Smaller Bike

[spicy]

first gen SV650 naked might also be pretty nice... the S would be better if you're doing more highway, but the wider handlebars are probably much better for commuting.

engine's a gem, too.

[loridin64]

Any bigger (215 lbs) guys try riding/commuting on a 500/250?. If so, what are your thoughts?

stop squatting 600lbs you freakin' animal

[Honclfibr]

Would a 250 be ok with some suspension work? I assume by dampenation you mean suspension damping. My commute is mostly backroads with a few stretches of 55 mph highway (Rte 3 = cops).

Yes, my experience with an EX250 is that it is a pogo stick, it's simply not damped or sprung to handle a decent sized (130+) rider at decent speeds and this makes it quite unstable on the highway.

Could the suspension be improved with work? Certainly. But to what extent and what cost I couldn't say. I don't see the point when there are other competent commuting bikes out there that are much better suited to a larger rider right out of the box and get decent gas mileage as well.

Having ridden and worked on both the 250 and the 500, I can tell you that the 500 is a much better bike in every way (except appearance? With the exception of the 2008 250 both are pretty "ugly" bikes by modern standards).

The 500 is far from a pinnacle of modern engineering, but it was put together to be a competent streetbike and I found the suspension, motor, and ease of maintenance to make it well suited as such (far less so as a racebike but that's another matter entirely).

The 250 is a cheaply made hunk of steel where the designers cut every corner to make it inexpensive and small. It serves that purpose (being inexpensive and small) but makes serious tradeoffs to do so which diminish it's capabilities as a road bike. It's a buzzy, hard to work on bike with poor suspension that is ill suited to road duty with a larger rider. IMHO. It's got it's niche in being realy the only "sportish" bike with a 250cc motor and a low seat height in the US, but I would venture that anyone who can flatfood the 500 would be much happier with the 500, for any purpose.

[minutiesabotage]

stop squatting 600lbs you freakin' animal

Well I think I've paid the price for that as far as bikes go (in odd size gear, needing suspension work, etc), and its too late to slim down now, besides...RUUUGGGBBBYYYYY (try and imagine "rugby" in a real tough voice, cuz I am that tough )

The 250 is a cheaply made hunk of steel where the designers cut every corner to make it inexpensive and small. It serves that purpose (being inexpensive and small) but makes serious tradeoffs to do so which diminish it's capabilities as a road bike. It's a buzzy, hard to work on bike with poor suspension that is ill suited to road duty with a larger rider. IMHO. It's got it's niche in being realy the only "sportish" bike with a 250cc motor and a low seat height in the US, but I would venture that anyone who can flatfood the 500 would be much happier with the 500, for any purpose.

I sense some hostility perhaps?

[Honclfibr]

I sense some hostility perhaps?

Heh. I have a love/hate relationship with both the EX250 and the EX500. They are what they are.

[minutiesabotage]

What about the GS500?

[SVRACER01]

Hey I didn't buy it to race it... just use it as a moped and a dirt bike.

when you are ready to sell it doc let me know

[SVRACER01]

What about the GS500?

air cooled

[minutiesabotage]

air cooled

Ah I was wondering why no one had mentioned it.

[OreoGaborio]

Actually, it's not all that bad of a bike. Pretty bulletproof. Air cooled means it's less complex & a little easier to work on but it doesn't make as much power as the EX500.

My girlfriend had one until we sold it to one of Clayton's friends. He's riding the snot out of it now after some minor tuning repairs.

[BrandonRoy]

+1 Ninja 650R

[dankatz]

depends how much you want to spend. I agree 100% with everything said about the Ninja 650 which was supposed and did replace the 500 (except in the US) I had a Ninja 500 which was a great simple commuter bike. My worst stop and go Boston traffic tank was 47mpg and routinely get closer to 60mpg. It is well damped and has a much more powerful engine then the GS. The Ninja 650 is a much better bike then the 500 in every respect except smaller tank and no center stand.