Mulling through these posts reminds me of the list of bikes I've owned/ridden...
My .02 for what it's worth
1. 650R - My better half owns one and I'd be lying if I were to say I haven't enjoyed sneaking out on it. I currently own a zx14 and it's fun to get on a smaller bike for short trips. While I haven't had a chance to get out and put any serious miles on it (because I value my life, and she would kick my arse!), I'm anxious to get the blessing to take it into the mountains next summer.
2. SV - My riding buddy is on his second. He bought one, traded it for a z1000, then recently sold the zed to go back to the SV. It's a great light weight street fighter competent bike. For day trips (0 - 300 miles), this bike is a blast to ride.
3. 919 - This was my first sportbike. Everything mentioned in this post is correct except I found it to be a great commuter bike. I found that the bike lacked on the sportier end of things. The frame seemed to bne squishy and the suspension was not the best in the twisties. I had no idea about this until I got my XX, then it became clear that the 919 was best in town, not in the mountains. It also makes you stink! I got rid of the bike years ago, but I swear that my textile still smells from the exhaust.
4. Given your criteria, I would lean heavily toward the VFR. This is a do everything, have fun, rock solid bike with great looks, wind protection, power, handling, blah blah blah... This is the bike that I'm constantly trying to get my brother in law to buy... well that or a futura but those are a bit difficult to come by anymore.
Another thought... Have you looked into the Sprint ST? You can pick up an 05 for around 6K. I bought one of these previous to the 14 and loved it! Great ride, comfortable touring (go figure), no significant power loss two up, easy handling around town. There's one in the classified for $6.5K here... just a thought
http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,16931.0.html
