Now that you have a bigger bike...

[Vegedurden]

Thanks, Xoulrath !

I tend to start getting pain in the knee after 4 hours (~ 200 miles) in the saddle on my ninjette.
Nothing about your wrists ? How is wind protection on the ZX ? On my ninjette around 130 km/h (~80 mph), the wind starts seriously pulling me back.

[Xoulrath]

If you have your elbows bent and use your core muscles to support your weight, then you should have no problems with your wrists. Though I will say that after a 260 mile ride, the vibrations, light though they may be, tend to start numbing your hands.

The wind protection honestly isn't any better than the 250. But the bike is meant to be fast on a track, not shield you from the elements on a 2,000 mile tour. I don't find it to be a problem, but I could see where really windy areas would make it harder to live with on a daily basis. Then again, if you can live with your Ninjette, then I don't see why you couldn't live with a SS.

[Vegedurden]

Originally Posted by Xoulrath

The wind protection honestly isn't any better than the 250. But the bike is meant to be fast on a track, not shield you from the elements on a 2,000 mile tour. I don't find it to be a problem, but I could see where really windy areas would make it harder to live with on a daily basis. Then again, if you can live with your Ninjette, then I don't see why you couldn't live with a SS.

That makes sense. I was just wondering if the ergonomics made it harder to live with than the ninjette. Thanks for answering in all details

I'm more and more seriously thinking about getting an MV Agusta F3 next year, if real life reports don't uncover any big flaw on that brand new beast.

Ride safe !
Vegedurden

[peachdiddy]

I ended up at a CB1000R. I love naked things, but naked bikes really get my blood flowing. No wind protection, but the seating position is basically upright for me. That's what I was looking for the most. I love aggressive sport bikes, but I want something I can sit on for a thousand miles and not want to trade it in on a Honda civic. You gotta remember that on bigger bikes (especially fuel injected ones), that they're easier to start, have tons more pep, and require absolutely no hard wrist twisting to get it or keep it moving. My twofiddy taught me how to balance, corner, swerve to miss objects and respect the fact that bad things can happen. All in all, it taught me how to ride responsively.

[THE BIG SITT]

My main fear with a bigger (600cc+) bike are wheelies. I know most people love em, but they really scare the hell out of me. So with the bigger bikes (ZX6R for example) is it easy to find yourself accidentally popping wheelies or is it something that takes a conscience effort?

[zilaniz]

Originally Posted by THE BIG SITT

My main fear with a bigger (600cc+) bike are wheelies. I know most people love em, but they really scare the hell out of me. So with the bigger bikes (ZX6R for example) is it easy to find yourself accidentally popping wheelies or is it something that takes a conscience effort?

With a liter bike, yes you can very easily power wheelie

On my R6 I have only accidentally done maybe 2-3 wheelies(I am only talking like a few inches of the ground) but it only happens when full throttle at the peak rpm going up a hill usually. 600's aren't really wheelie machines, they don't have a lot of torque and they are peaky, but you will lift the wheel up if you going up a hill and hammer on it, or you redline it in first gear it will come up a little.

Try riding a hard core supermoto, now THATS a wheelie machine.

[rockNroll]

Originally Posted by THE BIG SITT

My main fear with a bigger (600cc+) bike are wheelies. I know most people love em, but they really scare the hell out of me. So with the bigger bikes (ZX6R for example) is it easy to find yourself accidentally popping wheelies or is it something that takes a conscience effort?

It takes an effort or a spaztic panic to wheelie. The front end isn't gonna just come up on you unexpectedly if you have a clue as to what you're doing.

[ninja250]

Originally Posted by THE BIG SITT

My main fear with a bigger (600cc+) bike are wheelies. I know most people love em, but they really scare the hell out of me. So with the bigger bikes (ZX6R for example) is it easy to find yourself accidentally popping wheelies or is it something that takes a conscience effort?

NO!
A 600 is still tricky to wheelie. You still have to want it to wheelie for it to wheelie!
Specially if it's a SPORT 600 and not a SUPER SPORT 600. The sport are usually deadened some from the full blow super sport bikes.

My GSXR was HARD to power up but it would.. if you did it just exactly right. (See avatar)
You had to clutch it up for consistency. You had to pull clutch, rev to 6-7-8K and dump clutch fast, then apply an even or better good chunk of throttle to KEEP the wheel up.

IF YOU EVER WHEELIE ON YOUR 600 AND YOU DIDN'T WANT TO, LET OFF THE GAS OR HIT THE REAR BRAKE AND IT WILL COME RIGHT BACK DOWN. KEEP YOUR ARMS LOSE AND DO NOT GET TENSE.

You will be perfectly fine! Don't worry about a 600 doing wheelies on you without you asking it to! This is a common misconception. You will be perfectly ok!

It's the 1000 super sports that lift front wheel all over the place on a pin drop.
600 you still have to ask for it.

What you shoudl be worried about on a 600 from the 250 is throttle control while cornering.
That is the largest difference... besides the actual larger size of the bikes.
One hair of throttle in a corner on a 600 equals about ALL the throttle on the 250 lol.

I personally find the bigger "ships" to be way more comfy. Those GSXR are so in tune when you get dialed in to riding it and used to your machine. You really feel connected. Can ride one alllll day no discomfort. I sold my R6 cause it felt painful and squerrely compared to my GSXR's.

Only time I ever seen anyone on the street connected to something like I have seen people on GSXR was a guy on a honda 1000. Flew right by me and Adrian in a corner while we were flat out hauling... like we weren't even there.

I'm convinced since then the GSXR 1000 and the Honda 1000 are machines for super humans.
Either thatm or you turn into a super human when you learn to ride one properly.

That's why I won't track.
I don't like cornering that close to people.
Some other idiot will be responsible for me breaking my back when he hits me.
I don't need 1000's flying by my 250 while I'm banked, stressing me out. lol

[ninja250]

Another time a 600 will wheelie unexpected is coming off a corner in high RPM That one is scary. If your body position is right, all your weight should be lined right up above the rear wheel center of gravity and it stays on while you lean!
I've done it like twice!

Keep RPM low-ish while cornering bigger bikes. Otherwise all kinds of bad stuff can happen.
I worry about keeping the ninja at 12k through corners too sometimes.

[JLinde1339]

This has been some great information to build on. Glad I checked into this because I've been seriously considering a bigger bike, with reservations. Don't get me wrong, I still love my 250, and plan to keep it, if I get another one. Thanks again, for all the great insight.
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[THE BIG SITT]

Thanks for the reassurance guys

I just showed that to the fiance and she seems a little more open to me getting a bigger bike at some point in the distant future. I just got my 250 two weeks ago, and I'm still learning how to corner at speeds that let the bike do what its made for.

[Xoulrath]

The ONE time my ZX even started to come up on me, I had it for two days and was still adjusting to it.

The wheel didn't actually come up; the front end just got light as I was pushing hard through second gear. I was sitting farther back than I normally do. Simple fix: add more throttle and lean forward. Well, I guess you could just maintain throttle and lean forward, but what fun is that? Seriously, the bike was fine.

As for coming up on a hill or coming off of a corner hard, I personally haven't experienced that, though I do my best to maintain a proper weight distribution on the bike, especially while riding hard, and I do weight 270 so that may help as well.