I still stand by my assertion that the Suzuki DR-Z400sm is the greatest city bike ever, especially for a tall person (I’m 6’4″). It’s quick in the legal speed range; you’ll have a hard time finding a car that can beat you to 60mph, mostly because all of those cars cost several hundred thousand dollars. At the same time, it won’t go much over 90mph, so if you’re looking to break the law and end up with your head in a railing, this isn’t the bike for you. It also has no wind protection at all, so it’s not a very good highway cruising bike, but then again, if you’re the type of rider that’s looking at this type of bike to begin with, you’ll be bored out of your mind on the super slab, so no matter.
On the other hand, the DR-Z makes everything that’s hard about motorcycling very easy, provided you’re tall enough to tame it (which you are). It is super light, has very friendly and predictable steering geometry and handling characteristics, and thanks to its 400cc single-cylinder engine and strong but not overpowering front brakes, you’ll find that you won’t be at risk for rocketing yourself into a telephone poll when you accidentally twitch the throttle or flipping the bike when you grab too much brake. If you do drop it, you can lift it yourself without using any crazy tricks or leverage, and because it comes pre-equiped with axle and peg sliders, you can drop it plenty without scratching it a bit. If you do, the bodywork is minimal and cheap, so you have no fancy $2,500 fairings to replace. More than anything, it’s just a fun bike that makes you want to ride the crap out of it. Honestly, it’s as easy as riding a bicycle, but you don’t have to pedal and you can do everything a lot faster/harder