[Del]

In regards to performance sport or standard all the way! Ive been riding a rebel for about 5 months now, and before that I had a ’78 cb550 that i rode for a few months off and on(i learned so much about motorcycles mechanically owning that machine). And im kind of missing my cb550, the engine size, the look and just the overall appearance. I was really hoping to convert it into a cafe racer, but i needed more mechanical experience.

So ive been looking at bikes, and i see all these great retro bikes coming out but are so expensive. Im seeing my only option is the 09 tu250x from suzuki. But id like to get near 500-650 cc’s.

The closest bike that was affordable, and had my kind of styling was the suzuki sv650, which was supported by many on this forum!

Besides that, does anyone have suggestions on what i can get as an alternative? Im pretty much ready to just throw aestheticism out the window and buy that sv650 so all these toyota corollas and nissan sentras outrun me!!! (just kidding, kind of)

Thanks in advance!

[Gary856]

GS500, Ninja 500, SV650, Ninja 650R, FZ6.

[eon]

If you are a fan of the classic look then one of the Triumph Bonneville line might suit your tastes. Not sure how much they go for as it’s not really my thing (they look nice but I never see me buying one). Ducatti also make retro looking bikes but I suspect they are expensive. Not sure if you like the Monster but that might be a little bit cheaper.

[JackTrade]

If you get a used, older one, they have a naked, classic look. And if you buy the newer “f” version, it’s just the older version with a fairing, which you can remove and replace with a single headlight. Looks very cafe racer (that’s why I like ’em).

Like you, I’m a big fan of the sport-standard style bike. I ride a Buell Blast, which I’d recommend but you’d probably find it a bit primitive…great torque though.

[TrialsRider]

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Royal Enfield has 500cc bikes with an older look, made in India.

You might want to check out one of these, some think they are very ugly, but they have a taller suspension, better seat, and a fairly good windshield compared to the SV650 or Gladius:

http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/DL650.html

[Sean_D]

… and there are a couple of variations of the Bonneville to also look at. The Thuxton, which is the more Cafe styled Bonneville and the Scrambler. So there are a couple variations of that retro look without going toward the sport bike or the cruiser.

Also, the Norton Commando is another in the line of retro looking bikes. Both the Bonneville and the Norton are in the 860’s to 960’s cc range though, which is above your stated desire to find something in the 500-650 range.

[romalo]

I was in the same predicament. I didn’t want a cruiser or a sportbike. I ended up looking at the Aprilia Shiver, Triumph Street Triple R, and Ducati Monster. After trying them all, ended up with the triumph. All have a more upright riding position vs a typical sport-bike. Being a taller rider, I didn’t want to be cramped and wanted that upright position. I found the Ducati still a bit cramped. All are lightweight naked street fighters and very agile.

The triumph is a blast to ride

[eternal05]

The Street Triple R is just a naked Daytona 675…Triumph’s bigger-than-600cc middle-weight supersport. As much as I LOVE the Street Triple, any bike that power wheelies easily is no beginner bike. Those Triples are hooligan material. Make sure you a ready for a real bike if you take the plunge on a sucker like this (where “you” is Del, not romalo).

[Rab]

Agree totally.

[Del]

Thanks guys!

Those clubman royal enfields are so good lookin! I really wish theywouldnt have left us out of luck on that bike. Ive been looking at some street fighter type bikes, and yeah the naked bikes might be the way to go. The bonnies are nice too, i just dont think i have that kind of cash, as i can never find bonnies used unfortunately.

I think ima take a look at the local royal enfield dealer around here

Thanks guys!

[madjak30]

There are the Kawasaki ER-6N, Suzuki Gladius duo…but have you thought of SuperMoto? Enduro machines with 17″ sport rims and tires…various suspension and braking tweaks as well…all new bikes seem to be getting pricy…the Ninja and the FZ6 are a little racier…Honda has the CBF600 with a half fairing…Kawasaki Versys is a very comfortable bike that has a small, if different looking, fairing…

Good Luck

[Author]

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