What I'm currently waffling with

[Roadstergal]

FWIW.

http://www.f650.com/forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=144071

[Jason C]

FWIW.

http://www.f650.com/forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=144071

I'd really like a CS as a first bike, because I heard about the single, low seat height, tank position, belt drive, etc. I would commute on asphalt in it and they say it was built just for that. (I'm really tempted by the Ducati M620ie, but that's a lot of maintenance you're buying with the bike plus an uber-vulnerable tank)

Problem with both is that they're both fairly expensive. All used prices I've seen for either one have been above $5,000, usually 6-7k. That's not a lot until you realize that your basic EX250/500/GS500/etc can easily drop down to half that of the fancy euro-bikes. And that's basically in the same model year. Look farther back for those bikes, and the disparity grows ugly.

You're not a newb, so you may not like those choices as much... but then again you already have a nice track bike. So a beater commuter can make sense.

Just my opinion FWIW. If someone had a reasonably fat budget and were to buy me a starter/commuter, I think I'd go with the CS.

EDIT: That's right, you have one of them GS500Fs, don't you. What's the issue here? I thought they had a decently low seat height. It was about equal to the EX500 and only beaten out by the EX250 IIRC. If that bike has issues regarding agressive geometry, then all I can say is :dunno:

[Roadstergal]

Check the thread - it's a pain in the knee for me, now that I've been commuting on just it for a couple of weeks.

I could futz with it to compromise its handling and make it a better commuter, or I could get a decent used commuter and keep the 500 stock. The CS and the Breva are both looking good for that. I'll look for a good deal to swing by ($5K or under); I'm not in a hurry.

[Jason C]

Check the thread - it's a pain in the knee for me, now that I've been commuting on just it for a couple of weeks.

I could futz with it to compromise its handling and make it a better commuter, or I could get a decent used commuter and keep the 500 stock. The CS and the Breva are both looking good for that. I'll look for a good deal to swing by ($5K or under); I'm not in a hurry.

What's the seat height on a CS? I know that the EX250 is about 29 inches, and the EX500/GS500 is about an inch higher than the 250. I also recall the GS having a beginner-unfriendly seat height, one of the reasons I leaned away from it.

[Roadstergal]

The '00 and earlier GS500 is OK. The '01+ got fat bulges on the sides of the seat, which I had taken off. :p It's not all about height; the shape of the seat makes a huge difference. I saw that the 1st-gen Buell S1 Lightning has a seat height of 31.2" - which, on most bikes, is NFW for me. But it's so skinny (skinnier than any bike I've sat on, including dirt bikes!) that my feet touch the ground fine. A lower height seat that bulges out more at the sides would be unrideable for me. So it's just the sitting. I've sat on the CS and Breva, and they're both OK.
I've also found that I can deal with too-high seats better now that I've been riding a while. I test-rode the GS with a stock seat fine, even though I had to tip it to get a foot on the ground.

I have to admit - I do really, really like fuel injection (found on both the Breva and CS).

[Roadstergal]

I tried the Breva yesterday. It's :thumbup:. It has everything I want in a commuter, and it's actually less than the F650CS..

http://www.roadstergal.info/images/guzzi.jpg

[Jason C]

(Looks at Moto Guzzi site) Damn, that's pretty hot.

...How much are they going for? :eeps:

[Roadstergal]

...How much are they going for? :eeps:

MSRP $7,999. This maroon one is a demo they're selling for $5,999; warranty starts when you buy it. I told him I am very interested, so they're dropping it about an inch so I can come back and try it again. I'm very much leaning towards it at this point. The only advantages of the Beemer are tank-under-seat and ABS. I never used my ABS, but I'll look into seeing if it can be transplanted - I know that would make my dad happier, and that would be worth the effort.

It really is a delightful and compact little bike. It fits me well.