[patmich99]

Hi, my name is Pat, good to meet you all. I have been
thoroughly immersed in reading about motorcycles and which one
to buy so naturally I am totally confused and discouraged.
Here are some stats: I am 49 years old, 6' 1, 200 pounds. My last bike was a Buddy scooter 150cc
which I used to commute to work in Denver. (I know, bad to the bone, right!). Before that I had a KLR 650 which I never took off-road, but
put 6.000 miles of road miles on it. So that is the sum total of my experience. I do not like the image of cruisers. It makes older guys
look even older. I am more of the active, youthful type. So I want
a bike that makes me feel and look as young as I think I am.
The bike style I like the most as I explore the motorcycle sales floors
new and used is the sport bike with an upright posture.
Let me cut to the chase. I have long legs. (not freakishly long.. I wear
36 inch long jeans).
I am looking for a spacious upright sport bike. I am trying to find what are
the best-suited upright sports bikes for a person with long legs.
For example, more than one reviewer has said that Kawasaki's
ER6N is best suited for smaller riders. I am looking for information
that is just the opposite of this. Of course I will check it out for
myself, but it is difficult to gauge whether a bike is too small by
just sitting on it. So I am hoping to benefit from others' experiences.
I don't plan on using it for
commuting.
I plan to use my bike primarily for 2-4 hour excursions into the
mountains, and out onto the Plains. (I live in Denver). Please
give me your thoughts about what bikes might fit better than others.
I plan to buy used, no older than 3-5 years. A few bikes I am considering are
Yamaha FZ6, Suzuki SV650, Triumph Speed Triple. My budget will only afford me $5000.
Thanks for your time, seriously.

 

[The_AirHawk]

Any one of the last-three you mentioned are pretty good sport-standards, with the Triumph being the most ragged-edge, and the Suzi having the best tractability.

I've got an '04 FZ6 myself, but like all three of those.

How long has it been since you were on a bike? It might behoove you to take an MSF Experienced Rider Course as a "refresher". 'Specially in Denver traffic (I've ridden and driven in it - essentially, it's high-speed frost-heave city.........).

 

[trenttheuncatchable]

You'll have a hard time finding a Speed Triple for $5K. You might want to add the Kawasaki Versys to your list. You can actually find those new for around $5K.

 

[jeff10236]

Have you thought about a V-Strom? They are dual sports, but look a lot more like a standard or even a sports bike. They seem to be well reviewed both by the magazines and by people on the various message boards. They have a pretty upright seating position, and being dual sports, may be better for a taller rider, but they have much more style than your typical dual sport. I don't like dual sports, but if I go to being a 2 or 3 bike owner, a V-Strom 650 will almost certainly be one of them. Some of the BMWs might be good bets as well, though finding one under $5K would be tough.

Maybe one of the sport-touring bikes might be good for you. More upright and roomy than the typical sports bike, yet plenty sporty. I guess that depends upon how long it has been since you used to ride (they be a bit big and powerful if for all practical purposes you are a beginner again).

 

[Kenneth_Moore]

You could buy a decent DL1000 VStrom for $5k. The DL650 is ok, but it's not very exciting.

 

[patmich99]

thanks for your replies. There are currently two Speed Triples in my price range in Denver. Both are 2005. Both have about 7K on the engine. One seller wants $4500, the other $4900. They have been on the market for a while. I am shying away from them b/c I instinctively feel they are higher maintainance than a Jap bike. I used to have a KLR 650 and the V-Strom has, in my opinion, much the same seating position, which
I didn't like. Today I am going to look at a Suzuki GSX 650 F. It's a 2008 with
2k on the engine, and lots of upgrades, such as a sergent seat. I had
always skipped over any bike on C.L. that started with GSX b/c I thought it was a crotch rocket. Only by mistake did I learn that it is
an upright version of the crotch rocket. Apparently it isn't too popular b/c I haven't once seen it in review comparisons. Now that I have discovered it, it looks like a great bike. It is supposedly roomy, and
balanced, and all that crap. He wants $4400 for it which is reasonable. I did get one seller of an 2007 FZ6 to drop his price to
$3500 but then I kind of backed out of it. It has 7K on the engine
which seems a bit high. Plus I can't shag the nagging feeling, based
on what... I don't know, that it's kind of a cheap little bike. By comparison, I get the impression that the Suzuki GXS 650 F is a class act.

 

[The_AirHawk]

I've got about 60k miles on my '04 FZ6 - most put on in the first 3-4 years of its life. It's essentially a maintenance-free engine, just change the fluids regular-like. I might need to have the valves actually adjusted when it reaches the 75k mile checkup-mark; they were on the tight-end of the spec last time.

I can't speak as to how the engine will last if owned by someone that flogs the pyss out of it, though - mine's mostly commuting and touring miles.

And I know what you're talking-about with the '07 and later - Yamaha sorta "cheaped out" on the fairing, but the mechanicals are essentially the same (with a bit better swingarm, and some small mechanical changes).

 

[seruzawa]

I am shying away from them b/c I instinctively feel they are higher maintainance than a Jap bike.

Give up that feeling. Triumphs are as good any anything from Japan or Germay. Even better depending on the model.

 

[pplassm]

Hmmm. I found a very nice '01 Speed Triple for a whole lot less than that. Had to drive to get it, though.

 

[tripleripple]

If a Speed Triple is gonna fit you, then check out the Buell Lightning. They're going pretty cheap nowadays, like $3500ish for very clean models. And you'll never have to adjust the valves, unlike those suckers that have to do it every stinkin' 70K.

 

[The_AirHawk]

If a Speed Triple is gonna fit you, then check out the Buell Firebolt. They're going pretty cheap nowadays, like $3500ish for very clean models. And you'll never have to adjust the valves, unlike those suckers that have to do it every stinkin' 70K.

Yeah, but what'll you do when Buell goes out of Busine..... erm, nevermind.........

 

[MOKE1K]

Absolutely!

You'll have a hard time finding a Speed Triple for $5K. You might want to add the Kawasaki Versys to your list. You can actually find those new for around $5K.

He took the words right out of my mouth. Not as sportbikish as you may want but the Versys is Tall!