My Next Bike

[serbianstunna]

I'm looking to sell my GS next year and get a sport 600 within $3000-$4000.  I'm looking at f4i's GSXRs and R6's mainly but there may be a good bike i have missed? I'd be using it to commute to school and work as well as for pleasure.  Any feedback on which bike is the most practical for me??

[pandy]

SV650S

[Alphamazing]

Good luck finding a sportbike for under $4k unless you want it to be an early 90s model. ost of the '99+ 600 sportbikes are easily $4.5k and higher. As soon as you hit '03, when FI was introduced on the rest of the Big Four's 600s, the price is right around $5.5k or so.

That's in Austin, TX though, and these are current prices, when they are supposed to be the lowest.

[Jake D]

I agree with Pandy.  You may also want to look at the Z750, ZZR600, FZ6, YZF600R, VFR800, VFR750, and the VTR1000.  My $.02.

[Mk1inCali]

Another vote for the YZF600R.  Great platform.

[jordanearl]

check insurance before you do anything, that is if money IS an object to you.  your gonna be blown away by the increses going to a supersport. 

[serbianstunna]

yeah i'll check it out.  the sv650 ive heard is still kind of slow...I've seen F3 and F4 cbrs for my price range (around 98-2001's)  and some mid 90s other 600s, any feedback on the cbr 600s?

[roguegeek]

The SV650 is lightning quick compared to a GS in my opinion. Even after buying my CBR600RR, I'd love to have an SV to commute with.

The F4i is a great bike. Much more comfortable compared to other middleweight bikes and still has way more than enough power to have fun with. Plus, it's a Honda so fit/finish are there along with reliability as long as you take care of it. The YZF600R is another good choice because it's also comfortable with enough power, but I wouldn't want to deal with carbs (which is why I'd also stay away from the F3 or F4). They're both a huge step up from a GS, but if you have to get a 600cc sport bike, they're definitely going to be the most friendly.

People here are dead on with their insurance concerns. You may or may not get a good rate for many reasons. If it's bad, you're not going to ever want to get rid of the GS. I pay $600 for full coverage on my 600RR and that seems to be extremely good for a 600cc sport bike. It can get a whole lot worse. Check insurance before you check anything else.

[pandy]

It's usually not the bike that's slow.... I think that's Pablo's wisdom! 

[vtlion]

If you are looking for a good deal on a 600SS, I wouldn't count out an older CBRf4 or even an F3.  The F3's are getting to be pretty old, but there are still good ones out there I rode with a guy who owned one for a while and I was really impressed with the performance and styling considering how old the bike was.

If you are considering a used 99-02 R6, research the infamous "second gear" issue.  I owned an 01 R6 and I didn't have any trouble, but many riders have reported problems.

[pfb]

I was aiming for an SV650S ('99-'02 curvy, not '03+ pointy model), but then it was pointed out to me that they're not much more powerful than the GS... and then I saw a beautiful silver SV1000S, and next thing I know it's mine. I've never looked back, although the 650 may have been powerful enough - I didn't test ride any new bikes, so I'll never know. The SV was definitely a 'heart buy', but I have no regrets.

When I took the GS to sell it, it felt pretty agricultural compared to the SV! Maybe I was just still smitten

Test ride as much as you can...

[annguyen1981]

Test ride as much as you can...

Not many dealers (if any) will let you test drive ANYTHING.

[vtlion]

I've been offered test rides or demo rides at both dealerships I went to while bike shopping here in State College.   

[aaronstj]

I was aiming for an SV650S ('99-'02 curvy, not '03+ pointy model), but then it was pointed out to me that they're not much more powerful than the GS...

The SV650S makes about 70 HP to our 40.  They're nearly twice as powerful, in a lighter package.

[Grainbelt]

yeah i'll check it out.  the sv650 ive heard is still kind of slow...

You buying a trackbike, or a streetbike? On the street, I've found the midrange torque of a 650 twin to be downright speedy 

[vtlion]

yeah i'll check it out.  the sv650 ive heard is still kind of slow...

You buying a trackbike, or a streetbike? On the street, I've found the midrange torque of a 650 twin to be downright speedy 

Indeed.  The sv only begins to fall behind the SS bikes on the high end roll-on department.  I'm talking about 60-80mph and 80-100mph times.  At real-world speeds the SV will not disappoint.  It also makes the twisties more enjoyable IMO because you can be off by a gear and still get good exit speed in the corners.  600cc I4's are much less forgiving with gear selection.