extreme newbie question

Spitfire666

really back to basics stuff here and i could be laughed at but how feasable would a zx600 or zx750r be as a first bike?

i understand that it would need to be restricted to be learner legal but other then fitting a restricter, would it be an okay bike for a learner?

have been thinking for a while about getting a bike and have been told about two lovely clean bikes recently.

one is a '97 ninja 600,
the other is a '91 ninja 750r

both bikes just over 1000 and spotless.

have browsed a few threads here but need to ask anyway.
i have no real worl bike expierence.
have ridden a few bikes over the years though on test spins or messing about on privat land, VOR and KTM motocross bikes and a newer ninja on a few occasions when i was younger

seanybiker

how old are ya?
Aon are the only ones (i think)that accept restrictions and charge you at restricted price. They only do factory restricted though.

Spitfire666

i'll be 23 in a couple of months.
if the bike is not factory restricted, but restricted later, and as you say, the ins company wont accept it as restriction because of that, does that mean its not learner legal or just that i'll be paying more to insure it?

another question i had was, a factory restriction is done by (for example) honda, at the factory/dealer, is it not the same then if i bring a honda bike to a honda dealer to get it restricted? as they would be recognised by honda themselves as an official dealer?

Dorsanty

If not factory restricted the insurance group will be for full power bike and you'll be charged accordingly. So 23 + insurance group for a full power Ninja could be very costly. The legal status would be okay though for learner.

Factory restriction is different then after market restriction. Factory restriction can mean changes to Engine management computer, Carburetor, Exhaust and more. Essentially making it harder and more costly to remove the restriction. I've seen prices for removal at anywhere from 500 to 1500.

After market restriction generally won't effect the EMC, and is limited to restricting the fuel and air mixture at the Carb and Exhaust. Prices for installation and removal will be significantly lower. And of course that's the problem, the insurance companies don't trust young men to keep that restriction in place and so won't recognise it.

seanybiker

Insurance is gonna be high for you. If quinn insure you they will insure you on full power even if its factory restricted. Sometimes they just insure anyways. Mate of mine passed test a couple of months back and quinn insured him on full power zx9r. Its upto him to restrict it . Obviously thats not gonna happen. He may aswell be not insured really though.
Would ya not go for a factory restricted bandit . I took me restrictors out after 3 weeks lol. Dont need them now with my license but its cheap to get them done.

Spitfire666

well i'm not rushing into anything just yet. i'm only just after filling out the aplication for my theory test so wont be jumping at anything just yet.

i was looking into the ninja as i was offered a very well looked after 600 for a 1000euro.
i was wrong about the year, it was a 99, not a 97.

i've also been offered a bandit 600 thats been factory resricted at a decent price so may well go for that yet. i've always liked the ninjas and r1's more then the naked bandit style bikes though.

i'll be taking a few differant bikes for a spin before buying any though. just looking into it first.
anyone know if quinn offer any discounts for having a car policy with them?

just had a quick look at the online quote system there with quinn, no quote online for the zx600ninja but only €550 for the bandit gsf600, with provisional licence and no exp.

not half as bad as i expected it to be.

Crapbag

I think those styles are very difficult to learn on. The bandit at least has a more forgiving seating position for slow speed manouvres, which is important when you're learning and for the test. Why are you looking at something that big for a first bike? Its better to make your first mistakes on a smaller cc. Is it a height thing? I have had a guy try buy my Deauville who had no experience on bikes. I wouldnt sell it to him, he would have just got himself into big trouble. I learned alot on my Bros 400 which was a great learner bike, although i was too tall for it really. I think someone with little experience should really stay under the 400 mark for the first 2 years of driving. When you come off for the first time, you'll be thankful you didnt have the speed. I looked extensively into this when I was learning, my father and all my uncles were motorcycle riders too. So they all had a say.

We came up with some nice machines,

Honda CB250
Honda Bros 400
Suzuki GN/GS 125
Kawasaki eliminator 400
and so many more that i forget

There are some fantastic bikes in the learner legal bracket. Ill put it to you this way. Im sitting at my laptop with a hot water bottle on my back, not out doing things at this very moment because of bike accidents but i still ride them. However I am glad I took the advice of my father and stayed low because if i had my early crashes on anything bigger, id be dead. I know you wanna buy the bike which you like but I was the same. You buy a bike with 3 three things, your head, your heart and your balls. You gotta buy with your head for the first one

Spitfire666

my main reason is that it wont be for everyday use. i have my classic cars and a newer car for everyday use so i wanted a bike that
a) was physically big enough for me to be on as i'm 6foot tall and fairly broad.
b) was big enough that when i do get exp i can remove the restrictors and have the bigger bike without having to buy another bike down the line.

i'll be leaving the restrictors in until i've got the exp though as i dont want to have a bad fall or i'd just walk away from bikes altogether.
i'm not limiting myself to a bandit or ninja or anything else really, i'm still looking around.

Idleater

big bikes are more stable on the road. I started on a 500, then a bros, then a sv 650.
The sv was factory restricted but being a twin wasn't crippled like a il4 would be.
I'd recommend going down that route.

Spitfire666

believe it or not, i can insure a bandit 600, but cant get a quote on a cbr400 or a ninja 250 or one or two other bikes. cant understand it at all really but looks like i dont have much choice either way even though they'd all need to be restricted.

so i'll be after a bandit 600 when i do get my own bike.

shelly.m

i had a bandit 400 streetfighter as my first bike and didnt find it great prop because im only 5ft ,quinn direct insured me for 275euro for the year on a prov at 24

galwaytt

My 0.02 is that the GPz/GPZ 600R (if that's what it is) is too small for a tall guy.

I don't think either are a runner for insurance, though.......

Bandit is a good choice.

Spitfire666

just to add even more confusion to the mix,
i can insure this http://www.bikebuyersguide.ie/Bikedetail.aspx?CBGID=981410&ID=2915475&NumPics=1&Make=Kawasaki&Model=ZXR%20400&frmFilter=All

antiskeptic

Spitfire666 wrote: »

just to add even more confusion to the mix,
i can insure this

Your priority list should run something like:

1) Buy and ride your first bike so as to survive bikings undoubted risks. Sufficient unto moving to priority #2

2) Ride to enjoy biking on the biking image of your choice (some like choppers, others like trailbikes, others like the kind of bike you like)

If you get the above order arse about tit then you might find your biking (not to say other) career coming to a painful and permanent halt.


There is no particular reason to learner ride a 125cc and it can be argued that doing so puts you under extra risk (through the sheer gutlessness of such machines). There is no particular reason to ride a restricted bike given that an unwillingness to respect bikes and ride accordingly won't be significantly offset by engineering the throttle to deliver less.


The ideal learner bike will include

1) Sufficient space to cope with your frame: Bandits/Fazers/Hornets/Bros/CB500/large engined Trial bikes etc

2) Forget race reps: their cramped style requires a finesse you don't yet posess. You won't be doing yourself a favor and need to remember that any off on a bike can be fatal. You will most likely be dropping the bike so the less easy to control it is - the more likely expensive fairings/engine casings will be smashed. You won't be in a position to utilise what a race rep offers (by way of handling/enginer performance) for many a year so you'll only be a sheep-in-wolves-clothing in any case. Image isn't worth the added danger. Buy what helps you survive and learn...

Spitfire666

i apritiate that. i was just pointing out utter ****e that i was told over the phone.
i wont be going for a small nimble machine first as i know i'd ditch it.

i'll be doing a bike course before getting my own bike. safer that way. and cheaper in the long run.

Lab_Mouse

Also seeing as your tall you might find the riding position on the race reps very sore(at least I did,the sh1tting monkey position was sore on my knees)

seanybiker

6ft is not extra tall. Im 6ft aswell and found the bandit very comfortable. The cbr250 is a right balls going around on it. Had a loan of me mates gixxer thousand last week and me wrists where sore, probably cos Im more use to bandit sitting position though is all.
Best of luck with whatever ya go for.