to buy so naturally I am totally confused and discouraged.
a bike that makes me feel and look as young as I think I am.
new and used is the sport bike with an upright posture.
the best-suited upright sports bikes for a person with long legs.
just sitting on it. So I am hoping to benefit from others' experiences.
give me your thoughts about what bikes might fit better than others.
Yamaha FZ6, Suzuki SV650, Triumph Speed Triple. My budget will only afford me $5000.
Thanks for your time, seriously.
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.........).
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.
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).
You could buy a decent DL1000 VStrom for $5k. The DL650 is ok, but it's not very exciting.
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.
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).
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.
Hmmm. I found a very nice '01 Speed Triple for a whole lot less than that. Had to drive to get it, though.
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.