Quote from Chrisuu01 :

I'm leaning strongly towards a Fazer600 or a Bandit 600. It will be one of those or a ZZR600 with a super-bike handlebar kit.

What about an SV650/SV650S? All 2003+ models are fuel injected and can be had for fairly cheap, at least here in the US. Power-wise, they're on par with a Bandit 600 and weigh a whole lot less. Fazer 600 has a fair bit more power but is still fairly heavy compared to the SV650.

SV650S
650cc V-twin
52kw (70HP)
170kg dry

Bandit 600 (GSF600)
600cc I4
57kw (78HP)
208kg dry

Fazer 600 (FZS600)
600cc I4
70kw (95HP)
189kg dry

Before and after of an RS125 I bought as a non-runner (as pictured) with the engine and basically everything required to get it going. Been a nice little project cleaning it, figuring out the wiring and building it back up. Just to fit working indicators and it's ready for an MOT Look forward to getting it out on the road properly this summer!

Quote from Forbin :

What about an SV650/SV650S? All 2003+ models are fuel injected and can be had for fairly cheap, at least here in the US. Power-wise, they're on par with a Bandit 600 and weigh a whole lot less. Fazer 600 has a fair bit more power but is still fairly heavy compared to the SV650.

SV650S
650cc V-twin
52kw (70HP)
170kg dry

Bandit 600 (GSF600)
600cc I4
57kw (78HP)
208kg dry

Fazer 600 (FZS600)
600cc I4
70kw (95HP)
189kg dry

I am fairly knowledgeable when it comes to bikes.
Know all the things you posted, but the problem with the SV650s is the rather extreme seating position.

SV650 (aka SV650N, for naked) is less so, but it has no windscreen.

FWIW, I commuted on an SV1000S for a couple years and it wasn't bad, but then I was only on the bike for ~25 minutes at a time. That said, I have heard the SVS's seating position compared to a Ducati superbike.

At one point I had plain aftermarket no-rise clipons on my SV650S race bike. I found I had trouble with my body position, not being able to get my upper body off the bike as much as I wanted. I eventually got aftermarket clipons with a 1.5" rise, the same as stock. It felt a lot better. I'm only 170cm (5'7"), though.

Quote from Forbin :

SV650 (aka SV650N, for naked) is less so, but it has no windscreen.

FWIW, I commuted on an SV1000S for a couple years and it wasn't bad, but then I was only on the bike for ~25 minutes at a time. That said, I have heard the SVS's seating position compared to a Ducati superbike.

At one point I had plain aftermarket no-rise clipons on my SV650S race bike. I found I had trouble with my body position, not being able to get my upper body off the bike as much as I wanted. I eventually got aftermarket clipons with a 1.5" rise, the same as stock. It felt a lot better. I'm only 170cm (5'7"), though.

I'm also quite vertically challenged at 5,7 feet same height as you although my legs are what makes me short.
My upper body is normal while my legs are quite short.

Already tried a ZZR600 without a super-bike handlebar kit and it wasn't that bad, certainly miles better then the stock clip-ons on the GPX600.

Try this? It lets you change height and inseam separately.

http://cycle-ergo.com/

Looking at that the seating position on thesv650s is indeed far to extreme for me.

What I do see however is that on allot of bikes I would barely be able to get my toes to touch the ground when standing still.
Not that I use 2 legs allot when standing still, but still could get quite scary when moments of instability occur.

Quote from e2mustang :

u use that in london? how many times u have been knocked over by cars?

Zero, why would I be knocked over because that is what I use? Lots of people ride these in London and similar type of bikes (sports tourers/streetfighters) like the Fazer 600.

Quote from Racer Y :

I saw your video... How many traffic laws do you think you broke?

You tell me. You seem to know everything. Your laws are different to ours and also the fuzz seem very lenient over here when it comes to motorcyclists, especially in London. We are allowed to filter through traffic and I take full advantage of that. How many traffic laws do you think you've broken? Whilst racing other motorcyclists like you admitted earlier for example?

Quote from Chrisuu01 :

Looking at that the seating position on thesv650s is indeed far to extreme for me.

What I do see however is that on allot of bikes I would barely be able to get my toes to touch the ground when standing still.
Not that I use 2 legs allot when standing still, but still could get quite scary when moments of instability occur.

The Bandit is far superior if you're commuting. It has way more top end to give. The SV is decent to 60 because of the torque from the V twin but the power fizzles out much quicker than the Bandit. The Bandit is also much more comfortable and is more economical, and due to it's extra weight is much more stable.

If you could afford it I'd say go for the Bandit 650 like mine, it has more torque lower down than the old 600 and it comes with ABS.

Quote from Gills4life :

The Bandit is far superior if you're commuting. It has way more top end to give. The SV is decent to 60 because of the torque from the V twin but the power fizzles out much quicker than the Bandit. The Bandit is also much more comfortable and is more economical, and due to it's extra weight is much more stable.

If you could afford it I'd say go for the Bandit 650 like mine, it has more torque lower down than the old 600 and it comes with ABS.

Consider the SV650 makes about 10% more power than the Ninja 650, putting the SV at about 66HP on the first graph and on par or slightly ahead of the FZ6R up top.

And again this is ignoring how much lighter the SV650 is compared to the Bandit/Katana and FZ6R.

Quote from Gills4life :

The Bandit is far superior if you're commuting. It has way more top end to give. The SV is decent to 60 because of the torque from the V twin but the power fizzles out much quicker than the Bandit. The Bandit is also much more comfortable and is more economical, and due to it's extra weight is much more stable.

If you could afford it I'd say go for the Bandit 650 like mine, it has more torque lower down than the old 600 and it comes with ABS.

getting to about 3.000 euros would take a long time sadly by June/July I'm at about 2.000 euros.

And that is if I finally manage to get a bit of luck coming my way.
I think a budget of about 1.600 will be more realistic.

Wait what happened to the mighty 95hp fazer?
My learner bike made more power than that bandit.

Quote from Chrisuu01 :

Wait what happened to the mighty 95hp fazer?

FZ6R (blue) and FZ6 (red) are very different in terms of engine tune.

My learner bike had a bout 75hp and 44ft-lb. It was an XJ6.

Quote from sinbad :

Are you really having that argument? I thought Racer Y's original post was a joke, but now I don't know.

Also: That's how you have to ride in London, although admittedly I wouldn't want to do it every day. Passing stationary or slow moving cars safely isn't illegal, nor is using Bus lanes.

Of course I was posting a joke. Look at the photo. He looks to be just zipping along the road in a straight line, leaning on his side. It doesn't really look like he's turning or anything.

Eventhough I can turn a wrench and am getting along with customizing, There's still all sorts of stuff I can be better knowlegable about. And Tires is something I don't think you can ever learn too much about.

Speaking of customizing...
I was getting my boots fixed and noticed they did upholstery too. They showed me a picture of an alligator seat. I'm wanting to re upholster mine as it needs it, but I was really more interested in using a traditional Mexican blanket, but I dunno the alligator looked cool. Then I realized, I gotta ride this bike. Will all those bumps and ridges from the hide be so cool after 60 miles? They also said something about stingray. That sounds pretty good too. I wonder if it does good in rain...which is why I'm reluctant to go with the blanket. I redid the seat with naugahide vinyl and though it performs good and low maintenance compared to leather, it's as bland as white bread. Plus, in the summertime that seat was really hot to get on after leaving work.

"Also: That's how you have to ride in London, although admittedly I wouldn't want to do it every day. Passing stationary or slow moving cars safely isn't illegal, nor is using Bus lanes."

LOL how you have to ride and what the legal way is can be different things.
passing cars while still in the same lane? Changing lanes in an intersection?
Those are legal?
And people get mad when I jump up on the sidewalk....

Quote from Racer Y :

LOL how you have to ride and what the legal way is can be different things.
passing cars while still in the same lane? Changing lanes in an intersection?
Those are legal?
And people get mad when I jump up on the sidewalk....

Lane Sharing/Funneling is legal in California as well. Changing lanes in an intersection is legal up here as well.

Quote from dawesdust_12 :

Lane Sharing/Funneling is legal in California as well. Changing lanes in an intersection is legal up here as well.

Yeah I know that in California doing that is legal. It's still risky as hell. Especially seeing how road rage is our newest extreme sport. I don't think changing lanes in an intersection is legal though. I got a ticket for that here.
yeah... I had to ride illegally to ride safely as the one lane I was in had a nasty expansion joint ending in a crater. No not a pot hole. A crater. There wasn't any cars in the other lane so I zipped over to miss it. But a cop saw me...

You should have just gone over it, crashed, and sued the town.

Quote from Racer Y :

Yeah I know that in California doing that is legal. It's still risky as hell. Especially seeing how road rage is our newest extreme sport. I don't think changing lanes in an intersection is legal though. I got a ticket for that here.

Well you think wrong for the UK.

The only law remotely similar is not being able to overtake a lead vehicle when going through zig zag white lines. Something, I would like to add, I did not do!



@Forbin

The old 600 Bandit does a quarter mile time over a second quicker than an SV and the 650 Bandit is quicker than the old 600. The Fazer 600 is quicker than both the Bandit and the SV!

@Chrisuu01

My Bandit has about 87hp so a bit more than your old bike The Fazer6 has 95hp.

Quote from Gills4life :

@Forbin

The old 600 Bandit does a quarter mile time over a second quicker than an SV and the 650 Bandit is quicker than the old 600. The Fazer 600 is quicker than both the Bandit and the SV!

MCN's website says the SV650 does 13.5 on the 1/4 mile but that seems awfully slow for that bike.
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/ ... ki-gsf600-bandit-1996-05/
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/ ... zuki-sv650s-1999-current/

Other sources put the SV650 a few tenths ahead of the Bandit 600, notably the 2002 numbers from MCN quoted here:
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=4533.10;wap2

And the SV wiki page seems to agree with the ~12s mark.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_SV650

I don't know mate, there are so many different numbers and opinions.

I'd put my money on a Bandit over a 1/4 mile, especially if it's the 650 Bandit like I have. The SV650 has all it's grunt at lower revs, but when the Bandit was upgraded to 650 it improved the low and mid range so the SV lost a fair amount of it's advantage. The Bandit undoubtedly has a higher top speed whether it's the 600 or 650. Mine can do over 150mph when there's enough clear road ahead.

I guess it depends what you like in a bike.

What I needed/wanted in a bike was:
-Comfort.
-A great sounding, high revving inline 4. (Uses the GSX engine)
-A bike that was easy on the motorway but still fun to thrash around at the weekend.
-Something that could still hang with the 600 sports bikes.
-Decent fuel economy
-Adequate power
-Easy riding with a pillion (My girlfriend is on the back every weekend)

The new bandit ticked all the boxes and even had ABS and heated grips thrown in for those painfully cold winter mornings! Not to mention a lovely sounding Yoshimura exhaust set up.

I used to ride a sports bike and the only reason I'd get an SV would be for the aggressive sporty style that turns heads, but that isn't comfortable over long distances.
-It's a V twin, I wanted an inline 4. (The V twin does sound great with a good aftermarket can on it though!)
-It doesn't have as much top end so does not overtake as swiftly while already travelling at high speed. I spend a fair amount of time on the motorway.
-It's not as stable carrying a pillion passenger.
-Worse fuel economy
-Not as much poweeeeerrrrrrr!

The argument between the SV and The Bandit has been done to death by fans of each respective bike on bike forums. I like both and would gladly have both, but The Bandit suits me more for what I need and want from a bike at the moment.

If I could afford it I'd have had a Honda Hornet or a Triumph Street Triple instead!

The SV650 is a good bike but it does not have the power that I expected. The throttle did nothing at all. You really had to grab a handful to get anywhere. When I finally hit full throttle, I was waiting for power that never came. For all the people that praise them, I definitely expected more out of the engine. The bike rode very well and it sounded great but that's it.

Quote from Gills4life :

I don't know mate, there are so many different numbers and opinions.

I'd put my money on a Bandit over a 1/4 mile, especially if it's the 650 Bandit like I have. The SV650 has all it's grunt at lower revs, but when the Bandit was upgraded to 650 it improved the low and mid range so the SV lost a fair amount of it's advantage. The Bandit undoubtedly has a higher top speed whether it's the 600 or 650. Mine can do over 150mph when there's enough clear road ahead.

I guess it depends what you like in a bike.

What I needed/wanted in a bike was:
-Comfort.
-A great sounding, high revving inline 4. (Uses the GSX engine)
-A bike that was easy on the motorway but still fun to thrash around at the weekend.
-Something that could still hang with the 600 sports bikes.
-Decent fuel economy
-Adequate power
-Easy riding with a pillion (My girlfriend is on the back every weekend)

The new bandit ticked all the boxes and even had ABS and heated grips thrown in for those painfully cold winter mornings! Not to mention a lovely sounding Yoshimura exhaust set up.

I used to ride a sports bike and the only reason I'd get an SV would be for the aggressive sporty style that turns heads, but that isn't comfortable over long distances.
-It's a V twin, I wanted an inline 4. (The V twin does sound great with a good aftermarket can on it though!)
-It doesn't have as much top end so does not overtake as swiftly while already travelling at high speed. I spend a fair amount of time on the motorway.
-It's not as stable carrying a pillion passenger.
-Worse fuel economy
-Not as much poweeeeerrrrrrr!

The argument between the SV and The Bandit has been done to death by fans of each respective bike on bike forums. I like both and would gladly have both, but The Bandit suits me more for what I need and want from a bike at the moment.

If I could afford it I'd have had a Honda Hornet or a Triumph Street Triple instead!

Bandits are good all around motorcycles.
Triumphs.....?
Is a Street Triple the same as a Speed triple? I've always liked Triumphs - from a distance. They had a naked sport bike that looked cool (is that the triple?), but I really don't know much about them. A guy I did some graphics work for has an old school bonneville bobber chopper. It really looks good. This dude collects motorcycles and has all kinds of bikes. Single guys get all the neat toys, don't they?

Quote from skstibi :

The SV650 is a good bike but it does not have the power that I expected. The throttle did nothing at all. You really had to grab a handful to get anywhere. When I finally hit full throttle, I was waiting for power that never came. For all the people that praise them, I definitely expected more out of the engine. The bike rode very well and it sounded great but that's it.

The stock SV650 throttle tube (the part you twist with your hand that has a pulley on it) is meant to be very newbie friendly, such that you need to turn it a lot to get to full throttle. It's much nicer with an aftermarket throttle tube that lets you go from off to full throttle without needing to re-grip.

Quote from Racer Y :

Bandits are good all around motorcycles.
Triumphs.....?
Is a Street Triple the same as a Speed triple? I've always liked Triumphs - from a distance. They had a naked sport bike that looked cool (is that the triple?), but I really don't know much about them. A guy I did some graphics work for has an old school bonneville bobber chopper. It really looks good. This dude collects motorcycles and has all kinds of bikes. Single guys get all the neat toys, don't they?

No, they're totally different bikes. Different frame, engine, swingarm, etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_Speed_Triple

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_Street_Triple

Quote from Forbin :

No, they're totally different bikes. Different frame, engine, swingarm, etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_Speed_Triple

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_Street_Triple

Thanks, I'll look those up.
Now let me tell y'all something that will blow your minds.
I have a co-worker that's a fellow(?) rider. She had a Harley Streetglide. About a month ago she said five words that you NEVER EVER hear a hog rider say.
She said,"I'm Sick Of My Harley". I know the weekend warrior types with the mortgage glides and Sons of Anarchy vests usually will sell theirs in a couple of years, but she's like hard core.
What really tripped me out was what she got.
She got a BMW GT800 (?) It's a sports tourer. It looks like a nice bike... just not really the sort of bike I'd expect her to be into.
I dunno isn't it usually the other way around? The person gets a sportbike, then gets old and gets a Harley?
Yeah, getting old sucks. The only 2014 model that interests me is a ...Goldwing

http://powersports.honda.com/touring/2014/gold-wing-f6b.aspx