QuestionI'm not sure if I am too short to ride a bike. I am five foot five and i have sat on a suzuki gsxr 600 and it seems a little tall. Any thoughts?
AnswerOnce you have 10-20 years of experience, you'll be able to ride pretty much whatever bike you want. Your skills will be such that if you can't reach the ground with both feet planted flat, you can still control the bike, walking it around, parking, stopping, etc.
That said, DO NOT under ANY circumstances buy a Gixxer 600 for a first bike. A 600cc sportbike is NOT for beginners. If you like the looks/feel of the Suzukis, try a GS500E or F or the SV650--they're both twins and much easier to manage. Spend at least two to three years on smaller bikes until you have learned everything those bikes can teach you. This means taking the basic and experienced rider course, do a few track schools, and get 25,000+ street miles under your belt. Then you can move up to the GSXR--if you decide you want to.
Truthfully, 600 sportbikes are mostly useless on the street. There's no place to ride them the way they're meant to be ridden except a racetrack.
I've been riding 18 years, and am only just now to the point where I think I could handle a 600--and I've taken multiple advanced training courses, teach basic and advanced motorcycle safety and cornering courses, learned how to handle one of those bikes (a 636) at Keith Code's course--I even raced for a few years with the CRA. I am just now thinking about trading in my VFR800 for a Kawi 6R.
A GSXR600 is a terrific bike, but only in capable, experienced, measured hands. Don't do it, man.
Find a basic rider course near you at 800-446-9227.
Pat
