klr650 or sv650 should be your best bet imho

both are decent first bikes

Yes the DR-Z is much lighter than a V-Strom, but I would never consider it for touring with a passenger and fully loaded with gear like I do with my V-Strom. Yes the V-Strom is a pig off-road, the DR-Z is far better suited for off road use, but it can't touch a V-Strom on the open road for comfort. It all depends on what you want to do with your bike? If a GSX650F is considered a starter bike..than I guess a V-Strom could be one too?

I agree with roadstergal and fred.  Compared to a 27" men's bicycle, any motorcycle will seem short.  The GS is actually average in ergonomic size, as am I, so for me it's perfect.  Dual sport bikes, or enduros as we oldsters call them, are the tallest.  You can get dual sport bikes nowadays with street tires, and I think that's a way cool commuter bike option, especially for a lanky guy.  Long ago I bought a 5-year-old 1975 Honda XL 350 with 3,400 miles on it.  It remains the best deal I ever got on a bike. ($450 and it was showroom!) After riding it for a couple years I wanted to put street tires on it because the zzzzzzzzz was getting to me, but street tires wouldn't fit the rims in those days.  My wish came true 20-some years later, as they now have dual-sport bikes that take street rubber.

I'm 6'2" as well...I fit fine.  It's a great first bike especially considering the low cost to ride it.  The thing that gives me the most trouble is the narrowish seat    

But get what feels right for you...it's not a great beginner bike if you won't ride it!!  Try to find a dealer who will allow you a couple test rides.

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=47348.0

If riding a bike named the Gladius doesn't scream "I'm ghey" I don't know what does.  Does it come with crotchless panties?

Quote from: bill14224 on April 03, 2009, 03:45:59 AM
If riding a bike named the Gladius doesn't scream "I'm ghey" I don't know what does.  Does it come with crotchless panties?

Nope ... A$$ less undies.
Cool.
Srinath.

I find cruisers to be very comfortable.  They have such low center of gravity that even the big ones are pretty easy to manage.  I can ride a Honda VTX1300 all day and not be cramped.  The 1800VTX was too top heavy, but lots of other cruisers have smaller size and weight -- even a nice Harley Sportster is comfy to ride.

prs

Quote from: Bluesmudge on April 02, 2009, 01:58:01 PM
I feel so honored to have a piece of GS history! Lol, I got a good deal on it too. Needless to say it has a good home and that rearset plate wouldn't have worked without it (stock pipe curves too close to rearsets).

Aaaah yes, that too, my second and third and 4th lots all had the middle S pipe bent so tight outward and so sharp upward, the muffler would burn the turnsignal almost ... it was just under it actually. But out sharp and up sharp was the game in the flanges.\How high is yours, I remmeber the first lot I didn;t push it that far up.
Cool.
Buddha.

Quote from: bill14224 on April 03, 2009, 03:45:59 AM
If riding a bike named the Gladius doesn't scream "I'm ghey" I don't know what does.  Does it come with crotchless panties?

Quote from: The Buddha on April 03, 2009, 08:10:16 AM
Nope ... A$$ less undies.
Cool.
Srinath.

As I said, not a good name.  But, I'm definitely NOT ghey, and I'd happily ride that bike--but only in the appropriate gear.   

I'm 6ft and have been riding my GS almost every day for nearly two years now.  Even though I'm very used to the bike and generally feel quite comfotable around town I do get a painfully numb butt after an hour's hard riding on fast twisty country roads and motorway (freeway) riding.  I wouldn't recommend a GS if you wanted to tour - although plenty of people on this site would dis-agree.

I bought a gel cushion in the hope that would improve things but it turned out to be a complete disaster!  It felt more like I was having an enema administered than a comfort accessory !!  One lives and learns...

bassman

I'm all of 5'10" and find the GS painfully tight, perhaps because I'm old enough that bending my legs that far makes my knees and/or hips ache. Not unrideable, but not comfortable. My plan is to make the seat higher (un-cover, add foam, re-cover and change seat color while at it) and the pegs lower, because otherwise it's pretty darn good for what I want in a bike. The fit on the olde Yamaha is better for me, stock, though. Some of the dual-sports I'd also considered have the same problem - they have lots of seat-to-ground, but seat-to-peg is short to keep the ground clearance high.

Mark two, if I ever get there (I've had the bike for ~10 months without getting mark one mods done yet) would be a taller seat pan, with more storage under it. Just as soon as I find that copious spare time...

I am 6'6 and dont have a problem with legroom on the GS, i attempted to ride a  CBR250RR. Ill leave that to your imagination.

But as far as the GS goes i find it quite comfortable, the seating position isn't aggressive and the pegs aren't up near your ass. I get an occasional cramp from god knows what maybe every month or so but if it is just a new feeling of the position try jumping of something with much less room for a day. But if you dont feel comfortable maybe a dual sport is what you are after.

Quote from: Bluesmudge on April 02, 2009, 01:01:48 PM
I used to ride my dad's DRZ400 before I bought a GS for myself. I do mostly city commuting in Seattle and I do miss the DRZ a lot. It's a completely different bike than the GS with a different purpose. You can jump curbs and take many more "shortcuts" than with the GS and still go as hard into corners as you would want to on the street -- even with knobby tires. In pretty much every regard the GS I got was a downgrade from the DRZ, but I wanted my own bike and it had to be cheap.

I've been thinking about trading in the GS on a DR-Z400SM.  I commute from Beacon Hill to the waterfront through SODO.  Most of the roads are pretty bad.  The poor GS can't take much more of my daily abuse.

Quote from: RVertigo on April 07, 2009, 05:37:06 PM

Quote from: Bluesmudge on April 02, 2009, 01:01:48 PM
I used to ride my dad's DRZ400 before I bought a GS for myself. I do mostly city commuting in Seattle and I do miss the DRZ a lot. It's a completely different bike than the GS with a different purpose. You can jump curbs and take many more "shortcuts" than with the GS and still go as hard into corners as you would want to on the street -- even with knobby tires. In pretty much every regard the GS I got was a downgrade from the DRZ, but I wanted my own bike and it had to be cheap.

I've been thinking about trading in the GS on a DR-Z400SM.  I commute from Beacon Hill to the waterfront through SODO.  Most of the roads are pretty bad.  The poor GS can't take much more of my daily abuse.

I don't know, the GS can take a whole heck of a lot of abuse. It is likely that if it really was on its last legs, you wouldn't be able to trade it for a bicycle, let alone another motorcycle... I think people underestimate how solid these bikes are...