I am 5'10" around 140lbs and the 250 barely did it for me. I probably wouldn't recommend the 250 to any much heavier than that. I learned to ride on that bike and quickly grew out of it. It was a fun bike sometimes, but it is just too under powered for my liking. My 600 however is WAY more fun in the corners! Just my 2 cents. Also, if you are looking for a more comfortable riding position, why not look into a normal sport bike and just get some bar risers and maybe some lower foot pegs, I think that would be more fun than the 250 by far. Never rode a gs500 though so I can't really help there.