Bike suggestions for long commute learner?

[Milts]

Will be great on gas, looks sexy as hell, more than powerful enough for highway commuting and reliable as a tank.

And yes, possibly better if you're shorter or less keen on heavy bikes.

Some people are adverse to 250cc bikes on the motorway. My ZZR250 could do over 150 km/h so I tend to ignore them.

Speaking of, something like a ZZR250 or ZZR400 (or even the newer kawasaki/honda 250s) might give you more wind protection. But they have more plastic to break and are pricier.

[Glowerss]

Will be great on gas, looks sexy as hell, more than powerful enough for highway commuting and reliable as a tank.

And yes, possibly better if you're shorter or less keen on heavy bikes.

Some people are adverse to 250cc bikes on the motorway. My ZZR250 could do over 150 km/h so I tend to ignore them.

Speaking of, something like a ZZR250 or ZZR400 (or even the newer kawasaki/honda 250s) might give you more wind protection. But they have more plastic to break and are pricier.

It's a matter of how relaxed the bike feels with a 250 for the most part. I had a ZZR250 as well. The thing had to work really fuckin hard to keep me at the 110-115 I like to sit at (some 9k RPM with a 13k redline). It was also a very buzzy bike. I couldn't imagine doing it for 100+KMs every day. That all said, the thing did get fantastic fuel economy

A 250 running at 120kph with a top speed of 150kph is working considerably harder than a larger capacity motor with a considerably higher top speed. I would imagine running at near your operational max would have a rather significant impact on the motors lifespan. Is prolly why things like Goldwings last forever =p

I do 60km, maybe slightly more, a day on my Hornet 250. It handles it pretty well, but now that it's winter and cold n raining, I can't help but think a proper bit of fairings would be a lovely thing to have. I'd also certainly recommend something 400cc+ if you can find and afford it.

Something like a GS500 would be pretty suitable for your needs/pricerange. A ZZR 400 wouldn't be bad either if you can find one in good nic.

[HenryDorsetCase]

That's why they are cheap. He hasn't got a bike, he's commuting - image is not even secondary, get the bike out and ride it to work everyday...forever.

prices for those (and R80's) seem to be climbing too. its an investment.

[F5 Dave]

Yeah, but they're Fidious. Hey a new word. You can use it, just drop me a dollar coin in the post in each instance.

An old GF had the GS500 & being a twin they are pretty easy to lift. VTR250 are pretty useful bikes & lighter still. I taught some lass to ride on one & rode it a bit & was impressed. Have a model life of several decades it seems, so don't get anything too old.

[f2dz]

I commute 50km+ a day on a VTR250 and it's not as good on gas as my Ninja 250 was.

If you're super concerned about fuel efficiency I'd recommend a Ninja, but a VTR250 is a lot more fun to ride.

The parallel twin on the Ninja is horrible in the lower RPMs, but it does better at motorway/open road speeds than the VTR, especially due to the windscreen, so a bit of a catch-22.

[EJK]

With that money you can buy my bike.

Wanna buy my bike? It's a Kawasaki. A 'tad' more powerful than a Ninja 250.