the GS is plenty good for 80mph all day hot, cold rain, ask me how i know.

im 6' 270 and have a milk crate straped on to a home made rack on back, and i still have fun out cornering newbs on hypersport bikes. yeah, they leave me in straights, so? harleys leave me too, untill that corner comes up then its... well, you ever see a puppy come running pellmell into a tiled kitchen and it try to stop? Granted mine has kat 600 rear shock,progressive front springs, and full exhaust system, it has plenty more rear preload to hual more. its been pretty reliable for an ex Race bike that i bought with couple of tired engines. Counter ballence shaft brearings tend to go but fixable, even by shade tree standards(still trying to think of a way to setup Roller bearings on it).  the kat600 is heavyer and uses feul much faster, and isnt quite as comfortable as the GS for long hauls, it seems to feel tail weight abit more sensitivly then the GS does for somereason. at least it did on my 88 k6.  the front end is alittle stiffer on the Kat but then  you can put a k6 front end on the GS for about 100 and double your front brakes too.   the K6 is just a GS with a 4cyl and suspension to carry it. its parts are more expensive compaird to GS from what ive found.

The SV was my first choice but insurance was high on it too.  I do like the look of the F better, but the Kat seems like it would be a better cruiser of the two.  hell, i don't know...

all i know is i will be riding around town alot, occasional crusies on secondary highways, country roads, but mostly commuting...

and i don't like the look of a cruiser as much either...not for me :dunno:

Like others have said, the GS is perfectly fine for high speed highway riding.  It won't have the roll-on power of the Kat, but it'll be fine.  I ride mine on the DC beltway all the time, gotta go 80 to keep from getting run over.  You will not get left in the dust by dudes on big cruisers.  Hell, most any cruiser under 1,000 cc's ain't gonna be as fast as the GS.  

And it's perfect for around town/commuting type riding.  It's lightweight, good upright ergos, smooth power, nimble, etc.  

Definitely go used.  That high insurance you worry about?  No worries on a used bike.  $140/year for me.  

jeff

Obviously you're ultimately gonna do what you want, and all of us are obviously a 'bit' biased toward the GS.  However, the GS is a very capable and competent bike.  It really can do anything, and it does most things very well (especially with minor modification).  Not to mention you can pick one up cheap, ride it for a year or three and sell it for what you bought it for.

I've got a '96 GS500 and an '04 Triumph Speed Four.  The GS500 is better for around town driving, and competent at highway speeds.  It's light, maneuverable, and carries its weight lower than the sportbikes.  It's easier to handle for U-turns and at low speeds.  My Triumph dumps a lot more heat on my legs if I'm not on the highway, I don't know how it is with other bikes.

I was going to sell the GS500, but it's so great in town I kept it.  The only thing you'd want to add on the highway is a windscreen.