After about two and a half years of riding I feel like I'm getting ready to upgrade past the GS.  I want to do some more distance riding since I'm moving about six hours from home and I don't think I want to do that on a naked bike. A little more oomph on the highway would be nice too.

So if I'm looking for something with a little more power than the GS that has a fairly comfortable seating position for longer rides (no wrist breaking bikes) and is sporty looking what would you guys suggest?  I'd like ot keep it at or under (the more under the better) 4500.  I dont know if I'd want to go older than an '04.  Let me know what you guys think.

sv650s has everything you ask, great riding position, fairing, power, performance and stunning good looks.  that or a Honda vfr 800, i have a thing for twins. the sound, the midrange power and torque up the ying yang. they are also not considered sport bikes when it comes to insurance which is always a good thing.

what about those hysung united motors things you pushed all the time? agreed on the sv part tho, a few others to consider as well

+1 svs

+2 Naked SV.   

Get a windshield for it if the wind bothers you.   

i mentioned my experience with UM once and now i am pushing them all the time?

If you're looking at an SV, make sure it's an 03+. That's when they added FI. (I'm pretty sure but I've been wrong before.)

Well from experience depends on your inseam. The SV is a bit a tall. Were you thinking cruiser or sport bike? 

I also recommend the SV.  Great all-around bike, and that v-twin is one of the best engines ever put in a motorcycle. 

I think the seat height on my '04 SV was only like 31.5 inches, so that shouldn't be an issue.

I'd go fz6.  Definitely more of a tourer and more comfy than an SV, more top end power but definitely doesn't have the low end grunt that the sv has, it has all the nice touring accessories more than the sv, and its dead sexy to look at.  Undertail exhaust, fantastic fit and finish, R6 engine that revs to the moon, and can be just as trackable as any sv can.  (the latter I didn't believe until I looked up the huge following of guys with fz6's at the track)  I'd say go that route.  If you want full fairing you can get the lower kit.  Also, they can be had for under 4500 all day in any urban areas.  Check it out.  I'm in the same boat as you right now and i'm looking to get one of these also for the same reasons.  The sv guys all end up getting more upright bars and try to reconfigure things for the touring aspect of things.  I don't want cramped wrists after a hundred miles knowing I've got 500 more to go.

any decent track with lots of turns will favor the sv or its inline four competition. i used to race a tlr1000 and it kicked butt.  twins are made for the track.

Maybe on the track, but I was just saying that the fz6 is track capable.  It may not be the king, but got a smokin engine for it and with a higher rearset, you can do quite a bit with it.  Plus with the 180 rear tire, it has really sticky rubber available.  For daily street use though, its gonna be a better bike all in all.  MPG may be a bit more with the sv though, just for thought.

Yeah, from what I've heard I think the sv might be a bit tall for me. 

From the reading I've been doing it seems like the f4i or the fz6 might be the way to go.

I've heard a lot of good things about the F4i and hondas in general.  I've got two friends who ride cbr600rr's and love them and two friends who are die hard yamaha riders (one on an R6 and one on an fz6).  I haven't heard anything bad about the hondas at all. The R6 and the FZ6 (to a lesser extent) lack a lot of torque in the lower revs, and since I do a lot of commuting in traffic I dont think I'd want to deal with that. I gotta admit I'm leaning toward the F4i but I'm still unsure about how comfortable that would be for the longer rides.

Anybody have any experience touring on an f4i?

I recommend the 08 SV650SF.The full fairing SV.

Quote from: bucks1605 on May 21, 2008, 07:23:44 AM
If you're looking at an SV, make sure it's an 03+. That's when they added FI. (I'm pretty sure but I've been wrong before.)

Bucks you're correct.

A V-Strom 650 or how about a Bandit 650 or are those not available in the US?

-Ash

The GSX650F in the "new" Bandit in the U.S., looks a lot like the GS500F but is bigger in physical size.

Quote from: mjn12 on May 22, 2008, 09:59:52 AM
Yeah, from what I've heard I think the sv might be a bit tall for me. 

From the reading I've been doing it seems like the f4i or the fz6 might be the way to go.

I've heard a lot of good things about the F4i and hondas in general.  I've got two friends who ride cbr600rr's and love them and two friends who are die hard yamaha riders (one on an R6 and one on an fz6).  I haven't heard anything bad about the hondas at all. The R6 and the FZ6 (to a lesser extent) lack a lot of torque in the lower revs, and since I do a lot of commuting in traffic I dont think I'd want to deal with that. I gotta admit I'm leaning toward the F4i but I'm still unsure about how comfortable that would be for the longer rides.

Anybody have any experience touring on an f4i?

I wondered about the f4i's also. (Zero experience myself) The few group rides I've had with folks on f4i's I asked allot of questions. The bike is freaking BOMB PROOF. Engine is solid, frame is tough as hell, see all those stunters using them ? Ergos are not what you want for touring though. The seat would have to go first thing, then figure out how you're going to keep your hands awake (foam grips?) and back from fusing to the subframe.

I do ride with a fella that will take a 400 mile ride on his FZ6 at the drop of a hat. Or track day, or a north run (just a group ride on fun turns north of here), or a slowbie day in a parking lot for practice. Three of the fellas swear the only thing better for commuting AND touring is the SV. One guy has a busa, an SV, a FZ6, and assorted dirt bikes. The SV is his choice, but the others "Are -just- still there in the garage" as he put it.

I try to glean as much as possible from folks on touring type machines. What seat, what grips, what tires, what bike. So many of them point to SV's and FZ6/FZ1's and Strom's that it's hard to think they're all crazy.

Pick a bike, try it out. Buy used. If you hate it, sell it. Then try the next fun machine.

And report here We can always use more threads about your misadventures and galavanting across the countryside

A busa is ciosdidered a sport-tourer to the old guys I know, also a honda imtercepter would be great also.

Comfort and sportability, VFR ftw

Can you tell I like honda

But the FZ6 is an excellent choice as well.

If your going to do alot of 2 up ridng consider going VFR or FZ1 though.

I love vacation and drunk posting.....ooohhhhh cabs here going to bar later.

I've heard all those same things about the F4i, just an all around great bike.

I dont know about anything like the VFR since its an 800, I dont think I want to go much higher than 600cc.  I feel like stepping up too much higher than a 600cc bike would be an unsafe jump.

Maybe touring isn't the right word for what I'm looking for, and a better phrase would be "comfortable enough mid size sport bike" The longest commute I'd NEED to do would be 300 miles and I'm willing to put myself through some pain as long as its do-able. I'm finally warming up from the 30 minute, 40 degree, gloveless ride I just got back from.  I do a lot of stupid uncomfortable rides just for the hell of it.