What would be the best sport/sport touring bike for a girl?

[MaddyRotman]

I am 20 yrs old and a girl and currently own a 1990 suzuki gs 500e. I love the simplicity of the ride but even though i have only owned it for 3 months i will not invest 1000 into making ridable again. ( new tires, fork oil and seal, and new brakes) sooooooo since im now willing to spend the money on a bike i will own for several years i want a newer bike ( 2000 and up ) i am 5'7 and not afraid of some power. i have only had my license for as long as iv owned the gs500.

i was looking at a 2007 gs 500 f for $4000( it only has 400 km on it), a 2006 kawasaki ninja 500 for $4500 ( 10,000 km on it ) and a 2006 suzuki gsx600 katana 4,500 ( 12,000 km on it).

the place that is selling these bikes is also going to safety, transfer ownership and do a tune up, new plates and stikers ( for the katana will put new breaks on it for free ) which is like a 200-300 dollar value.

please let me no if those prices for those bike are way off as well as if there are any other bikes worth checking out before i buy. and if those bikes are even reasonable to look at.

thanks so much for your time to those who reply
since im under a yr or experience and under 25 i cannot afford over 6000 on insurance for this first yr. the 1990 gs500 is costing me 4500 while the katana would be 6000 pretty much on the dot. the the new cbr 600 rr is my dream bike but unfortunatly its 9000 for insurance. as well i want a fairly new bike with low miles and the gsxr seem to cost a pretty penny keeping those things in mind. is there somewhere i should be looking in toronto ontario that has bikes like that under 5 grand?
i took the bike to a dealership. my boyfriend is a mechanic and had modified the font suspension since he is 6'4 and its a fairly small bike. as a result they didnt want to take the bike apart and charge me for parts and not be able to put it back together. i was looking to buy the bike from cycle world which gets brand new or gently used bike from california from repo auctions. the gear shift is also sticking and the wire connected to the clutch keeps loosening which is causing the difficulty to shift gears. as well there is a sprocket thingy( forgive me im not sure its proper term) that since its so old has become slightly oval. now when chain is becoming loose then tight then loose than tight and is clanking up against metal. all in all its a bitch to fix and i need the bike for transport. and im not going to ask my boyfriend to work on it cuz he works his ass off 10 hours a day and has his own cbr 600 rr to get up n running. ( ps does anyone no how to reply to certian answers and

 

[TheFreakShow]

Are you thinking of buying the new bike from the place that told you it would be 1000 to fix the old one? Are you talking English Pounds? That's like $1,600 for fork seals, tires, and brakes? Even $1,000 US/Canadian dollars is steep. Fork seals are $10 and not hard at all to change with some basic tools and a manual. Fork oil is about $20. Brake pads are going to be about $60 for front and rear and they are so easy to change it's nutty. Tires for that bike should be in the $250 range and about $300 mounted. I would just do the work and enjoy the bike you have. I may be totally off on my assessment of the situation though. I just hate to see someone get ripped off.

 

[HondaXR650RRRRR]

I would advise a Vstrom or a Honda Pacific coast.

 

[Sandmacker]

You sound as if you know what your doing . Thought of a TRX 850 Yamaha ? The SV 650 , Truimph 675 triple , and the "F" versions of the GSX and The CBR are good mounts . There is the Beemer 800 but they are a little on the expensive side.
I have a TRX 850 and I think they're the ducks nuts . They have a cult following and I believe it will serve you well .Check them out
Make Model
Yamaha TRX 850
Year
1996 >2000
Engine
Liquid cooled, four -stroke, parallel twin cylinder, DOHC, 5 valves per cylinder
Capacity
849
Bore x Stroke 89.5 x 67.5 mm
Compression Ratio 10.5:1
Induction
2x Mikuni BDST38 carbs
Ignition / Starting
T.C.I. digital / electric
Max Power
79.7 hp 58.6 KW @ 7500 rpm (rear tyre 76.1 hp @ 7400 rpm )
Max Torque
8.55 kg-m 83.8 Nm @ 6000 rpm
Transmission / Drive
5 Speed / chain
Front Suspension
38mm Telescopic fork Coil spring. oil damper
Rear Suspension
Swingarm Coil spring. gas-oil damper
Front Brakes
2x 320mm discs 6 piston calipers
Rear Brakes
Single 248mm disc
Front Tyre
120/60 ZR17
Rear Tyre
160/60 ZR17
Dry-Weight / Wet-Weight
190 kg / 202 kg
Fuel Capacity
18 Litres
Consumption average
16.8 km/lit
Standing ¼ Mile
11.8 sec / 183.0 km/h

 

[James]

How about a Suzuki V-Strom 650? Insurance should be reasonable, and they make good lightweight tourers. I know a girl who started riding in 2005, and has over 60,000 miles on hers.