Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I have been riding my Suzuki GS 500 2001 for 3 years now. It was my very first bike and it has taught me well. I do feel however, that it is a bit under powered for me now ( and for about 1 1/2 years). My hubby has a Hayabusa now and... lets just say it takes me about an hour to catch up with him.

I love long bike rides on the weekends.

I ride my bike to work (about 15 miles round trip)

I love riding fast.

I like moutain roads (eventhough I am still a bit squidish)

I have been looking at the:

Suzuki SV 650S
Yamaha R6
Honda CBR 600 F4i

Any ideas? Suggestions? Words of Wisdom?

Seems to me by your list you've already done your homework. Any one of them would be a good choice. If price is a concern the SV is the cheapest (less expensive ) one. I'm so passe tho - I still like the full faired look.

Let us know what you decide... with pics natch!

The three you have picked are good ones, it is really going to come down to price, look and comfort on the bike. If you are going to be on the bike for long trips and lots of them I would lean to the SV or even a YZF600R apose to the R6, but if your not going for really long ride, for many days the R6 and CBR are good bikes. If you could test ride before you buy it may help with your choice.

Of the three, my pick would be the SV650S, but as everyone else has said it all comes down to preference. None of them would be a bad choice. Just go do a lot of sitting at the dealership, and read as many online reviews (from owners, not just magazine reviewers) to get some feedback from folks who have some real seat time with the bikes.

Hi Fuji...

I haven't been in this forum for awhile, but havong owned a CBRf2 and an R6 here are some thoughts to consider along the lines of what everyone else has posted...

Firstly, congratulations on making the smart choice of the GS for your first few years of riding. Undoubtably you're progressing well from having started off on a good standard bike. Three years seems like a good time to move up.

The f2/f3/f4's ergonomics are are similar and thus very comfortable for sport & touring in comparison to the R6, which really is a pure sport bike best suited for the racetrack. The R6 puts you in a position that tends to put lots of weight on the wrists and thus longer trips are less comfortable. The engine of the Honda's is more user friendly too. A better spread of power, down low, not that the R6 is hurting down low, but the Honda's are very smooth, very linear, etc. The R6 loves to rev... rev rev rev... and despite my love for Yams and the R6, if I were riding it on the street I'd opt for the CBR and tend to agree that the YZF600R is a better choice than the R6 for street duty and sport touring. (The R6 rules at the track and for agressive sport riding). Point #1 is the YZF600R has a WAYYYYYY comfier seat than the R6... the R6 seat is a plank and sucks for long distance compared with the YZF600 or the f4i). The R6 also has pretty limited lock-to-lock steering for tight manouevers when doing pedestrian street things in the parking lots etc... So back to the CBR f-series: these bikes are also known for being easy to ride fast. Check the height of the bikes out, i think the f4i is shorter, as is the SV. The R6 has a pretty high tail height, but i don't notice these things too much as i am of reasonable height.

I think you'll find the SV has lots of potential and is a fast enough bike when ridden well. Nice useable power for around town too. They sound great with a pipe too. The GS500 is a dog for engine power compared to any of your choices. The SV will do you well in every area.

Another bike coming down the pipeline which may be of interest to you is the new Kawasaki ER-6:
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2 ... -ER-6n.htm

The best way to keep up with a Hayabusa is by spending money on taking riding courses, and learning to blitz your hubby in the twisties , as a very good rider on a SV will have no problem staying AHEAD of the average rider on a Hayabusa. And some of us men (snicker) are slow to learn, and thus opt for big horsepower rather than decent handling... so use keepin using your head and learn to get ahead You can save the money not used in purchasing an inline-four 600, and go with the 650 V-twin, and spend the rest of your hard earned cash on your riding skills, taking advanced/performance riding courses over the next few years and every year afterward. It pays dividends in spades because the real fun is in the twisties, and any bike ridden well in the turns is fun. Over the years as your riding skills continue improving you will be much better prepared to appreciate each step up in new bikes...

BTW: if you choose the SV, one common modification for serious sport riding is different springs and valving in the front fork. Other than that it seems like a good bike from what friends have said over the years.

Sit on 'em... try some test rides, etc... get ready for new fun...

//monkey

Monkey-
Wow- Thank you so much for your insight! - and thanks for addressing my concerns. I never even thought about the YZF600R! I looked at the spec on the web- and I must say, I really like it! It sounds perfect for me.

I was almost set on the Sv650S but, now I think I am headed to the YZF600R. I am going to go to the dealer this weekend to compare the two.

I am not too crazy about the CBR F4i. From what I read it seems good, but not too "special". And, I hate to addmitt it, I am stll kinda vain, and the Honda CBR F4i's don't really have a lot of flare.

Thanks again! I will keep you posted.

You guys are so much help!!! THANK YOU!

(Can you tell this is my first fourm?)

You're quite welcome Fuji,

A word of thanks goes a long way with me, so thank you for the reminder that I should help out the more appreciative people on the forums. If everyone lends a hand where they can in life we're all better off.

You're stepping right in and getting the most out of the forum. It's sometimes best to just dive in with a good attitude!

Like you, I find the f4i (like many Hondas) are lacking in character/soul. They don't suit my tastes as much as others. They look and feel a bit over-engineered and have a "commitee-designed" feel to them. There are a few Honda's which don't follow the typical Honda program, and although the f4i seems to follow the basic Honda trends, it's not quite as bland as a refrigerator. The 600 market is too competitive for bland bikes, and although the f4i is not as intense as the current 600RR it's the step back which makes it an excellent daily rider, sport and sport-touring bike. The styling doesn't do much for me, but that's Honda.

There are certainly other aspects you'll discover in each bike once you visit some bike shops and check 'em out in person. (i.e. The YZF600R is a bit heavy).

If you'd like some more bikes to consider, just ask. It's better you're not overloaded with information, and I have a penchant for doing that to people sometimes

You're headed in the right direction!

//monkey