Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Moto GP riders as a general rule of thumb go from 125, 250 to the big bikes. While were not talking about racing here, we are talking about staying alive! people are saying you dont have to use all the power "crap" if the power is there when the red mist descends you will use all that is available.
But when it comes down to it, its your money & life. Do what you are comfortable with.

Neil

Go from a 250cc to a 1000cc bike???

Bad idea. Dumb idea.

You need to learn throttle control among other things before you hop on a litre bike, prolly some self control too.

If you survive the first 6 months of a step like that you'll never ever be game enuff to explore your own limits on that kind of bike.

If you want a big bore bike go a ZX9R, plenty of torque and enuff weight to be nice and stable, comfy to ride, good on the track and only slightly faster stock than an 04 ZX6R, but spades more torque for the road rides.

There are plenty of wankers out there on litre bikes talking themselves up while sporting inch wide chicken strips on their 190 section rear tyre. Or you can see them at track days in the slow group pelting past other riders on little bikes (250's 400's) down the straights and holding those riders up on the turns (don't get my G/F started on that).

You can bet they go home thinking they're legends.

hidepenny wrote:i spoke a guy yesterday, telling him i always wanted to move up to zx6r, however he told me it's a waste of money , and i should go straight to 1000cc bikes

any comments?

well, you have got plenty of opinions and comments so far, some valid, and some are just absolute frogshit.

Test ride some mid-capacity bikes, see how they feel. If you are > 6' and 90kg+, you will find that the 600's are a bit small. They go great, but really are 'sports' bikes that need *sports* pilots, not all-rounders. The current model Z750 would probably be a far better all-rounder for you, stepping up from a 250.

Maybe you are already scraping everything on the 250 ? Then take a Z1000 for a spin, they are way fast enough. If you can already ride the wheels off your 250, and are a bit shorter/lighter, than the ZX6-series could be ideal. ZX10R to be avoided for the time being , you need considerable experience and balls to really enjoy these babies.

In the end, get what is comfortable, affordable and suits your riding style the best. I jumped from a 350 to a 1000, that is what I needed at the time, and it worked out fine. Just make sure you stay on a Kawasaki !!!!

Gosling1 wrote:If you are > 6' and 90kg+, you will find that the 600's are a bit small.

That seems to be one of the big advantages of starting out on a little four-cylinder 250 sports pretzel.

Most people whose first experience of motorcyling involved them origaming themselves onto a ZXR250 or a BabyBlade come out of it innoculated against finding virtually any bike too small or too cramped.

I started out on a ZXR250A2, and, the other week, I took a BabyBlade I'd just done a minor service on for a test-toast.

It was like coming home... and you know what size I am...

All I can say is.. I had a ZX2R (my weight 112kg's at the time, plus leathers)

upgraded to an '00 ZX6R and love it (my weight about 102kg's plus leathers).. clocked 1:56's around the island

She has plenty of power out on the road, flicks nicely in the twisties, perfect size for lane splitting. I dropped a tooth on the front sprocket to get a little bit more out of it down low.

Personally unless you know what your doing out on the road you could end up in alot more trouble on the bigger bike. Depending on your size the ZX6 is a very nice bike and I can only think of 2 main reasons for REALLY wanting a 900+.

1. Taking a pillion alot.
2. Wanting to pop mono's at high speeds.

The 9 will chew more fuel and prob in turn kill a back tyre abit quicker. The 6 is abit smaller and lighter. So it really comes down to personal preference and the type of riding your planning on doing.


Good luck with it. But personally take both for a test ride.. They will prob both feel huge, but given a few weeks/months they won't.


Dan

I went from my 250 to a 750 (albeit an older one) and was bored of it fairly quickly, tho it was a bargain and i was broke at the time

looking back i would have been happier hopping straight onto the 9... but then id be very sick of it by now and would have no choice but to lay down cash on a late model litre bike

ive found that ive only been able to learn quicker when upgrading bikes.. tho most people would suggest otherwise... but then if i hopped on a 03/04 ZX6R who knows how i would fair but i wouldnt swap the 9 for anything "less"


also i think common sense on the road has always been reasonably strong with me, and i was no stranger to powerful accelleration when i first got my bike licence any way

Dan wrote: I can only think of 2 main reasons for REALLY wanting a 900+.

1. Taking a pillion alot.
2. Wanting to pop mono's at high speeds.

neither of those really inspired my cubic cravings... just wanted more to happen under WOT and also an insatiable appetite for oodles of midrange...

zx9r king wrote:

hoffy wrote:go to 1200cc. hehe.......

Why not just wait for the zx14?

Nar - go a goldwing. they've got a huge motor in them!!

what about one of these

UncleSam wrote:what about one of these

thats not a bike...its a car with no roof.........

Phil wrote:

UncleSam wrote:what about one of these

thats not a bike...its a car with no roof.........

I'm wondering how the thing handles, how does the front wheel turn.
I'd like to see it. Everytime I see one its going straight line.

i'd say the turning circle would have to be a bit sucky.