I love the new 250, thinking of getting one for my first bike. However, 250 seems a bit tame power-wise. I know, I know; they're great beginner bikes. I'm not disputing that. But if they are redesigning the 500 in a similar fashion I may wait until I can get a 500, instead.

 

according to the internets, maybe.

 

I bet Kawasaki drops the 500 in 2009.
the dealers around Iowa have a lot of 2006 & 2007
that they can't sell. Seems everybody want 250's & 600
and bigger.Even the 650 arn't selling .

just my 2 cent worth

evileye

 

Balderdash.
Just because Iowa has no geographic variety and therefore everyone there buys Harleys or Hayabusas doesn't mean 500's aren't selling well everywhere else in the world.

Kawasaki'll probably have the 'upgraded' 500 for '09 and it will look just like the 250/650. But it will also probably have the cylinders integrated into the top half of the engine cases ([:@]electroplated aluminium cylinders [:@].) So you can wait to pay more for a pretty disposabike later, or you can get a better, classic bike now. (Or I guess you can wait until the disposabikes are released in '09 and make a roadtrip to Iowa* to get a deal on one of the leftover solid models.)
Peace!
-CCinC
*I-spy-something-beginning-with-the-letter-'C'...

 

one of the worste things a company can do for themselves is narrow downt he product line too far. which includes making everything look the same. a litle variety is good because not everybody wants the same thing.

 

Maybe. But Suzuki's still doing well and I can't tell their 600's from their 750's from their 1000's.
And they even tried to make the GS500 look like them all. (Tried.)
I'm just glad KHI kept the handsome version of the 500 for as long as they did.
-CCinC

 

that works still because not everyone wants the same engine size.

i think kawi would do well to move the 500 into the touring grouping. thats just me though.

 

Yeah... umm, that'll work.
Every aging Ironbutt devotee I know wants a smaller touring bike without grip-warmers, GPS, drink-holders and surround-sound.
The 500 would do well against the FJR1300 and the new Concours 1400.
-CCinC

 

nothing wrong with a smaller displacement higher MPG entry level touring bike. all those things can be sold as accesories (where the profits are really made)

 

Entry-level touring-bike. That's one of those oxymorons like military-intelligence, good grief or peacekeeper missile.
To you, there's nothing wrong with an entry-level touring-bike, but every time Kawasaki introduces a model that flops in this country, they lose a lot of money. And I think American consumers would be more likely to buy carbonated milk or Vanilla-Ice's Greatest Hits than they would such a bike.
Besides, it's already a perfect touring bike as it is:

-CCinC