GZ250 to GSX-R 600 - too big a step or go for it?

[James47889]

Hey everyone!

Well, I've been biking since last April (on my Suzuki GZ250) and the time is near for me to get my full, and once I get it I'm looking at getting a GSX-R 600. I've had mixed opinions from people, some like the people at Coleman's Suzuki in Auckland saying it's a good step to take and to go for it. Though some of my older biker mates think I should go for something like a Kawasaki ER5 or a Suzuki GS500 first, and then progress to the GSX-R 600 in several months time. What do you think? Thanks :)

[Katman]

Stepping up is about the maturity of the rider - not the bike.

[sil3nt]

Stepping up is about the maturity of the rider - not the bike.Exactly. Get whatever you want and respect it.

[Blinkwing]

Get a Hayabusa.

[98tls]

Go for it fella,great choice.I often chuckle at the advice dished out re what people should move onto.A gizzilon years back when i learnt to ride there was no mini bikes/50cc kids bikes etc and i learnt on an SL125 Honda at 9 years old,i flipped it/went over the bars riding it down cliff faces/crawled out from underneath it with crispy cooling fin marks on my legs(they hurt) but once all that was passed i walked (limped) away with some respect for it.Great choice of the 600,enjoy yourself.

[98tls]

Get a Hayabusa.

What for,through the roads that matter the 600s quicker.

[Jantar]

The bike you step up to should depend on what you are going to use it for. How do currently use your GZ250? Is it mainly commuting? Do you go for the occasional long ride? Or are you mainly playing boy racer on the road and would like to do a few track days instead?

Get the bike that is most suited to the type of riding you do and you won't go wrong.

[James47889]

Thanks for the advice everyone :) . Well, as I'm a student, a lot of the bikes use will be for commuting and the GZ250 has been great for that. So yeah, the GSX-R 600 would be used for commuting a couple of times to uni and back every day, and also used for day trips every other weekend for a few hours up North or something similar.

[sil3nt]

Thanks for the advice everyone :) . Well, as I'm a student, a lot of the bikes use will be for commuting and the GZ250 has been great for that. So yeah, the GSX-R 600 would be used for commuting a couple of times to uni and back every day, and also used for day trips every other weekend for a few hours up North or something similar.You might find the riding position a pain for commuting. Don't limit yourself to one bike when you get your full take a look around a test ride a few :yes:

[Oakie]

Thanks for the advice everyone :) . Well, as I'm a student, a lot of the bikes use will be for commuting and the GZ250 has been great for that. So yeah, the GSX-R 600 would be used for commuting a couple of times to uni and back every day, and also used for day trips every other weekend for a few hours up North or something similar.

IMHO if it's mostly for commuting consider a more upright style bike as it will give you better visibility. I find my 600 Bandit great in the traffic but I've also done a 1400km two up trip on it laden down with luggage (over a few days).

[Marknz]

Thanks for the advice everyone :) . Well, as I'm a student, a lot of the bikes use will be for commuting and the GZ250 has been great for that. So yeah, the GSX-R 600 would be used for commuting a couple of times to uni and back every day, and also used for day trips every other weekend for a few hours up North or something similar.

Take your time and try as many test-ride bikes as you possibly can... you'll know when you've found the right one for you. Thought of an SV650?

[Grant`]

I have always wanted to get a sports bike and I still haven't brought one for the simple fact that with a lot of my k's being commute i get more benefit from a bike with upright seating position to take the weight off my wrist's.

Take a gixxer for a decent hour ride before committing and getting a real feel for round town riding and how your wrists hold up to it.

G

[Ender EnZed]

Thanks for the advice everyone :) . Well, as I'm a student, a lot of the bikes use will be for commuting and the GZ250 has been great for that. So yeah, the GSX-R 600 would be used for commuting a couple of times to uni and back every day, and also used for day trips every other weekend for a few hours up North or something similar.

Don't buy it without trying anything else. A Bandit 600 will cost half as much to buy, run and insure and it'll still feel like a fucking rocketship compared to your GZ250. You'll also avoid looking like a poser on a bike you can't use even half the potential of and be more comfortable as well.

A GSXR600 is a great bike but you'll probably appreciate it more coming from an intermediate step.

[Pussy]

Go for it. The K6 600 (if the pic on your avatar is anything to go by) is actually a very comfortable bike to ride long distance, and it won't make a bad commuter, either.

[Ender EnZed]

Also worth mentioning; they do 130 in first, which I'm guessing is more than a GZ250 manages ever. You may well be fine but there's no denying that it is a BIG step.

[98tls]

Also worth mentioning; they do 130 in first, which I'm guessing is more than a GZ250 manages ever. You may well be fine but there's no denying that it is a BIG step.

Taking into account the size and weight of the 600 i dont believe it is at all not to mention there as civilised as a bike can be round town.All in all i reckon hes making a great choice with the 600,a bike that will no doubt give him plenty of smiles for a few years not to mention none of the pitfalls of going straight to the likes of a 1000.

[Blinkwing]

What for,through the roads that matter the 600s quicker.

Comedy option. :yes:

[Maha]

I went from a GN250 to a YZF600...:corn:

[Oakie]

A Bandit 600 will cost half as much to buy, run and insure and it'll still feel like a fucking rocketship compared to your GZ250. I must agree.

[Ender EnZed]

Taking into account the size and weight of the 600 i dont believe it is at all not to mention there as civilised as a bike can be round town.All in all i reckon hes making a great choice with the 600,a bike that will no doubt give him plenty of smiles for a few years not to mention none of the pitfalls of going straight to the likes of a 1000.

Yes, it can be perfectly civilised but that's not really it's major selling point. If civilised is all you want then buying a race rep is a waste of money. As for the pitfalls of the likes of a 1000 that the 600 has none of, in terms of the riding experience I bet I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them if all I'd ridden was a GN250 with extra chrome.

[Ender EnZed]

I went from a GN250 to a YZF600...:corn:

Which, compared to a late model GSXR600, is a significantly more sensible bike that lends itself far less readily to aggressive riding.

[EJK]

If Americans can ride it, then so can you.

[98tls]

Yes, it can be perfectly civilised but that's not really it's major selling point. If civilised is all you want then buying a race rep is a waste of money. As for the pitfalls of the likes of a 1000 that the 600 has none of, in terms of the riding experience I bet I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them if all I'd ridden was a GN250 with extra chrome.

:facepalm:Jesus H,"the sky is falling/the worlds ending"no offence fella but fuck me,cruiser/sprotbike/motard/dirtbike/trailbike blah blah blah,race rep my arse,give an old RGV a handful and it will bite back..hes going from a 250 to a 600 ffs,"riding experience" :facepalm:let him get some instead of advising him to wrap himself up in cotton wool and stay inside.Maybe he should go buy a GN400 ride it for a day then find himself dying of boredom.

[ynot slow]

A word to think of is think responsible thoughts when riding,only you will know how to use the right wrist,only you are able to ride safely,just go with gut feeling after test ride,enjoy the event.

[Ender EnZed]

:facepalm:Jesus H,"the sky is falling/the worlds ending"no offence fella but fuck me,cruiser/sprotbike/motard/dirtbike/trailbike blah blah blah,race rep my arse,give an old RGV a handful and it will bite back..hes going from a 250 to a 600 ffs,"riding experience" :facepalm:let him get some instead of advising him to wrap himself up in cotton wool and stay inside.Maybe he should go buy a GN400 ride it for a day then find himself dying of boredom.

What exactly are we arguing about here? That's right, whether or not going from a GZ250 to a GSXR600 is a big step. They are of roughly similar size and weight. In more or less every other respect they're very, very different.

I'm not saying he shouldn't buy it, but I consider it a big step. For comparison (and even keeping it Suzuki); I would consider a GS500 to be a small step and an SV650 to be a medium step. Am I still causing facepalms here? Why?

[DrunkenMistake]

The bike you step up to should depend on what you are going to use it for. How do currently use your GZ250? Is it mainly commuting? Do you go for the occasional long ride? Or are you mainly playing boy racer on the road and would like to do a few track days instead?

Get the bike that is most suited to the type of riding you do and you won't go wrong.
:innocent::innocent:


You might find the riding position a pain for commuting. Don't limit yourself to one bike when you get your full take a look around a test ride a few :yes:
Just commit youll harden up over time ;)

If Americans can ride it, then so can you.
Exactly,
it will save you money on gear, you can become a squid.

[tigertim20]

Hey everyone!

Well, I've been biking since last April (on my Suzuki GZ250) and the time is near for me to get my full, and once I get it I'm looking at getting a GSX-R 600. I've had mixed opinions from people, some like the people at Coleman's Suzuki in Auckland saying it's a good step to take and to go for it. Though some of my older biker mates think I should go for something like a Kawasaki ER5 or a Suzuki GS500 first, and then progress to the GSX-R 600 in several months time. What do you think? Thanks :)

what year gsxr? that can make a difference in terms of power delivery and handling, and how well it suits your purposes.
Or you could just say screw it, buy the damn think and rape the fuck out of it.
I know what Id do!

[DrunkenMistake]

what year gsxr? that can make a difference in terms of power delivery and handling, and how well it suits your purposes.
Or you could just say screw it, buy the damn think and rape the fuck out of it.
I know what Id do!

You mean, you would do what I do?
I feel sorry for my bikes, its why I will never own a Ducati, ill make the poor fucker pop before it gets its first service

[tigertim20]

You mean, you would do what I do?
I feel sorry for my bikes, its why I will never own a Ducati, ill make the poor fucker pop before it gets its first service

You'll 'pop' prematurely huh?
Not like you havent had that problem before.

[rossirep]

i went from vt250 to gsxr750, its all about how you twist ya throttle at the end of the day, if ya want a gsxr600 then do it, dont listen to the boring old farts tryin to tell ya to buy a bandit cause of the upright riding style, a bandit is nowhere near as cool as a gixxer lol ;-), but fully test ride plenty of bikes before ya spend ya coin on one..

enjoy ya new ride when ya get one, summer aint to far away..

[Sable]

If you haven't nailed yourself into an immovable object because you don't understand the concept of throttle modulation thus far, I'm sure you'll be fine. People talk up bikes bigger than 250s as being like a whole different thing and a huge responsibility and risk. Bullshit, they're just another bike.

[Eyegasm]

I just recently upgraded from a Hyosung GT250R to a Kawasaki ZX6R.
It is about 6 times the horsepower than the Hyo, and I respect that.

It all comes down to throttle control.

Take it easy at the start, and hopefully we'll be around at the end.

BTW, It is a great feeling to sit at 100kph and not be revving the living daylights out of your engine!!!

End of the day you will do what you feel is right. You have already made your mind up, your just asking for others to justify it for you.

[nodrog]

OMG, WTF, u wil dye!

[Toaster]

Buying a bike is both subjective and objective.

It needs to be practical for your needs.

It needs to put a smile on your face everytime you ride.

Without any doubt always try them out in a way that tests their intended use before making up your mind.

[imdying]

Thanks for the advice everyone :) . Well, as I'm a student, a lot of the bikes use will be for commuting and the GZ250 has been great for that. So yeah, the GSX-R 600 would be used for commuting a couple of times to uni and back every day, and also used for day trips every other weekend for a few hours up North or something similar.I commuted when I was studying on a ZX6R, was great :)

Just don't give it the berries in stupid places and you'll be right. Probably take a few months before you feel comfortable and start disrespecting the throttle a bit, IMO that's when you're most at risk (i.e. more than when you first pick it up and are still being cautious). Next to that, it's the weight when it's not moving that's the next biggest problem... but when you're stationary the damage is minimal and (relatively) cheap.

[\m/]

If you are careful with the throttle you should be fine.

[slofox]

It took me 40 years of riding before I got onto a GSX-R600. Mainly because a) They weren't around when I started and b) I could never afford one before.

Having ridden the current one for some sixteen months now, I'd have to say it is a safer bike than the SV650S I had immediately before the gixxer. Simply because the handling is so far superior to that of the SV.

The extra power is not a problem. You just don't crank the shit out of it every time. Especially not on wet shiny tarseal, gravel on a corner or wet white lines. Apply with discretion and you'll be fine. I do like that power though...when it's appropriate.

I find the seating position very comfortable. It's a little more tucked than the SVS was but it is by no means as extreme as say a Daytone 675. I have no problem with seating and I'm an old bastard. Last summer I rode over 1100km in just over 24 hours. No problem, I could still walk happily at the end of the journey.

It can commute just fine. However, mine is a K8 which has a wider spread of power than its predecessors. Which does help. But I can pootle round town very happily at 3 - 4 thousand revs and the bike purrs like a kitten. Very tractable and very polite. Get your revs up over 6k and it turns into a turbine. Hit 12.5 or so and you get your arse kicked. But it's all over to that right wrist. Just keep it under control.

As for "not getting everything out of" a gixxer, so what? I will never get everything out of mine but I don't give a rat's arse. I just love what the bike is capable of. I love the way it sits on the road. I love the available acceleration. I love the way it can leap past slow traffic. And it can lean way further than I can. I am just pleased to bits to own something I really enjoy. It continually challenges me instead of the other way round. I like that.

Try a few bikes. Buy the one you like best regardless of what it is. Keep your hair on and you'll be fine.

[Dodgy_Matt]

I commute daily on my CBR600 no worries.. I can’t ride a more upright bike as it puts too much pressure on my spine.
Just coz the power is there does not mean you have to use it all at once

[2Seat_Terror]

Figure out what bike you really want and get it.

If you ride in a mature and sensible way (that right wrist mainly) you'll be fine.

I went from a 150 to a 900 and didn't even die once! :gob:

[GrayWolf]

Hey everyone!

Well, I've been biking since last April (on my Suzuki GZ250) and the time is near for me to get my full, and once I get it I'm looking at getting a GSX-R 600. I've had mixed opinions from people, some like the people at Coleman's Suzuki in Auckland saying it's a good step to take and to go for it. Though some of my older biker mates think I should go for something like a Kawasaki ER5 or a Suzuki GS500 first, and then progress to the GSX-R 600 in several months time. What do you think? Thanks :)

Agreed that everyone here has an opinion, as has been stated. What I would agree with is 'upgrading' is about the rider as well as power/cc rating. You have pointed out later on in another post you commute and want to do 'longer rides' sometimes
Sprot bikes are not really commuter friendly or long distance friendly
I recently was loaned a Yammy FZ6R.... while my bike was in the 'dock' for repair. I did a quick review on it in the new bike sub section.
My honest opinion? is a bloody good step up from your current bike, will have all the power you need, is tractable low down (commuting) and seemed a livley performer when opened up, without the frenetic acceleration blitz you'll get from a sprot 600. Suggestion is to ride both types over a couple of hours doing both traffic and highway riding (also a few twistie bits) and see which one feels more suited to your hands....
DONT let ego, or pressure from anyone, sway you into buying a bike you do not feel comfortable with.

[Oakie]

dont listen to the boring old farts tryin to tell ya to buy a bandit cause of the upright riding style

'ere! I resemble that remark!

[Nastrond]

I have just moved up from a Kawasaki Ninja 250r to a L1 GSX-R after year of riding. Its a huge jump but I know what the bike is capable of and I just respect it more.

Make sure you take one for a ride before you decide and that you feel comfortable with it and make sure you get it for the right reason cause sportbikes aint for crusin'

I use mine for a commuting from the shore to South Auckland but really enjoy it for the backroad blasts at the weekend and track days to come soon.

Good luck

[Conquiztador]

See bike. Like bike. Buy bike. Ride bike. You get some other 1/2 way there thing and you will always regret it.

Spend your life doing things you want to do.

[Batcerb]

Give a street triple a try before commiting to the gsxr :yes:

[st00ji]

See bike. Like bike. Buy bike. Ride bike. You get some other 1/2 way there thing and you will always regret it.

Spend your life doing things you want to do.

pretty much this

[javawocky]

I think you will find the 600's very user friendly. You have to be revving it out before it starts coming alive. Anything below about 5000 rpm is girly bike territory, every thing from 6-16k become turbo charged licence :bye: time.

The torque curve is very flat, so there are no real surprises. At lower rpms you can pretty much chop the throttle without anything bad happening, unless its pissing down with rain.

I have a short commute to work every day in all weather and go on the Ride North from time to time and been to Hamptons and the Gsxr performs perfectly in each case.

If you are only commuting, you could probably find a more comfortable scooter or something more sensible and economic, but if you like to take the long way home sometimes, nothing better than finishing a crap day of work having a sexy beast to put your leg over.

I like Katmans first comment though, you still need to respect a 600 cause it goes faster than you might think and your licences is only a twist of the wrist away from from being snipped in half.