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1.6K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  slick nick  
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#1 ·
My first bike was a Suzuki S50, fun bike for me, but too small (I am 6'). I bought a Ducati 998 as a project bike, really liked it, but it turned into too big of a project. It is at the dealer, and I am waiting on a price quote for how many thousands of dollars more than I am willing to spend to make it rideable. I did have it one season.

Assuming, I don't get the 998 fixed, I am looking for a new bike, and have no idea what to buy. I don't think I want another cruiser (if you can call the s50 that). I don't want a maintenance nightmare like the 998. I have a very long commute, so fuel efficiency matters, but a larger gas tank would be nice. I don't need tons of power, but I maxed the s50 engine out enough times to know I want more than that. I don't ride off road, but I live in Ohio, and our "on road" can be similar to "off road". I am strong, so a heavy bike is not a problem, but anything Goldwing sized is less fun to ride and more expensive to maintain. I hate gimmicky, high tech, poorly thought out features (automatic transmissions, collision avoidance, heated seats, etc) but am not opposed to new tech that is well thought out. I do ride in anything warm enough I don't have ice or snow on the road, so I probably need fuel injection (the s50 is not fun to start in 30F). Ability of the electronics not to fry with a little salt on the road would be nice. Taking gear with me would be nice. I don't take it to the track, but do want handling and performance. I do care what it looks like, but overall am looking for a practical vehicle. Any advice?
 
#3 ·
New bike

The 1000cc V twin Suzuki is a good bike IMO. Reasonable price, good power and handling, easy to maintain. I have the discontinued SV1000. I think the other one is a DL or V Strom.

Some of the Ducatis have a bit more power than my SV, weigh a bit less, handle a bit better, and cost about twice as much.

Unkle Krusty*
 
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#5 ·
Unkle Krusty said:
The 1000cc V twin Suzuki is a good bike IMO. Reasonable price, good power and handling, easy to maintain. I have the discontinued SV1000. I think the other one is a DL or V Strom.

Some of the Ducatis have a bit more power than my SV, weigh a bit less, handle a bit better, and cost about twice as much.

Unkle Krusty*
Click to expand...
The man who taught my MSF course was a long time rider with millions of miles. He had a V-Strom and was a huge fan. On paper, it fits what I want, but it is a little wierd looking for me. GSX or 'busa are things I'd consider. I'd bet the GSX is more fun to ride, but the busa looks better.
 
#6 ·
Vstrom seems like a solid ride to me. You might like a Versys, which has similar abilities but looks a bit more sporty. You said fuel efficiency matters, so I'll throw in my bike, NC700, since it gets about 65 mpg. I like it, but it leans toward Vstrom looks and is not as quick as the Versys or Vstrom. All three of those say value to me.

That's my best real answer, even though you are a Browns fan.

Who Dey!
 
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#9 ·
I never heard of a Versys, and that looks like a good choice. Better looking than the V-Strom for sure. The NC700 is a good bike, but might get a little boring after a while, and maybe a little small. Fuel efficiency matters in that I don't want something like the Ducati Panigales that get 20mpg on premium. A 40mpg Hayabusa really isn't that much worse than the 65mpg NC700.
 
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