Things to look for when purchasing a street bike?

well check to make sure that it has oil and has been changed, then ride it to make sure that all the gears work right, look for whit smoke form motor, mak sure brakes work. blinkers, head light , tail light ,

comfort, price, value, reliability. Does it fit you? Does it make you happy. The 3 brands you listed all make good bikes. Are you looking new, or used? New? you look for financing, warranty, dealership. Used, well, you should take it to a reputable mechanic, and have them check it out. NUMBER ONE when I look for a bike? Does it give me a special feeling when I see it? Is it love at first sight?

SUZUKI - if its not spelled right dont buy it. If it is not a GSXR - stay away. Otherwise go on........

Handling, weight, reliability, owners problems, cost of repair, power(unless you don't care about that), if you look at power seriously, look at the torgue from the earliest RPM because that will determine the ease of driving. V-twins are great for torque. I'd say a late model buell, 06' or later.

Comfort is second to braking. All bikes are fast, some have a better top end pick up than others. The raw torque is the base of the HP. Get what you want. Then practice picking it up. I knew a fella that bought a new bike , BMW , had to lay it down to live, he lived but needed help to pick that monster up. Ask the salesman if he will lay the bike on its side so that you can pick it up. If he says WHAT? or No, the bike is not worth buying. Go find another person selling bikes that rides bikes.

make sure its a Harley Davidson

God, there are some whacky answers above! Assuming it's what to look for in a new bike (features as opposed to mechanical issues): You have to like it, both to look at and to be comfortable sitting on. Don't worry too much about being able to push it around like a bicycle: motorbikes are stable when moving and you only need to be able to hold it up, and feel comfortable at the controls. The engine should be smooth enough not to put your hands and feet to sleep, and the seat plush, especially if you plan to do long rides. Low speed maneuvering is important if you are not experienced: you want good steering lock (range of wheel movement left-to-right). Don't worry about picking the bike up, unless you plan to fall off constantly. You want a motor with a good spread of power, not one that needs 12,000rpm before it gets going. Nor one that runs out of puff at 7000. Generally speaking, bikes recommended for learners have flexible engines that drive well from almost any rpm. This is important because otherwise you have to constantly change gears and always be at the right rpm. I would highly recommend a twin-cylinder bike of about 400-650 cc for learning- and these will be powerful enough to keep you interested for a long time. A well-ridden 'commuter' twin like a Suzuki GS500 will see off many a sports bike ridden by a pretentious tosser with no ability. If you are a rev-head who really like going fast (and not just someone who likes to LOOK fast) you could consider something sportier. Finally, don't get sold the 'orphan'. Often, inexperienced and female riders will be sold the model that nobody wanted. Be careful and check out rider forums and such before you buy any bike you find questionable- often there are good bikes but it is easy to pay far too much for them. If your question was about mechanical issues, you'd better ask it again!