Looking for a new long distance steed?

I have been itching for a new bike for a couple of months now and I have had time to do some research on some bikes in the light sport touring and standard classes. Kawasaki looks to have a winner with their new (at least here in the US) Versys. It was voted motorcycle of the year for 2008. The Versys has the best of both worlds. It has a great upright and very comfortable riding position with all the performance from the Ninja 650R. Not all of the suspension is the same, Kawasaki made sure to give the Versys more suspension travel and dampening as well as tuning the motor to give more usable torque. All in all an excellent bike I just wish that it were available in more colors than just the red. maybe next year.

Then there is Suzuki's V-Strom. You can't go wrong in either the 650 or the 1000 cc models, only with the 650 you get a great price at around $6600 with many standard features. I especially liked the factory mounted rack that came standard on the bike. The wee-Strom uses the same motor from Suzuki's famous SV650. This motor has a great track record so when your not tooling cross country you can take it to the track for some nice corner carving. This motor is just too much fun and that's unfortunate because the bodywork is a little outdated to keep up with bikes like the Versys. You can order the bike with a new flat black paint which looks great now if only Suzuki would give it some new body panels and gauges.

Finally and not least is BMW's F800ST. An awesome bike in my opinion in both looks and technology. This is the cream of the crop but if you wanna play you've gotta pay and this baby is expensive at around $10,800. That puts it about $4000 over the Versys and the 650 V-Strom but what a bike. First of all, if you are a freak about attention to detail, fit and finish of your next bike then look no further because it is awesome. If I had a choice and deep pockets this would be my next ride. It is small enough to be nimble for daily commute duties and when you gear it up it can take on highway miles at a very comfortable pace. And speaking of gear, BMW has plenty. You can go dizzy or empty you bank account (whichever comes first) tacking on aftermaket goodies such as bags, TPS (tire pressure monitoring),ABS, driving lamps, nav system etc. With a standard 3 year or 36,000 mile warranty standard you should have miles of trouble free riding ahead of you.

Well, if you are in the same boat as me and have been looking for another bike I hope this helps you but do not deny yourself the fun of test driving any or all of these bikes.