636 vs zx10 - which one to buy?

[blue eyed savage]

so im going to buy a big bike in a few months and its either going to be a zx10r 2004 or a zx636r 2006. i ride ever day and do long trips all the time. what do u think is best.
im not conserned with top speed either

[Devil]

Pick something more comfortable if you do long trips often.

You dont need to be on a "sprots biek" to get around corners quick and have fun.

[Matt Bleck]

So the 250 you have is your first bike? If so I would stay away from the zx10

[blacksheep]

zx10 is a bit of an animal,mate has a 636 and loves it,rides it long distances etc

[blue eyed savage]

sweet might give the 10 a miss for now, maby in a year or 3.

[CHOPPA]

You can get yourself in just as much trouble on the 6 as you can on the 10, theres nothing scary about the 10 they are easy to ride and really cheap! The 1000 would be way better for the riding you have described...

[blue eyed savage]

now i dont know what to think, im not racing the bike i just like sports bikes

[puddytat]

This hippie reckons the 636....

[Devil]

now i dont know what to think, im not racing the bike i just like sports bikes

Ok. 1000cc sportsbikes and drivers licences are mutually exclusive. You can have one or the other but not both.
You might have more fun on the 600 AND keep the speed down.

[owner]

CBR600RR
Just buy the best condition one of either of those 3. Spend the extra money, get into debt, do whatever you have to and I promise you, you wont regret it If you like and respect sportbikes then dont be scared of the 10 ,
Just remember it hurts when you fall off

[zeocen]

I know you're obviously fixed on the style of the ZX, otherwise you wouldn't have chosen the choice of ZX-10 and 636.. but, humour me and ponder this;

Have you considered the ER6F? Aside from the love/hate looks it has great pick up from the get-go and great mid range. IMO it has great pick up that would rival the 636 off the mark to about 80 - 100kmph (***IMO***, don't gun me down, correct me if I'm wrong!) and a more centralised mass which is killer for corners, it will eat up anything you throw at it. I have a full Givi set thrown on mine and it makes a *great* tourer. The seat needs to be changed on anything longer than 3 hours at a time, but the ass-hurties immediately go away while filling up for gas anyway.

I'll throw in a pic of mine with the Givi set up on it, looks a bit cumbersome but it still handles great and can carry a metric shitload.

Just so you know, before this I had a '92 ZZR1100 and then a CBR1100XX Blackbird, albeit both whales compared to the ZX-10, the manageable power from the ER6F and sheer flickability and fun it gives has made me shake my head at stepping up to litre bikes so fast. It makes me sad to think of the time I lost on the road, to think I could have been having this much fun in the first place.

I know you're obviously into your sport bikes, but take a step back and see if the ER6F looks are for you (they look and FEEL much better in person, go into a store and look at one).


/edit: I'm not discrediting ZX-10s or 636s, infact all ZX-10s ESPECIALLY the '08 model has the most comfortable riding position I have ever felt, it's almost euphoric. And I do love me some Ninja. In 5+ years I'll no doubt be getting one or another Blackbird but for now, I am just so happy on a 'do everything' bike.

[Quasievil]

Go for the ZX10, dont get hung up on the speeds of both bikes, they will both kill ya ! the ZX10 is easier to ride as you can ride it very lazily with all the torque, therefore you can relax on it better, ie you dont have to rev and scream the engine to go anywhere.
Qualification ? I had the B1 and the C1 ZXr636 then went to the ZXr10 and the later was nicer to ride, AND it was more comfy than the 636.

its not the power of the bike that gets you in trouble, its whats in your head when you go for a ride that gets you in trouble.

[CHOPPA]

I have a gixer 1000 that i try not to ride cause im selling it but its the best thou i have ridden on the road, my old boy has the same bike he is 56 and rides it every weekend on long trips and the odd track day. You have to be being stupid to make the bike do something wrong.

But back to the 10 over the 6, dont worry about speed cause ridden right the 6 is just as fast on the road only a few second seperates them on tracks the problem with the 6 is you really have to ride them hard where the thou you dont have to shift all the time and work so hard and its nice to roll on in top to pass cars quick instead of slamming through gears. It sounds like im slamming 600s but i ride one and thats what i like to do and given your question id still say 10 but on the other hand a 600 compared to a 250 is gonna blow your mind anyway and there wouldnt be a better bike then the 636 on the road for the same money! Shame you missed out on the daytona cause although its a bit slow up top that would have been a cool choice

[MaxCannon]

I don't know how much riding experience you have but stepping from a 250 up to a 1000cc Superbike is a pretty huge leap.

A mate just bought a 2004 ZX10
He's been riding for a while and describes it as a scary fast.
Easy to ride but also easy to do double the limit with barely a twist of the throttle and 3 gears to go.
That level of power commands a lot of respect. Very easy to get it wrong and end up in a lot of trouble.
In my opinion it's a bit of a waste on public roads.

I can remember when I first got on my 400 after running around on the GN.
It has almost 3 times the HP, opened the throttle in second and got a surprise when it shot forward like a rocket.
After a couple of rides I got used to the power difference.
In comparission to a modern 600 my bike has less than half the HP and a lot more weight.

I believe the Zx10 will top 150kph in first so putting the throttle to the stop risks roadside loss of license.
Of your two choices I think the 636 is a better option. Still a whole heap of power and plenty quick enough.

[cowboyz]

I believe the Zx10 will top 150kph in first so putting the throttle to the stop risks roadside loss of license.
Of your two choices I think the 636 is a better option. Still a whole heap of power and plenty quick enough.

The ZX9r (mine) is REALLY tame compared to the new 10s. And I dont wind the throttle to the stop. ever. about 3/4 will result in a nice show off avatar pic.

Its true about the headspace thing. You can ride a thou without killing yourself. Must admit going from a gsx600F (the sport-tourer) to the ZX9r there has been a couple of moments where I blitz it on short striaghts between corners and found out I am going ALOT faster than I intended round the next corner.
But with improved acceleration comes improved handling so if you dont freak out with the bursts of power it should be fine. I have considered going for the 10 but to be honest the 9 does just the job I intend it to do on the road and I cant justify swapping it just yet.