Should I buy a 2002 Yamaha R6 for a first timer?

HI guys, I am a new biggenner. I got my license August of 2004. but I havent had a bike yet. so I was thinking of buying my friends bike which is 2002 Yamaha YZF R6. so my question is would that be a good bike for a biggner. well I have ridden a Yamaha V-Star 650 which is not mine, but I am a big fan of super strret bikes. so I could really use some advice's thanks guys

Read the posts here and they should answer your question. Here's my advice.

Yes, you can buy an R6 as a first bike BUT you are taking an enourmous risk in doing so. Therefore, if you don't mind dropping/crashing/dying then go for it. Check out the R6 forums and see how many brand new riders have crashed and or died on an R6 if you don't believe me.


1. Have you taken the MSF class?
2. Purchased full gear?
3. Understand the power of an R6
4. Had any other riding experience
5. How old are you

A 600 class modern sportbike is WAYYY different then a big fat cruiser if that's your only other riding experience. The throttle is twitchy, the torque is exceptional and the risks higher because of the speed. Think really hard about this before doing so. BUT, i'm not someone to say no you shouldn't get one. I'm just saying you need to fully understand and accept the risks of your decision before going out and getting a sportbike. It's your decision in the end but just please be careful.

absolutely not. An R6 is a beast of a bike, and possibly the worst bike to start out on.

if i were you id look into some 50o's such as a kawasaki 500r or a suzuki GS500 ect.

even a 250 would be a nice first one, kawasaki makes that also.

there are several positives to starting small, the most notable would be money.
if you start small and buy used you can get a bike anywhere from $1000-3000. Plus you can learn to ride on it for a a year or 2 then sell it if you want for nearly the same price you purchased it at if not the same.

another plus is insurance. the insurance on a 500 is WAY cheaper then any 600, my 500 cost me 200 a YEAR! you cant beat that.

another reason that is great is that a 500 is much more user friendly, by that i mean throttle control ect. For example say you are riding along and Mrs. Daisy from out of nowhere is about to come in your lane so of course you either A. Slam the brakes or you B. accelerate. If you are on the R6 and you accelerate you will probably freak out and whack the throttle open putting you into a possible wheelie looping you or throwing you off ect, if you slam on the brakes you could easily lock up the front or rear and again throw you off. NOW the same situation on a 500. You grap the throttle and whack it open but thankfully this bike is forgiving and you accelerate enough to get you out of the way possibly scaring you a bit but not enough to do anything severe. Or you grab too much brake but luckily the bike weighs 50 pounds heavier and is much harder to lock up and easier to mantain when and if it does.

so if you ask my advice there is no reason to start on a 600cc motorcycle. With a 500 you get lower cost, cheaper insurance, great resale, faster learning curve, safer, smarter. what more can a person ask for[:]DUNNO[/:][:]:-))[/:]

Yes! You will be alright. You shouldn't be baby and get anything less than a 600! Lol j/k. No, I think you will be alright. I have buddies with zilch riding experiece buy this bike and are doing just fine. Good Luck buddy!! You will be o.k.[:]THUMBSUP[/:]

Don't listen to pigpen. He has no faith and an idiot at times. So don't mind him. You can manage on a 600. As far as my opinion goes you will be alright.

Uhhhh....Pigpen is an idiot because he's looking out for other riders? He's an idiot because he wants people to be safe and have the best experience possible on a bike?[:]SAYWHAT[/:]

Are you joking?

Ok...well I have to say when it comes to this question, I can give REALLY good advice. Why??

Back in 03 I was looking for a bike to buy. I wanted a used one, and I had always LOVED the R6. I had ridden a few bikes growing up, but mostly dirtbikes. Well my friend had an 02 R6 with like 900 mi. on it, and sold it to me for 6k.

I was scared to death when I first got on it, and the 5 min. ride to my house was slow and scary. I took it VERY slow for the first month, didn't leave my neighborhood for 3 weeks. I went out and bought a leather jacket and gloves, and at NO time did I think "I have this bike figured out, I can handle it".

Now, I can't sit here and say "Don't get an R6 for your first bike", that would be hypocritical. However, I can say that I was an exception to the rule. I don't know if it was natural skill, or just luck...but I took it slow and to this day, still think it's a LOT of bike for me.

Don't get it twisted...600s are NO joke. After I bought mine... I had a friend buy a used cbr F3. He was on it for about 15 sec. before he hit a curb, clipped a fire hydrant, borke his leg, and totaled his bike. 600s, even USED 600s... WILL bite you when you least expect it.


So in conclusion, do I think an R6 is the bike to have for your first?? No. In the end, it is up to you, and how much faith you have in yourself. Any bike can be ridden...(hell my friend has an 04 gixxer 1k) Is it smart? No. b/c 9 out of 10 people will end up hurting themselves. So take all of this into consideration. And make the decision YOU feel comfortable with. I love my R6, and wouldn't trade it for the world. I just thank god every day that I haven't gotten hurt on it.


p.s. Yes, I have laid it down. It was rebuilt, I wasn't hurt too bad. But I DID have on gear, and that is something you NEED to have first.

Best of luck to ya.

[:]THUMBSUP[/:]

I'm in the same boat as Kevin (Wildman). My '03 R6 is my first real street bike... BUT, I have about 12 years of riding experience doing everything from motocross racing, arenacross, desert racing, supermoto (much like road racing), off road (like GNCC style) racing, and limited street riding. I already even had my racing lisence long before I bought it, and had my M endorsement for almost a year. So I wasn't a total newbie when I got my R6, and my bet is I had 50,000+ miles (no exageration) under my belt before I bought my R6. Yeah, the bike is a hell of a beast, yeah it's got balls, and yeah it's STUPIDLY fast. But this is not to say that the bike is "unrideable". I think with a very level head, and a mature outlook, the bike could be ok for you, but I really wouldn't recomend it. Like said, things happen MUCH faster on a "racer" than they do on an entry level bike. The decision is up to you, but I would definitely encourage you to take the MSF course, buy your gear before the bike, and shop around very carefully for a bike. If you think you can be mature and smart enough for the R6, and you feel very confident at MSF, go for it, but be careful, and don't ride over your head. I'd say look for a gould deal on a 500 first though. If you could find a nice price on a Suzuki GS500F, I'd jump on it. But a ninja 500 would be just fine too.

do it man dont let those comments scare u dude it all comes down to u just have ur mind set straight is fast and quick dont try to show off and be a bad ass and go as fast as u can to show people u first have to control the bike

do it [:]DRINK[/:]

Its not really a good Idea but its been done before at least your not asking everyone weather we would approve a liter bike for a first bike cause we don't. Gear is the number one thing weather you buy the r6 or not. Like almost every one has said if you respect it youll be fine but the second you dont respect her she will kick you in the balls and wont get any that night ... much like a women ...hummmm?????

[:]?[/:]

Anyway "riding in your limits" is the keyword(s) being a newbi you'll find you that theres alot of limits set by you being new, and a lot of limits set on public saftey and when you get any bike its your responciblity to not abuse those limits. Once you start pushing your skill limits thats what usually causes you to go down. Also when you start abusing the limits of public safety even if you dont go down, You give the off what is called the squid effect. whats the squid effect you ask .. its when you blaze down the road as fast as you can in a tank top, shorts, and sandals pissing off every one on the road making them wanna run over every sport bike on the road they see and it gives all the decent riders a bad image.

squids = [:]DUNCE[/:]

Some one above also mentioned age ... age is a very important factor ... because age also effects your maturity level if you are 16 you usually havent developed you skills to drive a car correctly and you wanna buy a bike in this case i would really only recommend a ninja 250, not only will you be safer but it can smoke the Z28 Camaro in a 0-60 race. But the average starting age in this sport is about 21 or 22 and i think even thought 21 and 22 year olds don't have much more maturity but we do have more life experiance then some dumb 16year old thinking there the best cause they have A v6 mustang.


anyway to wrap up probably the longest post i have ever wrote on the board be safe and make decisions that are best for you not just what your friends think is cool. being a safe riders requires you to be level headed at all times.

good luck keep the rubber side down

By the way ....

Demon = Big Squid = [:]DUNCE[/:]

it would be wise if you ignore every word he says it ... Its a much smart idea to listen to pigpen he knows his stuff.

Pigpen = Good Rider =[:]THUMBSUP[/:]

What d2deluxe said about age is true. I rode dirtbikes my whole life, but had I bought a sportbike @ 16 or even 20 I would've killed myself no question. Its not that I wasn't smart enough, just like every other kid that age I made a lot of bad decisions. I drove a car like a maniac and did a lot of other stupid things that luckily didn't seriously hurt or kill me, but a bike is not forgiving at all.
As far a 1st bike start small like everyone says. Master that and move up. If you do that and buy a 600 in a year or 2 your skill level will be far beyond what it be if you spend the same amount of time on a 600. So it seems the question is do you want to be better down the road and maybe deal with a little sh*t from assh*les for ridin a smaller bike or do you want to hop right on a 600 and take a chance? You may be lucky and nothin will happen to you, but the odds are against you. I'd bet 95% of sportbike riders have crashed or will.

You HAVE to know the risks involved...and I don't know if you've really looked into it deeply enough or not but a 600cc motorcycle IS VERY FAST. You cannot listen to squids or a**holes telling you that a 600 is for sissys or is a beginner's bike because IT'S NOT!!!...I won't tell you not to get it but if you do be careful man. Take the MSF Course***** and go to an empty parking lot and practice on the bike a bit before you take it on the road.
Good luck bro[:]THUMBSUP[/:]

Demon, you're joking right? You're really gonna get someone killed [:]THUMBSDOWN[/:]

Man, age aint got **** to do with nothin. i know plenty of late tweny and early thirty year olds who act like fucking babys and are just fucking irresponsable on a bike. Im 19 years old and own a 2004 zx6rr and i can handle it just fine. it shouldnt matter how old you are, all that matters is how scared you are. if you get to the point were you stop being scared of the bike, thats when you need to get rid of it. So should the guy get the R6? hell yea, just be careful. regardless of age if you think you can handle it then go for it.

Honestly if you're responsible and do your research you'll be just fine. I had absolutely no riding experience whatsoever and I bought a brand new 04 GSX-R 600. Just be safe and aware and you'll do okay.

check this link
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting.php
it says it all.