THe yzf 600 is still a fast bike, but it is more comfortable, and easier to ride than an R6, and cheaper. You say that you won't hit 8 grand, but wait till you start riding it's hard to resist. The first sport bike I ever rode was my friends yzf600 and the second I got to an empty main road I ran it up to 15000 in first and then went to second, then third and took it up to 120. If you have never ridden a sport bike you will be very supprised how fast they get to 120. If you are already rolling and doing about 35 it doesn't take more than about 7 maby 8 seconds to get to 120, and it is a real fast 7 seconds at that. The speed is very addicting and it takes alot of control not to get on it alot. Another bike that might be a good starter bike would be something like a katana 600. they are slow for a bike, but it will still get up and go.

 

Just remember not to many 80 year old bingo ladies with cataracts in both eyes are driving out on the dirt. Good luck and be safe.

 

THe R6 is awesome!!!!!! I loved every little bit of it.. but hell i sold that dump and got an RC51 HONDA

HONDA bikes are amazing.. no offence cause yamaha is my #1 brand for quads.. but honda is great in motorcycles..

If i were you.. id deff. get the R6 its badazz.... If you have a LOTT of experience get the R1

I never dumped my bike... i dont like to brag but i have absolutely NEVER dumped my bike.. not even slow speeds.

I've fallen off my raptor a SH!Tload of times.. ill addmitt it.. i fell a couple times doing wheelies at 20- 30 mph.. it sucked. but never on a bike!!!

 

Yea thats what I ride, an RC51(see picture page). Amazing bike. Extremely powerful with the right mods. (most importantly... the right MAP in the powercommander!)

Going from a decent map, to an AWESOME map in the PCIII makes the biggest difference in the world. It uses so much more fuel, though.

Anyways, YZF600r's are good bikes. I would seriously recommend the SV650, though.
Plenty of get up, (1/4 mile in the mid 11's) and so much fun to throw around.

Check out svriders.com (maybe .org or .net, not sure)

 

speaking of fuel, how many mpg's should I be expecting to see if I get the yzf?

 

The little 4 banger on the freeway at low RPM, shoot... probably 60mpg if ridden very nicely.
My buds SV650 (650 Vtwin) gets insane MPG the way he rides it. (very slowly)

My 51 with the exhaust, and very aggressive fuel mapping gets no better than 35mpg on the freeway.

 

I know a guy who bought an r6 and wrecked it at least 5 times. The last time it put him in a coma for a month and affected his memory. The first time he wrecked he was checking out some girls and rear ended the car in front of him. LOL I bought a Harley because I knew I'd get myself into trouble on a rice rocket. I've ridden a few, and damn yea they are fast. I didn't think my Harley would really be that fast but holy$hit, you still want to crank on it. I stay with my brother (He has a Harley too) until we shift third then he's gone. He has the stage 2 from R&R cycles. He's taken a few 600s off the line.
The fastest I've ever cared to go on my Harley was 115, but it's a softail and not meant for speed. 120 on a rice rocket feels like 75-80 on a Harley.
If you get the r6 you will get throttle happy no doubt about it. It's kinda like walking by a hot necked chic and trying not to look. Even if it's just for a second, your gonna do it. And you'll feel like your walking by that chic every time you get on that bike!!LOL Won't make you a bad guy though.

 

its better then like my 16 in my jeep

 

35mpg highway is junk for a sportbike.

Dont get an RC51 if its anything near your first sportbike. Very very bad bike for anyone even resembling a beginner.
And im not talking about its low end torque being a 1000cc V-TWIN either (huge). I mean for many reasons.

Its heavy, racy, high pegs, bars are very forward, heavy clutch pull, bike HATES stop and go traffic, (side mounted radiators) ect.
NOT a good beginner bike. My SV650 bud dropped my bike when he got on it, backing it down the driveway.

Its good for one thing. Going fast. It feels SO at home at 120 MPH around a freeway sweeping turn. It is in its element.

 

i heard or read once the r6 was once of the most totaled out bikes[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img],i had a zx9 and hated it,no power below 5500rpm and turned on like a light switch,i could never quite tell when the power was going to come on and when it did the front end was in the air.my buddie has a SV and loves it,likes the torq and easy to ride.600 katana might be a good choice too