OK, so I have returned to Thailand since last April and I have had the full intent on getting a bigger bike than the scooters I have always ridden.

I started my Honda Chaly build because I love monkey bikes, but this will be a run about for the city.

When I was in the US I was planning on a CBR250 or Ninja250 but after seeing them and other sport bikes, they're just not my thing. The Ninja (well the entire Kawa line up) is sexy but I don't see myself on them.

What I do like ar SR400/500's, Clubman 400SS, and other bikes that can easily be turned into a cafe racer or bratstyle bike.

I was going to drop the $ on one of these, but realized that while I never get harrassed for having no plates on the Chaly, a bigger bike would bring more attention and have begun looking at legit bikes.

Enter the CB series.

I have been seeing them for sale with greenbooks and up to date taxes for 60-90k depending on the engine size.

The 650 has a nice power bump over the 550, the jump from 650 to 750 isn't as large.

My questions are:

How manageable are they for someone new to bigger bikes, but years of experience ridding 100-120cc scooters in Thai traffic. I can ride a clutch Ok, I am getting better and once my Chaly is set, it will be clutch and it will be my DD.

My next worry is reliability, I am a novice at repair and while I have a very trust worthy mechanic, who does work on big and small bikes, I don't want it to be in the garage a lot or have to always be ordering parts from abroad.

Anyone have experience working on these bikes either back home or here and can fill me in on the maintenance or an idea of what parts might go first etc?

Had both, 550 and 650. 650 is good bike but if you don't keep your eye on the oil or don't change it twice as often as is recommended it will get a bit noisy on the top end. Chain tensioner is easy to over tighten and break, just think of Somchai doing it, and you need to split the engine to change the chain. They didn't sell as well as the 750 and the last ones(650,s) were tarted up with a few add on bits and sold under a different name, forget what.

Go for a good 750. Much smoother,650 gets a bit buzzy when you get the revs up, and it gets a bit wavy above 80 mph.