[Newbie84]

Hey Everyone!

I am completely new to riding motorcycles and have no prior experience. I am taking the MSF beginner's course next week and plan to purchase my first bike shortly after that. A friend of mine who has been riding a 600RR for about 8 months now reccommended that I start on the 600 F4i. Knowing that I am completely new to riding I do not plan to push anything until I gradually build up my abilities. Do you think that the F4i is a bike that is acceptable for a first time rider? Thanks for any honest suggestions and input. I know you probably see these questions a lot so I appreciate any time you take to help me out.

Thanks....New and Wanting to Learn!

[CBR929RE]

yes we see this question a bit. but you made the answer so much easier by asking about the F4i. in my opinion its a great beginner bike.

[mr_magicman]

last november i took the motorcycle safety class and got my first bike, a 2004 honda cbr600f4i. i had never ridden a motorcycle before. i am 54 and am enjoying riding this f4i. i had friends that thought i was crazy to get an f4i for a first bike but you know what i am enjoying every minute riding it. the best thing about it is that it is extremely reliable. it is a honda. you will not be dissatisfied. good luck and welcome.

[Repeater]

She's just about as fast as an 600 rr. well she was faster than the first gen rr in a straight line.

It is good, but i recommend getting an 01 or 02. something around 3500 to 4k. that way if you drop it you won't feel to bad.

WE all recommend bikes like the SV650 over supersport bikes though. they are more forgiving than any 600 ss bike. remeber this little F4i has 110 hp and wieghs 400 lbs. she's plenty quick but still a very stable mount.

[HondaGalToo]

I'm gonna cast the dissenting vote here. The F4i is a better beginner bike than the 600RR or a liter bike, which many think they can successfully start on. However, it wasn't too long ago that the F4i was Honda's top of the line, fastest 600 inline four. It wouldn't have been recommended as a beginner bike when it first came out. I think people recommend them now as a compromise to someone hell-bent on starting on a sportbike. I still don't think it's the best thing to learn on.
I think better choices for a person with no experience would be an SV650, Ninja 500 or Suzuki GS500. The power won't come on as abruptly.
Unfortunately, there are no really cool beginner bikes available in this country. Another good choice would be an older, standard model of some sort. Get something older and used, because you're going to drop it more than once. You'll become a much more proficient rider if you can suck it up and start on something small. Start on too much bike, and all your focus is on controlling the "oh ****" factor instead of on technique. That's my 2 cents, for what it's worth.
Kudos for taking the MSF, you're off to a good start. Purchase good gear and wear it all the time.
Welcome to the site.

[JBODIE]

Originally Posted by HondaGalToo

I'm gonna cast the dissenting vote here. The F4i is a better beginner bike than the 600RR or a liter bike, which many think they can successfully start on. However, it wasn't too long ago that the F4i was Honda's top of the line, fastest 600 inline four. It wouldn't have been recommended as a beginner bike when it first came out. I think people recommend them now as a compromise to someone hell-bent on starting on a sportbike. I still don't think it's the best thing to learn on.
I think better choices for a person with no experience would be an SV650, Ninja 500 or Suzuki GS500. The power won't come on as abruptly.
Unfortunately, there are no really cool beginner bikes available in this country. Another good choice would be an older, standard model of some sort. Get something older and used, because you're going to drop it more than once. You'll become a much more proficient rider if you can suck it up and start on something small. Start on too much bike, and all your focus is on controlling the "oh ****" factor instead of on technique. That's my 2 cents, for what it's worth.
Kudos for taking the MSF, you're off to a good start. Purchase good gear and wear it all the time.
Welcome to the site.

Ditto and welcome!

[Scout]

Originally Posted by Newbie84

Hey Everyone!

I am completely new to riding motorcycles and have no prior experience. I am taking the MSF beginner's course next week and plan to purchase my first bike shortly after that. A friend of mine who has been riding a 600RR for about 8 months now reccommended that I start on the 600 F4i. Knowing that I am completely new to riding I do not plan to push anything until I gradually build up my abilities. Do you think that the F4i is a bike that is acceptable for a first time rider? Thanks for any honest suggestions and input. I know you probably see these questions a lot so I appreciate any time you take to help me out.

Thanks....New and Wanting to Learn!

I think it's a good choice, something that you can grow into. That, or an SV. In my mind they are equally okay.

[onevcs]

IMO, anything bigger than a 50cc (Fifty cc) is too big for a biginer.
But for some reason no one ever listens to me...

[KF810]

I think an F4i is a great beginner bike. That was my first bike in 2002. I had ridden bikes before, but just dirt, which is a totally different element, but any experience does help. DO go to the MSF course if you have never ridden. Just ride with a level head and you will do just fine on that bike. I would also go with a used one to start.

[tuffy6969]

Originally Posted by Scout

I think it's a good choice, something that you can grow into. That, or an SV. In my mind they are equally okay.

Scout...is that you? I thought you were dead my boy. Glad to see you're still alive. We still need to hook up for a ride down your "secret" haunt next time I get my bike to Bako.

[mr_rua]

Originally Posted by HondaGalToo

I'm gonna cast the dissenting ...

I will have to agree with HondaGalToo on this issue. I have an '01 F4i track bike that keeps up with the latest models (no go faster parts on it) and even some of the bigger CC bikes (only in the turns). For a beginner, I would suggest a 500 or 250. I started riding on a 600 and I look back and wish that I started on something smaller.

[dattaway]

The cbr600f4 was my first bike 60,000 miles ago. Still have it and its my favorite. Its HEAVY for a beginner. Shouldn't be a problem, except for those rare conditions (one a week) when filling up at the gas station and your foot slips on kitty litter. Or at the light and lean a bit too far and you haven't learned the coordination of holding 400 pounds yet. Fun bike to pick up!

Be very careful and take it REAL easy the first few weeks. The power doesn't start kicking in until 3K and pulls like a jet aircraft at 6K. It may take a few months for your mid and upper body strength develop to prevent your wrists from laying into the handlebars which will cut off circulation. A newbie might also not recognize the importance of fear. Fear will save your life. Don't get to brave until you learn countersteering with your 400 pound bike or you'll go straight into the ditch at the first good corner. You are likely to meet lots of new people your first few months of riding. Many don't wear protection, like to stunt, and have lots of scars. You might notice they don't last more than a few months and often end up leaving their lives in a plastic bag or two. Get out the score card and pick your friends well.

Have fun! The Ninja 250 is a seriously fun bike too. They are wicked fun! Whatever you choose, be safe and live to tell your story years later!

[nudisF4i]

i haven't been riding forever but honestly i think without a doubt with all the bikes that i have ridden (gsxr, R6, Katana, F4, 636 ninja) and i think the F4i is the best bike i have ever ridden. It's an excellent choice.

[Nickelii]

Buy what you want, it's your money. My first bike ever was a 1998 gsxr600 and I had never ridden anything prior. I did drop it a few times but I am alive and still riding

Tuffy, I love your avatar! What a great movie

"Fra-gee-lay, must be Italian"

[SoCal94F2]

For a first bike, you might consider something like the Kawasaki ex500. Its a side by side twin rather than an inline four so it keeps the weight down making it very agile ( it can usually hold its own with the middle weight bikes in the corners.. just not the straights). It is thinner so it leans down more in case you misjudge a corner and have to compensate. They can be picked up for a mere $1200 almost everywhere, are very reliable and parts arent too expensive should you drop it. They dont have a lot of power in the lower RPM's but scream well between 7000-11000 rpms. This makes for good training for drop shifting to get into the power band without worrying about hitting it too hard. You also wont lift the front end off the ground when exiting a corner under power like some of them middleweights can do. When you get comfortable on it, you can usually sell it for what you paid for it and then step up to something that demands a bit more respect and finesse without fear of injuring yourself or your pocket book. Just my .02 cents.

[nudisF4i]

my first bike was a 91 ninja ex500 i bought for 1100 bucks and it had 8k on it great bike to learn but i got bored with it real fast that's the only bummer

[tuffy6969]

Originally Posted by Nickelii

Buy what you want, it's your money. My first bike ever was a 1998 gsxr600 and I had never ridden anything prior. I did drop it a few times but I am alive and still riding

Tuffy, I love your avatar! What a great movie

"Fra-gee-lay, must be Italian"

That is my #1 favorite movie of all time. I saw that movie when it came out on the big screen and I was hooked. I watch it every year on DVD at LEAST 4 times. Then...there's that "24 hours of a Christmas Story" on Christmas Eve....I forget who runs it. It may be a cheesy film to some....but the Bumpus hounds and the dad.....

[blade2]

G'day mate. I think the F4i is a great beginers bike as I started out on a rossi rep, and I am enjoying it very much. However, having said that, you need to make sure your throttle free play is set correctly i.e 3-6mm or you will find the throttle to abrupt as I did ( I dropped the thing the day I bought it). Other than that you should have no problems. Enjoy!

[sheepofblue]

Not a terrible bike but here is one thought. Go to http://www.ronayers.com/ and check the price of body parts for the bike you are looking at. Fairings are expensive and that is one huge advantage of a naked bike You seem to have a good mind set so be careful and you will be fine with whatever decision.

[tuffy6969]

Scout - should I call you LT now? If so....congrats. If not....will asshole work??

[madkaw]

I just sold my '02 Suzuki TL1000R for a '99 F4 and this is the sixth bike I've owned(the first 600 I've ever owned too). So it's a great bike, not only for beginners, but for experienced riders too.

[Newbie84]

Thanks everyone. I got my 2003 600F4i about 3 weeks ago and I am loving every minute of it. I am trying to find every excuse possible to go out and ride. Thanks for the input.

[Scout]

Originally Posted by tuffy6969

Scout - should I call you LT now? If so....congrats. If not....will asshole work??

The first is okay, the second mandatory.

[tuffy6969]

Originally Posted by Scout

The first is okay, the second mandatory.

I'll just call you LT. The second one....we'll save for later.

Congrats! You are with a good dept. My boy Mr. Payne is over there too. He's a good guy. I worked with his mom at one time.

[ride2wheel4life]

congrats on your f4i, i have one myself, and i love it, but i am looking to move up so i hate to leave it. Always wear your gear you never know what can happen...TRUST ME i speak from expirience, i previously lived in az (no helmet law..) i never used to wear gear, and one night i decided to wear all my gear, and thats the night i almost died! just becareful guy! have fun.