I had an SR500 for many years, finally sold it a few years ago. It was my "around town" local ride up until I got my first 650 going. The SR was really too small for me (6 ft. about 200 lbs). I couldn't get it over 80 and thought there was something wrong with it, lol. Then a buddy of mine who also had one took it for a spin. He's just a little guy, maybe 165 lbs, and he zipped it right up to 90 or 95. When he got back, he said there's nothing wrong with it, I'm just too big for it. And he was right, with only maybe 35HP, it wasn't big and powerful enough. They're also quite light so don't ride that well. Big bumps toss them all over because they aren't heavy enough to soak them up instead. Enter my 650 ...... with another 10 or 15HP, and another 20 or so pounds, this bike is perfect. Heavy enough to ride well, but not too heavy, and with adequate power.
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I took the SR off the road and replaced it with the 650 back in 2005. If I knew back then what I know now, I probably could have made it better. I had geared it up when I 1st got it, going up one tooth on the countershaft sprocket. After playing around with gearing on the 650, I realize now that I geared it too high. If I still had it, I'd go back to the stock front sprocket and reduce the rear by a tooth or two instead. That would gear it up slightly, just not as much as that front sprocket change did. I'd also do a spoke wheel conversion. I already had the wheels to do it (XS650 front, XT500 rear), I just never got around to it.