Some n00b bike questions.
 

Well I know nothing about bikes so I have so very dumb questions so I have some basic knowledge.

What are top bike brands? Like what are "exotics" of the bike world.
Who makes the fastest bike currently? And by fastest I mean track bike.

What would be a good bike for a beginer like me? My experiance is very small with bikes. Rode a few adult size dirt bikes back when I was about 13, and a few sprints up and down the street and some random stuff that I dont even know the name of anymore.

well I can tell you if you are looking for exotic bikes rather than just faster then you would go for Ducati, Aprilia, and MV Agusta to name a few of the really exotic ones all from Italy BTW. I would Honestly say Honda has the nicest overall bikes though.

Suzuki 1300R is one of the fastest, I think it was featured in Discovery Channel before, but those are heavy bikes (i.e. will not be as good on handling)

I personally love Ducati's.......a red one is to die for.
http://img344.imageshack.us/img344/3...r0218cf.th.jpg

This "bad handling" big bike idea is a very relative statement.

By todays standards a current open class hyperbike lik the Busa is a "bad handler" compared to the GSXR600/750/1000 brigade.

But - compared to a 'hot 750 from the mid 1990's the modern Busa would still (in the right hands) eclipse it.

hahaha.....damn it......I hate that "in the right hands" statement. Hard to argue on that u know!!! :twisted:

:lol:

I'd say the fastest common road bike that you could take on track would be the GSXR1000. Closely followed by the Honda CBR. Exotics aren't as quick as the japs on the road but generally have sumblime handling, the modern ones anyway. For me, the duke Vtwins sound so much better than the japs.

In superbike racing, the ducatis and hondas usually take up the top places but the Suzukis are the weapon of choice in most sunday cups or lower leagues.

Most people who track their bikes use 600's though as they're much more nimbler than the litre bikes.

All IMHO of course ;)

Re: Some n00b bike questions.
 

I don't care what anyone says, the best beginner bikes are 250cc bikes. The most important thing about riding a bike is learning to ride the bike. Sounds crazy but I am very serious. I have met so many people who claim to be good riders but can barely control the bike properly. Sure they can twist the throttle and turn the bars, but past that...nothing. The reason I say 250cc is because they are far more forgiving when trying to learn the dynamics of bike riding. Body position, smooth throttle and brake control, proper shifting, where to look, all very important to riding and quite a bit to all take in when first learning. Sure, you can get hurt on a 250cc just the same as any other bike, but snap the throttle on a 250 and then on a 1000 and there will be a huge difference.

When you say track do you mean drag strip (quarter mile times) or race track (fastest lap times)?

In real world conditions any of the modern day Liter (1000cc) bikes will be neck and neck with the defining factor being the rider. Many think the Hayabusa is the fastest and it is according to the record books, but as far as getting to a set speed of say 180mph, the current GSXR1000, R1, CBR1000 and ZX10 will be right there with it.

[Shameless Plug]
My R1 will kill a Hayabusa, but then my bike isn't stock either. :D :D
[/Shameless Plug]

Any pics of your R1, Min?

As for Alex's original question, I cannot add much to what Min has already said. In countries with tiered licencing you are forced to start out on a small cc / low hp bike, and work your way upwards.

Occasionally, an older 'new rider' can get away with jumping straight onto a larger bike, especially if they have a bit of dirtbike experience. Riding on dirt is vastly different to road riding however.

Alas, the way the licencing is structured here, most seem to think a 600cc is a suitable size for a 'starter' bike :shock:

I am not dissing corpse grinder (or anyone else that jumped straight onto a 600) here BTW, given the chance at 17 in the UK I wouldn't have been riding a 125cc :mrgreen: but with hindsight I am glad I was restricted to that size while I learnt to ride.

On the sport rider forums, a guy has in the last day or two posted: I just got a CBR900RR as my first bike and have just passed the training course.

Everyone is saying, "WTF? :roll: :shock: :lol: " as their initial reaction! This guy is 29 BTW.

wow thats one of the cleanest bikes ive ever seen. Reminds me of Ilogiteks bike from SCS, well until we went riding, and he totalled it of course.

On the topic of noob bike questions please note we now have a 'useful links' thread:

http://www.motorworld.net/forum/showthread.php?t=28798

:)

I know you have the links and all but i wanted to ask some more experienced riders before i make a purchase. I was considering an early to late 90's Honda CBR 600rr. Originally i wanted either a Yamaha r6, r1 or a Honda CBR900rr or CBR954rr. Then I got a some input about novice riders picking up an r1 for the first bike and then taking a helicopter ride to the hospital. A close friend has an older honda 1000 early 90s i think, not sure on the year. Anyhow he says he cant even keep up with the modern 600s. So after looking about i was thinking of getting an older Honda CBR600RR its a bit older and sluggish by compairison but i could grow with the bike and there are alot of aftermarket mods for it when my skill grows. Ive ridden street bikes but like i said i learned on a dirtbike. If I make this purchase this will be my first sport bike. My goal with the bike is to learn and grow in skill, till eventually i can put my knee down then think about a more powerfull toy. Comments ideas??? Cautions??????

I think they have only been making the CBR600RR since 02 or 03.

The 'other' CBR is the CBR600F, which they have been producing since the early 90s.

Anything with plastic fairings costs a lot to insure, so you might want to consider a Suzuki SV650/Bandit 600 or Honda 599 instead of the CBR. These are all cheaper to buy and insure than the faired models.

If it was me, I'd be looking to buy a 4 or 5 year old (or older) bike and insure it liability only. I think you'll find insurance costs to be quite shocking for full coverage.

You learn more and gain more skills by learning on small bikes than jumping straight onto a big one for sure.

Wasnt the f4i a CBR600rr? im gonna go look

EDIT:NM i was thinking of the mid 90s CBR600 F3 you were right, anyhow im 6' tall and 220lbs so isnt my size somewhat of a factor in a bike this small. A friend of mine aj rides an 05 r6 and hes only 130lbs soaking wet. Surely your size has something to do with the controlability of the bike.