01 yzf 600r for first bike...

[03ozwhip]

first of all i havent ridden before but i do know a decent amount about bikes since i worked for parts canada for 5 years, but its been a while and dont really know much about this bike in particular.

is this a decent bike? its like an early version of an r6 isnt it? secondly, the one piece seat, (i should know this, but i dont remember) does anyone know if i can swap it out for a 2 piece seat? i hate the look of the one piece, it looks grampa-ish.

same question for the one piece light, are there aftermarket light fairings that will allow me to bolt in a 2 piece on this bike? thats all i have for now, any info or help on anything about this bike would be great.

[CUG]

You can do anything you put your mind and precious time into, especially if you believe it's a valuable use of your mind and precious time.

[TegBuddeh]

Originally posted by CUG
You can do anything you put your mind and precious time into, especially if you believe it's a valuable use of your mind and precious time.
this?

[03ozwhip]

wtf kind of reply is that? i wanna know if there are replacement parts and if its a good bike to start on, not if i can "put my mind to it". ....wtf??

[Pollywog]

I love people who read the title of thread, and write a reply without actually reading the post.

[SOAB]

it's not actually the first gen R6, it's yamaha's sporty sport touring bike. not quite as aggressive seating, not as much power, handling isn't as sharp. but it's more than powerful enough for the street and also more comfy.

all that said, it's a better first bike than a R6.

i'm not sure about the seat thing though.

[revelations]

Youd have to check out a YFZ forum on mods.... but its a great first bike for a lot of people.

A lot when compared to an R6.

[Graham_A_M]

Originally posted by 03ozwhip
wtf kind of reply is that? i wanna know if there are replacement parts and if its a good bike to start on, not if i can "put my mind to it". ....wtf??
its just Josh, if you met him you'd understand. ;)

Yes the YZF Thundercat would be a great starter bike. I dont have the time to look into the mods you were suggesting, but perhaps I'll have a few minutes later to help with that.

The bike wont be stupidly fast like a newer 600 will be, but it'll still be a great bike to learn on with very manageable power. The ergonomics aren't harsh at all, and hense it'll make a great bike to learn on. It'll be cheap to buy since its an older sportbike and finding parts for it shouldn't be hard for it at all...
Mods? not so much as that bike wasn't really a performance icon in its day.
Decent (yet generic) power adders are out there, but dont expect a wide array of performance parts you would have today for lets say a new R6.
01 was the first year bikes started to see EFI with mainstream production. If the bike is carbed, no biggie but if it is Fuel injected I'd be a bit leary about quirks within the EFI system itself as many bikes of that era have throttle mapping issues and the like.

[03ozwhip]

i knew someone would come through. you gave me some things to think about. thanks.

[bjstare]

I think its def a good bike to start on. Hate to see ppl get R6's or R1's to start on (or any other supersport, not just Yamaha).

The one piece seat does look a little geriatric, but i wouldn't get hung up on it. I can't say for sure, but the seat swap and headlight swap could both be a lot of work. For the seat swap, you have to have all the right brackets on your subframe (back half of the frame), as well as the right frame structure, which could mean aluminum cutting and welding, then you have to get the right kind of fairings to work with two seats, and they may not work with your undertail fairing. Also, the front seat you get will possibly have to be cut to fit well with your gas tank.

Same goes for the headlights, it could be a bunch of work. There is a *small* chance that the upper fairing/headlight stay will be a direct bolt on from an R6 of the same gen. in this case your looking at a few hundred for the stay, few hundred for the upper fairing and a few hundred for the lights. Unless you wanna watch ebay for a year to get really cheap deals. If it doesn't bolt on, your in for a big, and potentially frustrating project haha.

Having said all that, if your really into tinkering and good with plastic bodywork as well as aluminum and steel welding, and want a project... do the conversions. It will keep you busy! haha

Personally, i think it sounds like you want the looks of an R6, but you want a smart starter bike too. I respect that.
My advice: Get the YZF600R and ride it for a season or two until your ready for more excitement and your SUPER comfortable and confident on it. Then upgrade to a 600 supersport of some sort. The money and time you'll spend doing the conversions will not be worth it for how long you'll probably own the bike.

Also, i don't know if your interested in newer bikes but a ninja 650R is a decent starter bike too, looks pretty good and its not as wild as a supersport. Hope I helped a bit.

[03ozwhip]

ya you did help, thanks alot. i do want the looks and handling of a sport bike becuase i dont wanna look like a grampa on it all sitting up right like a buell or something. i like sport bikes, i like the styling and if i cant get the styling i want, i most likely wont go with a bike like this. i honestly am not in it for the speed, im in it for other reasons, hence why i want to go with a 600 or so.

its my first bike and hopefully my last for a while, so i want to get something that i will enjoy all the time but i dont want to go out and spend a whack load because i am jsut learning and dont wanna fuck up a brand new bike if i bail. cost is important because my wife says so...lol the fact that im even allowed to get a bike suprises me....it only took 6 years of probing...

[James]

Originally posted by 03ozwhip
..lol the fact that im even allowed to get a bike suprises me....it only took 6 years of probing...

Might want to check into her recently taking out new life insurance on you?:dunno: jk

[03ozwhip]

hahaa actually funny you say that, because my bro in law just bought one and his fiance made him get life insurance. i already have it so im/shes good!