Long Distance Sportbike not Sport Tourer..GSX650F?

Question

My wife and I want to go on a few short trips on a motorcycle. Hour and a half max time. I am looking for a sportbike that will hold both of us on the interstate at a good speed. We would also like something fairly comfortable. I do not want a sport tourer because I dont want to pay the price of one and I want it to be easy to whip around town on my 15min commute from home to work. I would like to stick to the sportbike category and stay away from the cruiser market. Just not my style. I am an experienced rider 5'10 185.

Any suggestions? I appreciate the help.

Answer 1

Get a katana. They are cheap, fast, comfortable, and fly.

Answer 2

It would really depend on your wifes height and weight also.  Any sport bike can handle the short trips but if you are not used to taking road trips with a passenger in tow you may have to schedule stops along the way to rest. Here are some things to consider:

1) Bike Ergonomics. If the rider seat causes the passenger to put more weight on your back then your arms will fatigue faster causing you to make frequent stops to rest.

2) Price and power. Your budget is gonna cause you to make some decisions that you may not wanna make. If you are just looking to make leasurely rides with the wife (not racing) then you can get away with sacraficing power for price and comfort. Even a 600cc bike should be enough power but if your budget can handle a 900 or 1000cc then so be it.

3) Seat comfortability. While Suzuki makes an excellent bike when it comes to power and performance, their sattles leave something to be desired.

For informational purposes I bought a 2002 Kawasaki ZX6r this Memorial Day (financial decision to go so small). I am 6'2" 260lbs. My girl is 5'5" 140lbs. We've ridden a max of 120 miles one way during a heat wave of 100 plus degrees. While we had to stop for water because of the heat (and a little rear end pain) I never fatigued because of her weight on my back. She even fell asleep leaning on my back when returning and I barely felt her back there. The only thing I did to the bike was adjust the rear suspension and we were ready to go. Power was no problem at all. Keeping up with the GSXR 1000 and CBR929 that were with us without passengers was no problem at all. Small hops around town with her are a breeze.

Like the other person said, Most of the "hypersports" have superior comfortability but the price range is high. To kind of equal the playing field you can search Craigs List in the area you live (www.craigslist.com) and find a decent used bike. Either way you may want to invest in a more comfortable seat no matter which bike you choose. I'm partial to Kawasaki because of my size but you may have to windows shop with your wife at the local bike shops to get what feels right for you.

Answer 3

VFR800 the best bike for just that

Answer 4

Honda VFR800...Interceptor

classified as a sport tourer, but is an honest to form sport bike...

plenty of power, comfy-ish seats, very nimble and peppy...

http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/146_0204...

only other option would be a hypersport (hayabusa, ZX-14, Blackbird)