Should I buy the ZX6R or 650 for first bike?

A first bike imho should already have dents and scratches. Nothing is as paralyzing as trying to protect a brand new bike from gravity. As a moderate crash can total a fully faired bike simply by destroying half or more of the plastics, I think that puts a lot of pucker factor into the equation.

A used, rough to look at mechanically sound bike is a much better starter bike. The first season’s oopsies have little to do with what bike you’re actually riding, and far more to do with skills, training, and situational awareness. A steep grade with an off camber so your footing is compromised, an oily spot you might not see, sand, dirt, leaves, wet lane markings, train tracks….. if you’re on something that you can pick up yourself and just get back on and go…… much less stressful. Particularly if you have invested in decent quality riding gear so you suffer less injury than the bike.

Either bike is well over 400 lbs. Both are somewhat too heavy. Both will easily exceed 100 mph. Both have a lot of plastics.

Lots of funny things I could say but going to talk seriously about a first bike. Yes it is very possible to start on a ZX6R if you have a lot os elf control and start slowly, carefully and methodically. However if you have never ridden a couple of things about 600 super sport that aren't as easily noticeable. The weight is higher up, the bars are narrow and low. When stopped or slow speed, when the bike leans it gets very heavy quickly. My first bike was a Ninja 250, followed by a Yamaha FZ6 and then a CBR600RR. The Ninja 250 was easy to ride and a lot of fun. Being mostly new to riding it was so much fun. After a year I was pretty much riding it flat out. Did a lot of interstate riding at the enforced speed limit of 79 - was a bigger number on the optimistic speed. The FZ6 was a huge step up in power, I remember riding it home and giving it a healthy dose of throttle in 2nd and was amazed. Riding position wasn't so new but the power and weight were. Almost dropped it in a gas station when someone cut in front of me and I had to hit the brakes. Was going slow but took everything I had to keep it from going down. CBR came 4 years later and I had almost 40,000 miles of experience on the FZ6. Power wasn't radically more but the riding position was much more aggressive. We had 18,000 great miles together before the ZX6R 636 ABS. It was very similar to the CBR except for more mid range power and a riding position the fit me a bit better - less knee bend. About that time I wrecked a scooter in Italy at 15MPH - clipped right bar on a rock wall dodging a bus. Shattered kneecap. Took 3 months before I rode the ZX6R again and it was not for very long. The next summer I did ride it back from Florida in one day - 600 miles. Then I retired and traded the ZX6R for a BMW F800GT and went on long trips. BMW broke so I traded it for a Yamaha Tracer 900 GT which I still have. Lat summer rode it from Alabama to Michigan to the UP and west to ND then into Canada to Calgary and back thru Montana, SD and back home.

I identify as a 21 yo but my license has something else on it! If you have experience riding dirt bikes then it's possible a ZX6R could be a first bike but I would not recommend it. A lighter bike like a Ninja 400 or a KTM 390 or even the 250s and 300s will be lighter and easier to ride. At first you need to focus on the basics. ow to do a turn how to brake and corner and on the street do both carefully cause sometimes you have to stop going around a turn. In my neighborhood we have hills. Learning to start from stop isn't too bad. Learning to come up a steep road to a stop and then turn onto another steep road is a skill that takes time and practice for most. Lighter bike is easier. Stopping on a road that is not lever where you right foot is several inches lower than you left foot. Have to see and recognize and figure out how to post you feet down before coming to a stop are essential skills. Slow speed maneuvering which is taught in MSF classes is a vital skill and for most folks (like me) needs to be practiced. Last summer when leaving the campground in Calgary the street slopped steeply uphill from left to right, the approach to the street was steep as well and I had to stop to see if anything was coming! It was challenging on a fully loaded bike with full sidecases and a 58 liter duffle on the back seat. Knowing any mistake would put me down was no small amount of pressure! I made it in no small part to having done similar but less difficult turns a number of times - I was still nervous. Riding in campgrounds on gravel roads with a loaded bike while at slow speed is fun also. I always come back with my slow speed skills honed.

Final point on the ZX6R is they are quick bikes! Yes there are faster bikes but up to 80 to 100 all quick bikes are about the same. Above that and the bigger bikes will pull away. At lower speeds and gears the bike can respond extremely quickly. If you are not experienced and prepared the bike could jump out from under you if you whacked the throttle in 1st or 2nd at 9,000 RPM. 2nd problem with the power is unless you have driven a fast car or ridden a quick motorcycle the speed comes much more quickly than you are expecting and you suddenly find yourself in a situation where you are going twice as fast as you are used to and then you have to make decisions much more quickly and curves and stopping are happening much more quickly. With experience most people can adjust and learn to deal with it but it has certainly caught many inexperienced rider out.

650s are not bad bikes. I have contemplated them many times as they are fun bikes to ride. However they have much less HP (good thing for new riders) but weight as much ore more than a 600. I like the Triumph 660 triple but it is not a light bike. The Ninja 400 is a smaller bike with a bigger motor and had descent power - way more than my Ninja 250.

There is no wrong choice. My main recommendation is to look at and listen to all the advice (including mine) carefully evaluate yourself and make a decision you are comfortable with. This should be your decision and what looks cool to others is not important. Get the bike that works for you. Keep us posted on how it goes. Lots of very experienced riders here and you can learn a lot from the folks including to "don't I tied that and it didn't work so well".