When I moved here a few months ago I bought a Yamaha R15 because I couldn't bear the thought of tootling around in a car and I hadn't ridden a bike for years.  Knowing how crazy people drive I opted for an R15.

Now I'm pretty sure I'm not going to kill myself, I'd like something a bit quicker.  

I'm wondering if I step up and buy the R3 will I be bored of it in a few months like my current bike?  Is it better to jump straight to the R6?  Any other models I should consider instead?

I live out in the sticks up near Cambodia and Laos so no heavy traffic and a lot of good roads. 

MT7

R3 & R6 different test ride em first.

Up until now i have been looking at stepping up from the Ninja 300 to MT07, so the R6 would be interesting for me. The MT07 is 309K Baht, the R6 i am not sure of but did see a price of 549k Baht mentioned in a post. The big difference is a 599cc 4cyl (116 HP) in the R6 and a 689cc 2cyl (74 Hp) in the MT07.

 

I love the 300, it has plenty of power for what i want and is a nimble bike. But i do crave a slightly bigger bike. The R6 at this stage for me would be a handfull while the MT07 would a nice cruisie bike for a lot less than the R6.

 

So, depending on your experence level (the many years before, that you mentioned) maybe a step up to the MT07 is not too far. As for other choices, the Ninja 650 would be good if you are after a sports style bike.

I believe that the Yamaha YZF-R6 is in Thailand is only available as track-racing machine. Maybe the 2017 model will also be available as rod legal motorcycle, but I would not hold your breath.

Do not buy a r6 in Thailand, i repeat : Do not buy a r6 !

 

Too deadly, it's quick, too quick, feels too light = makes you do lots of shit

Just get a Cb650 or m7-07, i know it's not really comparable to the r6 but it's got enough power for Thailand.

 

Ninja 650 maybe, but i heard it was quite a shitty bike for a 650.

The stock 2017 R6 from what I've read in reviews is underwhelming. But with the race kit (which makes it not road legal) it actually can be quite nice. Then again at the mentioned price of 550k THB it's very much overpriced. Just not worth it imho. The MT-07 and CB(R)650F are a much better proposition. More practical and nearly half the price while probably just as much fun if not more because you are not doing track days.

 

The R3 can be boring after a while, I know my CBR500R got boring power wise. Imho the torque and power of the mentioned middleweights can be rewarding for a long time. And if unsure, step up to the MT-09, that should have plenty of poke to keep your heart happy for a while. And on top it got much more grunt down low than an R6. There are good reasons why most manufacturers have cancelled the 600cc track bike class. Yamaha is the only one keeping it on life support with the updated R6.

4 hours ago, eisfeld said:

The stock 2017 R6 from what I've read in reviews is underwhelming. But with the race kit (which makes it not road legal) it actually can be quite nice. Then again at the mentioned price of 550k THB it's very much overpriced. Just not worth it imho. The MT-07 and CB(R)650F are a much better proposition. More practical and nearly half the price while probably just as much fun if not more because you are not doing track days.

 

The R3 can be boring after a while, I know my CBR500R got boring power wise. Imho the torque and power of the mentioned middleweights can be rewarding for a long time. And if unsure, step up to the MT-09, that should have plenty of poke to keep your heart happy for a while. And on top it got much more grunt down low than an R6. There are good reasons why most manufacturers have cancelled the 600cc track bike class. Yamaha is the only one keeping it on life support with the updated R6.

Don't listen to much to the Honda propaganda, the 2017 Suzuki GSX-R600 and the 2017 Kawasaki ZX-6R are still very much alive... Sure Yamaha is currently leading the pack with the latest upgrade...

5 hours ago, Pepper9187 said:

Do not buy a r6 in Thailand, i repeat : Do not buy a r6 !

 

Too deadly, it's quick, too quick, feels too light = makes you do lots of shit

Just get a Cb650 or m7-07, i know it's not really comparable to the r6 but it's got enough power for Thailand.

 

Ninja 650 maybe, but i heard it was quite a shitty bike for a 650.

 

The Kawasaki Ninja 650 is for years the best value for money motorcycle around the world, the new 2017 Kawasaki Ninja 650 ABS can stand-up to the performance of any in the same class and road handling has also improved by a major leap... This all by still being one of the lowest costing machines available in Thailand...

 

Is the new 2017 Kawasaki Ninja 650 ABS perfect, no - but it damn gets close - and surely not the new and the old are anything I would call a "shitty bike" which is clearly a comment from somebody who maybe never even touched the KAwasaki Ninja 650 or its naked brother the ER6n and the new Z650.....

Unfortunately there are no mid-range super-sports bikes available in LOS. No R6 nor Daytona 675 (which IMO would be perfect canyon carving machines around here), you could import them or get the track-only version of the 2017 R6 but the price would be so close to liter bikes that it wouldn't make any sense.
If R15 was your first-bike, i'd suggest either R3 (stock tires and suspension is crap, add 12k baht for sticky tires like Pirelli Diablo Rosso III in 110/70 150/60 which i currently run, then another 40k for Ohlins rear-shock and front-springs), or KTM RC390 (slightly faster than R3 and comes with decent stock tires, but you'll still want to replace the stock suspension, it's crap), either of those machiens can beat CBR650F/Ninja650's in the canyons.
If you're more experienced than that, then either R1, S1KRR/HP4, CBR1000RR, GSXR-1000R, or ZX10R/RR or even H2. But that's 700k-1,5m machines, that can only be fully enjoyed at the track.
                Alternatively change the style, get a naked bike, the MT-09 and Triumph Stripple offer great power-to-weight ratio.

Id second the RC / Duke 390.  Take a look at one.  200K.

9 hours ago, ktm jeff said:

Id second the RC / Duke 390.  Take a look at one.  200K.

373cc single cylinder engine. 

 

Wear a gel bodysuit to deal with the vibrations. 

 

Just kidding, light, fun little bike. 

 

Forget the R6, unless you're loaded and highly skilled. Not really a good bike for Thailand. I'd recommend a ninja 650 or MT07.

Got a friend who wants rid of his R6. Bought it S/H but mint, 100% legit from Red Baron in BKK, plate and book. Spent a fortune on it, load of bling, footrests, levers, Power Commander, genuine imported exhaust system, spare race fairing, etc etc. Must have spent in excess of 500k easy. Will accept 325k for a quick sale and over a 200k loss. Not a Satang less. Also got a 2 bike trailer for sale.

PM me if interested, i'll pass his number along.

I was riding 125ccm here for about 4 years.

 

I got feeling, that I need something bigger, so I went for a 300ccm. Like month later I regreted it, I should go straight for a 600ccm.

 

300ccms lacks power. Yes, top speed is about 160 Km/h. So you will be able to be quickest on the road. But to get to top speed is quiet painfull.  If there's car infront of you driving 120 Km/h you wont be able to overtake it under any curmcuinstances. Because going from 120 to 160 Km/h takes like 30 seconds. So you will be stucked behind him.

17 hours ago, howard ashoul said:

I was riding 125ccm here for about 4 years.

 

I got feeling, that I need something bigger, so I went for a 300ccm. Like month later I regreted it, I should go straight for a 600ccm.

 

300ccms lacks power. Yes, top speed is about 160 Km/h. So you will be able to be quickest on the road. But to get to top speed is quiet painfull.  If there's car infront of you driving 120 Km/h you wont be able to overtake it under any curmcuinstances. Because going from 120 to 160 Km/h takes like 30 seconds. So you will be stucked behind him.

120? cant overtake? what rubbish.

23 hours ago, howard ashoul said:

If there's car infront of you driving 120 Km/h you wont be able to overtake it under any curmcuinstances.

I can't believe that could always be the case, you could change down. 

On 29/04/2017 at 4:29 AM, macknife said:

120? cant overtake? what rubbish.

Some replies in This thread are a joke  lol

A guy recommends not to get a ninja 650 

Even though hes never even ridden One

 

Another guy thinks you can't overtake a car doing 120? 

 

And  all the negative  r6 comments are really unwarranted, it's not the bike that kills people, it's the riding  ability or lack thereoff

 

I have owned and operated litre bikes in Thailand for years and I have not been killed  and have friends who also ride them

 

Bigger bikes have bigger brakes, better traction and more rubber on the road surface, If you ride within your limits a fast bike can be safer than trying to go fast on a  slow one

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 minutes ago, speedtripler said:

Some replies in This thread are a joke  lol

A guy recommends not to get a ninja 650 

Even though hes never even ridden One

 

Another guy thinks you can't overtake a car doing 120? 

 

And  all the negative  r6 comments are really unwarranted, it's not the bike that kills people, it's the riding  ability or lack thereoff

 

I have owned and operated litre bikes in Thailand for years and I have not been killed  and have friends who also ride them

 

Bigger bikes have bigger brakes, better traction and more rubber on the road surface, If you ride within your limits a fast bike can be safer than trying to go fast on a  slow one

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was talking about 300ccm. Not Ninja 650?

On 29. 4. 2017 at 4:29 AM, macknife said:

120? cant overtake? what rubbish.

OK. Sakon Nakhon. My Kawasaki Z300. You can prove me wrong. 

2 minutes ago, howard ashoul said:

I was talking about 300ccm. Not Ninja 650?

 

You can't overtake it on a 300cc? 

Try dropping a couple of gears and redline it

I can do it on a 250 so a 300 should be capable.... 

I'd probably go for the new cbr1000rr over an r6. I had a gsxr 600 in Thailand for 6 years and liked it a lot, tame down low for city riding, super smooth with a nice hit over 10000 rpm.

 

600s are a bit high revving for touring though and given the better tech and torque of the liter bikes I think it's worth the extra 100k or so.

R3 definitely
Go for it, I love mine

The question Yamaha YZF-R3 or YZF-R6 is a bit useless for Thailand, as the Yamaha YZF-R6 is not road legally available in Thailand.

On 4/26/2017 at 7:45 PM, Richard-BKK said:

 

The Kawasaki Ninja 650 is for years the best value for money motorcycle around the world, the new 2017 Kawasaki Ninja 650 ABS can stand-up to the performance of any in the same class and road handling has also improved by a major leap... This all by still being one of the lowest costing machines available in Thailand...

 

Is the new 2017 Kawasaki Ninja 650 ABS perfect, no - but it damn gets close - and surely not the new and the old are anything I would call a "shitty bike" which is clearly a comment from somebody who maybe never even touched the KAwasaki Ninja 650 or its naked brother the ER6n and the new Z650.....

Kawasaki makes great bikes, but the ninja 650 is pretty low on my list of bikes in Thailand.  It felt like really heavy and  less nimble than a ninja 300 or CBR500.

 

The power is good, but the low end grunt isnt ideal for riding in Thailand with slick roads.  And the radiator fan used to blow straight on your legs in traffic.  Not sure if that got fixed.

 

Ultimately i would prefer the cbr500 (which i bought) or the best IMO is the CB650.

29 minutes ago, 1BADDAT said:

Kawasaki makes great bikes, but the ninja 650 is pretty low on my list of bikes in Thailand.  It felt like really heavy and  less nimble than a ninja 300 or CBR500.

 

The power is good, but the low end grunt isnt ideal for riding in Thailand with slick roads.  And the radiator fan used to blow straight on your legs in traffic.  Not sure if that got fixed.

 

Ultimately i would prefer the cbr500 (which i bought) or the best IMO is the CB650.

The cbr500 is overweight and underpowered

No comparison to the kawa 650 range

(but it is cheap tho) 

 

13 hours ago, Richard-BKK said:

The question Yamaha YZF-R3 or YZF-R6 is a bit useless for Thailand, as the Yamaha YZF-R6 is not road legally available in Thailand.

Thanks, I wasn't aware of that. 

I won't consider a honda because I owned a civic for a short time in Australia that broke down and left me stranded 200km from any town with no phone signal in the australian outback.  I've been dirty on them ever since.  I did go to check out a honda rebel a couple of weeks ago but it's ugliness kept smacking me in the face. 

I guess I'd be considering a Suzuki GSX instead.  I've been looking for trail bikes recently too.  Too many motorbikes and not enough time.  

On 7/24/2017 at 10:39 AM, akirasan said:

Thanks, I wasn't aware of that. 

I won't consider a honda because I owned a civic for a short time in Australia that broke down and left me stranded 200km from any town with no phone signal in the australian outback.  I've been dirty on them ever since.  I did go to check out a honda rebel a couple of weeks ago but it's ugliness kept smacking me in the face. 

I guess I'd be considering a Suzuki GSX instead.  I've been looking for trail bikes recently too.  Too many motorbikes and not enough time.  

Actually the R6 is available in Thailand for the road. I was at Yamaha Kaset Nawamin on Saturday and they have about 6 of them in the showroom for 549,000 Baht, looks awesome in Blue.

 

They are road legal and will be officially registered by the main dealer. The launch was the 28th apparently.

Was looking at a new R6 in the showroom of the main Yamaha dealer here in Singapore today.
Really sexy looking bike.

Both bikes are very sexy looking, but complete crap riding them on streets. Better buy a proper street bike.

On 7/23/2017 at 11:48 AM, Celer et Audax said:

R3 definitely
Go for it, I love mine

He might not luv it.