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Greetings ~
I am getting the itch for a different bike. I have been riding the 1985 Nighthawk 650SC for the past 3 years. I love the bike - it is practically maintance-free. Change the oil, the plugs, charge the battery and you are off...
But my ass hurts after an hour, the wind beats me down on the highway, I am rolling on 20 year old technology, and I am wanting a more sporty ride, more comfort, better handling. (the riding position and the seat suck on the Hawk, and the wind is just brutal past 70 mph, even with a slipstream windscreen.)
Here are my past rides...I am not necessarily partial to standards, they just happen to be cheap and easy to work on. If anyone even remembers these bikes, much less ever owned one, then good for you:
1978 Honda CM400T (My starter bike)
1980 Honda CB 650 Custom (my favorite, but a mechanical nightmare)
1983 Suzuki GS850E (The beast)
and my current 85 Nighthawk...
So what should I get? I am not really into getting a hardcore sportbike - I prefer a more relaxed riding position but also want a carver. So, what, a Sport Tourer? How about an ST1100? - that would be great, but it is about 5 times more than I want to spend. I ride about 2-5 thousand miles a year, depending on time, so I don't want a money pit around my neck.
So, my list of criteria in order of importance:
No more than $4,000
Reliable
Comfortable
Good handling
Power
Great looking
I usually run at a relaxed pace (Haven't been down since I was 17 on a Moped - I am now 36) but I enjoy speed. (My car is a Dodge SRT-4, which I run at the track.
Is that enough background? What do you think? Katana 750? Sv650? Keep the Hawk and buy a Corbin saddle?
Thoughts are appreciated...