quick yamaha q's

in the midst of transitioning from automotive racing into riding, i am now in the market for a bike. i DO have riding experience, but not as a regular rider

anyways, here's my q's:

looked into the:
-is the kawasaki zxr 400 a good/safe buy? any common probs?
-does the yamaha 400 have the same twitchy throttle/clutch probs as the 600cc's and up?
-any other recomendations for a good 4-500cc bike to look more into?

im aware of honda's offerings, but id prefer to stay as far away from them as possible.....long story, dont ask....

thanks for your help.....

assuming that the zxr has been taken cared for then its a nice bike. but why not get a yamaha r6. you've got riding experience as you've said. had an r6 before and that twitchy throttle thing is not really a problem.

I would highly doubt the 400 has the "twitchy" throttle of an R6, which like ducati_748r is really not a problem. (Truthfully, you get used to it and anything else just feel slow.) If your looking for a good bike to hang on to for a while I'd say get a Suzuki SV650. They are forgiving enough to learn on, but are good performers and will keep you happy for a long time.

i guess i can look more into a 600, opposed to the 400.....maybe ill get a bit more experience on an r6 (600r are pretty good right, dont hey have a slightly re-enginerred r6 motor with less power?) and then i can get a bit more of the feel of the "twitchy throttle" ive heard about.

thanks for the help, and reference on the suzuki, ill def. check it out....

600r are pretty good right, dont hey have a slightly re-enginerred r6 motor with less power?) and then i can get a bit more of the feel of the "twitchy throttle" ive heard about.

thanks for the help, and reference on the suzuki, ill def. check it out....

Yup, a little less power and more comfortable ergos on the 600R. To get into the twichy throttle a little more, it only seems to be a factor above 10,000 RPMs and gets less noticable with each gear. The only trouble it has given me was trying first gear wheelies. Your welcome, and anytime.

Don't forget Yamaha's Seca II. It's a 600cc motor that is VERY forgiving and VERY smooth with the inline 4. Also the Yamaha FZR600 is a good, gentler 600 to start on. As for 500cc bikes, I recommend the Kawasaki Ninja 500 or the Suzuki GS500. Both are good, strong 500cc bikes, although the Ninja tends to be more popular since it is a little sportier looking than the "naked" GS. I also support the 600R from Yami. It's not the R6 (which EVERYONE and their GRANDMOTHER has) and it has a more comfortable riding position. Honestly, since you have ridden before, my take is that you'll outgrow the 400's and 500's rather quickly. Just remember to grow in your riding BEFORE you grow in your confidence.

growing into my confidence thing is a given...ive seen way too many fwd cars on the track that think road racing is just like their street drags.....they feel big and tough, then screech straight thru a turn off the course (and hopefully not into anything)....haha, kinda makes me laugh as i easily navigate my "thats a nissan, theyre fast?" right thru the same turns....

racerdx, do you race in any of the SCCA sanctioned races?

i dont actually compete, bc my car's status would put in street prep, and theres no way it would keep up with cars built maxed out for this category. i usually post very well autoX times, but compared to the 3 rotor rx7 thats in my same group, i seem so slow. i just race at these autoX when spots are available. im also part of the SF SCCA, and i usu. jump on with other car groups (i.s. miatas, civic, honda in general, etc) when they get track time at sears point, thunderhill, or almost any other track in CA.