Going from a 250 to a thou....too much of a jump?

[Paulus]

A friend bought a Fireblade as his first road bike. He had many years experience in the dirt including on a CR500 and he took to it like a duck to water. Another friend bought a 99 R1 after an RGV250 and sadly it destroyed his confidence. He would have been better off on a 600 and he ended up giving up completely.

To be fair the newer ones are a little easier to ride (if a little less exciting). I think what catches out a lot of riders from less powerful bikes is how easy it is to highside or lowside them coming out of a corner if you don't have good smooth throttle control.

If you buy one I guess you'll find out.

[jrandom]

on that note also testride some busses, George Forman Grills and a GSX1400 just to have some different stuff...

Oooh, you bitch.

[HornetBoy]

Cant go wrong with a 600 except when you end up with a 215kg katana feels like a 250cc motor in a 1000cc frame

[avgas]

So really, what am I missing ?
DB

about 100hp
No but seriously, i was in exactly the same boat as you.
Be warned what your bike does at 100kph the big sport bikes do at 200kph.
Scared the shit out of me when i test rode the K5 Gixxer, 2001 R1 and ZX10R......there was no weight in the bike and the front wheel wouldn't go back down.
I bought the Fazer cos i still loved the motor, but not the lack of steering.

[Gwinch]

It's really not that much of a jump if you have some sort of self restraint. Sure you have the power to reach speeds previously thought ludicrious but really, how much do you value life? My suspicion is that a $10k+ bike pales in comparison. Assuming you have good throttle control and are not prone to scary moments of random throttle application during corners or slow speed maneuvering (also physically strong enough to handle the bike in such situations) you'll be just dandy.

So, how well do you know yourself and your limitations as a human being?

p.s I may be bias however, I just made the jump from a '96 Hornet 250 to a '07 VTR 1000 a matter of sixteen days ago.

[onearmedbandit]

No disrespect to your bike, but a VTR1000 differs wildly from an R1.

[kiwifruit]

No disrespect to your bike, but a VTR1000 differs wildly from an R1.

what do you mean!? they're both thous!!!!

[onearmedbandit]

what do you mean!? they're both thous!!!!

Doh, my bad. Yes you're right.

[jrandom]

what do you mean!? they're both thous!!!!

Well, on the face of it, the same comment could be made vis-a-vis an R1 and a GSX-R1000 K3, couldn't it?

[blueblade]

When I got back into bikes after a break of some 25 years I bought a 98 GSXR 600. Loved the sound it made when wound up but to be honest I really struggled to relearn on it. Needed to concentrate so much on being in the right gear that I was making little progress with the fine art of cornering. After 6 weeks I traded it on a 929 Fireblade and that was the best move I could have made. The bike had great handling and very good low and mid range power which made it much more relaxing to ride and let me concentrate more on cornering without having to worry so much about being in exactly the right gear all the time.
As others have said, provided you have a reasonable level of common sense and self control, most litre bikes can be ridden perfectly safely by someone with a couple of years (or even less) experience on a smaller machine.
Some people will never be safe, no matter what they are riding.
04/05 ZX10 might not be the best second bike in the world though

[BIGBOSSMAN]

I got back into bikes after a 21 year break (and a painful leg break as well) and promptly purchased a nice little lime green '05 ZX10R.
It's as mean and 'widowmaker-ish' as I want it to be, and a brilliant re introduction into sport biking after my late, departed RG500 in 1986.
What's the fuss all about then? Just get to know the new weapon over time, don't just jump on it and propel yourself into oblivion immediately.

[lanci]

Yeah it is far to big a step but I am a pussy, girls blouse, soft-cock etc etc.

Honestly everyone is governed by ones own self control, so if you are a fucking moron, a litre bike may not be a good idea (I'm not saying you are moron). I get stupid sometimes and am inexperienced hence my choice of Monster 620, although that is easily enough to get you killed.

[Brett]

The fact is that the go-juice to the motor is controlled by your right hand...you dictate how much power goes to the rear. Fact is, having only ridden a 250, and a low powered one at that, a 600cc is enough to put you in trouble, a 1000cc will almost undoubtedly put you in the poo.

[discotex]

The fact is that the go-juice to the motor is controlled by your right hand...you dictate how much power goes to the rear. Fact is, having only ridden a 250, and a low powered one at that, a 600cc is enough to put you in trouble, a 1000cc will almost undoubtedly put you in the poo.

Exactly. Yes you are in control of your right hand but what's the point if you can never open it wide up because your experience isn't up there with the performance of the bike.

Even the 600cc supersports are a big jump. My CBR600RR is 3 times the power of a CBR250RR and the same dry weight. It's really too insane fast for the road but perfect on the track.

[backinthesaddle]

I went from a GSXR250 to a GSX750F many moons ago. Yes I did give myself some serious scares and was lucky enough not to crash. Now have a 1200 after 15 yrs of nothing & the same rules apply. Get to Know your bike & ride within your current capabilities. Increased speed & confidence will increase with age & experience. Take it easy & enjoy the ride!