Keep in mind where you will be riding. One thing that is VERY easy to forget when you start talking ANY of the true sports bikes is when you pull the trigger they cover a lot of ground in a short period of time. My 1000 with a good rider would run a high 9-low 10 1/4. If you are going to be riding where there is a ton of traffic and are a novice to me that is kind of like Russian Roulette.