As an owner and rider of a 650r for the past 3 seasons, I feel fairly comfortable saying that it'd be a good fit for your needs. I don't do any trips nearly as long as Ohio to Florida, but I do ride ~150 mile trips on the freeway regularly, and it's not at all a problem on this bike. I've done a ~400 mile trip to Kentucky once, and stopping for gas was about the only break I needed. The stock bars on this bike are really high and allow for a very comfortable riding position. The stock seat and windscreen are both very forgiving for long rides, but if you can spare no expense then you can upgrade to a windscreen and seat that will really turn this bike into a touring bike, and Givi makes a good set of hard luggage for it that can complete the package if that's what you're into. If the original ninja650r.com forum hadn't self-destructed, I could link you to several photo albums of people doing 4000+ and 6000+ mile trips on 650's. However, you can check out atlasrider.com and youtube.com/atlasrider for some living proof of the 650r's touring abilities; that guy has recently sold his car to live with only a bike, and his passion is long-distance riding and touring and the bike is nearly stock ergonomically. His website has some great info about long distance riding with the 650r. And I havn't even touched on the sporty side of the bike Without getting too long winded, I can say that when you throw a 650r into a corner, you won't be dissapointed Lemmie know if you've got any specific questions about the bike, I'd be happy to answer em.