written by on 17/02/2011
Not the bike for a racer! I live in Switzerland, plenty of hill, passes, narrow roads and then on to Germany where the Autobahn has no speed restrictions. This bike copes with all of it without fuss and performs well in town on stop-start busy road use. The range is more than adequate and it performs OK with 2 up (and we are not lightweights). I have owned a few bikes (more than fingers) and since my z650 died in London in the eighties I have never so much wanted just to get on a bike and ride. There are some problems getting extras like side boxes etc. now that the model is no longer made but there is still some choice. If you want a bike that is:
Fairly heavy (220 kg). Shaft drive. Adequate range. Steady footed on the road. Good brakes (R1). Good sound. But you do not intend to race or challenge then this could be the right bike. They are pretty cheap second hand and opinion seems very polarised. Either they are hated and laughed at or loved by their owners. Sort of reminds me of my first bike a CX500 but with double the power and reliable as hell....
As rated by our community of reviewers