What is the best sport bike for city riding and commuting?

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Brandon

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I have been riding my ninja 250r for several months now, and i think i am ready to move up to a 600 now, but i dont know which one will best suit me. Im on the shorter side about 5'9 and 185 lbs. ive been looking at the big four ( R6, zx6r, cbr600, and gsxr 6) ive sat on all of them except for the cbr and i know the r6 feels too tall i really liked the gsxr and kawi but i hear from alot of people that the cbr would be the best for me because it is the easiest to ride and handle, so im just looking for some advice and suggestions.... thanks ( and no i dont want a sport standard i definitely want a true sport bike)
 
riding my ninja 250r for several months now,

LMFAO..... must be the fastest learner in the USA...

learn to ride before you upgrade... & the step from your 250 to a 600 sports bike is HUGE...

I would suggest you don't look to a bigger bike for at least the first year..

still a mobile donor.

best sport bike for city riding and commuting.. that would be a 250 Ninja.. cant see any reason for city riding & commuting on a 150MPH bike that's built for the racetrack???
 
"Several months" is adequate time to build confidence, but not nearly enough to develop real riding skills. There is NO way that you are ready for a 600cc sport-bike. Insurance companies already know this, and will charge you accordingly. In other words, even if you can afford the bike, the insurance will be outta sight.
 
Sport bikes are terrible choices for commuting, trust me, I did it for six months as my only mode of transportation (05 zx6r) and won't be doing it again. If you feel you are ready to move up, then do it, only you will know when. I recommend at least 10k miles experience to my students.

As for bike choice. Don't be a squid. You are cutting off your nose to spite your face. No one who really rides considers a supersport a commuter bike. These are designed for track days and mountain roads, not stop and go city streets. If you must get a bike like this, consider the fz6, it is a more comfortable version of the r6, and is cheaper to insure. (same motor, transmission, etc...)

A better choice would be the ninja 650, sv650, or just about any cruiser with a windshield and saddlebags. These are good on gas, cheap to insure, and provide the versatility needed for a commuter bike, with things like better wind protection and STORAGE. You can stow a deck of cards on a supersport.

You actually have one of the best commuter bikes already, I have yet to find a cheaper bike to run than my 07 250 was. It is hard to beat 65mpg and $60 tires. Expect to get about 120-130 miles per tank, and 400+ on a good set of tires, which wear out about every 6-8k miles. That doesn't even factor that my insurance went up 10 fold when I got my zx6r ( 23, male, in college).

If you still decide to make a squidly decision, any of the bikes will be more or less the same as the others. I liked my zx6, I also liked my buddy's cbr, but after a few months I decided that for me ( and I ride alot, 20k+miles a year) a powerful cruiser (06 Victory Kingpin) with a windshield and bags is the way to go. I have no problem hanging with he 1000's I ride with. The difference is I can walk after our rides and dont require a trip to the chiropractor.

The way I see it the choice is simple, ignore the advice you are asking for, and make the squidly decision to buy a bike that you will not use for it's intended purpose, or to at least act like a mature rider and get the bike that actually meets your needs, such as any of the bikes I recommended. No one can make that choice for you, but the voices of experience disagree with you.
 
You asked about commuting/city riding and have sport-bikes as the ONLY alternative.

Pick your machine, it'll be like picking your nose, you'll figure out the boogers are s-not what you want sooner or later.
 
I beg to differ. I've been commuting daily on my '10 CBR600rr, and I can't think of anything better to do it with...

Now I'm in the midst of deciding which one to upgrade to, and most likely it'll be the new Fireblade, which will also be my DAILY commuter. I don't foresee any problems...
 
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