I took a ride with Fast Eddie yesterday and we ended up at a motorcycle shop. surprise 
I wanted to sit on the Kawasaki KLR and see if it felt to tall for me since it
does have a seat height of 35 inches. It did feel pretty tall, I could
just barely get the balls of my feet down. The suspension was pretty
soft so it did sink a bit when I put my weight on it. I do think I
could get used to the elevated perch but there could be the occasional
tumble when on uneven ground. 
The KLR is a lot of bike for the money. I could see my self riding some adventures on the wild side aboard this bike.
What I like:
6.1 gallon tank
large luggage rack
price
tire sizes
big hand guards
good size alternator
Dislikes:
seat height, I can always low it a bit if neede
looks, not real sexy but that's ok
one cylinder motor
When I started looking for a motorbike to get me back into the saddle after many years away, I came to the conclusion I needed a versatile ride that was light and would handle most road surfaces. The Kawasaki Z750s fit my needs for a daily commuter and general all rounder. I have to admit in the early days I may have been guilty of looking down my nose at heavy cruisers and big touring bikes. My thinking was why would someone choose to ride such a heavy, pour handling machine.
After more than four years and over 42,000 miles on my do it all ride my thinking on motorcycle choices; I would like to think, has evolved. I have come to the conclusion that its not always how fast I can take a corner, there are other elements to consider.
My bike meets most of my needs but it has showed me there are situations it just doesn't work that well. One area that my ride is miserably lacking is in passenger accommodation and handling with a load on the back. This is an area that cruisers and touring bikes really make a lot of sense to me. These heavier bikes accommodate a load better, with less effect on handling and comfort.
When thinking to the future and my motorbike choices I can see a cruiser or tourer in the mix to incorporate my wife into my journeys.
It is not always about the rush, purpose needs to be considered.
I don't often ride in large groups and most of the time four or five is about as big as the group gets for my rides. On a number of occasions I have come across a large group of motorcyclist riding side by side and have always thought that looked dangerous. That parade style formation is also slow and it seems you have to put a lot of trust in the riding abilities of the guy or gal next to you. Why would you want to limit yourself to half a lane? When I am in the twisties I want and need the whole lane to make the best line through the curves. When riding with my buddies we are in a staggered formation and when things get exciting we may get spaced out a bit, each free to pick their line and enjoy the rush.
