Your impressions of 500-750cc bikes, please.

[qwerty]

Okay, I've been of motorcycles for 11 years, but do have 600,000 miles experience from the olden days. I'm looking for a 500-750cc street bike with riding comfort and position similar to the bikes of the 60's and 70's (CB750, Z1000, CB500, etc.). That means standard ergonomics. Cruisers and sport bikes both hurt my back. I definately want a windshield or fairing big enough to hide from the wind without humping the fuel tank, either factory or aftermarket. I'll be commuting 30 miles a day, visiting friends living 30 miles away, and pleasure riding highways and byways on weekends. A couple times a year I might set out for Colorado or North Carolina. I intend to ride within posted speed limits, but don't really want to have to focus on shifting to keep a peaky engine in the powerband.

Here's what I'm considering:
Suzuki SV650S, V-Strom 650, Katana 750.
Kawasaki Kawasaki Ninja 650R

I appreciate your impressions of these bikes, and I'll consider other bikes if you have any suggestions.

Honda doesn't seem to build such a bike, or at least the dealer doesn't want to admit it--he keeps steering my to monster cruisers and tourers--no thanks.

Yamaha's website doesn't work on my computer so I have no idea what they have because when I visited the dealer nobody had time to talk to me.

[xjustice9x]

Yamaha has the FZ-6.

I haven't ridden all of those bikes, but i'm sure others will come along and chime in with their opinions.

[gsJack]

Forget the SV650S, it has lean over sportbike ergos; take a look at the standard SV650 with a windshield added which has standard ergos. V-Strom is good too and the Katanas are close to sit up for an ageing sportbike. The Ninja 650 also sits up straight as well as the Ninja 500.

The Honda 599 has a naked sit up style most like the old standards. I like the GS500 for their riding position since your considering 500cc also. The naked one is my preference and they are only selling the fully faired one in the US now. The fully faired has same ergos as the naked only wrapped in plastic.

The FZ6 is nice but a bit peakier than the others with a 14k redline, the Honda 599 is less peaky than the FZ6 having been detuned a bit more for torque although it is based on the CBR600F3 engine.

[VermilionX]

the kanatuna and SVS are both sportbikes.

they have the leaned forward riding position... probably not as leaned forward as RR bikes but you will be leaned forward unless you have really long arms.

you can buy windscreens for the regular SV since you want a standard riding position. i rode w/ a guy who had it. it only has a tiny windscreen but he said it's really does it's job.

the FZ6 is semi-faired like the SVS but it's riding position is standard so you might like it.

[qwerty]

I was just talking to a bud on the phone. His interpretation of my predicament is that in the olden days you had a choice between street bikes, dirt bikes, and dirt bikes with lights. Now there are dozens of motorcycles for different riding styles--simply too many choices.

Thanks, your comparisons are exactly what I need to get on track.

[mgdavis]

Another vote for the V-Strom 650, if you can get past the looks.

[ninja79]

Of the bikes you listed, ninja 650 will probably be the best for you. I really like SV650S too, but as gsJack said, its seating position is a bit more forward-leaning, though I still found it comfortable (not as agressive as a gixxer, for instance). It also has a naked brother, SV650.

V-strom is the fugliest bike I've ever seen. But hey -- it's in the eye of the beholder

Katana is very heavy and, unlike the other bikes you listed, it has a 4 cylinder air-cooled engine. It will be less fuel-efficient, and will not have as much torque at low RPM, so it will be at a disadvantage in a stop-and-go traffic.

I would add Yamaha FZ6 to your list. The seating position is very upright, but it is inline-4 (see the note above).

[TheBD]

i would look into a honda VFR 800, its got fairly good ergos for a sporty-looking bike I've ridden one for over 7 hours at a time and got off the bike feeling amazing, plenty of power for cruising and not to bad of a roll-on acceleration.

[qwerty]

VFR 800? Is that the Interceptor? Of so, it's priced about $3000 too high.

The FZ6 gets bad reviews for lack of low speed torque, and torque is necessary to haul my fat but around.

Any comments on the Ninja 650?

[Sev]

All of the sidebyside comparo's I've seen put the SV-650 whether naked or faired ahead of the ninja650 in everything except aesthetics.

That being said, I'm rather partial to the 599...