Quote Originally Posted by kpaske View Post
I love the styling of the Ducati's, although I hear they're very expensive to maintain.
Bingo. Awesome bikes though. I couldn't be happier with my Monster.

My first bike was a Suzuki SV-650S. Not too upright, but not at all a leaner. Very nimble and dependable. They are rated very high for beginners bikes. The 650 (as opposed to the 650S) model kinda resembles a Ducati in the front, so take a look at those. Not a lot of back seat, but enough for the occasional double date...depending on the size of the date.

I actually like the the looks of the Buell Streetfighter, and it was a more upright position, but it has a short wheel base and felt uncomfortable to me.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Blast is less than 500cc, right?