Kawasaki Card vs. Personal credit card

[Porkchop]

Well... I havn't exactly locked myself in to the bike per se. And I did list the FZ6 in that second list. IDK... I read two or three really bad reviews on the F4i, nothing about how it handles tho. Fit, finish, and build quality... but it's a Honda!?!? The ZZR is still in that very short list and seems like a really nice bike. Never ridden it though, just sat on it. I think the Yami might be a better learning tool with how small and agile it is, less "balls to the wall" sport oriented as well. Plus, insurance on the thing is fantastic compared to an SS. We will see...

[Mr Lefty]

well I'll tell you right now... the F4i is a great bike it wouldn't still be made if it wasn't selling... and it wouldn't sell if it wasn't a solid bike... just like the ZZR considering they're running "old" tech.

shit even if you had an F4 or an F3 they're still great bikes... NtS had an F3 before his 600rr... as far as I know he loved the thing...

becarefull where you read your "reviews" and remember when looking at motorcycle mags... they're "paid" to rate one better than the other... and they ALWAYS have to have a winner... most of us won't really notice much of a diffrence in performance between the two... but they need to break them down and name a winner to sell mags...

if it's from a forum... really do your research... find out who's saying it... and read a lot of their other posts... to find out if they're full of shit or a solid source of info. also find out what type of rider they are... someone like Trip who rides track alot may say the F4i is overweight and slow to him... but that's not where the F4i is meant to be... (not putting words in Trip's mouth)

above all... just do your research... and honestly... Kawi, Honda, Suzy, or Yamaha.... you can't go wrong. all the bikes are well built. some have a few personality quirks... but as a new rider... they'll be fine.

good luck

[Phenix_Rider]

It's hard to really decide what you want to live with until you've ridden a lot of bikes. Which is a Catch 22, since it's hard as a new rider to test ride many. Really, you've ridden a couple other bikes, so you've got a head start. Look at the specs- more than just peak HP and redline- 0-60 and especially top gear 60-80 rollon will tell you something about a bike's character. Spend as much time as you can hanging around several dealers familiarizing yourself with all the models you're considering, and more important spend time in the seat. Pick it off the stand, shift your weight, see how the controls feel in different positions.

I personally don't care for the FZ6- but I'm used to the grunty little 650R. The FZ spins up really fast, and you probably need to downshift a few to really make it move. It's all in what you like, and you could do a lot worse than that. If you like the low clipons, high pegs feel, the FZ will feel strange. If you like the upright easy going feel, a ZZR is going to be rough riding more than a few miles.

Mags can be useful, but a lot of times they're just giddy to have a new bike to thrash. Look for long-term rides to see what they say about day-to-day.