Hello from Chicago.
I am currently riding a c50t. I am looking for something smaller, but capable of doing a few 200+ miles days. Also looking for the occasional longer/multiple day journey (once a year). Most riding will be to and from work.
Currently the street 750 and the Honda ctx700 have my full attention.
Can the street 750 meet my needs or should I just stick with the c50t for now?
I went to a Harley dealer and got steered right to a sportster. Honestly, I think the street is more my style.
Brief history:
Have been riding since 1988
Past bikes are Suzuki gs450l, Yamaha 400 special, Honda vt700c. I have had the c50t since 2008.
I am looking for something a bit lighter.
Thanks
The Street 500/750's are a bit lighter (489 lbs v 644 lbs) than the Suziki Blvd.
The Suzuki is a cruiser while the Street is not but the Street will provide the 200 mile daily ride you're interested in.
I just returned from a day-trip to BC Canada and from my house it was basically a 200 mile round trip. It is not a motorcycle I'd use for road trips where the daily average needs to be over 300 miles or more (I've done 750 miles on my Sportster although that is extreme iron-ass riding IMO). For the 200 miles on the winding Hwy 9 here in WA to BC the ride was pure pleasure.
The Street is an excellent commuting and day-ride motorcycle IMHO.
The reason the Harley dealer probably pointed you at the Sportster is because they really can't get Street 500/750's currently. My dealer is limited to ordering just one Street 750 for September delivery by the factory and they have three more pre-sold. They'd rather sell something they have as opposed to something they can't get. That's my personal opinion of course.
The Honda CTX 700 appears to be an excellent motorcycle as well and it is comparably priced with the Street 750 (Street 750 base price = $7,500 v CTX 700 base price = $7,799). I didn't find the weight of the CTX 700 but it does have a smaller engine and gets better MPG but also has a smaller tank so range is probably comparable. The Harley is a 5-speed and the Honda is a 6-speed. The differences are mostly subjective so I can only add the following for you to consider.
The Street 750 is a Harley and with it comes the Harley Owners Group that is the only international motorcycle group sponsored by the factory and the dealers. I love all motorcycles regardless of brands but there is something special about owning a Harley.
I can also state that while there was resistance by the old Harley "pushrod" crowd when the V-Rod was introduced I've found zero resistance related to my Street 750. Every Harley owner I've been in contact with all seem to appreciate and welcome the new Street 500/750 into the Harley family probably because this new Harley motorcycle was long needed and we all knew it. That wasn't exactly the case when the V-Rod was introduced.
Hope this helps you decide what to do but ultimately it's your choice. There's nothing wrong with your Suzuki but if you want to change to a lighter motorcycle that more fits your needs then go for it.