er-6n

[phoenix]

anyone happen to now anything about kawasaki's er-6n bike? I am thinking about that for my next bike next year and trying to get my research done. thx here is a pic of one

[patrick_777]

It's basically a naked 650R. A good bike if you're comfortable with sportbikes. They're a little torquey on the bottom end, but have a very linear throttle and power curve. That doesn't mean it won't come out from under you though, it's still a fast bike and, if treated like a 250, will still go out of its way to kill you.

The Ninjas are a little top-heavy compared to most other sportbikes, and it's an extreme difference from the GZ.

[phoenix]

well thats a good way to change ones mind on a bike.
any recomdations for a novice really only real bike i have had is my gz. got 2500 miles on it. thats about all my experaince.
anyway i'm looking for a bit biger bike so i can do more than just go around town and the such with out pushing my bike to hard.

[patrick_777]

I bought an 08 Ninja 250R. It's really powerful enough to ride anywhere on (at 100mph if you want). The bike is very forgiving too. I had about 2500 on my GZ when I got the Ninja, and I had no trouble adjusting to it. Even the 500R is a fine upward step from the GZ.

That is if you're looking at a sportbike. Otherwise, if you're set on the cruiser riding position, then look into a 600cc cruiser like the V-Star 600 or even a Vulcan 500. They're both 65+ capable and will have very similar handling characteristics of the GZ.

I'd really suggest riding the GZ for at least a season if you have no other experience. They don't teach the MSF on it for nothing.

[patrick_777]

For some reason, I thought you had just bought your GZ. Forgive me. You should go sit on a LOT of bikes if you're seriously looking to upgrade, including the big liter-bikes and the giant cruisers. Then you can feel the weight and balance of them. Just don't get too anxious and let yourself get talked into something. Make sure you go in and let them know that you're seriously just there to sit...not to buy - then they'll pretty much leave you alone.

[primal]

Although YMMV, I think the Ninja 650 would be a perfectly acceptable second bike, even with your current experience. A lot of people actually recommend them to beginners, as they are still waaaay more forgiving than a 600cc supersport. Once you've gotten most of your newb mistakes out of the way on the GZ, then it really does become a matter of your maturity level in regards to riding a powerful bike (whereas perfect newbs can still be extremely mature, but make a little mistake that will kill them on a supersport).

Really, any upgrade to a larger bike will be a fairly extreme change from the GZ. I've got a bike that puts out around 55 HP now, but I was also looking at a bike that puts out ~70 HP (Yamaha Fazer 700) and would still feel comfortable riding it after my 3000 miles on the GZ. In some ways I wish I'd grabbed that Fazer up, as it was a really freakin' comfortable bike, but I know that I'm gonna have a blast when I get my KZ550 running anyway.

[alanmcorcoran]

Phoenix,

Think about what you want to do with your next bike:

1) Handle the canyons and twisties faster (Sport Bike)
2) Still want to cruise, but want to be able to go uphill and 75 comfortably (more powerful cruiser - check out Suzuki M50)
3) Want to tour (something with a fairing, bags and a trunk - gold wing)

Other things to look at:
1) Cruising distance (tank size x mpg.)
2) Insurance
3) Ignition type (FI or carb)
4) Drive type (chain, belt, drive)
5) Maintenance costs (4 cylinders? spoked wheels? carb? chain? plugs? One guy I know said the bigger the bike the less maintenance - it's not exactly true, but partially.)
6) Air cooled or not.
7) V twin or not.
8) Available service and accessories.
9) Dashboard stuff (tach, clock, gas gauge, auto blinker, fuel light, etc.)
10) If it's big, does it have a reverse?
11) Two up riding, or not.
12) Fuel economy (or lack therof)

You will get a lot of warnings on weight and power but, take it from a fellow newb: yes, a heavier bike is more of a challenge, but, unless you are weak and out of shape, you will adapt to it quickly. I LOVE the feel of my Strat (800+ pounds) on the highway and feel much safer than riding WTFO on the GZ. On the other hand, the GZ is fun to drive to work and back. I was going to get the Suzi M50 until I saw the '07 "New" Strats for less $$.

Just about anything you get is going to have more power than the GZ. You can eliminate a lot of bikes if you have a particular usage or spec in mind. Two things I wish I had paid more attention to is "How far can you go on one tank?" and "How much more will I have to pay in insurance?"

[phoenix]

thx for all the good info. by the time i go to buy one i will have prolly around 8-10k on my gz. going to hide the hell out of her this seasion. secend on what kind of bike i'm looking for. i'm looking for another naked bike like the gz. I like the more stright up riding. so that puts me in a bind there is not a lot of them out there. there is the gz for the cruiser kind of look and thats about it as far as i know. and all the semisport bikes are a huge jump in power to a gz. so i'm kind of a rock and a hard place.

[alanmcorcoran]

When it comes to bikes, there is no rock and there is no hard place. There's a myriad of bikes to choose from: way, way, more than is really called for. I recommend you ride some - do you have a rental place or maybe a bike club where some people might be dumb enough to let you try theirs? Talk to other bikers, ask them why they bought that particular bike. Ask them what they like about it. Ask them what they don't like. Ask them what they want to make sure they get on their next bike.

One great thing about the GZ... almost any new bike you get on will give you a near instantaneous "holy shit" - eating grin when you hit the throttle. As mentioned before, try to think about where you plan to take your riding. If you are just going to commute and save gas - keep the GZ and buy an American Bagger magazine and look at the pictures. If you want to do more, the best bike (from a dollars and features perspective) for you will be determined by the type of riding you intend to pursue. For example, the Strat *can* be used as a commuter bike, but the GZ is a much better choice for that.

[Water Warrior 2]

You might look to Suzuki if you haven't already. There is the Vstrom and the Gladius. Both have modern engines that are proven technology. Good versatile machines.