Good bike for college student?

I've been asking alot of questions about sport bikes lately trying to figure out more info on them. Although I like riding crotch rockets I'm not sure if that is the right route to go. The college I'm going to go to is in Lima, Ohio 2 hours away from my home in Michigan. I'll be living on campus obviously but I'd like to have a bike for summer time riding. Also a bike that I could comfortably make the trip back to Michigan every so often. My family is into Harley's and I like them too but I'm torn between cruiser and sport bike. I love the Yamaha R1 but I'm not sure if I could afford that bike but I know I can get it for a good price. Keep in mind I only have about $5000 to spend. Got any suggestions on bikes that would be great on gas( talking 40 and up mpg) and yet still have to power to be fun?

I'm am a 34year old fat a$$ and I ride my R1 on trips over two hours at least once a month. It will take a little getting used to for a long trip,and will never be called comfortable. Keep in mind the R1 is not a rookie bike, one of the fastest in the world, and is so lite the performance is intense. Your family wont like it because you cant help pulling the front up, roasting the rear, laying it on its side in corners, and best of all is knowing nothing on the road stands a chance when you drop a gear and roll the throttle. C-YA
My R1 tops 188 I have done it.

Go to site below and turn your speakers up. There are videos about your question there and also make sure you click SUBSCRIBE when there..its free to do so and I learned a lot.

Get an 08 Ninja 250R. Then spend the rest on insurance, gear, and a msf course if you haven't taken it yet. Don't let anyone fool you about the 250 Ninja. They are plenty fast and powerful, especially the new 08. It will make that 2 hour trip easily. And you can't beat the gas mileage unless you get a moped or scooter.

IF you want gas mileage, get a 600. As long as you spend 10-15 minutes at fill ups along the way, you'll stay comfortable. You can get a 600 that's a few years old for a good price. I've rode from MI to KY 420 miles or so with no problem. I ride a GSXR 750.

i would say go for a sporster 1200 there alot of fun to ride and you can find them cheap or maybe a beull i bought a 03 for 3500 bucks and it was easy on gas and a blast to ride sounds like a harley but handles like a sportbike