First sportsbike.. is a new bike that big of a risk???

before i even write this i know what half the answers will read but here i go anyway

im thinking of getting the '08 gixxer 750. here are my reasons.. i am 6'2 and 250lbs so i want a bigger bike than a 600, it has the mode selection fun so i can keep it in mode 'c' for the first few months which limits it to about 500cc while im getting used to riding. im 27yrs old and understand the risks involved so i know i have the self control to hold back til i get some experience under my belt. im taking the msf course which cant hurt.

so here is the question.. i have read so many things in my ongoing research on this matter that say everyone drops a bike at some stage. a lot go on to say that many drops are at lights and in car parks when riding slow or stopping. excuse my ignorance but how hard is it to balance a bike? i am a helicopter pilot so i feel i have a good ability to manage multiple tasks at once including finite throttle control. am i running a BIG risk with a new bike? thanks

Modern sportbikes are wonderful machines, very high-tech. But they are very serious machines, very single-purpose, very unforgiving. MOST people drop the bike once or twice. It's not so much a matter of balance as coordination. Its a matter of developing a feel for the bike, and it just takes a while to do that. Think about taking your primary helicopter training in some very fancy, very expensive, high-performance copter.

They make airplanes and helicopters that are meant as trainers. This just means that it's not as easy to get into trouble in them. They are more forgiving. Modern sportbikes are twitchy like a high-strung race horse.

Actually, your helicopter experience would probably be a big help. Also your age (you are older than the average beginner). But I would still advise you to get something a little more general-purpose to start out, at least for the first few months. After you learn to ride, you will have a better idea of what you really want. Here in California we have motorcycle salvage places that are full of brand new sportbikes that have been wrecked with <10,000 miles on them.

A lot of people drops bikes because they are too short for the bike and cannot reach the road until the bike leans way over.
There are even some who ride off with the side stand still down and only remember when they lean into a corner and it digs in. Some just forget to put their feet down when they come to a stop. You might do something like this, but I think you should have confidence in yourself.

Yes, it's that big of a risk...

Please research the New Rider Forums and read the stickies up top...
http://www.sportbikes.net/forums/new-rid...

Good luck!

just get some frame sliders for it.

I dont think so if you can handle it then go for it. I wanna ride in the helo by the way LOL

pull the trigger, you sound like you got a head on your shoulders

Lets just assume you already know the basics of riding and balancing a bicycle and have gone as far as taking a motorcycle rider course where you know you can operate and stay up on a motorcyle.

Not everyone drops a bike at some stage. It all depends on how extreme of a rider you plan to be.

If you ride normal, ride within your limits, don't try to take corners fast, and pay attention what's ahead and around you then the chances of you dropping you bike is almost zero.

Now if you get on the Gixxer and plan to drag a knee around those corners or ride that wheelie, your chances of dropping the bike has increased, of course.

Sportbikes are very lightweight bikes. Much easier to balance and control than heavier cruisers, but it is the speed they can generate where riders without self-control have accidents.

If you are that mature enough to have learned to fly a helicoper, I don't doubt you maturity to learn and ride a 750cc sportbike.

If you already know and understand how to drive a manual transmission, it helps learning a motorcycle because it's one less thing you have to focus on when learning. The common saying is that if you can drive a stick and ride a bicycle, learning a motorcycle will be easy. If you can practice discipline and restraint when riding, you may be fine. It's not all fun and games on a sport bike. Even if you ride perfect you need to know how to react when other cars and bikes and trucks don't drive so perfect. That comes from building new instincts and reflexes, and driving habits. While I definitely recommend the class, the class doesn't usually teach all you need to know. Many, many riders go down every summer due to overconfidence gained by taking the class.

The first time I ever touched a motorcycle, it was a 1997 ZX6. I rode it around a parking lot for 5 minutes to find out how to shift, then rode 100 miles home on the interstate. I鈥檝e been riding ever since with a clean riding history. (Thanks to God) So it is possible to start on something other than a 250.

When I ride on the highway, I assume that every car I pass or that passes me, doesn't see me and is looking to come into my lane. I'm ready for any move that car makes half a second before he makes it.

You have to learn aerodynamics. If you get to close behind a rig, the wind can trap you there. When you pass along side of a rig the wind will pull you closer to the truck at one point and push you away at another. You have to learn all this and have counter balance and movements programmed into your body reflexes. There is so much more to it. You need lots of practice.

People recommend smaller CC bikes for beginners because most newbies are into it for the speed and flashiness of it and often underestimate the seriousness of riding safe. The temptation to tap into that power is usually too great to overcome. If you know you can and will respect the bike and get at least 3 thousand miles of practice before hitting the highway, and before group rides, then maybe you can start on a 600cc bike. Otherwise, help yourself out and start small.

I say go for it!