Honda did it to their CBR125R (originally carb'd from 2004-2007, 2007-up it's EFI'd).

Kawasaki did it with their EX250/Ninja250 (but use some lame excuse not to sell the EFI version here in N.A. that it would cost too much, yeah right economy of scale people!!!).

As noted Triumph did it with their Bonnie's...

Suzuki already did it to their 250cc thumper engine used in the GZ250 for their new retro/UJM TU250X (albeit with a different head).


No reason a couple of Suzuki engineers couldn't either reuse something from the parts bin or develop something new for the LS650...


My experience moving from a carb'd EX250 to a EFI'd CBR125R is that cold-starting is much easier with EFI, no choke to fiddle with. I use(d) both for daily commuting, rain/damp and cold would have the EX250 running oddly. The 125R is just fine under any weather conditions. I could've rejetted the EX250 etc but I didn't really want to dig in under all that tupperware and potentially mess things up (I'd already done that with a valve adjustment following FSM torque values rather than listening to the voice of experience  ). Power-wise there is no comparison, double the displacement = around double the power (EX250 is DOHC 4V, 125R is SOHC 2V so that makes a difference too for engine breathability)...

Too bad there is no easy answer, because there is no perfect bike - or car, or truck, or boat, or for that matter house. The closest one can come involves first defining the purpose. For highway cruising, probably a Gold Wing or other tourer. For canyon carving (canyons are scarce in Nebraska) one of the sportbikes. For riding off-road, something different again. Any change in the bike will change the balance of compromises made by the engineers. The change may or may not improve the bike.

My choice of the S40 was driven by my desire to have a big single. There are few on the market - the KLR650, the S40, and (then) the BMW 650 Rotax single. The BMW was way outside my budget. The S40 is belt driven, a minus when you live as I do on a gravel road where the chance of rock damage to the belt always exists. So I tried the KLR, and found I could never get comfortable on it because of its height. I sold it. I had wanted a Savage ever since they first came out in the 80s, because of the engine and the appearance. I knew before I bought it of many of its drawbacks, but for my uses it is a better compromise than the KLR. I will point out that I also have a 250 Ninja, which in stock form is faster, bigger fuel tank, better fuel mileage, better wind protection, smoother, better suspension and brakes, and considerably less expensive. Comfort is subjective, and each is comfortable (or uncomfortable) in different ways.

One thing I think would improve almost any bike (except for the inveterate tinkerers) would be less maintenance. Except for oil changes, most cars run anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 miles before you even touch the engine. Car tires last, on cars, about the same. And car tires are cheaper to buy, and to have mounted. I understand that there are economies of scale in making cars. I still think bikes coiuld stand a LOT of improvement.

I've lost count long ago of the friends who said they wanted a bike that they "didn't need to do anything to".   Then a year later they've got a new exhaust, FI processor, grips, forward controls, bars, etc.  Honestly, I don't think there are many new bikes out there that "need" anything done to them.  I feel mods are done cause we "want" it that way.  Do we have to do the white spacer mod?  Not really.  There are lots of LS650s out there without the mod.  But we want all of the benefits of the white spacer mod.  We "want" it different.  

Over on another site I read a post yesterday about a member helping his buddy who is brand new to motorcycling find a new cruiser for him.  Cost was important to his friend.  The author wrote this:
"I was able to recommend the M50, The vulcan 900, Vstar 950, Honda shadow, and H-D sportster 883 or 1200. Does anyone else know any bikes that I left off the list for a beginner motorcyclist that are cruisers? I would like to be able to give him all the options and try not to be as biased as I openly acknowledge I am a die hard suzuki fan. Anything below 1300cc should be fine."

I told him that his buddy could get a new S40 for about $2000 less than the lowest priced bike on his list.  I told him that with a few little mods it becomes a different bike.  His response- "he wants a bike that he doesn't have to do anything to".  My money says his buddy will have a new exhaust, handlebars, seat or forward controls within 2 years of getting his new beginner bike.  That would be funny cause his friend didn't "need" to do anything to his new bike! It's truly a sign of motorcycle immaturity in my book.  To me it's like a teenager saying, "When I turn 21, I'll be an adult and I can do anything I want and nobody will be able to tell me what to do".  Ha ha, yeah, right!