Originally Posted by agent87
:wtf: Have you even ridden an EX500 Nightshade? As a former EX500a (the crappier older one) rider, I have to disagree. I'm even a lightweight at only around 155lbs (was around 140lbs when I rode the EX though). I'd ridden it on the freeway plenty of times from the SFBA to SB and SLO as well as back roads and rarely had trouble with wind gusts from rigs and the like. In the right hands, my own hands definitely excluded
h:, the little EX is a very capable street performer. I'd recommend the 93+ d model though which has a few updates but is basically the same thing. It even gets great gas mileage and is cheap to insure.
I agree it is a very capable street performer and it is an ok bike (not exceptional by any means), but it is possibly the single crappiest bike on the freeway I have ever ridden.
I put a year on one off and on and took several trips on it from North Platte Nebaraska over to Denver Colorado. This is a pretty fair drive with lots of 4 lane highway (two lanes each way) and many transport trucks to pass. At 80 the bike was stable but still felt light if a cross wind came up at ay time. Slow down to 65 and it still feels solid except when you hit any crosswind.
For the street its fine though a bit slow for even beginners. On a surface street in a town or city you are not going to hit any crosswinds that would even bother you, and you also aren't traveling at the same speeds you would on the highway or freeway.