06-22-2015, 10:56 AM
It's hard for one person to say to another person what might be best.
IN-TOWN: As noted, Twist-N-Go might be the best plan. The Suzuki Burgman 400 will give you 68 mpg; a top speed of over 80; underseat storage. Water cooling with a fan on the radiator, so you won't overheat in traffic. And they're inexpensive secondhand - I'd advise you to buy used, because they depreciate fast. Just a limited market for them.
A Suzuki TU250 might bear looking at, too. Light and neutral chassis. 80mpg. You're limited on top speed, though - it will depend on weight but you won't get it over 68.
A little bigger: You could check out the Yamaha SR400, if you don't mind learning how to kick-start. I owned its predecessor, the SR500, in the 1980s. It wasn't a perfect commuter bike - it did few things excellently but it did a lot of things acceptably. Lack of electric starting, though, might make this a tough one to accept.
There are other Hondas, as mentioned, as well. The CBR250 or the CB300F. Honda's dropped the price on these entry-level bikes - made in Thailand, I guess, which is okay since it's a Honda plant. But you can get on one of those new for about $4k.
Or, if you just want a knockabout bike...there's the Yamaha TW200. It's no highway cruiser, but it does everything else well, pavement and light off-road. I have one and I'm pleased. 70 mpg. Available used for less than $2k - and essentially unchanged since 1987.
IN-TOWN: As noted, Twist-N-Go might be the best plan. The Suzuki Burgman 400 will give you 68 mpg; a top speed of over 80; underseat storage. Water cooling with a fan on the radiator, so you won't overheat in traffic. And they're inexpensive secondhand - I'd advise you to buy used, because they depreciate fast. Just a limited market for them.
A Suzuki TU250 might bear looking at, too. Light and neutral chassis. 80mpg. You're limited on top speed, though - it will depend on weight but you won't get it over 68.
A little bigger: You could check out the Yamaha SR400, if you don't mind learning how to kick-start. I owned its predecessor, the SR500, in the 1980s. It wasn't a perfect commuter bike - it did few things excellently but it did a lot of things acceptably. Lack of electric starting, though, might make this a tough one to accept.
There are other Hondas, as mentioned, as well. The CBR250 or the CB300F. Honda's dropped the price on these entry-level bikes - made in Thailand, I guess, which is okay since it's a Honda plant. But you can get on one of those new for about $4k.
Or, if you just want a knockabout bike...there's the Yamaha TW200. It's no highway cruiser, but it does everything else well, pavement and light off-road. I have one and I'm pleased. 70 mpg. Available used for less than $2k - and essentially unchanged since 1987.