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Yamaha FZ-6

Depends partly on how much you have to take to work. Most sport bikes don’t really have cargo capabilities out of the showroom. You’ll need to look at how much you need to drag around on any given day plus extra stuff you’d need to take to work. You can add cargo to a lot of bikes, but it can get a little expensive.

The sport bike lineup is going to make it tough to take a laptop and a lunch, for example. The CBR, GSXR and YZF lines are pretty scarce on bag room, so it’s going to be a backpack or bungie cord. The more standard lineup might do you better, there are some add-ons for the Katana line, Bandit, SV650 and so forth. Moving out and up you could look into BMW’s lineup (although you’ll pay more for them) or Kawa’s new Versys. What you’re looking for (should you wish to google the idea) is “Light Touring”.

I’ll give the same advice I always give for new riders: Start Used. Look into a used 600 bike from a reputable dealership. You’ll save on payments, insurance and you know there’ll be more aftermarket and OEM parts available for the line if it’s been around for a while. Not that I wouldn’t love a new bike if I were you, but compare the heartache the first time you drop a brand new Ninja versus dropping a used Katana or SV.

Stay upright and have fun.