Motorcycles play an important role in our lives, from the day it was invented up to this date, Their purpose is still very beneficial to us. Study shows that year by year, a large number of commuters are switching to using a motorcycle rather than taking the bus when going to work, visiting a relative, or just plainly cruising the highway. This is because of its convenience alone.
When it comes to choosing your motorcycle, there are a lot of factors that must be considered. One thing is their displacements- the amount of volume that the piston displaces within the engine’s cylinder as it moves the crankshaft up and down, and it is measured on cubic centimeters or in short CCs. The higher the displacement, the more gasoline hungry it is, the stronger the engine will be, and the faster the motorcycle and also more expensive. Typical CC counts on engines are: 100cc, 125cc, 150cc, 200cc, 300cc, 450cc, 500cc, 600cc, 750cc, 1000cc and 1200cc. Lower displacement means slower but more fuel-efficient, those high numbered displacements are typically seen on sports bikes and superbikes.
First-time bikers should stick to the lower displacement bikes first before going on the higher ones because it is dangerous to ride a higher cc bike, but, if you are an experienced bike rider, a sweet spot for you are the 600CC bikes. They are always fairly priced, have enough power to travel on highways and it is an expressway legal bike, they also look very awesome, they would have the looks of high-end bikes without the high-end price. These types of bikes are the go-to’s when it comes to choosing your daily driver motorcycles. These make them the most popular choices amongst riders. It has a balance of aesthetic, design speed, and functionality.
How long do 600cc motorcycles last?
This question is always being asked by buyers when buying their very own first 600CC motorcycles. Well, the always answer to this is, it is on the owner itself on how he/she will be taking care of his/her unit. But let’s go dig deeper, there are 5 factors from the manufacturer and 5 factors from the owner that determines the longevity of the motorcycle.
Here are the 5 factors from manufacturers that affects the longevity of a motorcycle:
- Brand – this goes without saying, this affects how the specific brand engineered the bike namely; the aerodynamics, ergonomics, design, and features. Some might raise an eyebrow at these mentioned features but the explanation is; that with great aerodynamics, the bike would cut through the air- you don’t want your bike to be an air barricade that not only slows you down it can also destroy your fairings without proper execution. Then partnering it with proper ergonomics, makes the rider have only one position where the engineers intended the weight of the rider would be, the last thing they do not want is to not put the rider’s center of gravity where it should be. Design and features come together for a better handling performance like brakes with ABS, engines equipped with Variable Valve Actuation or VVA, and many more.
- Year manufactured – as the year goes by, bikes are becoming more and more reliable and more robust. Some even make their frame lighter but also stronger.
- Materials used – this makes some bikes more expensive than others, some may use stronger frames, better lights, better fairings, better tires, and the list goes on. This makes them more durable than their cheaply made counterparts.
- Safety features – More safety features, the less your bike will be in trouble, the longer your bike will last. The most popular safety features are airbags, an anti-locking system(ABS), a combined braking system(CBS), Traction control, Stability control, and automatic emergency call systems.
- Engines – Probably the most important part of a bike. Again, the more premium materials they put in, the better life expectancy on a motorcycle.
Here are the 5 factors from the owner that affects the longevity of a motorcycle:
- How they drive it – trained riders don’t have problems with this, as they have a very good amount of knowledge on how their bikes should be used. Unfortunately, not everyone is very knowledgeable about this, some drivers may notice as early as 3,000 miles when driven improperly. Examples are inappropriate upshifting or downshifting, Excessive use of brakes and not utilizing engine brakes and the list goes on.
- How they take care of it – owners might want to check their units before and after hitting the road, this is to prevent anything small to big issues that slowly destroy their bike, wiping them as soon as you got home reduces the risk of having early signs of rust.
- Maintenance – in this case, there are only five things to consider; change the oil, change the air filter, maintain tire pressure and tread, Change coolant and always keep your chain clean.
- Mileage – the higher the mileage, the lower the bike will still be usable. This is one of the defining factors of whether a bike is still reliable or not by just simply looking at the odometer, typically, avoid bikes that are on their 60,000 miles especially when going for long rides, unless it was checked and repaired before traveling.
- Accidents – accidents make your bike’s lifespan shorter, so avoid being included in one and always be very careful.
From the above-mentioned lists, here are two extreme scenarios that have an impact on the bike’s longevity.
- Well taken care – with proper driving, proper handling, and a fully maintained bike, some say that it may last up to 300,000 miles. this is very impressive and almost doubled the average user of this particular displacement.
- poorly taken care – negligence driving, no actions on maintenance and just driving harshly, this may cause the engine of the bike as early as 4,000 miles. This is the reason why you should at least learn or ask how to maintain your motorcycle and how often should you change oils and filters, to avoid damage.
Then there’s the majority of bikers who has good handling performance and proper maintenance on their units. the bikes they used have ranged from 70,000 miles to 130,000 miles before their bikes have to constantly visit a repair shop at least twice a month. At this point, any bike that has reached this range has been served the owner very well.
Not all bikers can reach this kind of number. if you have reached up to this point, you have been considered lucky. One interesting thing about these bikes is the majority of them are made in Japan and Italy. Japan-made bikes that are surveyed are; Honda CBR600RR, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, Yamaha YZF-R6, Suzuki GSX-R600, and Honda CBR600F4.
While in Italian bikes are; Triumph Daytona, MV Agusta F3 675Aprilia RS660. So this means if you bought from those country-made bikes, rest assured that you will have a lasting bike. It is safe to say that using your bike properly, you can get at least 60,000 miles or more depending on how you handle it.
The brand that should be on your last priority are the ones that are made in China, reports say that they are more likely to use cheaper materials which give justice to their cheaper price point compared to bikes made in Japan and Italy because of the poor and weak materials being used. They are not that reliable too. So choose your unit wisely.
Pros and cons of having a 600cc motorcycle
Pros
It is very slim, fast, and easy to maneuver in traffic, which makes your daily travel a little bit faster than the 4 wheeled counterparts, unless it’s a 4 wheeled motorcycle,. Another advantage is that it is very reliable and responded snappily, once you hit the throttle, it responds very instantaneously compared to lower displacement bikes. It is also very cheap for bikes to maintain rather than the four-wheeled vehicles. Lastly, and maybe one of the reasons why they bought a 600cc bike is because of their aggressive look and how the sound they make, especially when revving it up, always sounds very satisfying.
Cons
By having higher displacement, this means gas consumption is higher too, this is more important, especially because the gas prices going up. Another con is because it is so powerful, accidents on this kind of bike are more likely to be fatal, especially in high-speed traffics. these types of bikes also have minimal o no space for any cargo you have, so be sure to always bring extra storage, especially for the long rides. And lastly, these bikes are designed to have an aggressive form on your posture, meaning that at long rides, you may find yourself having body pain or stiffness, especially on the arms.
No matter what your motorcycle brand is, as long as you take good care of it, driven it properly and as long as you don’t have any accidents, you are off better on what you have, even if it has the less durable materials equipped. Respect and be courteous always on the road and be mindful on the road.