[Closed] 600cc for the first time on Sat!

well do you know what bike you're gonna ride?

Bit of extra weight, bulk. Better brakes and as you said a bit more on the wrist.

However if you're riding an in-line four you'll just found it crap.

The instructor will tell you everything you need to know. If its a modern 600 though the brakes may take you by surprise after riding a 125, so go easy.

One things for sure though, I found it a damn sight easier riding a 600 than a 125

It's a brand spanker I think - not sure on make but my moneys on a honda or a suzuki as thats what they had for the 125s.

The 125 I was on was old and pretty well used so I'm sure the brakes will surprise me!

Trying to find some boots on the net that will get to me before Saturday.. if they don't fit I'll just buy locally - any suggestions? I don't plan on doing wet weather riding so no need to be waterproof.

I think most instructors are putting out new bikes at the moment as the rules changed and there's only a narrow band of models that are acceptable for the test. Or something.

Im going to start my 600 lessons in the new year hopefully. 1000cc valadero is what I want 😀

Bang on Stoner - it was due to the new legislation. I'm after a 1986 BMW 65r for making into a cafe racer style bike 😀

I may get a 650 or something to have a play on for further distances tho

1000cc valadero

Which one is the 1000 valadero 😉 Trust you want a ducati GT1000

You'll probably find a bigger bike easier to ride, i had a ZZR600 as my first bike after passing on a 125, many moons ago.

anything that ISNT some poncy continental midget-sized thundergrunger cafe race is a good bike. 😛

ahem VaRadero. Got my bike gloves on....

The GT1000 isn't midget sized and trust me that is the next bike I am going to buy (ok maybe after one or two CR project I have on my mind :D)

[img] [/img]

varadero

I believe it is correctly referred to as 'the sweaty pig in a tutu'

Not the prettiest but I quite like it

Eats fuel though

Chances are, if it is an in-line four, you'll love it.
Wrap up well,it'll be chilly and two hours is a long time if you're cold.

Not that nope, I want a second SRX but I want to do this on right, with a nice engine tunning and some work on the fairing/suspensions.

Tbh it's impossible to give much sensible advice without knowing what the bike is. And also what your bike is!

Alex. Where are you and what size do you take? I have a couple of pairs you could try. If you're local to me and they fit, you could borrow them for the session.

I dont have a bike and I dont know what the bike is - surely something sensible as its a training bike

Ah sorry, I meant, what are you used to- we can't say what'll be different if we don't know what it is you've used before. Could be your 125 experience is on a CG or a scooter or an RS125.

I'm assuming it'll be some lardy, low-powered unfaired inline 4, old Bandit or similiar. Hefty but forgiving. But you never know.

[i]Im going to start my 600 lessons in the new year hopefully. 1000cc valadero is what I want [/i]

NO!!!!!!

Back to the OP - You'll find a new(ish) 600 a lot nicer to ride than any 125, but the weight may catch you out on low-speed stuff. And it will, even a crappy one, accelerate faster than pretty much any car (except super cars and the like).

You need to protect the bits that stick out; head/feet/hands then knees/elbows/shoulders. And you can't go wrong with a back-protector.

The jacket I got was off ebay 2nd hand for £30 - looks immaculate and has a built in back protector "Weiss Psycho Jacket" is the one.. might be a little short though but I'm not sure as the trousers are quite long.

I'm a size 10 but based in Cumbria so your probably not near but thanks for the offer!

The 125 I rode was a old suzuki - not sure on the type possible a cg but can't remember too well. I just remember thinking the pegs looked terrible (round metal with no grip) I think the rubbers had fallen off but it was ok riding it.

600 sounds good - very excited now! 😀

Wear the warmest gloves you can find.

Spend a bit of time getting used to the extra weight when paddling it about. It'll go past the point of no return far quicker than a 125.

+1 for taking it easy on the brakes.

You will need a neck tube too - the temp just dropped a load over the last day or so

I'm currently in Barrow-I-F, but all my (size 12) clobber is at home near Grantham.

ah noway - small world 🙂 I'll probably be driving around Ulverston / Barrow way - I'll probably just pop into a shop in the morning then and try and get some last minute as I guess they'll come in useful!

Thanks for the necktube tip

I was on a lowered ER5 (owing to my wee-ness)for my lessons. I see a lot of the places near me are using kawasaki ER6N's as their learner bikes.

Def wrap up. It's a lot more fun if you aren't chilled to the bone.

Alex, I may be able to help here. My mate has just sold his Hayabusa and I have all his kit to sell

Hein Herike Jacket and trousers (leather)
Loads of Alpine stars kit, gloves, windproofs, jackets
Magnetic tank bag,

And I will be in the north Lakes / Keswick on Friday afternoon...

Any good ?

Rick

just sent you an email rick!

1000cc valadero is what I want

FYI, they DRINK fuel. 36-37mpg at best. Very bad. Honest. And I like them..... 🙂
Our Ducati ST3s will easily do 10mpg more, fully panniered up, 2-up, and be faster at the same time.
If you like that style of bike, I'd try pretty much anything else - V-Strom, Caponord, 1000/1100 Multistrada, Tiger 1150/1200GS.... anything, personally.
But, each to their own 🙂

Id read that it the varadero was not so bad on fuel as say, the TA.

Ah well.

I just want a nice big Honda that can do 100s of miles a day, at good mpg, with full panniers and packs and keep lil'ol 6'4" me out of the wind. Ideas?

I just want a nice big Honda that can do 100s of miles a day, at good mpg, with full panniers and packs and keep lil'ol 6'4" me out of the wind. Ideas?

Yes get a BMW.

I just want a nice big Honda that can do 100s of miles a day, at good mpg, with full panniers and packs and keep lil'ol 6'4" me out of the wind. Ideas?

CBF1000. Africa Twin. Pan European.
Africa Twins are proper cool, massive, and built like tanks.
But why limit yourself to Honda? 🙂

But why limit yourself to Honda?

He's a banker so better not to ask.

because all the bankers are on GS these days 😉

Really pleased with my new ER6-F on the short rides I have done, also pleased with the Weise kit i bought to go with it, seems warm and is supposed to be waterproof too. My Shoei XR1100 was a lot of money but is a lovely bit of kit. Wrap up, the cold gets to you very quickly otherwise.

*reaches in, rummages around in the 36th post glitch hole*

Stoner. Sell you my vfr1200.. Perfect for your needs....

does it come with a whopping big bug screen?

i you are riding a full blooded sports 600 after a restricted 125, then it is going to blow your mind, if you get the rev needle way past 10k

Yes. Extended touring screen, full panniers and top box, heated grips, hugger, sat nav Europe v3 tomtom , titanium akrapovic, spare saddle, etc.....

OP, you'll be fine. Youre instructors (probably) know what they are doing.

I went through the 5 day direct access route, CBT on some heap of junk and then onto a 600. Yamaha MT-03 which wasn't really a choice and not exactly refined. Much nicer than the 125 offering though and easier to ride. Not quite so easy to pick up after dumping it on the road when attempting a U-Turn though.

does it come with a whopping big bug screen?

No. Just a headlight that looks like a cows nose. 😉

You don't need big screens. They can be a right pain in the arse actually. Clean airflow off a naked bike is no problem, or a small screen that keeps the worst off but still gives you some wind support to your chest at speed. Our Duke is like that. Peg it at 90 and you can rest on the wind blast in comfort for a couple of hours. 🙂

I guess what I'm trying to say is don't get hung up on things you think you need, or a style or make of bike you think you need. You'd probably be fine on a CB500 or ER6. Motorbikes aren't 'sized' like push bikes are, and bizarrely a lot of people find a slightly more stretched riding position more comfortable than an upright one 🙂

if you still have it next year lecht, I may well be back in touch.

Got to land a deal for some spare Stoner-fun-tokens first...

TBH, PP, as a bona fides novice, I will probably spend a lot of time at my local and trusted main dealer (Bransons, Glos) playing on their s/h stock until I find something that IS right rather than what I now think MIGHT be right.

you will love going grom a 125 to a 600 i spent 3 years on a 100cc scoot did my test n ended up with a sv650 and its bloody great lol superb eingine and sounds lushus with a aftermarket can i belive its the same motor as the strom 650, just watch out for the extra weight when doing u turns and figure 8 (i faild first test by going to tight and dabing a foot)

[i]I just want a nice big Honda that can do 100s of miles a day, at good mpg, with full panniers and packs and keep lil'ol 6'4" me out of the wind. Ideas? [/i]

You've not ridden a bike much then... What they are not for is doing 100's of miles every day, that's called a car.

A 'V' twin Honda I'll do 35mpg if you are lucky, get a 1050 Triumph and you'll get +55mpg. Here's one

[IMG] [/IMG]

I didnt say it was for every day br. Just that if I get one, its for touring or the odd trip to london (110miles).

Whatever its for its NOT for playing around on. Because Id scare myself too much. Hence no desire for some naked urban bruiser or cafe racer.

they really are stunning bikes! like them in the copper/amber they do
-edit-- the bike will only go a fast a u want it to min will top out at aprox 120-30 but its neve gone over 90 in the 5 months iv had it, i do a 40 mile round trip a day but really could ride all day given the weater and time.

You've not ridden a bike much then... What they are not for is doing 100's of miles every day, that's called a car.

No reason why not. Our record is 820 miles in one hit on a Speed Triple and a Speed Four. Not a fairing in sight. 🙂
The ST3s will do Isle if Man to Farnborough 2 up and loaded without breaking sweat. 🙂
The bike can do it. But can the rider...?

Stoner - Sounds like a sensible plan you have actually. 🙂

Yamaha MT-03 which wasn't really a choice and not exactly refined

Now that is an amazing bike. Stoner you should get a MT_01 then 😀

You've not ridden a bike much then... What they are not for is doing 100's of miles every day, that's called a car.

Now we here a lot of brain fart on here but this one, gets the top 3. Personnal record, 720 kms, 12 montain passes (col du restefond, col de Vars, col de l'Izoard, col du Lautaret, col du Galibier, col du Télégraphe, col de la Croix de Fer, col du Glandon, col du Lautaret, col de l'Izoard et col de la Cayolle) in one days, with what peter called a bmx with a pneumatic drill...

I didn't say I hadn't ridden 100's of miles in one pop, and just last year did 20k commuting into London.

But I've been riding for over 30 years and Stoner hasn't even passed his test yet... So just trying to set 'expectations'.

alexxx, Weiss Psycho Jacket is a decent jacket, a bargain for the money, I wear one with matching trousers for commuting. Dont worry about the jacket length, if you have the matching trousers they zip together at the back to stop the jacket riding up. The trousers are a bit higher waisted than jeans etc.

My advice would be get some decent gloves, like very decent. Its just taken 30 mins to get some feeling back in my fingers after my ride in this morn, heated grips on full just stopped the ice forming on my bars today!

Oh, and as for moving up to the 600 over the 125, just bear in mind that it'll be less forgiving if you're used to riding MTBs, a 125 you can pretty much get away with forcing round a corner, a 600 IMO needs better technique and a bit more commitment when leaning - just trust the tyres, always remember that they'll still grip the road even at a much more extreme angle than you're going to be (and most riders ever will be) leaning the bike over at! 8)

You've not ridden a bike much then... What they are not for is doing 100's of miles every day, that's called a car.

Have to agree, I've done some long trips on the bike, and while they're fine every now and then I wouldn't want to do them [b]every day[/b].

Views will differ on the 'long journey by bike' discussion but when i was commuting for work i took the bike every time (except when it snowed)....traffic wasnt an issue and i never once arrived late, for me its still the best way to get from A to B....of course when its cold and wet its less appealing and now i'm older and work closer to home i find i'm using the car more.

I had the use of a Kawasaki Versys (650cc variant) last year and went on holiday with it, great bike. Not that powerful on paper (60bhp i think) but its all available in the middle of the revs, longer travel suspension make it plush on the road and the chassis design itself is still lively as longer travel suspension can sometimes make a bike wallow about, Kawasaki really have performed miracles with the handling...nice riding position, decent screen, 19 litre fuel tank and 50mpg+....was travelling hundreds of miles a day in comfort, the perfect bike then?....almost, the brakes werent great but prior to trying this bike i'd only ridden sportsbike with awesome stoppers so found the brakes adequate at best, nothing some braided brake lines wouldn't remedy though.

Anyway, i liked it so much that the GSXR-750 is going on sale after Christmas and a new Versys will be taking its place, they are currently only 6k with Kawasaki's touring pack included (hand guards, taller screen and hard panniers)....got some decent European jaunts planned for next year and cant think of a better bike for the job.

Triumph. Street. Triple.

Triumph. Street. Triple.

[img] http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT4Hv45W2YGhmI3zJZT6j97gfgHxmx_-GCxHD086xrfmk4e5hvBL0qlbvMVOA [/img]

*if over 5 feet tall.

😆

Thanks mrjmt - I'm thinking of popping some surgical gloves under the gloves I'll be borrowing unless I find some before the day. might be a sweat fest but better than cold hands like you say.

very excited right now - just hope it warms up by 12 on sat

I found it a damn sight easier riding a 600 than a 125

ridden bikes for 43years, rode competitively, trials, raced enduro, had loads of big capacity dirt and sports bikes... perhaps the most 'fun' bike i ever had was a little 125 dirt bike because you could rag its head off and ride it properly flat out.

alexxx, before you go for the latex gloves, see if you've got some full finger mtb gloves that'll fit under the motorbike gloves. It'll be far less sweaty! 🙂

op - you might want to get sealskin type windproof socks as your feet will be effin cold.

might want to cosider some sunglasses if the sun is low, i use a dark/ black visor but wouldn't buy one if it is only for a 2 hour session.

rider height and bike capacity is not really an issue when above about 15mph or so, i am only about 5'3" and currently have a bmw k1300s & cagiva v-raptor 1000. Just sold my 1700cc MT01 and Fazer 1000. Most of my incidents are when MrsGixer is getting on or off the bikes, loose footing and bike topples over 😳 bloody expensive replacing the exhaust shields and end caps on the MT.

Had an AWESOME day out - loved every minute of it - found it a lot easier than a 125 as well! so stable! heated grips on the new bikes so was nice and warm and managed to get some alpinestars boots in the sale before going out 😀

happy days indeed

thanks all

Lovely! Glad you had a good time! 😀

Fab- it gets better too!

Brilliant, I am looking for a 125 to go to work (but might end buying another SRX 600 :p)

Remember, throttle to the stop at the apex fully cranked to ensure the tyres remain non square !!!

hehehe 😀 sooo good - felt like a kid in a candy store!

I was on this:

http://www.suzukicycles.com/Product%20Lines/Cycles/Products/SFV650/2013/SFV650.aspx#Features

reallly smooth!

thats the new version of my sv650 real nice kit
nice score with the boots

[IMG] [/IMG]

I don't work in miles or Kilometers. I go by hours. 8 hour trips to the north of Skye kills my arse on the bike!

rp16v - Member

thats the new version of my sv650 real nice kit

SVF is just a less silly name for the Gladius... SV's still going strong, what's that, 9 years since a major revision. Not bad going...

You'll never forget your first time! For me it was a cb500 around Farnborough and it was awsome 🙂 First bike was an SV650 too, lovely bikes. Don't know about the new ones but I'm not sure I'd call the old ones smooth! Lot of fun though.

When you do get a bike, can recommend the AIM training stuff. Also get yourself to a track day and have some proper fun on the bike 🙂

Re the long trip debate.

There's a guy on the (mainly US) VTR250 forum I'm a member of, who's just bought another VTR250 from a member in Coastal California. Last week he collected it and rode it back to his home in Florida. Just under 3000 miles in six days on a 22 year old 250. Respect.

northwind- god nows why they came up with that stupid name lol mines a 2000 and the new block is near enough the same bar the new oil cooler ports to the head so 13 years for the block and just styling changes (not for the better i must admit) sins the start.

reg the high milage--- u lot do love a willy waving contest dont u :p

i did 1400 miles this year... i was quite pleased with that too 🙂

I did 2, as in two. The way to the MOT station and back. Hopefully get out more in 2013. Have suggested a bike holiday to him indoors.

3000 miles in three years....makes me sad, carpal tunnel syndrome has curtailed my riding and the sportsbike is going after new year.

Previously covered about 10,000 miles a year on sportsbikes.