Quote Originally Posted by Fred Sanford
You should hit up Road Atlanta for a track day. Put the bike thru its paces.
My friend with the 848 did a track day and always is in the mtns, he was disappointed with the performance of his 848. I don't mean from a squid poser perspective, I mean from a true rider perspective. He's had tons of issues getting fast on that thing (lap times) and has spent a bunch on parts to help. Duck parts cost 2-3x as much as the same part for a jap bike too.
If you just want a bike to commute, why not get an SV or similar?
I'm looking for something to grow into. I don't think I'll get to the point where I want to be competitive with the bike. It will be more for spirited cruising and riding around.

I've had my R6 for over a month and 1,000 miles and I only hit 100mph once. I usually keep it around 75mph or less. I don't care about speed or performance as much as I do having a GREAT looking bike.

I'm not 100% decided on the 848 yet. It is a more expensive bike but I'm weighing the pros and cons. I really appreciate the styling, looks and rarity of it. Not that it's incredibly rare, just more rare than the average Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki/Kawasaki.