I originally made this post in the dedicated GSX650F forum last month. I’m reprinting it here in the hope that the information it contains will be useful to others.

Keep in mind that these are my initial impressions after 500 miles. I grow to like the bike more every time I ride it, but I’ll prepare a much more thorough review of the bike after I get back from my 9 day, 2,300 mile tour from 9/1/08 to 9/9/08.

(Alternating bolding to make it easier to read.)

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I love the power level – enough power to get me out of trouble, but not enough power to really get me INTO trouble, if you know what I mean.

I love how the slightly high weight for this class of bike makes it feel so incredibly stable and planted at speed.

I love that the windshield and fairing provide the cleanest flow of air I’ve ever had on a bike.

I love the way it looks.

I love the instrumentation. That gear indicator is a big deal to me. I’ve already come to rely on it, and it makes me much smoother as I slow to make low speed turns.

I love that it is so similar to the Bandit 1250, because this created an instant aftermarket of things like hard luggage and seats. Without this I wouldn’t have even considered the F.

I love how the thing sounds like a turbine when you rip the throttle.

I love the smooth throttle response and even power distribution when you go WFO.

I love that an ultra conservative rider like me can get this bike to 100 by complete accident (a first for me out of 6 bikes I’ve owned).

I love the overall protection that the full fairing gives me, especially on my lower body.

I can’t think of a single thing that sucks. I have a few dislikes, all of them minor, and most of them fixable.

I don’t like how it sounds at idle. It is very “agricultural”, and makes my previous Harley Sportster sounds smooth and modern in comparison. (Edit: this is getting better and smoother as the miles add up.)

I don’t like the seat, though it’s still the best OEM seat I’ve sat on this side of a Buell. Fix is on its way this week in the form of a Sargent. (Sargent has been on the bike for a few hundred miles and is a HUGE improvement.)

I would prefer the ergos of the Bandit. I have lower back issues, and the 650F had me bent over a touch more then I’d like. A set of GenMar up and backs solved 95% of this issue.

I’d really like about one more inch of legroom. This might be possible with the Buell footpeg conversion if I can eliminate the few new ergo problems that those pegs create. (Sargent “low” seat is almost 1″ higher then stock seat – mostly solving the legroom problem.)

I dislike the size of the pipe, but that’s a smog thing, and I notice all new bikes are going to these farm silo sized things. Easily taken care of in the aftermarket. (Holeshot Performance makes a beautiful powdercoat black pipe with options to quiet it down enough for touring. Worth a look.)

I think that about covers everything. After 5 bikes in three years, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted, and the U.S. market finally provided it in the 650F. Having the 1250 motor in this package would have been perfect, but it doesn’t exist, and I couldn’t justify the extra cost of a Bandit 1250 for a guy who always tours solo and NEVER sees the other side of 90 on trips.

If you couldn’t tell, I do love this bike.

I’d prefer it was a belt drive, but that’s just a pipe dream.