Lightweight yet more powerful bike?

[Water Warrior 2]

All bikes suddenly got heavier due to advertised wet weight rather than dry weight. My Vstrom picked up an extra 45 pounds overnight.
As for looking for another more powerful but light bike you may want to determine what kind of riding you are looking for. This will give us some info to work with but I have to agree with a wait and see attitude. You may change your riding needs in a year and be looking for something entirely different. Just ride the GZ for what it is and appreciate it's capabilities and not it's liabilities. The longer you ride it the more it will teach you and increase your skill level for the next bike.

[alantf]

Originally Posted by Viirin

I haven't even seen a vulcan 500 here in Ireland but if it's half the bike the guys on here make it out to be i'd say it's a solid bet as an upgrade.

Vii

Kawasaki stopped making the European version in 2008, so the only ones you'll see are second hand.

[dhgeyer]

Originally Posted by Viirin

A bit off topic but has the GZ only got 16hp? thought it was ~20hp.
Vii

My bad. Motorcycle Consumer News measures HP at the rear wheel, and it was 17, not 16 as I had remembered. The 25 HP figure was from Hyosung's website, so that would be measured at the engine. Measured at the rear wheel, it would be somewhat lower, maybe 22 or so. So the difference in HP isn't that much. However, there must be something different about them (gearing?), because the Hyosung is highway competent, whereas the GZ is not.

The Vulcan 500 is still a better bike for the highway, and I don't think anyone should have trouble riding it if they've had a year or so on a GZ.

[mrlmd1]

The experience with the Vulcan may or may not be an exception, but light weight and highway riding may not always be compatible. Some light bikes tend to get blown all over the road from wind, passing cars and trucks, presence or absence of a windshield, etc. Before you buy one, get it out on the road for an extended ride.

[Pete7874]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Seems like the Vulcan may be what I want after all.

Originally Posted by mrlmd1

Before you buy one, get it out on the road for an extended ride.

The problem is that nobody around here will actually let you test drive a bike like that... dealers won't let you ride it at all, and private sellers will typically only let you do a small round around their house/neighborhood. At least that was my experience, and I did have a motorcycle license.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Pete7874

dealers won't let you ride it at all,

There are ways......even in Chicago.

Given the price of the bike to hold as a "deposit".....in cash.....almost any dealer will change their mind about a test ride on a used bike.....providing that you can handle it in the parking lot before going out.

Riding IN on a bike helps too. Having proof of insurance in hand does too.
There are, of course, exceptions. If you are a 16 year old kid or a 90 lb. gir, l a test ride on a "big" bike probably won't happen anywhere........and it probably shouldn't either.

[Pete7874]

What about Suzuki S50? Seems to have similar weight and seat height as the Vulcan...

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Pete7874

What about Suzuki S50? Seems to have similar weight and seat height as the Vulcan...

Another good choice; more of a standard than a cruiser.
It LOOKS like the seat height is higher, like the S-40, but I've never been on either.

[Pete7874]

It LOOKS like the seat height is higher, like the S-40, but I've never been on either.

Yeah, it's just the looks I guess. According to specs, the S50 and the Vulcan 500 have very similar seat height:

S50: 27.6
Vulcan 500: 28.1
GZ250: 26.8

One bad thing about the S50 is a kind of smallish fuel tank: 3.17 gal.

Also, I see the S50 has a shaft drive as opposed to chain in the Vulcan 500. Is one better than the other? Less maintenance with a shaft drive, but is it reliable?

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Pete7874

Yeah, it's just the looks I guess. According to specs, the S50 and the Vulcan 500 have very similar seat height:

Bare numbers can sometimes be deceiving; seat width and shape and even peg placement can sometimes affect your ability to flat-foot. You really have to do a "test sit".

Originally Posted by Pete7874

Less maintenance with a shaft drive, but is it reliable?

Yes and yes. I much prefer a shaft......but everything else would have to be an absolute dead even tie before the shaft would sway me to one bike over another.