Awwww thx buzz.
ANYWHO. Yes, it does perform very well for what it is. a 70 hp, two wheeled, noob friendly bike. I can't think of many other bikes i'd rather have in heavy traffic. It's liquid cooled (no over heating at a stand still for 30 mins) the narrow rear tire (160 mm) makes it snappy as all hell, and that and the short wheel base make it rather slow speed friendly. Also, at about 390 lbs dry, it's not that heavy at all (as a comparo, a Ninja ZX-6R is around 362 lbs dry, and it has an aluminum box frame, 650R has tubular steel).
And yes, pretty much all the praise is true. THOUGH, if i have the $$$ when it's time to replace the brake pads, i'm getting some better than OEM pads and stainless lines, just for some extra grab.
Also, with my 250 lb self on it, it WILL power wheelie in 1st gear, so it's not gutless (48 ft-lb of torque at 6k rpm

)
It does okay with long distance, though the seat makes your "O Ring" roll foward a bit, which does get uncomfortable after 100+ miles. It does fine with two up riding, though i don't know how long a passenger will feel comfortable back there.
I truly, truly wish there was a 1000cc version of this bike (SV650 and SV1000 anyone?) cause i'd most likely get it as a second bike, but i supose an Interceptor will have to do then (in a few years).
And yes, this is a very, VERY compact feeling bike. My only complaint with that, is that they made the mirrors compact too, as about all i can see is a nice shot of my elbows with them. Though, there is a guy on the 650R forums who made a mirror inverting kit, and says it makes the mirrors actuall work well!
Check this out, i love it
PS - I can outdistance my friend on his 1994 YZF750R with my 650R, so the machine DOES have some serious performance capabilities (i can also ride the YZF better than my friend can, heh).