I assume your starter bike was a smaller displacement than a full liter and that is a good thing. A GSX S1000 is a powerful machine and can bite you in a heart beat if you're not careful. No matter which bike you step up to, gaining experience on a smaller bike will be invaluable to you. The GSX S1000 is very new and arguably has room for improvement in some respects. Some owners are still sorting out their feelings about the bike but I believe that most would agree that it is a lot of bike for the money. I've had mine a couple of months and over a thousand miles. Would I buy it again knowing what I know now? Yes. Good luck in your pursuit of a new bike.