If at all possible, go to your local riding area and talk to others about the bikes that they ride, ride with them, and beg rides. For me, riding cool bikes has it's perks, I can always offer someone a ride on my bike in exchange for trying theirs. Most guys come back from riding my bikes babbling about handling, jetting, etc being incredible (I am a tinkerer and perfectionist), but I also come back with more knowledge about performance characteristics of other bikes. FWIW, I would say that I was directly or indirectly responsible for the sales of at least 5 Husky 125's over the last couple of years after folks rode mine. No matter what bike you buy, it is a compromise somewhere, no bike excels at everything, but some are good at most everything.
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