A buddy of mine is offering to sell me his 2000 ZX6R for a ridiculous price.

What's the concensus? Very dangerous or not?

The only danger is from the dumbasses driving cars.

First bike and under 30. Fairly Dangerous. If you are a mellow person who can do thing with moderation then not so dangerous.

They EMTs don't call them "Donorcycles" for nothing. [XX(]

Don't forget to fill out your organ donor card.

I ride too my current is an 01 gsxr 750 and that thing screams most of my riding is canyons here in so.cal so there is lots of knee dragging.
As far as safety that is up to you and how defensive you are driving.Some say cruisers and harleys are safer handling NO two wheels is two wheels and what makes a crotch rocket dangerous is you not the style of bike (throttle control)
Cars are the other factor always be alert!

Prior owner of an 1100 GSXR here. If you plan on using it for any type of cruising, forget about it. After about a half hour of riding your back and wrists will be sore as hell. It's a very uncomfortable position to be in for any length of time. If you're just buying it to speed around in, its the most fun you'll have with your clothes on.

Fair warning, the most dangerous part of owning a bike are the dumbasses driving cars. It won't be long before somebody pulls a left in front of you or changes into your lane and tries to occupy the space you currently occupy. The average bumbass car driver will only look for other cars on the road prior to turning/changing lanes. Their feeble minds can't comprehend the fact that there are motorcycles on the same road as cars.

If it's dirt cheap, buy it and enjoy it. You could always sell it afterwards.....

Let me tell you a story. I got my motorcycle rider when I was 17. I learned to ride on a Honda Rebel. Little banger, dropped it a bunch, but nothing too bad. You figure you're gonna dump it when you are a kid and learning how.

When I graduated from HS, I took a chunk of my gift money and made a significant downpayment on a Ninja 1000. I had it decked out with Supertrapp headers. It was bright white with a pearl finish. Super duper.

I was riding it for the last day of the season on November 10, 1989. We were playing cat and mouse on well-known roads. So we (a buddy and me) are about a mile and a half from my house. He's on a Katana 600. He was in the lead and put it up to 130-140. I followed suit behind him. It was on a dead straightaway of clean pavement. Country road. Rode it a million times.

So I start to downshift and slow down as my driveway was about 1/3 mile up. For some reason, when I shifted from third into second gear, I hit a little bump in the road. My hand popped off the clutch and the back tire spun up with torque. I fought the skid about 200 feet (left a mean patch on the pavement that lasted for several years) but in the end, I knew the bike was going down. Since I didn't want to lose my leg by being on it when it sided with the pavement, I dove one way and kicked the bike another. I slid down the pavement for about 200 feet.

When I stopped tumbling and sliding, I had road rash over 60% of my body with embedded gravel and tar. I had split my spleen and busted a total of 22 bones. I had to get a skin graft on my ankle and shoulder. If I had not been wearing a helmet I would not be here.

Race bikes encourage stupid speed. Even the most experienced riders will get stupid on them to play.

Get a Harley.

Yea, thats a good murderycle !!

Note the age references of those who fvcked up.
Also note the comfort factor mentioned above. I too would recomend a cruiser (Especially a Harley) for a primary bike. If a secondary "fun" bike, go for it. I have 7 bikes now & they all have different purpouses. If you pass on the crotch rocket, I'd love a shot at it.

Do you have a family or loved one?

If so, pass. I'm a firm believer in individual freedom, but they are called donorcycles for a reason.

true story:

my brother in law died march 2001 when his crotchrocket slid out in gravel, and he slide into a guard rail and it just about decapitated him (his helmet get wedged under the rail, and he kept going)...

Hideous. He wasn't screwing around, he fell off his bike doing < 40mph. My sister is a widow at 35...

You decide. It's tons of fun, but I'm really glad they hadn't had kids yet.

Regards,
Francis

The most dangerous thing about any bike are the dumbass drivers that you have no control over running you over,cutting you off, etc. Of course this is more of a concern in the city where there are lots of intersections, cars, etc. I had a Honda F4 for a little while, but got rid of it after one too many encounters with idiot drivers. Also had an acquaintance killed on one, that freaked me out a little. But, that's just me, I want to live with all my appendages and skin. I figure my chances are better off the bike. Everyone is different. I thought it would be fun and cool, but I found myself worrying more about getting killed. Took the fun out of it for me. Personal preference.

Danger is in the hands of the beholder. A 600's too small for a Porche owner. Get a GSXR1300!!

We're assuming you have some experience on bikes and riding on the street.If you do decide to buy it, please take one of the courses put on by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Not only will they improve your street riding ability, they'll enhance your chances of survival on the mean streets and even qualify you for an insurance discount in many cases. Sorry, don't have a link or number for the MSF, though I think it's an 800 number. BTW, the ZX6 riding position isn't as radical as the GSX-Rs I've ridden, but that's just me.

I have an old Honda Rebel which no longer runs.  Need to clean out the varnish in the tank and carb.  My buddy races for a hobby.  His site is [url]www.dontbescaredracing.com[/url]

Last summer he fell and broke lots of bones but no rash.  Full leathers.  He just ran a 202.59319

[img]www.dontbescaredracing.com/photos/events/052602/08_bergie_052602.jpg[/img]

I'm 40 years old, and ride a 2000 Kawasaki ZRX1100. Ridden for many years, have had close calls,and lost two very good friends. One on a Harley Dresser, the other on an old 440 Kawasaki. It's not what you ride, it's how you ride. I assume that I am invisible on my bike. I assume that the other vehicles WILL NOT SEE ME, and drive very defensively, keeping an "escape path" in mind at all times. If you want to ride, do it. Get a good helmet, leather, and ride responsibly. ENJOY, but accept the risks! By the way, my ride has been piped, jetted, and cammed. The power is awe inspiring! Do I ride like an idiot? NO. My family depends on me, and I love life. Think it over.....Be Safe. Out.

True and inexperience.

First of all, it's not a "crotch rocket" - it's a sport bike, or sport motorcycle.  The only crotch rocket I have is something I generally don't show in public.

Stack the odds in your favor - get training from MSF, get a good quality helmet, gloves, jacket, etc.  Good protective gear is essential, even in summer.  My wife is an ER nurse - she has stories.  

The advice about assuming you are invisible is excellent - ride like everyone's out to get you.  You'll have to raise your level of mental awareness when you ride - it's tiring at first, but it will become natural as you ride more.  Try to join up with experienced riders who show themselves to be serious and responsible - you can learn a lot.

As to the type of motorcycle to ride I don't think one is necessarily more dangerous than the other.  Attitude is key.  You'll get killed being a dumbass on a cruiser or sportbike.  Personally, I want to be on a machine that can accelerate quick, turn quick, and stop quick if I need to get out of a situation.  However, if you're paranoid enough, you can avoid a lot of situations to begin with.  I'd suggest Motorcycle Consumer News - a good source of info from products to riding tips.

I reject the idea that "racebikes encourage stupid speed".  To me, that kind of sounds like "guns encourage violent behavior".  You're responsible for your actions - don't blame the bike.  If you bought a sportbike, some part of you wants to go fast, the bike doesn't create an uncontrollable urge.

"Stupid speed" can be any speed, depending on conditions.  You can be safe doing a 100MPH+ on a straight desert highway with no one around, and an absolute menace doing 40 in a school zone.  Once again, it's the rider, not the bike.

This is can be a very fun sport, done properly with an understanding of the risks involved.

Thanks for all the advice. I'm torn because I'm not looking for something with speed, I've already got that, I'm just looking for something to ride because I can't fight the bug any more.

He's selling it with two nice Bell helmets and full matching leathers. I dunno, maybe I'll pass on it and buy a dirt bike or a classic Matchless.

If you are looking for a good riding bike that will do the road or dirt,
look at the KLR. 650cc of dual sport fun.
Top speed? only 100 or so, but it cruises easily at 80.  You can find one used in great shape for 3500 or so.
this ones mine.[img]http://www.hunting-pictures.com/members/Lebrew/kurts%20klr.jpg[/img]
have fun, you wont regret it.
Lebrew

That's what I was looking for when I found the Ninja! Those are SWEET!!!

Good advice, but I disagree with your race bikes=speed = guns=violence analogy. As an adult now, I have many friends who ride race bikes. They are mature, responsible people, but they tend to find themselves riding much faster on race bikes than cruisers. The raw HP and torque on acceleration are very easy to "play with". What might seem to be a reasonable speed will create shock when you look down at the speedometer to see 100+. It's the ergonomic positioning of the body relative to the road, the smoothness of the machine, etc... You just don't realize how much raw power you are pushing. It DOES encourage unsafe behavior because it's only yourself that you are dealing with. Think about the difference between riding a racebike with a passenger vs. without. That carefullness rarely transcends to riding solo.

what ever you decide make sure it is [b]LOUD[/b]

Loud bikes may be annoying to others but they also have a tendency to force people to realize that there isnt an invisible SUV in that empty spot next to them.

Get a HOG...

Give women rides...

There can be only one.
Harley-Davidson IS "motorcycle".
Everything else is just a bike...[;D]

Why are you asking the question?
It sounds like you really don't want the bike.

A ZX6R (stock) is a very good motorcycle, not as much of a racebike like the GSXR600 or the R6, not as much of an all around bike like the CBR600.

It's all about you on the bike. You want to be stupid, then you are stacking the odds against you.

BenDover, you sound like the typical squid to me, and also the typical motorcycle accident as described by Harry Hurt (of the Hurt Report from UCLA).  Speeding, less than 5 miles from home, not wearing the proper protective gear.
It was the bike that made you go fast, right?

To all who make the snide comments "murdercycle, donercycle" and the rest, well, for a bunch of GUN OWNERS who hear the same kind of fucking shit about guns from the SAME fucking people you amaze me.

Francis B, true story, one of the guys who used to work for me (US Navy, 26, just made E-5) was coming home from a bar late at night.  The driver of the truck he was in was stone cold sober, the other two guys in the truck were trashed and passed out, all three were wearing their seatbelts.  "Pedro the illegal)" pulls off the freeway (high on meth and also drunk) from the ONRAMP, since he was going the wrong way down the freeway.  He ends up T-boning the truck on the side my friend was on.  Kills my friend instantly.
So what's your point?

Loud bikes don't save lives.  They just annoy the shit out of everyone around them.  If the noise thing was true then I guess being in an "Asian" import car with a 4 inch muffler blatting at 130 db's and the boom box stereo at 140 db's would make you the safest mofo on the road.

In the end if you really want a motorcycle then YOU are going to make the decision.  Asking AR15.com about what kind of a bike to buy is like asking GSXR.com what kind of a gun to buy.

IF you do make the secision to buy then this is the best advice, some already given:
MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION training.
MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION training.
MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION training.
MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION training.

A good helmet, full faced, Shoie or Arai.
MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION training.
Full leathers with good gloves.
MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION training.

Good luck!

Harley's are cool but they have turned into the mid life crisis "Corvette" of the times.

Crotch rocket.........I dunno, man. They're a lot of fun to ride and all, but it's too damn easy to fall into the "need for speed" trap. All it takes is one small pebble or a few leaves in a sweeping curve, and it's all over with. If you do decide to get it, do yourself and your family a favor, and ALWAYS wear a full-face helmet, long pants, and ride like you have some sense: just because it'll register 160 on the speedo, don't mean you have to find out if it'll do 160. People think riding around wearing nothing but a pair of shorts is the height of "cool," but if you ask any paramedic or ER physician, it's really the height of stupidity.

Only dangerous in the hands of an irresponsible and careless rider.

Buy the bike and enjoy.  Recommendations:

-Always wear proper protective gear.
-Take a Motorcyle Safety Foundation class if you're not an experienced rider.
-If you are experienced, take one of the bike racing school classes.  Sharpens your skills and teach you techniques you might not be aware of.

Have fun.

Harley Davidson = work all week on them to ride it on the weekend...

Porsche engines and Mikuni Carbs are NOT American

Crotch rockets should only be owned by professional racers and the government. They're much too dangerous for civilians.

[:K]

But seriously folks. I've ridden everything from dual-sports to liter class rockets. No matter the type/size of bike, the only danger to a rider is inexperience and improper headspace/timing (and cootmobiles).

Hey, was not trying to say murdercycles are bad or anything !

I have been riding one for 25 years, live to ride, ride to live......MAN !!

Still walkin and talkin too........

Amen.  There were 3 guys who lived in my apartment complex - all had loud F'ing bikes and would ride together at all hours.  Everytime, those inconsiderate pricks peeled out onto the street fricking loud as hell.  Thank god I'm outa there now.  

Do some motorcyclists think all cars are out to get them or something?  The way some of you talk its like cars are the main threat to your safety.  IMO, many bikers are their own threat.  I can't tell you how many times a biker has blown past me going at least 90-100 in a 65mph zone, or was weaving dangerously through traffic (or usually both).  

Not that car/truck drivers don't do the same - god knows there are some scary bad drivers out there, but the [bold]proportions[/bold] of bikers that I see driving recklessly are higher than those of conventional vehicles.  JMHO.

Nothing wrong with owning a nice sport bike if you have the self control not to be a squid. I grew up on motorcycles and had a lot of fun with them. Lost alot of friends due to car drivers, and a few that lost control because they thought they were "Kenny Roberts" on the street. If you like knee dragging and high speed, there are AMA sanctioned road race courses all over the US. I did this all through my twenties and thirties and had a whole lot of fun. If you ride on the street, be responsible and very carefull. Only squids ride the streets like they are a racecourse, most of them would finish in last place(if they didn't drop it)if they ever got on a real track. Be safe and have fun...

No more road bikes for me.  Way back in 1987, just before I got out of the service,  had a V-65 Magna....great bike.  Was doing 40 mph, with an orange vest on (military made us wear them), headlight on, just cruisin'.  

Lady pulled right out in front of me coming out of McDonald's with a load of Big Macs.  I flew over the hood of her Dodge Caravan, bike inbedded right behind the front tire.  Bike was a total wreck, I lucked out something fierce with just bruises.  

I asked her why she pulled out in front of me:  "I didn't see you"......I love road bikes, but I haven't gotten on one since.  Can't get the nerve anymore to ride them.  

People are not looking for something that is 2 foot wide, they are looking for something 6 foot wide.  

vmax84

I have an '01 ZX-6R.  I love it.  I am 26 years old and ride very responsibly (which doesn't mean slow, er, sometimes).  However I wouldn't recommend it as a first bike.  You didn't mention whether it was or not, but a lot of posters did assume it was.  Just for reference here is how I started:

Rode dirt bikes for 1 summer.
Got a 1989 Ninja 250 and rode that for 1 summer.
Took MSF rider course & got motorcycle license endorsement (ya I was illegal for a year!).
Got a 1994 Ninja ZX-6, rode that for 2 1/2 years.
Got a 2001 Ninja ZX-6R last year.  

Ride safe, wear leathers!!! That said, it is a nice bike.

Obviously, you are not a motorcyclist.

Ben,

I don?t disagree that a sportbike has more potential for speed, and people who ride them generally tend to push the envelope, but that?s my point ? you have a sportbike because you want higher performance.  If you don?t care about high performance (acceleration, top speed ? irrelevant in my opinion, handling, etc), you?d buy something else.  And yes, there are squids out there who buy a high performance bike just to look cool, but it still goes back to the aura of high performance.  If your point is a sportbike has higher potential, then you?re right.  If you?re saying sportbikes make you want to go fast, I still disagree.  The bike doesn?t plant the seed, it was already there, the bike just lets you get where you want to go.

Here?s another thing ? you can still go ?fast? on a cruiser.  I?m not using any specific numbers because they are irrelevant.  ?Fast? is dependent on conditions, as I stated in my previous post.  Cruisers can still get you going fast enough to kill you, maybe not as fast as a sportbike, but then there?s no such thing as being ?deader?.  Both types of bikes, in my mind, have enough potential to kill you if used irresponsibly.  I?ve seen really safe sportbike riders, and really stupid cruiser riders, and vice versa.  It still boils down to rider discipline/awareness/control.  If you?re finding yourself surprised at what you?re doing on your machine, then that?s a rider issue, not a bike issue.  I think the implication is you can get into trouble easier with a sportbike because of its higher performance potential.  My response is ?know your machine, know your abilities?.  

I?m completely missing the boat on your point about riding one or two up.  How is that any different between riding a sportbike or cruiser?  

This has been my experience riding sportbikes for the past decade, with about 70K+ miles.  I?ve done lanesplitting on freeways in CA, West LA city riding, mountains and canyons in CA/NM/CO, and wide-open desert roads.  I?m currently on a Honda CBR929, and enjoying it very much.

Due to the motorcycle races at Road America, a lot of people with crotch-rockets show up around here every summer.  I see a lot of them do some stupid things on the road, such as doing wheelies with cars behind them, and oncoming traffic(me).

I think that it's fine if people want to use them as long as they don't endanger anyone else.

Just remember to watch out for critters. In a car its just a little thump, but on a motorcycle, that little chipmunk is out to get you.

They are the main threat.  I have had people pull out in  front of me or attempt to change lanes when I am riding next to them on the interstate.  They simply aren't paying attention or looking for a motorcycle.  To avoid being killed you need to ride as if you are invisible and constantly observe the vehicles near you.

WELL SPOKEN!  

Nothing beats getting a 600 pound vibrating mammoth between a girl's legs, then there's my bike....

She's mine. Thanks for all the input. Pics soon.

Before anything check the price of insurance, they don't like sport bikes.

There's a reason emergency room staff call them organ donor bikes.

great...
now trick her out and really make her fast.
but don't blame me if you kill your self.