go with a 03 or 04 r6 best bike around i own a bike shop in tenn. it's still a fast bike and 361lb wet and 127 hp

 

While I do consider the R6 to be a nice bike, I don't think it makes a great beginner bike (no repli-racer bike is), and I think your numbers are a little inflated. Here's what I found:

YZF-R6 ('03)
HP: 105.4@12,750
Torque: 44.7@11,750
Wet weight: 415
Dry Weight: 388

YZF-R6 ('04)
HP: 105.3@13,000
Torque: 44.2@12,250
Wet Weight: 419
Dry weight: 392

Source: http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/146_..._Measurements/

 

He's citing either Indicated HP -- what the engine can theoretically produce on it's own -- or Brake Horse Power (bhp), which is the Indicated HP less internal engine friction measured at the crank... aka, Horsepower at the Crank.

Sport Rider is using Rear Wheel Horse Power (RWHP) which is, as the name indicates, how much HP you have at the rear wheel once you reduce bhp for all of the energy lost in the transmission, chain, rear wheel, tire, etc. Of course, there are all kinds of variables in how RWHP is measured, right down to the type of dyno that is used. Nothing's easy...

Regardless, RWHP is considered the most accurate measure of hp when comparing apples to apples. Therefore, so long as anyone citing HP or Torque numbers fesses up which they are using (indicated, crank (bhp), or rwhp), all's fair.


To check a suggested method of achieving "true" HP and to see how different bikes compare when measured against this standard, visit: http://www.factorypro.com/dyno/true1.html

 

umm, I learnt how to ride on a yamaha TZR250, that's a 2 stroke if you are asking, then just jumpped to CBR900RR. I guess as long as you know what you are doing, it's not OK.

 

FWIW: Your GSXR 1000 & the CBR900RR are both more than 100lbs lighter and 3" shorter than a 'busa...

A lot of the current crop of 1000cc sport bikes have as much or more horsepower as the "uber-bikes" like the 'busa, i.e., ~140 - 155 on the dyno(see below), albeit with less torque. However, the biggest difference remains the overall difference in mass: an R1 or your GSXR and most of the other 600 - 1000cc sportbike / race bikes are a lot lighter, more nimble and easier to ride than the "GT" size 'busa and its peers. That's the biggest difference when it comes to the "first bike" problem.

Ideally, like you, the best way to learn to ride a motorcycle is on a dirt bike at an early age. That's the way a lot of us got started and because of those early off-road experiences, we take for granted how well we transitioned to street bikes. I started on a 100cc Hodaka in the early 70's, then moved to Honda CR125 and CR250 Elsinore MX bikes before jumping on my first street bike: a '77 Honda CB550F. Moving up to the CB750F was an easy jump, but the CBX was a major eye opener. Going back to a smaller "race bike" was about as dramatic but in the opposite direct: everything became easy and effortless.

 

I'll add some more to the riff raff of answers,
My wife and I bought our first bikes at the same time, she got a ninja 250 and I got a CBR F4i. I learned for about a week on the 250 and then went to the F4i.
That being said any VERY lightweight bike is a good first. Sport bikes are naturally a bit hard to control at low speeds in regards to maneuvering and just falling over in general.
Also, I started out very conservatively on my 600, but soon I was doing things that... in retrospect were HORRIBLE ideas, not to mention dangerous...
A busa is just a plain bad idea.
600 or lower man....

Also you WILL drop/slide/laydown something this bike... I say used is a good idea, you just save bunches of depreciation on something you're going to damage anyway....

Again just my .02

 

Seriously man, you can learn to ride the hayabusa as your first bike, but the chances of getting hurt go way up in my opinion. It's not like having a Z06 as a first car, it's more dangerous.

 

IMO, when you make a control mistake on a smaller low-powered bike it will not hurt as much. And you WILL make control mistakes until you learn.

Things like twisting the throttle hard in a turn won't do so much in a "beginner" bike but you'll be doing the "pavement luge" on any of the super-sport bikes.

Or grabbing too much front brake too suddenly won't do bad things on a typical under-braked sport-tour-tire-wearing long-wheelbase "standard" bike. Can you say endo? You will learn to say it if you grab a fistful of brake on some modern super-sports.

 

This question is one of the most frequently asked in all bike-related forums.
It is clear that a Suzuki Hayabusa IS NOT the way to start, period.
Do a little reading/research. Save yourself several thousand dollars in the bike itself and in possible repairs, and accidents.
Buy a smaller, inexpensive bike first. This is the best, safest and easiest way to LEARN. If you truly fall in love with the sport, once you develop the experience and skills, you can easily make the jump to a bigger bike. You will enjoy it and appreciate it even more after you start with a small bike.
Starting out on a Hayabusa IS NOT like starting on a Z06. This bike is far more powerful on a HP/LB basis. (TWICE as powerful )
You probably will never need or use that much power.
On a motorcycle you rarely have 2nd chances, so you must always use good judgement. Start out by choosing the right bike for someone who has no experience and you will enjoy the sport far more than if you start big. Again this is consensus, not just one man's opinion on the subject.

 

that I have to agree, weight makes a huge difference.
btw, TZR250 is actually a 2 stroke sport bike, 3xv, the last 2 stroke yamaha street sport bike, it's a V2 too, it was in Taiwan tho. Awesome bike to ride. handles great too.
I rode cbr1100xx and zx-12 b4, neither of them handles like the liter bikes.