Separate thread.  Let's put the price a little lower though, how about bikes around $5k.

For what purpose?  Cruising?  Trail Riding?  Racing?  Looking good?  New or Used????

Best bang for the buck period is a UJM, like a Kawasaki 1000 circa 1980.

Kawasaki KLR 650.........best bang for your buck on the Dual-Sport market.  $4999 for a 650cc liquid cooled counterbalanced engine, 6.1Gal tank, luggage rack, saddle bag cap. etc. i LOVE mine

Quoted: For what purpose?  Cruising?  Trail Riding?  Racing?  Looking good?  New or Used????

You pick.  This isn't about shopping for a bike, it's about having a discussion.  What's the best bang fo the buck for YOU?

Cruiser:   Suzuki Volusia 800 (or the new relabelled C50).  

Bought mine for $5675.  Runs well.  Looks great.  Comfortable and solid to ride.  Lotta chrome, good looks, and great performance (for a cruiser) at a very very good price.  What's not to like?

I picked this up for 5k in 2001 w/2200 on the odometer. Maybe not the 'best' bang for the buck but a damned good buy if you ask me.

SV650S.  The above is mine and is an 02.  I got it out the door new in 02 for about $5,500.

It's a VTwin engine that puts out about 70hp.  Weight is around 400.  Very light and flickable like any modern sportbike.  The Vtwin is great in the city with plenty of torque.  It'll pull from 3K-it's 10.5K redline.

The semi faring is great for the highway.  You can ride it tucked down like a sportibke rider would or sit straight up like a cruiser rider does.  The perfect cruising speed I've found on highway is around 90-100.  No vibration and it just feels like it cuts through the air perfect at those speeds.  Engine becomes more quiet actually and on a long trip you lean on the tank and just relax.

I also like the Vtwin because of the sound.  It sounds similar to a ducati, but not as deep and thumpy.  Definately nothing like the crotch rocket inlines.  

I get around 45-50mpg.

Performance.  

0-60 in the 3's
1/4 mile in the low/mid 12's

It'll keep up with a 600cc sportbike to about 100 then the 600 will walk away from it.  I can keep up with any of them in the twisties and the v-twin powerband lets me leave it in the same gear while still having power to pull out of a turn.

Quoted: img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-10/853586/svs1.jpg

Definately on my short list.  I also like the more naked version without the fairing but I understand what you're saying about using the fairing on the highway.

If you want a more sportbike ride,  go with the SVS.  The handlebars sit lower and the footpegs are back and up about an inch.  I can still sit straight up on it, but if I want to ride it hunched over it's easier.  On long trips, I pop out the passenger pegs and put my feet back on them, while lying my chin on the tank.  It kind of looks like I'm flying.. But very comfortable...


On the "naked" version, the SV, the handlebars are more like bicycle bars, where they actually are connected via one bar, vs the SVS's clip on style.  the pegs are also forward and down a bit which makes you more in the sit up and beg position, which is comfortable as well.  You can always buy a windsheild for the naked SV from tiny like a ducati monster's to bigger than the SVS's.  

for everything you'll ever want to know and plenty of advice, instruction, and photos, go to www.svrider.com