whats the difference between Gen 1 & Gen 11

[Ward P]

The Gen 1 came out in 1999 - and apart from a few tweaks, changing the fuel pump and ecu. and a couple of recalls, nothing really changed up to 2007.

The Gen 2 came out in 2008.

so "should" have 10 years of technology upgrades.

The Gen1 is still an awesome bike. The Gen2 is just a bit more "awesomerrr"

Although the gen2 is a bit heavier, it actually feels lighter to ride and steering feels lighter to chuck about. I feel you also sit a little higher on the Gen2. Obviously, The Gen2 has more power, but unless you are riding it up around redline and really wringing it's neck, you wont notice any discernable power difference.
A Gen1 will be cheaper, but if budget isn't a concern, you'd get the Gen2 everytime (unless nostalgia lets you have both in your garage.)