I know a dude who upgraded from a GS500E to an old Speed Triple. If you don't carry passengers often... the world is your oyster. Something like a Speed Triple will keep the same comfort, but you can also look into the Japanese V-Twin sport bikes too. Plenty of torque, dead reliable, relatively comfy w/a set of clip on risers. Really it all comes down to preference.

 

Bandit 1200.

 

Bandits are so... old + heavy. Why a Bandit over something like a Z1000 or FZ1?

 

Like Anime said, you won't find a Z1000 for that kind of price. You might find an FZ1, but it will probably be thrashed. Bandits are hard to beat when you are looking for value. And they might be heavy, but if they were THAT heavy they probably wouldn't be so popular among stunt riders.

 

If you want the power in the pricerange, your gonna have weight and age. You aint gonna find new, power, and light and cheep all together.

 

I'd say 09 Kawasaki Ninja 650R, but the stock seat (to me) is not a comfortable seat. I've been wanting to get my seat modified, but something always comes up and blows my budget! The riding position is good though. I could ride all day if the seat didn't hurt my "taint".

 

Speaking of comfortable stock seats, surprisingly my Katana 600 had the most comfortable stock seat of all my modern bikes (my 1983 KZ550 was about equal, but it was fugly).

 

Maybe an SV1000N? CB599? Speed Triple?

 

Hello guys, I bought a GS500E a couple of months ago (with plans to sell it once comfortable) and have been riding the **** out of it. I have also gotten myself fully geared up for the just incase. :thumbsup: It is being sold to a coworker next payday.

Complaints - suspension to soft. Not quick enough, not enough highway grunt. You can never have to much torque. I have driven hotrods for many years (am 27 now with a nitroused Mustang GT) and the only ticket that I have ever gotten was in my Ford Ranger. I have plenty of self control.

I love the seating position. I have done 500 miles in a day with zero aches and pains the next day. To me that says a lot of such a small bike. I would like something similar, just much more torque and much more power. Also a small fairing would be nice but is not a necessity. Top speed is not a concern because I will never go that fast. I am considering something in the range of 1000cc give or take, used. Budget is $4k. $3k would be even better.

What do you guys think?

Cheers,
RC

No, that says more about the smaller seat on a sporting naked bike and your conditioning of your but. The old Honda CX500 and the later GL500-650 Interstates were often ridden on high mile days by the riders who owned them. They had a decent seat and neither 500 was as powerful as your 500, but the 650 was strong. Comfort is about what the rider has to sit on and roominess in the peg/leg and bars/body relationship.

As for what bike you should get depends more on what you've arrived at as a preference. A 1000+cc sportbike is right if you don't mind the discomfort of some of them on the high mile days - if you decided you want more sport. If you like sporting, but comforatable high mile bikes then you want more sport touring, like the Concours (10 or 14) along with a few of the sportbikes like the ZX14 and older ZX1000/1100/1200 that aren't the cutting edge ZX. If you're doing 500 mile days, check out the older ZX10 or ZX14. Good seats and protection. If too much, then take a look at the Z1000 or ZRX1200 in the Kaw line, the 1200 Bandit in Suzuki, or the FZ1 in the Yamaha lines. All are very sporting for straightening out back roads while still being totally capable sport tourers. A good rider can make them work as well as a sportbike under an average or lesser rider. On the road cutting edge bikes are really unnecessary.

 

A VTR-1000 would have all the power you need, but they are hard to find.

 

They are a great road bike along the lines of the VFR750, but big inch and V-twin with a rumble like a Ducati.

 

This is the VTR-1000 Superhawk. This one has a custom exhause, and it appears identical to the one I am looking to get.

 

I went from the GS500 to an FJR1300. Bit top heavy, but a great touring bike. I also like the ninja 650 - nice little bike

 

Get a Ninja 250 and ride it until you're 41.

Just kidding.

It will be interesting if you post a message to say what you get.

 

The Ninja has a totally different seating position from the GS500.

I sold the GS, because I out needed a bigger bike.

If I were to get another "sporty" bike, it would be the FZ1 or the GSX1250FA

 

I bought a 2007 Honda 919 with 6k miles on it. It rocks.

 

Good bike. I am lookin forward to seeing pics soon.

 

I will take some better pics but here she is. :thumbsup:

RC

 

919 is a great bike. Logical step up too

 

SWEET! Thats one of the non-v-twins I really would enjoy having ^_^

 

haha....if you look at it just right, it looks like a trike...lol

 

They are pretty much the same bike just at 2 different levels. If you were to change everything that I do not like about the GS500 you would have a 919.

 

Is this one of the ones with adjustable forks

Some dude did a pretty freaking mental 599 build... 919 swap, VFR SSSA and a whole slew of other stuff

 

Kid, that one would look a whole lot better if it had a matching front wheel and the headlight cowling was done a bit differently to look less like it was a bubblegum job. The rest of the work looks awesome though.

 

Completely and totally agree.

 

I dunno man. I think that bike looks pretty bitchin. And if you look at the underside of the tail it ties in with the red.

Heres mine.

 

Pure sex. How can anyone look at that bike and NOT like standards? Reminds me a lot of the GSX1400 (with the Hayabusa engine). Despite me being a Suzuki fanboy, that just might be the sexier bike...

 

Diggin' that undertail exhaust.