New rider - 675 a good choice?

[bgs45504]

I have heard from a couple of people that a Daytona 675 is a bit more "forgiving" for the first time rider. I have a little experience on a KX125 when i was younger, but the only experience i have on a sport bike was about 30 minutes of time on a CBRR600...

I like the Triumph and like where it is made, so it is a good fit for me. I just dont want to bite off more than i can chew.

Any advice on this would be appreciated.

[Brooksie]

How did you like the time on the CBR? Owning this type of bike depends upon your maturity and discipline. If you have some of both, your chances are pretty good. It's not to say you can't have fun on the bike, quite the contrary. But you need to be sure your skill levels match your output at all time. If you prone to excitability (after all, that's why you want a bike) you have to able to keep yourself alive. Supersport bikes are becoming less and less the stepping stone to a liter class bike but are becoming powerful destinations in their own right. Tell us more about the type of riding you think you will do.

[TripleThreat]

Go buy a Ninja 250, ride it on the street for a year, sell it for what you paid for it and then move to the 675. Chances are if you are new to street riding you will drop your bike. Dropping a Ninja 250 will certainly upset you less than dropping a new 675.

A 600, 675 or 750 can get you in a world of trouble in a very short amount of time if you don't respect it and if you don't have the experience to ride it.

I don't think I would agree with whoever told you that the 675 is more forgiving than other super sport bikes. The handling on this bike is very quick and nimble and can, under certain circumstances, be a bit twitchy.

Ultimately you will do what you want to do, but I would recommend against a 675 as a starter street bike.

TripleThreat

[bgs45504]

I enjoyed the CBR, but as i said my time on it was limited. I can certainly understand the issue with getting to excited on a bike and am not looking to hit the twisties right out of the box. However, i do want something to learn on and something to continue to grow on. I like the thought of getting an older bike and while a Ninja 250 is a good starting point for some, i am a bigger guy (225 lbs) and a Ninja 250 just seems awfully small. I have read things that say the 250 is fine for stop light to stop light runs, but on the actual "roads" i want to stay 500 or above. This has also been the sentiment of my buddies who ride... Of course, they think i should buy something made on the other side of the world... That is why i came here.

I want to get the most bang for my buck and while i want to be careful with what i buy, i dont want to get into a situation where i am buying bikes every year.

Thanks for the input!

[loserboy50]

If you yhink the EX 250 is to small.......................look into the EX 500 it is the same bike with alot more poop! Another good choice.........find a used Suzuki SV650

Loserboy

[jimfrost]

Originally Posted by loserboy50

If you yhink the EX 250 is to small.......................look into the EX 500 it is the same bike with alot more poop! Another good choice.........find a used Suzuki SV650

Echoing this and previous sentiments, I'd say the D675 is a lousy first bike. The throttle is very twitchy, the bike is very tall, and the narrow lock-to-lock and steering damper make it very hard to control at low speed.

On the upside the thing is rideable at low RPM (as low as 3000RPM and pretty nice everywhere above 4000!), not something you can say of a CBR600 (below 7000 it's got nothin'). One of the nicest things about it is the huge usable powerband. But not as a first bike in my opinion, it wants to really GO.

I wouldn't recommend the 250 Ninja for a big guy. Those bikes are a total blast, you can flog the hell out of them without much fear of reprisal, but you can get yourself killed on the highway with the lack of power. The 500, though, is a pretty nice first bike -- cheap, nimble, enough power.

And as loserboy says, the SV650 (or since you're looking at sportbikes, the SV650S) is a pretty good compromise. It is very good at low RPMs, the power builds predictably so it's easy to control, it's not expensive, and since it's one of the most popular racebikes on the planet it's super-easy to get parts after you fall down. I like my SV650S so much that I didn't get rid of it after I bought the D675; it's a terrific commuter and sport-tourer and fun as heck in the twisties.

I named my D675 "Tabitha" after the precocious little witch in Bewitched because on the test ride I swear she was saying to me, "Wheelie! You know you want to wheelie!" I don't wheelie, but I swear she was pressuring me to do it anyway. And go fast. Very, very fast. I sometimes refer to the D675 as the improbability drive (courtesy Douglas Adams) because it accelerates so improbably fast. You really need fine control in your wrist to ride it safely.

All this comes down to: Get something else first. Ride it for a year or so, long enough to get the street skills you're going to need to control the bike. Then have a ball.

jim frost
jimf@frostbytes.com

[bgs45504]

Originally Posted by jimfrost

I named my D675 "Tabitha" after the precocious little witch in Bewitched because on the test ride I swear she was saying to me, "Wheelie! You know you want to wheelie!" I don't wheelie, but I swear she was pressuring me to do it anyway. And go fast. Very, very fast. I sometimes refer to the D675 as the improbability drive (courtesy Douglas Adams) because it accelerates so improbably fast. You really need fine control in your wrist to ride it safely.
jimf@frostbytes.com

Thanks for the tip here as well. I like the naming and can understand that. I am not a wheelie person either and have no intentions of doing that. I will leave that the kids with rubber joints and their parents health insurance. Otherwise, the throttle response and braking are my two main concerns with a bike like the D675.

So far i keep hearing about the Ninjas and the SV650, but would a used Katana 600 prepare me in the same way, or is it more of a handfull as well. I keep getting mixed responses on that.

[TripleThreat]

A katana 600 will be milder than the newer supersport 600s... It would probably be a fine choice. My original comment about the Ninja 250 was made not knowing what size of a person you are and it might be a little too small on hp for someone of your size.

Bottom line is that a milder bike like a Ninja 500, SV 650 or a Katana 600 would be a much better option than the 675 for your first year of riding on the street.

The 675 shines on the racetrack and on twisty backroads. It is not a casual cruise around town bike and it's really not conducive to learning on as it is very sensitive to rider input.

Good luck on your decision.

TripleThreat

[Will]

Here is another vote against a 675 as a first bike. The little Daytona WILL show you a very good view of the sky if you get on the throttle too enthusiastically and you aren't forward in the seat.

[Brooksie]

Great advise from the gang. While we all think the D675 or STreet Triple would be great, we also understand that you are looking at the entry level with more common sense than most riders. You are in the right engine size that will hold your interest for more than a summer. If you can get a 600 Katana cheap, that would be a good point. However, take a look at the DL650 (V-Strom) as it is a very good all rounder that offers some wind protection for longer rides. I actually was away from cycling for about 10 years and got back into it with a Bonneville. I like the retro thing, but also did not want to get a faired bike until I had some time on a bike. Things have changed, bikes (and cars) stop much quicker now. Take a look at the link on Suzuki bikes here http://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/...0-ar42933.html as they have dual disk brakes and are fairly reliable. Have fun and be safe! Hope to see you on a Triumph!