How does the EX500 compare to the EX250?

The 250 is a screamer that performs well and can easily get you into trouble. Common complaints about the 250 are the excessive nose dive when getting on the front brake hard and the skiddishness of the rear during high speed cornering. Both are easily corrected with suspension adjustments. It's just a matter of getting the parts and doing the work. A bit more wind protection would be great, too. (Aftermarket shields are readily available.)

The 500 addresses these problems, the diving of the front end (to a degree); the rear's skiddishness and the wind protection. A plus for the 500 is the greater torque and power off the line. It pulls stronger, and will get you into illegal speed territory just a bit quicker than the 250. With greater weight, is has more stability in high speed and windy situations. Insurance is just about the same for both, with the 250 getting the nod for gas mileage.

Service requirements are almost identical for both as well. Being that they're both parallel twins, the technology is the virtually the same. The downfalls of the 500: $2K more than the 250 (can do a lot to the 250 with that kind of money); buzzy mirrors, barely useful; heavier weight to have to push around the garage; lesser gas mileage (typically 10-15% worse for a given rider and conditions); engine is worse than a nervous dog shaking around at idle and at speed (here the 250 is far superior and much smoother).

The 500 is probably better suited for a larger rider, from a comfort standpoint. If this is an issue, go spend some time on both at a dealer and see which one is more comfortable for you.

The 250's brakes are better tuned than the 500 and the shifter is much smoother. Bottom line, both bikes are great. You'll just have to figure out if you want to save $2000 or not:).