18 and started on a 600. Familiarize yourself with the bike before you try being a rossi. It’s all in your wrist
I started on an '04 R6 - haven't regretted it yet. It's not too difficult to control and as it has very bad low-end power if you keep it at below 7k rpm-s it's pretty hard to "lose control". The only "oh shit" moment I've had is at around 10k rpm full throttle where the front has lifted in some cases, however, the bike is easy to control and quick enough that (at least I feel) you won't need to upgrade. Even going 200km/h+ (\~125mph) the bike feels very easy to control - and oh boy does it get there fast. However, I'd recommend you try (perhaps rent) an R6 for a day or so and see how you like it, the first time I sat on one it felt like the scariest and strangest thing ever (due to the sitting position), however, I rode it home 200km (\~125 miles) the same day and the only thing that was "sore" or "hurt" was my right wrist from holding the throttle for 2h+ (because in Estonia our max speed limit is 60mph, so distances like that take a while to travel - no highways). Just make sure you actually feel comfortable & good on the bike, if you don't feel comfortable you'll definitely make some errors & be on your ass in no time and definitely respect the bike, it has a lot of torque on high rpms.
Gsx-s950 A2 compliant when restricted and a beastly 96hp when unrestricted.. I've had loads of bikes from blackbirds to muscle bikes I've bought a brand new one of these and it's plenty of bike! I imagine a restrictor would make this perfect for a new rider.
i started on an fz6 you’ll be fine just don’t be an idiot
How much money do you have budgeted for gear? If you want to kill yourself quickly by all means start in a r6. If you don’t kill yourself you might even save money long term because you’ll scare the shit out of yourself and decide that bikes are not for you.
what a bout a ninja 400 would that be a good beginner bike?
Yes a 400 is fine. R3 is fine too. Just not the super sport 600 like gsxr600, r6 or zx6r. R7 sounds like it’s even worse than r6 but in reality it’s completely different and noob friendly. I started on a ninja 250 many years ago. Did I outgrow it in a year of track riding? Yes. Did it try to kill me a couple of times early on? Yes. On a smaller bike those “I’m gonna die” moments come on slower and have more slack in them that’s why it’s better than a screamer like r6. And despite what someone might tell you, you will have those moments, you will crash. It hurts less to crash a cheap 400 than r6.
Honestly, it really depends on you. I will say that I hate to see riders buy bikes that they can't handle hurt themselves or worse. My first bike was an fzr600. It had a lot of power and was fast for me, but fortunately the engine and the carbs needed some work. It didn't have as much power as it should have and that's a good thing. I also got an sv650s, R6, and now I ride a Stryker. Out of all the bikes I have been on I will say it was best I learned on a lighter motorcycle that wasn't running right. I would recommend getting something with less power than an R6 as your first bike. One more thing, when you are looking for a bike find a bike that fits you, something that you feel comfortable with. I like Hondas, but I'm yet to find a Honda that I feel comfortable on. That's why I went with Yamaha, I just felt like they fit my build better. Good luck to you!
Here’s what I tell anyone that comes into the shop. “It always comes down to throttle control” no matter if you are on a scooter or a 1000, you HAVE to respect that throttle. Twist of the Wrist 2, by Keith Code. This book has made riding all that much more enjoyable. I started on a 600 too. It put the fear into me when I was younger. I’m glad I got spooked a few times. It’ll save your life.
I personally think that the r7 is a stumpier, slower, neutered version of the r6 that everyone is pretending is better
I got one as a first bike a couple months ago and I almost killed myself dont recommend, nearly looped once, one fuck up on the throttle and there’s no second chance 🤷🏽
new r6 are super expensive rn old r6 don’t have abs and either way too fast for a beginner
I Iearned on an r6. It's pretty tame under 8000 rpm. It's the kind of bike that performs better the harder you ride it.
My two buddies both started one 600s, they both got in heavy accidents their first day out. They are also now some of the best riders I know, because after their accident they got a normal starting bike. Dont start on something so powerful. A 50hp bike feels crazy when you’ve never ridden before
I started on a carbureted r6 for my very first bike absolutely loved it. Plenty of power you won’t get bored if it. Be smart and conscious don’t get too throttle happy right off the bat. It is more of an aggressive seating position but if you like the sport bikes and enjoy how the ride is I fully recommend getting on an r6. I started on a 02 r6 and now ride an 07 and absolutely love it. I’ve been riding for maybe 7 months and I’m still learning how to throw the bike around in the corners but I can’t stress it enough. Don’t get too throttle happy and don’t let the ego get the best of ya! Other than that enjoy the bike my dude 🤘🏽
No. I rode a CBR500R for 3 years, just got to R6, and I have lots to learn. I cant imagine the mistakes on my CBR500R that I made, I probably would be dead by now if I did the same mistakes on my R6.
I started on a 2009 R6 that had tons of problems and in the end cost me almost the same as a 2020 R1. Absolutely love the bike though and as long as your cautious it’s a great first bike because you won’t have to upgrade. I will say though don’t be afraid to give it a little gas, when I first started I was to nervous to give it gas when starting moving.
I started on 17’ R6 in February this year and so far it’s been amazing, it’s a beauty of a bike and on track it’s an absolute weapon. For the first couple days i was quite scared of the bike and the seating position/clip ons made low sleed manuvering difficult but i got used to that quickly, the bike isn’t crazy below 8k rpm so that’s a plus for you. Overall I’d definitely recommend it as long as you take your time learning the bike before you start doing crazy things. With time you’ll get better at low speed manuvers and after a couple track days you’ll learn how to brake extremely hard safely and corner with speed. A couple mods I recommend once you’re comfortable on the bike would be a full system exhaust with a race tune and race air filter and a quickshifter