Why the desire to upgrade to a 600?

[chupacabrah]

chupacabrah-the sv650 is also a budget bike and suffers from a weak suspension. Maybe not quite as weak but still weak. The sv1000 gets complaints for being too stiff...too harsh suspension...

ok...so you're saying the sv650 = too soft
and the sv1k = too stiff

i read it right?

[gobstopper]

Why the desire to upgrade to a 600?

I have no desire to upgrade to a 600.  At this point I am completely satisfied with the level of power the GS puts out.  It gets me moving, sometimes quickly, and if I spool it up to 9-10k it has a nice tug.  How fast do I need to go on the street, anyway?  I might like some more power, but I certainly don't need it and am not gagging to go faster.

The GS500 is my first bike.  Certainly won't be my last.  I'd kinda like a VStrom 650, or maybe a SV650S, or to dream the dream, an Aprilia Falco.

But I'm cheap.  I certainly won't be buying a new bike anytime soon.

I think the GS will stay even if another bike comes, though.

As a pretty new rider, it's just right for me.  And I have no desire to try to be cool to impress someone.  I don't give a f%$k what people think of me--never have, never will.

[Turkina]

I'm looking at getting a FZ6 for my next bike.  Don't get me wrong, the SV is a great move up, but I'm a bit too scrunched up on it for my comfort (I'd get the SVS)

I think 600's are a good balance between value and power.  The increased torque and hp, you might have to seek out high revs, but it is there if you need it.  I haven't found the need to dip into the power band too much on my GS unless I am concentrating on twisties.

Now, if I had the money... I'd get an Interceptor with ABS, that bike is a serious sport touring machine  As it is, I hope I can keep a GS around to work on even if I get my FZ6.  I find myself doing a lot of voluntary work on the GS, but I haven't ridden it in 2 weeks because I'm waiting for parts and things!  :x  Would be nice to have a bike I could just ride and not worry about 8 year old, unchecked parts.

[juggernaught]

Well though i still own my Gs i've had a Ducati M620 Dark for the last 3 weeks and i have to say i'm very happy with it.  It fit's my small frame (5'5" 135#) quite perfectly and it weighs about 5# more than the GS.  The performance is another story entirely.  The bike accelerates quickly and responds easily.  The intrument panel is handy as is the fuel injection.  Not to mention the bloody bike is just sexy....nekkid and all.  Right now i see no need for me needing a larger bike.  I like 'em small, sleek, fast, and naked.....umm....bikes that is.        

[pantablo]

ok...so you're saying the sv650 = too soft
and the sv1k = too stiff

i read it right?

Yes. the sv1kS has the ergos of the gsxr bikes as well...few are comfy on those. they havent been selling well either so you could probably pick one up at a good price if you wanted one.

[pantablo]

... I'd get an Interceptor with ABS, that bike is a serious sport touring machine  

if you want a serious sport touring machine look elsewhere. My riding buddy bought a well taken care of 2002 vfr800 and hates it. Not touring enough to be confortable on longer rides (for him or passenger) and not sporting enough for serious canyons. The vtec also was hard for him to get used to-kicked in hard, usually mid corner. he had to get used to riding much higher in the rpm band. You want a ST bike look at the Kawasaki Concours (good value since you can pick them up cheap). There are others as well but the vfr is a compromise in every direction.

[pantablo]

At this point I am completely satisfied with the level of power the GS puts out.  

its interesting that most seem to equate upgrading to a 600ss bike with more power. Sure, my 600rr has plenty more and its nice to have the squirt when I need it but the real benefit for me anyway was the advanced technology inthe chassis, handling, FI, tires, clocks, wind protection, etc. The bike is much easier to ride and therefore tires me less.

[Stime187]

At this point I am completely satisfied with the level of power the GS puts out.  

its interesting that most seem to equate upgrading to a 600ss bike with more power. Sure, my 600rr has plenty more and its nice to have the squirt when I need it but the real benefit for me anyway was the advanced technology inthe chassis, handling, FI, tires, clocks, wind protection, etc. The bike is much easier to ride and therefore tires me less.

I need to just stop posting, Pantablo says everything in my head...  :dunno:  

That's precisely why I want to upgrade, power is nice... but so is not riding a 14 year old piece of... work.

Scott

[pantablo]

never stop posting. I may go senile someday.... :mrgreen:

[tt_four]

pantablo, i read that article, it was a great article for my bike, but i wasn't just referring to that one, just the fact that it's always compaired to bikes like the sv and 599, which are good bikes, but still not on the same level, either way, anytime i ride with someone for the first time, and we stop, i always hear how they thought it was supposed to be a pretty soft bike, and didn't think you could ride it like that, people just get the impression that it's no where close to most of the 600's out now, and even though i do only have 97 hp to their 120 whatever, i don't notice it until my bike stops at 140 and they take off past me going 155, but once you're that high who's counting :dunno:   it's just pointless to listen to everything the magazines have to say, i'm sure someone else here has read it, arron p franks first article for cycleworld(could've been motorcyclist, i don't remember) where he just talked about how the magazines push so hard on all the brand new 600's and 1000's, and any tiny flaw in a bike is jumped on, and you're lead to beleive you're less of a man if you don't have the shiniest new bike, it was a great article, but his main point was that the magazines are there to make money, and if it takes pictures of gsxr's on one wheel, then that's what they print, just like tonight when i was in giant eagle with heather and she was flipping through one magazine and gave me a sad look and was like "why don't they ever have my bike in here?", it's not cause the gs isn't a good bike, but to the most people looking for a bike magazine, a new r6 just sounds a little more appealing

[juggernaught]

I agree with TT....so many of the bikes reviewed on these mags tend to be what i call "Show" bikes.  I live in NYC and so many of my friends have these superbikes that are just not really meant for the city and rarely go out on the open road.  Meanwhile practical bikes like the GS are rarely even mentioned.  Imagine in about 30 years when Honda comes out with it's 4000 CC hoverbike controlled by telepathy making clip ons obsolete.  I mean is that a bike still..??   T=What the heck was i talking about anyway..??  i'm going back to bed.  

[alerbaugh]

i want a 600 bc its got enough power to satisfy my adrenal gland for a few years to come.  I like the looks of a sportbike and thats what ive wanted for some time.  I also want to modify it and such.  the gs has been great but it doesnt have the brakes or acceleration i need anymore.

[pantablo]

tt_four, I wholehartedly agree. A while back one UK magazine did an article comparing this years latest zx6r and r6 to a several year old version of same to prove that even though the magazines have moved on these bikes are still plenty potent and have a great deal to offer. With a bit of modding the older bikes were actually better.

[edit: magzine was actually Sport Rider, October 2003.]

[Pam G]

I notice in a lot of posts that the next bike wanted after the GS tends to be 600. Why?

I didn't get a 600 for a "next bike".  I bought a TT600 in addition to my GS500.
I fell in love first with the appearance of it (in yellow, but I have a caspian blue model), and the fact that it was something different, a Triumph, not your dime-a-dozen Japanese 600's.  But what sealed the deal was the sweet handling on a demo ride.  Plus the seat height is just a little taller than my GS, but not as tall as a GSX-R600 or R6, so I can still get 1/2 of each foot down while stopped.

Pantablo, do I understand from your posts that you did buy a Speed 4?

[pantablo]

Pantablo, do I understand from your posts that you did buy a Speed 4?

Nope. I started there but after a long, circular path I ended up buying a cbr600rr. Was going to buy the daytona 600 but the fit wasnt right. The rr fits just perfectly.