A sportsbike for daily use, commuting, etc.?

[Maki]

Just wondering, what is it like to use a sportsbike like the Honda CBR 600RR for daily commuting? My commute involves a route that is pretty much all roller coaster twisties and it takes me about 12 minutes to ride to work. It's all urban though so the speed limit is 50. Would I enjoy riding a bike like the RR or would I feel uncomfortable and frustrated? If so, what would you recommend for me instead?

I have only been riding for 2 months but I am already quite aggressive. I ride with an L plate but I already take pleasure in showing cage drivers how quick L plate riders can be.

Why do I want a sportsbike? I love good engineering, those things are beautifully made, I love the rush of high revs and the sounds of engines screaming. It looks a bit stupid, now I have written it down, but I love a good rush.

Thanks in advance for any input on this, I appreciate it.

[onearmedbandit]

I commute on my thou with no problems.

[Str8 Jacket]

I have only been riding for 2 months but I am already quite aggressive. I ride with an L plate but I already take pleasure in showing cage drivers how quick L plate riders can be.


No offence meant dude, but sounds to me like you're gonna need ALOT more experience with riding before you start looking for a 600! Being aggressive does not mean that you are a good rider. It takes alot of practice and alot of patience to learn how to best control your bike. If you wanna live a bit longer then you sound like you may need to slow down and learn to just relax and enjoy riding. I reckon you'd be best to just be a learner for a bit longer and learn a bit more about yourself before you start thinking of getting a bigger bike. Me thinks that you may have a hell of alot more to learn and it would be helpful to be alive to learn these things!

[Maki]

No offence meant dude, but sounds to me like you're gonna need ALOT more experience with riding before you start looking for a 600! Being aggressive does not mean that you are a good rider. It takes alot of practice and alot of patience to learn how to best control your bike. If you wanna live a bit longer then you sound like you may need to slow down and learn to just relax and enjoy riding. I reckon you'd be best to just be a learner for a bit longer and learn a bit more about yourself before you start thinking of getting a bigger bike. Me thinks that you may have a hell of alot more to learn and it would be helpful to be alive to learn these things!

No offence taken. I know you mean well. This is a long term plan for me, I am not going out to buy a sportsbike tomorrow. Its more like around 2 years in the future. I just love riding and I am already wondering....

[Colapop]

A part of why we all ride is the rush. The reality is though that unless you don't like having a license and enjoy giving the gubbermint money then commuting for a rush is wasting your time effort and money.

You've been riding for two months... no comment on the skill level that you have or your natural ability but there is a lot of riding you have got in front of you yet. Give yourself time to learn stuff about riding. The track is a good place and so are roads. Once you can ride as many different bikes as you can - they feel a lot different than they look sometimes. CBR's are good wee bikes as are a good many others out there.

[Str8 Jacket]

No offence taken. I know you mean well. This is a long term plan for me, I am not going out to buy a sportsbike tomorrow. Its more like around 2 years in the future. I just love riding and I am already wondering....

Ah, sweet as then. Sounds like you're pretty much onto it :yes:

As you were!.... :niceone:

[xwhatsit]

Just wondering, what is it like to use a sportsbike like the Honda CBR 600RR for daily commuting? My commute involves a route that is pretty much all roller coaster twisties and it takes me about 12 minutes to ride to work. It's all urban though so the speed limit is 50.
If it's all 50kph zones but lots of twisties, what you want is a GB500 :D

Or, a CBR250RR. 19,000rpm, beautifully made, still light enough that tight stuff is fun, and only 45hp.

[Pwalo]

A bike is just a tool. You can commute on whatever takes your fancy. So saying you might want to practice just a bit longer before you get a SS600.

[phoenixgtr]

I commute on my ZX-6R no probs

[Luckylegs]

...My commute involves a route that is pretty much all roller coaster twisties and it takes me about 12 minutes to ride to work.



If it's all 50kph zones but lots of twisties, what you want is a GB500 :D

No, if thats the commute, what he needs are some "friends" to come and share the fun (I mean commute) with em !!!

[megageoff76]

A bike is just a tool. You can commute on whatever takes your fancy.

Exactly right. Riding is riding, it doesn't matter what sort riding it is if you enjoy your bike.

[Marmoot]

I commute on my thou with no problems.

Litre bike is easier to deal with when it comes to stop-n-go traffic (lights, jams, etc). Less stalling if you're a retard like me :rolleyes:

[Big Dave]

'Sportsbike for daily use.'
Sounds like Military intelligence. I'll speak for the opposition:

Sportsbikes and the ergonomics they employ are chosen for optimum effect at maximum speed.

That's about the complete opposite of what is optimum for urban use.

Folded up, crouched down, head down is a PITA compared to a 'standard' in traffic. You also have decreased maneuverability at lower speeds.

Then there is the fact that you never get near the torque or power bands of the bike and end up gumming up the works.

[Kendog]

Then there is the fact that you never get near the torque or power bands of the bike and end up gumming up the works.

Totally agree with this. When I commute on the 750 in 50k zones I often think what a waste. It does help increase the enjoyment when I do ride on the open road/track.

[HDTboy]

When I commute on the 750 in 50k zones I often think what a waste.
What if you do it on one wheel?
600 sportsbikes are ok as commuters, but that isn't what they're made for. They're made to go FAST, eg, they feel slow at under 200km/h (on a racetrack for the safety nazis)

[owner]

I feel a bit stink starting my RR up only to nip down to the shop or run a whole bunch of errands,

start putta putta stop start putta putta stop and so on

,I love my beast and I know what its capable of and all the start stop just doesnt feel right, kinda like teasing a wild animal,
get an old slow shitter(the cheapest newest smallest legal bike you can get while saving for an RR) and crash and thrash the shit out of it. way more fun keep the RR for the weekend and track work
my 2 cents
but hell do what ever you want lifes short

[Big Dave]

Totally agree with this. When I commute on the 750 in 50k zones I often think what a waste. It does help increase the enjoyment when I do ride on the open road/track.

The Suzuki thing of dialing in a power mode has merit too. But I have a philosophical difficulty engaging the lowering settings.

[Str8 Jacket]

To be honest, im really enjoying my commute on the RG. Im not to sure if that's cause I was taking the train up to now or the fumes. Either way, its lotsa fun up the motorway and people hear you coming so they move over to let you through!

[jrandom]

I'm with Big Dave vis-a-vis upright bikes being better for commuting on.

But, y'know. Just ride everything and take your pick. Motorcycle preference is a very personal matter.

[Morcs]

Get a DR-Z400SM :D most fun ive had on a commute (not to mention easier and less stress than on the thou) and I havent even started doing wheelies from everyset of lights.

Sports bikes are for the open road.

[jrandom]

Get a DR-Z400SM :D

I hate you.

[Grub]

Just wondering, what is it like to use a sportsbike like the Honda CBR 600RR for daily commuting?

Good question and good background. I love the sportsbike feel on the open road but I still won't upgrade to the RR. The '00/'01 CBR's were the last of the comfortable allround Hondas as they had the bars on top of the triple clamp rather than under it. I rode an R6 - once. It was total crap for anything under 120kph adn the open road. A bike like that would be a waste of money

I take mine on looong rides of 600-1000km in a day and I never get tired. Those riding with us usually do - so what I have is a good all rounder as well as a bike that you can really hoon on.

A number of people here have the luxury of two bikes by keeping their learners 150 or 250 for communiting and buying a "real" bike for weekends.

[Morcs]

I hate you.

I love you too Dan.

Well at least the TL is free if you wanna take it for a spin :yes:

[WarlockNZ]

If i had the option, i would have kept my 250 for the trip to work, not that i don't love the SV, but shes a drinker .. LOL

My advice, learn how to ride the bike you have to it's limits and THEN think about what you're going to ride to work.

I'll assume (and please correct me if i'm wrong) but, riding for two months and L plate, you are very new and I know the Supersports look damn sexy.

Just wait, acquire the skills you need and then ride every single bike you can get your hands on and choose that one that best suits you, that way you will enjoy the ride to work.

[jrandom]

I love you too Dan.

Well at least the TL is free if you wanna take it for a spin :yes:

Waaaaaa, wanna go on the DR-Z now.

[Edbear]

Just wondering, what is it like to use a sportsbike like the Honda CBR 600RR for daily commuting? ...I have only been riding for 2 months but I am already quite aggressive. I ride with an L plate but I already take pleasure in showing cage drivers how quick L plate riders can be.

Why do I want a sportsbike? I love good engineering, those things are beautifully made, I love the rush of high revs and the sounds of engines screaming. It looks a bit stupid, now I have written it down, but I love a good rush.

Thanks in advance for any input on this, I appreciate it.

Ummm! :bye:

[oldguy]

BUELL Firebolt 900 good in traffic,

[merv]

To be honest, im really enjoying my commute on the RG. Im not to sure if that's cause I was taking the train up to now or the fumes. Either way, its lotsa fun up the motorway and people hear you coming so they move over to let you through!

So I'm back at work this week and cruising home tonight on the 5pm train and what do I spot but you on the RG150 around 5.05 I suppose, and you were almost to the Ngauranga interchange as we peeled into the tunnel and you were doing just what you say - changing lanes and powering on as the cars got out of your way - priceless alright :cool:.

[cowboyz]

I commute on my zx9r but the commute is 14km of which 13.6km is on the open road. I absoutely dispise any time I have to go into the city on my bike. 1st gear and ride it like a auto and cringe as the fan goes and has a hissy fit at the lights. Not really flash for it. If I knew then what I know now I would have kept my other bike for town work.

[kermit63]

I ride my 675 to work every day, but "high revs and screeming engines" wouldn't be how I'd describe by daily commute.

In terms of the riding position, it's not uncomfortable, but at slow speeds you'd have a lot more manouverability on something with a more upright riding position and you'll notice that most when it comes to lane splitting.

I got a sports bike as a "returning rider" because it's what I'd always wanted and if I did it again, it would still be the bike I'd want. If I was being more practical, I'd look pretty hard at something like a street triple, or have a smaller bike for commuting.

[icekiwi]

Ride my zx6rr to work...33kms each way,mostly motorway.
Should really be on something smaller its a bit of a waste really.
Fun though...you gotta love old gt south rd.

[CookMySock]

you will find sportsbikes are really hard on your wrists at speeds under 80k. maybe you will get used to this.

If it were me, I would be looking at a large cc (400+) single-banger motard or dual-pupose bike. These are a great lark to cane around town.

DB

[AllanB]

Man you can ride anything to work if you see fit. Just pick the bike you want and enjoy it.

[Ryan432]

love the SV

Warlock, you dont happen to ride a silver SV with aftermarket pipes on it by any chance? If so it was you who convinced me that I needed an SV when you came booming by me on my old GN along brigams creek rd, I swear I thought a helicopter was buzzing me! I quite like my SV for commuting... mainly cos I can't afford two bikes but it seems to go alright, to be fair 12000 RPM isnt exactley screaming by RR standards but it still sounds bloody brilliant when you give it some, and if your into the fully faired look you can get lowers for them. Its not exactly what your looking for but its a really good allrounder if you don't have the cash for two bikes. My 2c. Peace

[Chickenlegs]

Get a Street Magic....

Cheap as chips to run, will scream all day long and won't get you into trouble...

Umm, unless you pull wheelies and stoppies everywhere...

[FkNAmerican]

sounds to me like you have the PERFECT amount of knowledge/experience for an '05 Kawasaki Zx-10 with a full system plus power commander..........just make sure you buy one before you reach 3 months experience or else you'll be bored with it after a few days........by 4 months you should be ready for a B-king, V-max, Zx-14 or 'Busa.

Around about the 6 month experience mark I suggest you start looking at a 1098R (or Mv Agusta F4-312) or, if you're up to it, a full WSB race rep GXSR-1000. That would really make the 12 minute ride to work exciting.

Oh, and when even the Ducati's become boring......I suggest a Boss Hoss custom with a 10 liter Dodge Viper V-10 engine............

When that becomes boring......try skydiving without a parachute.

oh and.......Ride safe.

FkN.

[HungusMaximist]

The commuting I do on my 929 is a complete waste.

If I had the choice, I'd have two, one 250/scooters for commuting. Those classic honda's are fantastic and so are those dual purpose bikes.

[jrandom]

I have only been riding for 2 months but I am already quite aggressive.

Gene-O-Kleen: Evolution You Can See! (tm)

(With thanks to Ixion.)

[jrandom]

Oh, by the way?

I commute every day on my GSX1400, and it's just great.

Then again, it's upright, so I'm comfortable, and it's aircooled, so when the engine gets hot in traffic, I don't have a whirring fan and a coolant temperature gauge stressing me out, which means that it doesn't matter.

:2thumbsup

(And I love parking up at work and hearing it go TINKTINKTINKcrackleTINKtinkPING.)

I don't think it's a size thing. I think it's a riding position thing.

[Pwalo]

Oh, by the way?

I commute every day on my GSX1400, and it's just great.

Then again, it's upright, so I'm comfortable, and it's aircooled, so when the engine gets hot in traffic, I don't have a whirring fan and a coolant temperature gauge stressing me out, which means that it doesn't matter.

:2thumbsup

(And I love parking up at work and hearing it go TINKTINKTINKcrackleTINKtinkPING.)

I don't think it's a size thing. I think it's a riding position thing.

You're really just a show off you know.

[FkNAmerican]

In all seriousness you cant go wrong with a basic used Kawasaki EX-500. Its not too heavy, expensive, complicated, or powerfull and its has an upright riding position. Plus they have been making them since to stone age so cheap parts are everywhere and you know its a tried and tested design. Its the perfect commuter bike for the beginner rider in my opinion.

[Maki]

Thanks for all the useful input. The thing that worries me most is the uncomfortable riding position and wrist strain. Do any of you sportsbike riders have raised clip ons to alleviate this? Is there any reason not to get raised clip ons to make riding the bike more comortable?

[Aero165]

I commute on my thou with no problems.

Same. I commute on my R1 with no issues

[NOMIS]

Maybe a triumpth Rocket 3???

Hahah. Bro ride anything you damn well want to. Up to you at the end of the day, My hornets mint in traffic. I can throw it around pretty easily and great for lane splitting. only thing is its to loud.

[CookMySock]

The thing that worries me most is the uncomfortable riding position and wrist strain. [....] Is there any reason not to get raised clip ons to make riding the bike more comortable?yes, but your wrists will get used to this - It's gunna hurt though. Mine took three months to break in, and that was on the open road. I wouldn't do it in town.

Raised clipons - the public shame maybe ?

DB

[Chickenlegs]

Thanks for all the useful input. The thing that worries me most is the uncomfortable riding position and wrist strain. Do any of you sportsbike riders have raised clip ons to alleviate this? Is there any reason not to get raised clip ons to make riding the bike more comortable?

I have no issues with the Street Magic and I've even lowered the bars...

[cowboyz]

Thanks for all the useful input. The thing that worries me most is the uncomfortable riding position and wrist strain. Do any of you sportsbike riders have raised clip ons to alleviate this? Is there any reason not to get raised clip ons to make riding the bike more comortable?

Raised clipons are for those who want a tourer but want to look like they have a sportsbike.

[WarlockNZ]

Warlock, you dont happen to ride a silver SV with aftermarket pipes on it by any chance? If so it was you who convinced me that I needed an SV when you came booming by me on my old GN along brigams creek rd, I swear I thought a helicopter was buzzing me!

LOL... yep ... that would be me .. HA HA .. Nice to see you joined the SV club, which would explain why i havn't seen a GN for a while.

Mate if your out my way, look me up.

[Cr1MiNaL]

I commute on the R6 everyday, storm or high water. Shes sweet as and saves me heaps of time and $$

[Manxman]

Good question and good background. I love the sportsbike feel on the open road but I still won't upgrade to the RR. The '00/'01 CBR's were the last of the comfortable allround Hondas as they had the bars on top of the triple clamp rather than under it. I rode an R6 - once. It was total crap for anything under 120kph adn the open road. A bike like that would be a waste of money

I take mine on looong rides of 600-1000km in a day and I never get tired. Those riding with us usually do - so what I have is a good all rounder as well as a bike that you can really hoon on.

A number of people here have the luxury of two bikes by keeping their learners 150 or 250 for communiting and buying a "real" bike for weekends.

ooo, err. I beg to differ young man (he says, polishing his big red R6 thingy).

It's horses for course really, ay? :shifty: Those who do longer trips may well find that the CBR is the go, but those of us who do shorter commutes and like a more sporty ride will have a different opinion...:doh:

Perhaps you're talking about the later R6 models, which (like the later CBR models) were built more with racing in mind than comfort...???

[Maki]

Raised clipons are for those who want a tourer but want to look like they have a sportsbike.

A tourer weighs something like 50kg more than the 600RR. The RR is not going to become a totally different beast if you install raised clipons. Is there some kind of taboo against making a sportsbike more comfortable?

[Grub]

Perhaps you're talking about the later R6 models, which (like the later CBR models) were built more with racing in mind than comfort...???

Indeed I am. It was an 07 R6 that had been set up for racing. The suspension was so hard and the seat so forward sloped (and hard) that I bounced my balls off the tank all the way over Haywards Hill and back again. If I shoved myself back a bit they bounced off the board they call a seat instead.

And they're so short! Your arms go straight down and you're looking almost over the front screen in the normal riding position. I know guys just love them and I accept that attraction. It's just that I personally have never and I mean never, ridden such an awful bike.

[Chickenlegs]

A tourer weighs something like 50kg more than the 600RR. The RR is not going to become a totally different beast if you install raised clipons. Is there some kind of taboo against making a sportsbike more comfortable?


There's always HELIBARS.

A company in Canada....

[crash harry]

I've commuted on every bike I've owned, pretty much exclusively whatever the weather. Now doing it on an R1, have done on a ZX-636, ZX-9R, and a Hayabusa. I wouldn't worry about the riding position, especially if your commute is only 12 minutes. And the engine won't get "gummed up" as some have suggested as long as you take it out and give it a fang every now and then.

Still, if most of what you're doing is commuting in a 50k area, a 600 supersprot is probably not the best choice - not when there are motards... :devil2:

[Manxman]

The suspension was so hard and the seat so forward sloped (and hard) that I bounced my balls off the tank all the way over Haywards Hill and back again. If I shoved myself back a bit they bounced off the board they call a seat instead.

But Grubster, dontcha geddit...that's half the fun.:whistle:

[Maki]

There's always HELIBARS.

A company in Canada....

Thanks man, those look choice.

[Cr1MiNaL]

Indeed I am. It was an 07 R6 that had been set up for racing. The suspension was so hard and the seat so forward sloped (and hard) that I bounced my balls off the tank all the way over Haywards Hill and back again. If I shoved myself back a bit they bounced off the board they call a seat instead.

And they're so short! Your arms go straight down and you're looking almost over the front screen in the normal riding position. I know guys just love them and I accept that attraction. It's just that I personally have never and I mean never, ridden such an awful bike.

Dunno what ur ranting about mate! Theres nothing wrong with the R6 its cumfy as a sports bike is going to get, just take the twisty way everywhere ull be fine. :calm: ps: race bike suspension is best left for the track anyway.


ooo, err. I beg to differ young man (he says, polishing his big red R6 thingy).

It's horses for course really, ay? :shifty: Those who do longer trips may well find that the CBR is the go, but those of us who do shorter commutes and like a more sporty ride will have a different opinion...:doh:

Perhaps you're talking about the later R6 models, which (like the later CBR models) were built more with racing in mind than comfort...???

true racing more than comfort, but I must say they make an awesome commute too :)

[twotyred]

if'n you love your 'real' bike then buy a small shitter to torture with commuting...