CBR600RR whilst SV in for service, should I change?

Hi All,

About 10 days ago I took my SV650S for it's first service and the dealer gave me a CBR600RR for the day. As soon as I got it off the front of the dealers I thought ' I like this!'. I am still a relative newbie coming back to biking after a 20 year break, which is why I decided on the SV, I didn't thrashthe RR but everything felt so much better, It felt like half the weight, corners and roundabouts were 10 miles an hour faster without any effort and acceleration and braking appeared so much smoother. I only did about 70 miles but when I got back to the dealers I asked how much it would be to swap, I will have lost about a grand on mine but hey ho!

Discussed it with the missus and basically said I felt so much more confident and felt like I had more time to see what was going on around me, so she said yes if I want to. However I read a thread on the CBR site which basically said inexperienced riders shouldn't buy R bikes but I just don't see it from the day on the RR, Is the danger that I start to become over confident, will the race set up get me into danger if I push it on the road?


I also tried an R6 today, didn't like that and will definately try a GSXR before I decide on the bike but should I stick with the SV for a year?

Any views or advice welcome!

PS. for me the bike is for pleasure only, Weekends and summer evenings, no commuting, etc and although the wife intends going pillion next summer I don't expect her to be on it more than 2 or 3 times a year.

Originally Posted by SV'dd

However I read a thread on the CBR site which basically said inexperienced riders shouldn't buy R bikes.

nonsense (IMO)

if you like the bike, feel confident on it & can aford it, go for it........... i would (did)

^^^^ what hovis said + whatever floats you boat, the cbr is a great bike so if you like it go for it.

Get the bike you want (if you can afford it)... I rode the old style CBR600RR while I had an SV, could never go back now!

I felt the CBR easier to ride and felt more confident riding it. Go for it!

[northwind]

These are great bikes... A relatively inexperienced rider probably won't get the best out of it, in fact, a very experienced rider probably won't get the best out of it, but the handling's good and the motor's lovely for an IL600, so it won't bite. In some ways, they're easier to ride than an SV. Not my sort of bike but that's OK. I do reckon that spending time on more basic bikes makes you better in the long run, I did 10000 miles on a rubbish 125 and that taught me things about maintaining speed etc that I'd never have learned on the SV, faster bikes make things a bit easier so you can sit back and relax and still go fast (Hence fast-straight-slow-corner-syndrome)

I would say to try a CBR600F if you can, they're a bit less focussed, less powerful too, but a bit more sensible and still stonking bikes. I really wish I liked them more than I do, put it that way, for real world riding it's hard to beat a CBR.

[fizzwheel]

If you afford to insure and run it and it makes you feel more confident in your riding then yes go and buy it.

However theres a lot to be said for building up some experience for a year on your SV and then changing for a bike with more power etc etc.

Saying that you'll have more room to grow into the CBR than you will the SV...

Basically if you have some self restraint and you are prepared to spend a bit of time getting used to the chassis and engine characteristics of the CBR then I dont see why you shouldnt change to one.

I think your idea of trying a R6 and a GSXR is good as then you'll have something to compare the CBR with and you'll be in a better place to make your own mind up.

I've never looked back since I changed to my GSR 750 I prefer it to ride over my SV...

Originally Posted by SV'dd

Hi All,

About 10 days ago I took my SV650S for it's first service and the dealer gave me a CBR600RR for the day. As soon as I got it off the front of the dealers I thought ' I like this!'. I am still a relative newbie coming back to biking after a 20 year break, which is why I decided on the SV, I didn't thrashthe RR but everything felt so much better, It felt like half the weight, corners and roundabouts were 10 miles an hour faster without any effort and acceleration and braking appeared so much smoother. I only did about 70 miles but when I got back to the dealers I asked how much it would be to swap, I will have lost about a grand on mine but hey ho!

Discussed it with the missus and basically said I felt so much more confident and felt like I had more time to see what was going on around me, so she said yes if I want to. However I read a thread on the CBR site which basically said inexperienced riders shouldn't buy R bikes but I just don't see it from the day on the RR, Is the danger that I start to become over confident, will the race set up get me into danger if I push it on the road?


I also tried an R6 today, didn't like that and will definately try a GSXR before I decide on the bike but should I stick with the SV for a year?

Any views or advice welcome!

PS. for me the bike is for pleasure only, Weekends and summer evenings, no commuting, etc and although the wife intends going pillion next summer I don't expect her to be on it more than 2 or 3 times a year.

there's plenty of time. Wait for it- you'll feel better for doing so. There's always a nicer bike out there...

Born again biker on a CBR, I'd avoid just so I wouldn't be a stereotype.

[KnightRider]

I have just had a 3 month stint riding a CBR600rr (K6) as my bike was in for repairs. I reckon that 3 months is more than long enough to get a feel for what a bike is going to be like when you own it and I have to say that if I could afford the insurance on the CBR I would take it tomorrow.

Like you I am inexperienced (read...I passed my DAS 6 months ago) and although my riding skills are very poor the CBR has been a great bike to learn on. It is not only very forgiving as the low rpm torque is as good if not better than the SV and the handling is superb, but it is also confidence inspiring and makes you feel like a riding god.

I will admit that when I first started riding it I had a couple of very scary moments when overtaking as the powerband launched me down the road leaving my brain 10ft behind me, but you soon learn to be careful and control the throttle at high rpm.

I would therefore say that you should definately make the change and get the CBR, but please be sensible with it. The CBR is such good handling bike that it allows you to get away with some very tight manouvers. When I think back to some of the crazy overtakes and high speed motorway filting that I have done I get chills up my spine!

How the heck do you get the experience if you dont own one?

As others have said, if you want one - get one and enjoy yourself