I've ridden for 25 years not including all the years on a dirt bike as a youngster. What was next for me after my 2003 Honda CBR600RR? The Yamaha YZF-R3. I've had one Honda Interceptor and a slew of 600's, my two favorites being my 1992 Yamaha FZR600 & the aforementioned CBR600RR. I am on the shorter side 5'5" but stocky-anywhere from 165-180 although I don't lift as much anymore after getting out of the Army with my highest weight being 180.
Anyway, my deceased bro was always a 750 guy. I found the CC wars funny and people preoccupied with their displacement number. There are people that like and use fast bikes, but there certainly those who get caught up in the hype and such. With current technology and innovations over the years, the lighter displacement bikes have gotten faster and the heavier big displacement bikes have gotten more nimble like their smaller counterparts. A CBR600RR will do 156 and be a 60mph in 3 sec. Is that not enough? What's more, is that some people are buying Hayabusa's with little or no riding experience.
As I have gotten older and become more seasoned, I have found that comfort with enough power and ability to get of jams the sweetspot. I think the R3 is such a package. You're going to get numb arms and midsection on prolonged rides on the 600RR and similar bikes. OF course I loved mine, but you have to look at the bing picture and weigh all the pros and cons. I still pay a decent amount of $ for comprehensive on my R3 but of course that is a function of living in Brooklyn.
To each his own, but focus on riding and learning as much as you can regardless the amount of cc's or power in your bike. There is a lot of dangers out on the roads and even after one bad accident and close calls, I still don't take anything for granted and keep learning. Examine what you're using your bike for. Are you commuting with it? The R3 is perfect for that. Do you want to spend more inruing a 600, 750 or 1000? IS it pleasure only? After hitting shops in March, I have never seen a bike get so many aftermarket performance upgrades so fast. The Ninja300 is has been around for years, and the R3 has an almost comparable market for parts as it Kawasaki brother. There is a lot you can do to your R3 in weight savings, performance upgrades, and aesthetic modifications that will eek out and boost its performance.
People can make up their own minds, but definitely avail yourself of all the good knowledge and information out there and pick the brains of experienced riders. I was worried that going down from a 600 to an R3 that I would find myself going back to one in short time. However, I am happy as a clam as they say (whatever the eff that means). My deceased bro was my bike mechanic and I am kicking myself now for now learning as much as I did from him on cars as on bikes. I am working on modding my R3 with a slew of upgrades and trying t do as much as I can myself. Not only can you boost the performance and improve the appearance there are tons of helpful How-To videos on the R3 which is a pretty easy bike to work on. So that is a plus too.
And that's my 2 cents whether you care, agree, or not. Thought I'd share my experiences.