Suzuki GSX650F Forum - www.GSX650F.biz

I ask you all this because we have something important in common.....we love the 650F.I need to get another bike but i can't let this one go,i like how much room there is on our bike,its got good power,good mpg,is not expensive,insurance cost are good,its comfortable for two.

My problem,i need jet like acceleration,moto gp handling.This is an exaggeration.I most likely will not be having any track days.

I'm riding this bike to hard,i can really feel how heavy it is when throwing back and forth through a series of turns,it doesn't have the acceleration i'm looking for after 100 mph,and the lean angle is not there i can hit the pegs fairly easy,thats not the issue.
Here are a list of the bikes i'm looking into and ashort reason why after each one.


BMW F800R- Not too expensive,still has excellent mpg's,very light,very tough bike,comfortable for two,i just don't think this bike will have the acceleration i would like to have.

BMW S1000RR-High Performance,I am afraid that it will be too uncomfortable since 90 miles is usually the least i ride per trip,usually longer.Not comfortable for two,bad mpg,expensive,insurance also expensive.My car gets 30 mpg,having a bike that only get 36 mpg takes away alot of my excuse for riding it.I can afford it,it just seems like a luxury and a waste.

Ducati street fighter s-Same as above,nakeds look better longer.

Kawasaki ninja 1000- Same as above only it is comfortable for two.

What do you think?Any other suggestions?Its a dilemma that keeps me up at night.Thanks.

I'd check out the new 1000 ninja as you said ,its got power and abit of comfort.

The Z1000 is only 3-4kgs lighter then our bike (238 vs 241-242kg) Already read a review about the bike (ninja) feeling top heavy at low speeds just as our bike is. It turns over a bit better because of better frame/suspension but dont expect miles of improvement going from the 650f to the Ninja 1000. The power is something else of course

You're looking for a light, comfortable, efficient, exciting sport bike?

I think this might be a "pick any two of the above" situations.

Comfort is usually quite related to size which increases dimensions and increases weight. The Ninja 1000 you mention is an example of this, as well as most hyper sport bikes.

Have you looked into Yamaha FZ1? They're more comfortable than an all-out-sport bike, relatively light and agile, and should excite you with its liter engine similar to the R1.

I love bike shopping with other peoples money!

Personally I would forget the BMW's and the Ducati. Many bike forums discuss contant reliability problems with both these brands, as well as expensive servicing and difficulty getting parts. Yeah they will be good for your "image" and for the "prestige", but is that worth the money?

I would go for the ninja, no question. The handling and power will be a completely different world to the 650F and if it is not enough bike for you then I don't know where you can go from there. Bear in mind though, I am always coming from a "Maximise your bang for your buck" perspective...

I'd say FZ1 or Ninja 1000. Only ones I can think of from the mainstream (non-exotic) brands that should be affordable within reason for parts/servicing & aftermarket parts as well as a wealth of knowledge on forums.

Al.

I'd say go with a Honda VFR800 Interceptor. Sure, they stopped making 'em in 2009, but there's still plenty of dealers with new, '08 & '09 leftovers on their showroom floor. It doesn't help the weight characteristics much, but it's better than the GSX650F in almost every way. The brakes are better, the engine is more powerful and interesting, the fuel tank is bigger, it's more comfortable than the supersports with tons of mods to make it more comfortable and, in my humble opinion, better looking. Finally, although it may not be lighter than the GSX, its slightly more aggressive rake coupled with the stiffer aluminum frame and swingarm might help to mitigate the lumbering feeling you seem to have with the GSX. As much as I love my GSX650F, if I'm honest, this is the bike I settled on as the VFR was a bit too out of my reach.

Check out this compairson between the BMW F 800 ST and Honda VFR800 Interceptor from Motorcycle.com:
http://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-outs/2008-middleweight-sporttouring-shootout-bmw-f800st-vs-honda-vfr800-interceptor-86719.html

Check out this post when I was first getting indoctrinated into the VFR scene. Lots of good info on how to make it more comfortable:
http://vfrworld.com/forums/introductions/33030-newbie-new-jersey.html

If you check out other reviews, you'll quickly find that many motoring journalists found that the VFR was "more than the sum of its parts." You can talk about its 3-piston brake calibers and this and that, but when you ride it, it's apparently one of the best non-track, road-going machines out there.

Or, and I'm being dead serious, if you still want to hold onto your GSX650F, why not get a midsize cruiser like: Suzuki Boulevard M50/C50, Kawasaki Vulcan 900, Honda Shadow 750 or, my personal favorite, Star (Yamaha) V Star 950? A few trips on those bikes and the GSX will feel substantially more lively to you

All true words. There is an Interceptor parked next to my bike. It's not mine, though. It's my older brother's.

It occupies the same niche as the GSXF: Sport-street-tourer. It is a compromise of three identities and it excells at all of them. Our bike is the budget version.

Don't get me wrong -- I love my GSXF.

But the VFR is the more impressive bike to some riders because it is a sport bike that was adapted to street (somewhat neutral handling) and touring (good posture and weight.

Meanwhile, the GSXF is a bike that was a street bike adapted to sport (higher gearing) and touring (fairing).

As a result... even with all the cool add-ons, the GSXF is a street bike. It handles like a street bike. It just is a great commuter bike.

And I love it. I ride it sportily. I plan on taking it cross country.

But if you're going to get a VFR, you might as well sell the GSXF. It doesn't lose enough in the Street category to outweight its gains in the Sport and Touring category.

If I were going to keep the GSXF I would get something less Street and more RIP OFF MY EYEBROWS WITH G-FORCES.

I didn't know that BMW's had reliability problems,thanks for the warning.I don't know if the ninja 1000 has a comfy enough passenger seat for my wife,i need to go look at one.I would go for a full on race bike,but my wife would be sad if she couldn't ride it for very long.

If the ninja has a comfy seat it will move to the top of the list.I still like the idea of the bmw f800r because i know its comfortable,it gets 50+ mpg,and insurance is'nt too bad.I think that in a road race it would destroy the GSXF.I think i need to consider the Triumph Speed Triple also.Just to be fair.

A few parameters a bike needs to fall in for me are:

1.Some type of economical sense.

2.Ability to carry a passenger comfortably for at least 30 minutes.

3.Kick ass on the road.

The GSXF is a great bike.Its my makes sense in any situation bike.I'm in need of more thrills though.The healthy kind,not the one night stand,you'll remember me whether you like it or not kind.

Speed Triple is a big no-no for 2-up riding.
But it makes up for that with number 3

Well, don't write them off completely, what I said is based on reading a lot of forums (in particular, stromtrooper.com, in which many members traded in their BMW's for a bike 1/3rd the price and found that they actually prefer the cheaper bike). I don't have any first hand experience.

If you are well heeled then maintenance costs may not bother you as much as they do me. But I think it is a fair generalisation to say that a bike built by one of the big 4 Japanese manufacturers will spend less time being maintained, and cost less to maintain, than the more exotic brands. But if the BMW is that much more fun to ride then go for it.