In past 5-years, I've used 4 different bikes on my commute back & forth to S.F. It's 2-2.5hr by car, 1.25hr by ferry or 40-45 min. by bike so it's no-brainer. VF500 is like touring-bike, comfy, but heavy and slow to respond. CBR600RR is much lighter and snappier, but it too, shows its weight. Especially in Z-shaped maneuvers.
The new-gen 250 is close to perfect for slicing & dicing through traffic, but it too feels a little large and I've tapped both mirrors trying to squeeze through tight gaps in stop-n-go. My favourite has got to be pre-gen 250. It's even lighter than new-gen and extremely nibble. I can make 90-degree turns to move from one splitting lane between stopped cars over to next splitting lane without any issues. It's narrower so I can fit through tight gaps easily. Easier to park too! Bike-parking in S.F. is dirt-cheap! Anywhere between $0.35 to $0.55/hr and there's tonnes of it near my office.
