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I have been riding since August of last year and have around 2000 miles under my belt. I currently ride a 2008 Hyosung 250cc cruiser with a claimed 28hp. I want to upgrade and am looking in to doing some sport touring.

I am looking for some advice and know there are some great folks on this site that will freely give it. I am 37, 6' tall and 210 lbs and 31.5" inseam. Here are the bikes I have been looking at:

SV650
Ninja 650
Katana 600
VStrom 650
Versys (actually has been removed as the foot pegs dig into my legs when feet are down).
Honda's 599

I am very open to other bikes also. I think most would say any of these bikes would be good for my experience level and generally a good starting point for what I want to do (sport touring). But chime in please with thoughts on these bikes. I have sat on each and like the feel of all but the Versys.

Now, one other quandry is there are two bikes for sale locally that would fit the bill, but may be more bike than I should bite off right now. The bikes in question are a 2002 Katana 750 and a 2000 Triumph Sprint ST. Both seem to be priced very well and would definitely do what I want.

Unlike the kids that come on here saying they are buying a 600cc race replica no matter what because they are more mature than anyone else, I will drop the idea of these bikes if the majority say they are a bad idea and I should stick with the smaller displacements.

So, give me your thought on the bikes, especially the 750 Katana and the Sprint. If I do drop the idea of the sprint, and someone lives in the Seattle/Olympia, WA area and is interested in picking up the Sprint at KBB trade in value, I can let you know where it is.

The Ninja 650R is nice, though the seat sucks after 130 miles or so. There's a Corbin, though it's a tad pricey from what I've heard. Expect ~45 mph from that bike, stock. Also, if the windscreen is the wrong height, there are plenty of aftermarket ones available.

The VStrom might be better suited for distance, though not as capable in the twisties. Of the ones in the first list, the 599 would be the highest performing bike on there. Quicker in corners than the tuna cans and the sprint as well, I'd imagine. THOUGH it has a very limited amount of wind protection compared to the others.

FWIW, I'd personally go for the Sprint, though I'm coming from a 650R already. But if the Sprint or big tuna can fit you, and you like the ergos on them, go for it. Just remember, they're top heavy compared to a lot of sport bikes (all of the ones on your list, except maybe the versys), though with a little practice can be handled fine. I say take the sprint for a test ride if you can, if the power and weight seem like they'd be too much to handle, then don't get it.

Big tuna? Are you referring to the Katana or Jim from The Office?

they all seem ok


the katana has one advantage, you could park it out side your house with the keys in it and be comfortable in the knowledge that no one would steal it

shane-o wrote:

the katana has one advantage, you could park it out side your house with the keys in it and be comfortable in the knowledge that no one would steal it

very very true

the 599 is a great bike, and a couple of riders on this forum (skier and sev) have put some pretty serious miles on theirs. since you're thinking about touring on your next bike, check their blogs out and see how they liked theirs

Can't beat V-strom's for comfort for long distance if you're a big guy. I have the DL-1000, but the DL-650 ergo's are similar.

If you're thinking Sprint, try sitting on them or even better a test ride before you commit. Personally, I can't stand 'em, and I'm generally biased pro-Triumph, but I know guys who won't ride anything else. (To clarify, love the triple engine , but can't stand the way the bike feels.)

Ever considered the FZ-6? Pretty much the same class as the SV650, 599, etc., but it has a centerstand, a bit more room, underseat pipes, and there's a version with a half-fairing. Some of those features would be handy for sport touring.

The Triumph looks like a nice bike, but I don't really know much about it.

What I do know about is V-Stroms.
Like I've said in the past, I love my bike. It does just about everything well. It may be less sporting than some of your other options, but those same traits mean that it should be more comfortable for touring. It gets good gas mileage, and has a tank big enough to give you near 300 miles from full to empty. The Strom would also likely be cheaper to maintain than the Triumph, not that I've ever priced it out.

NWTrtle wrote:I have been riding since August of last year and have around 2000 miles under my belt. I currently ride a 2008 Hyosung 250cc cruiser with a claimed 28hp. I want to upgrade and am looking in to doing some sport touring.

I am looking for some advice and know there are some great folks on this site that will freely give it. I am 37, 6' tall and 210 lbs and 31.5" inseam. Here are the bikes I have been looking at:

SV650
Ninja 650
Katana 600
VStrom 650
Versys (actually has been removed as the foot pegs dig into my legs when feet are down).
Honda's 599

Unlike the kids that come on here saying they are buying a 600cc race replica no matter what because they are more mature than anyone else, I will drop the idea of these bikes if the majority say they are a bad idea and I should stick with the smaller displacements.

2000 miles is good. Personally, I think a bit more mileage is usually a wise idea before upgrading. I tell people 10,000. I'm extra-cautious, so I'm sure 99% of people will disagree with me. Personally, I did 16,000 on a Ninja 250 before I got a SV650.

Having said that, I don't think you are looking at any unreasonable bikes. You should be able to handle any of them. My only trepidation is that most of those bikes are NOT sport touring bikes. I'm a little confused why you say you want to do sport touring, but all your bike options are standards and sportbikes. I think a real sport touring bike would be a lot more comfortable for you.

Thanks everyone for the responses.

Dragonhawk, The reason I left out the true sport touring bikes is they tend to be much bigger bikes, both physically and engine size. I don't feel like I am ready for some of those bikes even though that is where I would like to end up. I view this next bike as a step towards that goal. I also feel like a bike in the 600 - 750cc range will fit the bill for everyday riding and starting down the road of sport touring for me to get to the 15-20,000 mile experience range before I consider upgrading again.

Of course, if I missed a sport tourer in the 600 - 750cc range, please tell me what it is so I can research it and find one to check out.