Quote Originally Posted by MJH View Post
Your right the GW250 is not really a naked bike, its half faired, but it seems the USA consumers wants the sport style of fully faired, they want the crouched racing posture also, lowered bars and rear mounted controls.
This is precisely why I'm considering a pre-2008 EX250 as my first bike when I get back to the states. From what I've read, while the new 250 is a better bike, the posture is much flatter and has a much more sport-bike feel than the older model. I'm looking for something that will be better for light touring, so I'm considering the older 250 or the KLX 250SF. The problem with the 250SF is it has a _tiny_ gas tank, which is really annoying.

Alternatively, if I can find a reasonable GS500 (either E or F), I might get that. The SV650 is a nice bike too, but its probably more than I want to spend and more bike than I should start with. I've heard it can be ok for a new rider though, despite the engine size, so I'm not sure.