I recently picked up a '90 Honda VTR 250 for my wife to ride in the twisties and hopefully do a couple of track days on. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of power that bike has. While it's no torque monster, it will easily leave traffic behind from a stop light. At an indicated 80 mph it's engine is turning nearly 10,000rpm (redline is 14,000) but feels completely comfortable at speed. Since the engine is running in it's power band at highway speeds, it actually has pretty good power left in reserve. Also, I don't feel the least bit vulnerable in highway traffic on the bike like I do on some other larger displacement bikes. Nor do I feel cramped on the bike. Also, of course, the light weight of the bike makes it a real joy to ride. I can't wait to take the bike on a track or at least some twisty mountain roads myself. She'll have to fight me for it!