z750 vs FZ6 vs CB900 vs GSR600

[JeremyW]

Well....what a decision...I am just looking for personal experiences people may have had of these bikes, especially if they chose one over the other; What were your reasons?

I know it does depend a lot on seat of the pants stuff but if anyone has advice or experience around stuff like:
Mechanical issues
Dealer support
Fuel economy
After market parts availability
Warranty claims
Tyre life

Little things but in the scheme of it they really make the difference between a good buy and a not-so-good buy. It is to be used as an everyday, go everywhere and do everything bike, primary transport as well as quite a bit of touring. I am pretty keen on either the Z750 or FZ6 but I am keen to hear reasons to look at the others, would be looking to buy new or as close to.

[AllanB]

Very happy with my CB900 Hornet. Best price out of that lot as well so You'll have bling $.

To be honest - test ride them - they are all very capable bikes and the end conclusion could be as simple as which one fits your frame the best.

[2wheeljunkie]

hornet mate..their beautiful..then again im being a biased hornet owner..but yea def wanna test ride them..wudnt say any of them are shit soo it all depends on how you feel when u pull the throttle on the test rides..:cool:

[gijoe1313]

And from another Big Ol'Hornet rider, they are the bees knees, lotta bike for little bucks and a big bang for it too! :yes:

Plenty of riders singing their praises coming out of their hives all the time! :innocent:

http://www.hondahornet.co.uk/

[HornetBoy]

Yep big tick for the hornet from me too (im biased tho :whistle:) . um wouldn't say they have the best economy of the above if thats what your looking at ,i regularly got about 200kms out of a tank when riding back roads and about 220-250kms on straight road riding,probly because i just wanted to hear the awesome sound of it growling once you put aftermarket pipes on :2guns:.They are ALOT of bike for what you pay especially now they are discounted due to the incoming cb1000r.
GSR600 is very rev hungry ,as its a detuned Gsxr so thats naturally going to be the case,so if your touring then that might be a problem with all the vibration and working the gear box etc the fz6 and z750 ive never ridden and don't have any desire to as they just don't do it for me .

Go with the CB900 you'll love it :2thumbsup

[blacksheep]

the fz6 has the re-tuned r6 motor in it,whereas the gsr has a re-tuned gsxr motor in it,seeing as you already have a 400 i would say look at the hornet or the z750,you won't get bored as quick!

[Devil]

I'm here to ruin your thread.

Triumph Street Triple. More fun than everything you've listed, a nicer engine. 10,000km service intervals, two year unlimited K warranty. It'll pillion, it'll tour, it'll commute and it'll scratch with the best of them.

My (very very general) opinion on the others:
FZ6: Too buzzy
GSR: Similar to above and dont like the seat.
CB900: Too boring
Z750: Haven't actually ridden it, but apparently it's quite nice.

[Renegade]

i just cant get my head around that exhaust on the z750 :no: what were they thinking, the rest of the bike is good though, gsr is a tad f**cked looking altough the rear end is very bking, havnt had a look at the fz6 up close.
hornet is a nice bike but youll be lucky to get a new one in a shop however there are no doubt a few floating around still.

Triumph mmmmmmmmmmm:niceone:

[orangeback]

i just cant get my head around that exhaust on the z750 :no: what were they thinking, the rest of the bike is good though, gsr is a tad f**cked looking altough the rear end is very bking, havnt had a look at the fz6 up close.
hornet is a nice bike but youll be lucky to get a new one in a shop however there are no doubt a few floating around still.

Triumph mmmmmmmmmmm:niceone:

what's the chance you'll run the stock pipe (fu*k all) as most people change them . if you near chch you can test ride mine . i chucked a mivv pipe on it to give it a little more hp and a lot more noise, but titanium
http://www.mivv.it/en/prodotti_apri.asp?cl=1&cs=677
they are a pritty low stressed motor as they are a sleaved down 10 motor

[megageoff76]

I thought those things were a sleeved down ZX9?

[orangeback]

I thought those things were a sleeved down ZX9?Based on the Z1000 engine, but with a smaller bore.
http://www.kawasaki.com.au/kawpublic_docs/spec_sheets/Z750%20Feature%20and%20Benefits.pdf

[JeremyW]

Wow thanks for all the replys people, certainly given me some food for thought. I have ridden an 06 z750 and I really liked it, one of those bikes which just make you feel good to be on it, good for my size too (vertically challenged). Quite a distinctive 4cyl sound which I liked.

Triumph - looking more and more like a serious possibility, the reviews have bagged its non-adustable suspension but then again all the bikes in my price range come with cut price suspension. They are good lookers tho...

[James Deuce]

Based on the Z1000 engine, but with a smaller bore.
http://www.kawasaki.com.au/kawpublic_docs/spec_sheets/Z750%20Feature%20and%20Benefits.pdf

The Z1000 is based on the ZX-9R engine. The Z750 is a sleeved down Z1000. So they're both based on the ZX9. The Z1000 is 953cc with a 2.2mm larger bore than the ZX-9R it is based on.

[James Deuce]

Triumph - looking more and more like a serious possibility, the reviews have bagged its non-adustable suspension but then again all the bikes in my price range come with cut price suspension. They are good lookers tho...

You obviously read Superbike magazine, or possibly Fast Bikes. None of the reviews I read have bagged the Street Triple's non-adjustable suspension. Quite the opposite in fact.

The Z750's suspension is out and out shit. You have to spend money on it if you ride at anything over Nana pace. The Hornet 900 has the best stock suspension of the lot. The FZ6 is a frustrating bag of vibes to ride. It looks good, it's fun on a twisty road, but it's a bit like an R6 with an anti-fun genie who makes the whole plot feel nasty the moment you really start enjoying yourself. The GSR is nice but has terrible, terrible mirrors. It is also a Suzuki. Not everyone is allowed one. You have to be "hardcore" to own and ride a Suzuki.

[HornetBoy]

You have to be "hardcore" to own and ride a Suzuki.

.......... :headbang:

[nallac]

gee out of all of them the Hornets suspensions the best?
man the rest must be crap cause i reckon the the Hornet's not all
that crash hot.

My pick out of your choices would still be the Hornet tho.

Not the best looking IMHO out of them but still a hoot
to ride/thrash.

But then again i might be biased. Aye Hornet Boy.

[HornetBoy]

gee out of all of them the Hornets suspensions the best?
man the rest must be crap cause i reckon the the Hornet's not all
that crash hot.

My pick out of your choices would still be the Hornet tho.

Not the best looking IMHO out of them but still a hoot
to ride/thrash.

But then again i might be biased. Aye Hornet Boy.


;) :yes:.Put some USD's on it from a CBRR and get some ohlins for the rear lol. (And hope you win Powerball ) :woohoo:

Hows the hornet going ,got bored of it yet ? :whistle:

[nallac]

nah not bored of it yet, shes got all the power i need and then some.
still trying to bling her up some more.

the USD's and ohlins would be great along with winning Powerball.
A louder exhaust too.

[Devil]

Triumph - looking more and more like a serious possibility, the reviews have bagged its non-adustable suspension but then again all the bikes in my price range come with cut price suspension. They are good lookers tho...

Yes, if you were comparing the Triumph with pure perfection, it would fail on the suspension. There is, however, nothing wrong with it for Joe Bloggs. As you've pointed out, all of those bikes have "basic" suspension. It's certainly far from bad!

[slowpoke]

Bang for your buck the Honda wins every time. There is nothing the other bikes can do that the Honda can't and the 900 kills the rest of 'em on grunt and allround ability......and will go for bloody ever...and ever...and ever....

[James Deuce]

Bang for your buck the Honda wins every time. There is nothing the other bikes can do that the Honda can't and the 900 kills the rest of 'em on grunt and allround ability......and will go for bloody ever...and ever...and ever....

Grunt? I think you'll find the Z750s powerplant to be a little stronger all round, no matter what the paper specs say.

[ritchtheitch]

certainly liking my z750 - only owned it 5 months so far as my first bike for quite a while, but you can do everything pretty well, and it is lots of fun and you'd find it gives you smiles even riding to work. I ride everyday, all weathers and it's been impecably reliable so far. I do agree with Jim that the stock suspension leaves a little to be desired, but the seat's okay, I love the sound of the engine (even with the stock can) and the engine itself is Great.

[brit-bloke]

I used to own one and would do again! Great bike to ride,The suspention needs a tweek as it is a bit soft but plenty enough power and lots of bling for it as well!

[AllanB]

Hornets good for 280-300kms out of a tank at semi legal speeds (under 125). That other bugger is thrashing his and being a naughty boy by exceeding the speed limit a lot :gob:

But then they do that so well :innocent:

If $ is not a concern the Triumph is the most Horny.

[Renegade]

what's the chance you'll run the stock pipe (fu*k all) as most people change them . if you near chch you can test ride mine . i chucked a mivv pipe on it to give it a little more hp and a lot more noise, but titanium
http://www.mivv.it/en/prodotti_apri.asp?cl=1&cs=677
they are a pritty low stressed motor as they are a sleaved down 10 motor

dont the new ones have some sort of control valve in the exhaust to improve engine performance by opening and shutting?? think i read it some where, so how will an after market exhaust affect the engine performance without a power commander etc???

[muzzle]

I was looking for a bike a few months back. I test rode the Trumpy the FZ6 and the Hornet. Liked the Street triple best but I brought the Hornet because it was $4000 cheaper and I didn't like the rear shock on the street triple. I also wanted the screen so by the time did screen and changed the rear shock I would have been up for over $17000. I also take my wife on the back a lot and the hornet was better suited for that. I can do the suspention both ends the pipes and a screen on the hornet and it will cost about the same stock triple. Which would you pick.

[Devil]

. Which would you pick.

Still the Triumph.

[Zapf]

one more for the hornet. I owned one for 2 years and will not sell it. It is really a do everything bike... and a good one.

[Devil]

one more for the hornet. I owned one for 2 years and will not sell it. It is really a do everything bike... and a good one.

But you haven't ridden all the others ;) :P

[Zapf]

But you haven't ridden all the others ;) :P

true...

FZ6: haven't ridden one but one would guess, not much torque. loads more $ than the CB900
GSR: haven't ridden one but one would guess, not much torque.
CB900: loads of torque, price is right, has hard luggage, bullet proof engine, put some mx bars on and setup the suspension its then like a 900cc motard... abit heavy one.
Z750: ridden one, again not much torque.

when I buy a bike, I will make sure it has at lease proload and rebound damping adjustment on front and rear. otherwise it is hard and lots of $ to get it right.

[Gremlin]

CB900: loads of torque, price is right, has hard luggage, bullet proof engine, put some mx bars on and setup the suspension its then like a 900cc motard... abit heavy one.
what you MEAN to say is: its capable of carrying luggage (ie, has racks and fittings). Everything else, yep, I would agree.

Lets see, I've pretty much topped it out (200, with top box, didn't really seem like it would ever go faster), wheelied it, carried an entire computer (tower, screen, keyboard etc), a large tower several times, a large screen, pillions, wheelied some more, two wheel drift in the wet (NOT deliberate!), stepped the rear out heaps, pegged it heaps... you really cannot fault it. It then goes for a nice minor service every 6k, costs a couple of hundred dollars, and she's sweet for another 6k. All that was needed was the side racks for tie downs, and a top box, which I chuck stuff in when needed.

Only complaint would actually be a little bit lacking in grunt above 120ish... but then, I also ride a modded zx10, so I think my expectation is a little too much. To top it off, its more fun than the zx10.

(shit, its zapf's bike... maybe he doesn't read this)

[nallac]

lacking in grunt above 120ish????????chopit down a few gears.
it'd still be no match 4 a zx10.
I find its a shit load a fun in the 80-180ish zone, 3rd gear is a heap a fun. not good for economy tho.

[wharfy]

Got my Hornet new in Nov 03.
I've done over 87,000 k - ride it to work every day, done sprints ( 229 top speed 11.53 sec standing 1/4 ) . Drag raced it (I'm a crap drag racer :-) , hill climbed it (I'm a crap hill climber :-) and am doing the Vic club winter series (very ordinary clubman's B racer). Toured the south Island 2 up (4000k in 10 days) It has never missed a beat. Only requires oil, filters, and tyres 220 - 300 k's from a tank (depending on how you ride :-) I have been riding for close to 40 years and it is the most fun bike I have ever had.:niceone:

You should ride them all (more than once) new Hornet's are $10,999 but you could probably get a deal as they are end of life.

[mops]

ah yes.. i'm in similar situation and looking at similar bikes... looking for most fun daily raider...
just got my full license recently, so i don't have that much experience of big bikes...

I test rode z1000... mmm power was nice.... all though i really like the looks, somehow i was not impressed... gearbox was kinda difficult... bike was badly setup.. heaps of slack in on the throttle, uneven leavers.. i hate that....

I like triumph and all BUT it's significantly more expensive....

sv650/1000 are aswell on my list to test ride....
i might be test riding a hornet and maybe a gsr600 this weekend....

fuel consumption is kinda important to me... older z1000's have serious drinking problem.... never ones are better, but then again never ones are expensive... i'm looking for something under 10g....

[Devil]

I like triumph and all BUT it's significantly more expensive.... .

But significantly more fun too. Depends what you want out of a bike.
EDIT: My speed four is for sale too... $7500...

[avgas]

ER6N if i was buying one, either that or a KTM Duke II (or III)
When i test rode all the other bikes they all felt like rubbish, the GSR felt cheap, Z750 felt 'content', FZ6 felt pathetic and the CB900 was a nice bike but nothing WOW.
None of them felt as light as the KTM, or the ER.
At that time there was only speed 4, no baby speed triple......which sounded rubbish and felt as British and exciting as MC Hammer.
I imagine the baby speed is a really nice bike - but at that price i would consider a second hand, proper speed triple (which i have found fantastic) - with the extra HP please. I mean who buys Maccas cos they have nice lettuce?

Anywho that is my completely biased and realist view.

[HenryDorsetCase]

. I mean who buys Maccas cos they have nice lettuce?


the best rhetorical question ever !

:D

also, buy my Hornet. not you, just someone... the thread starter maybe

[JeremyW]

OK after all that I cant argue with 2/3rds of the posts, I bought a hornet. Sweet bike, candy red, got it second hand from AMPS, they did a good deal and I got some sweet micron pipes so it has a little more character than standard.

Thanks for all the responses and advice. I feel like I have made a great decision!

[Zapf]

OK after all that I cant argue with 2/3rds of the posts, I bought a hornet. Sweet bike, candy red, got it second hand from AMPS, they did a good deal and I got some sweet micron pipes so it has a little more character than standard.

Thanks for all the responses and advice. I feel like I have made a great decision!

Now you just need to setup the suspension :) and put wide bars on it

[2wheeljunkie]

OK after all that I cant argue with 2/3rds of the posts, I bought a hornet. Sweet bike, candy red, got it second hand from AMPS, they did a good deal and I got some sweet micron pipes so it has a little more character than standard.

Thanks for all the responses and advice. I feel like I have made a great decision!

congratz mate..honestly cant expressed how much i love mine..yall learn new things abt it each day and be more and more impressed..i mean its not a gunner in comparision to sport bikes like the gixer 750's and such bt any monkey can pull the throttle and shoot pass at 270 km/hr..its takes more skill to do corners at faster speeds and trust me when i say the hornet loves twisties..in a nutshell its an awesome all round bike...well done..:2thumbsup:

[JeremyW]

Now you just need to setup the suspension :) and put wide bars on it

When you say setup the suspension do you mean aftermarket goodies? I am satisfied with the handling at the moment except for a few minor tweaks but I think I may want a bit more in future (perhaps because I have been spoilt recently with a superduke and a triple). Do you know of any common upgrades? I have seen some people talk about different springs in the front helping. Ideas?

[Gremlin]

How much do you weigh? Zapf's, which I ride, has stock front, but ohlins rear, no complaints with the front at all. Ohlins rear is FANTASTIC

spose I should give credit to Zapf for setting it up well :shifty:

[Gizzit]

I've just been talking to a guy that owned an 02 Hornet, and he reported that the gearbox was pretty clunky between 1st and 2nd, and would sometimes pop out of gear under power in 2nd (I think he said). He also said that the brakes weren't that great. I was of the opinion that they had really good breaks, being 4 pot up front. Were the 02's 2 pot or something ? His bike had done 20,000K, and he was wondering if the fault showed up after 20,000K ? He aslo felt that the chasis wasn't that stiff and you had to be quite careful abot any change to your line through a corner as you could easily upset it.

Anyone got any responses to that ? Were these issues of 02 or earlier Hornets?
Thanks for any advice as I'm considering one. (No I can't afford a Street Tripple!) :blink:

[mops]

yip. basically i'm in same situation.

after further research, i narrowed my choice of bikes to 3 models - sv1000, sv650 or hornet. z1000 new model is too expensive for me to consider.
I can stretch my budget to 10k max, but i want late model with reasonable milage.

anyways, i checked on svportal forums, and the guys have nothing but good things to say about sv.

i could not fins any decent hornet message boards. by decent i mean with alot of members/topics/etc.

i havent test rode neither sv nor hornet, but i sat on sv 1000 and 650 today and sv1000 feels quite heavy. and i'm a reasonably big guy (~100kg), while sv650 felt nice and light. i'll have to test ride them.... i'm not sure whether i'll like v-twin sound.... I'm concerned about vibrations, particularly when cruising long distances....

the search continues...

[Jerry74]

Get the Kawasaki

[Gremlin]

he reported that the gearbox was pretty clunky between 1st and 2nd, and would sometimes pop out of gear under power in 2nd (I think he said).
Most of the time, the gear box is pretty smooth, on rare occasions its a little rough, but compared to other boxes, definitely one of the smoother ones.


He also said that the brakes weren't that great. I was of the opinion that they had really good breaks, being 4 pot up front.
brakes are not harsh sharp, but pull them on hard enough, and it will stop. Must remember that to a degree, honda didn't want it to have super sharp brakes. The hornet I ride has just over 50k on it, but its an 05.


He aslo felt that the chasis wasn't that stiff and you had to be quite careful abot any change to your line through a corner as you could easily upset it.
Wide bars help with changing direction (which mine has) but no, chassis is not stiff, sometimes you can feel you are riding a front and a rear, not one bike. It does weigh over 200kg dry, so its not a sportsbike. I find cornering really easy actually, and find its very easy to be smooth. Ohlins rear shock does help tho.

That help? oh, a courier has done 160,000km on his, still using it. I assume if he didn't like it, he wouldn't still be riding it :blank:

[AllanB]

The best $ I have spent on mine was lower and wider bars plus very recently fitting a new set of Pilot Road2's. The 2's have truly transformed the bike well beyond what I remember the original tyres being like almost a year ago.

Oh and 6 weeks ago I stuffed my lower back - motorcycling became 'harsh' so I softened up my settings a fraction (I had them set a bit stiffer than stock) - oddly enough I got a better ride and handling. So don't be afraid to play with the suspension. Small steps.

GO THE HORNET

[vifferman]

I've just been talking to a guy that owned an 02 Hornet, and he reported that the gearbox was pretty clunky between 1st and 2nd, and would sometimes pop out of gear under power in 2nd (I think he said). He also said that the brakes weren't that great.
Honda gearboxes are typically not very smooth compared to Suzukis, f'rexample, particularly if the bike has been thrashed (gear-changing-wise), or if the drive chain is too tight/loose/dirty.
When I bought the VFR the gearchange was better'n any other Honda I'd ridden, but I fitted a Factory Pro Evo Start shifter kit anyway. I still miss the occasional 1-2 shift if I'm clumsy, which is partly due to the gearshifter position being slightly too high, but overall the gearchange is much improved.

As for the brakes, different pads may help performance, and braided lines may help feel. The Firestorm I used to own had crappy brakes until I overhauled the calipers and fitted braided lines.

[Gizzit]

I went in to the local Honda shop today and had a talk to the head mechanic. His opinion was that Honda's do generally have a bit of a clunky gear box, but fairly bullet proof. He said that if a gear box was jumping out of gear it was probably because it had been given a lot of hard work, pulling wheelies, and clutchless gear changes. In other words heavy abuse will cause the problem, but in his opinion that was even rare to have an issue with the gear box. He said that the engine is also pretty much bullet proof as well. The consensus from the workshop was that the Hornet 900 was a very popular and reliable bike, so that was reassuring to hear.
By the sounds of it, the person I spoke to about his 02 Hornet, must have bought a bit of a lemon / thrashed bike, but in spite of that, he still loved the bike!
For me they sound like a good idea, but do want to see what the Z750 and ER6's go like. New, the ER6F and the Hornet are similar in price, around $10,495 - $10,990, where the ER6N is $9995, and the Z750 is $11995. A couple of K between them, so for me, it will be what feels right on the day.
I'm looking forward to Saturday/Sunday, to try some !

[2wheeljunkie]

the last few post have been right gizzit. honda have really clunky gearbox's. When i asked abt this a while back abt 90% of the honda riders i asked said it was normal..soo dont panic. Honda makes pretty much bullet proof engines and when you ride the hornet you immediately know it has a STRONG motor..soo good luck with wateva you choose bud.im sure yall make the right choice.:Punk:


GO the MIGHTY HORNETTTOOOO..!!!!

[Gremlin]

Either me not riding suzukis shows right through, or you last few people haven't ridden kawasakis... :whistle:

[nallac]

yip. basically i'm in same situation.

after further research, i narrowed my choice of bikes to 3 models - sv1000, sv650 or hornet. z1000 new model is too expensive for me to consider.
I can stretch my budget to 10k max, but i want late model with reasonable milage.

anyways, i checked on svportal forums, and the guys have nothing but good things to say about sv.

i could not fins any decent hornet message boards. by decent i mean with alot of members/topics/etc.

i havent test rode neither sv nor hornet, but i sat on sv 1000 and 650 today and sv1000 feels quite heavy. and i'm a reasonably big guy (~100kg), while sv650 felt nice and light. i'll have to test ride them.... i'm not sure whether i'll like v-twin sound.... I'm concerned about vibrations, particularly when cruising long distances....

the search continues...


www.wristtwisters.com
has a shet load of hornet cb900/cb919 info in the naked section
was originally a hornet section..

a mate has a sv1000n it feels weird to ride after riding the hornet
still alot of fun,it would take me a while to get used to the vtwin throb
again .Had a sporty before the hornet.

and the vtwin sound aahhhhh theres nothing quite like it.

[Gizzit]

Got a new Hornet 900 today !!!!! :banana:
I test rode an ER6F, SV650, GSXF650, and a second hand Hornet. Overall .... the Hornet suited me best. So ... I bought a new red one (cos they are the fastest colour ! lol). I picked it up from Cyclespot this arvo and rode it home.

Earlier I had sold my DR650SE, and delivered it to Auckland airport. I then did the test rides at Mt Eden Motorcycles, Holeshot Takapuna, then purchased the Hornet from Cyclespot as they were closing the doors this afternoon!
Had a really good ride back to Whg with dry roads and the sun out.
Will put a photo up soon.
Thanks for info chaps and chapets :niceone:
Grant.

[JeremyW]

Good to hear Grant! Another hornet rider!

Well I just did 600km on mine today. Auckland-Paero-Waihi-Tauranga-Waihi-Whitianga-Coro-Thames-Auckland.

What an awesome bike, for the money there is nothing like it. I was a bit intimidated by the spec weight before I bought it as I am on 66kg but I was amazed at how well it did on the coro loop, I even had it bouncing off the limiter in 2nd over the top and if you have done the loop you know how much confidence it takes to do that!! Love it, best decision I have ever made!

GO THE HORNET!!!!

[Zapf]

He also said that the brakes weren't that great.

Apply front brake, then rear brake and then change down. :)


He aslo felt that the chasis wasn't that stiff and you had to be quite careful abot any change to your line through a corner as you could easily upset it.

True, but put your weight over the front and just ride it (The rear will follow). Put wide bars on it and then if you have $ put an ohlins rear on it. The rear shock is probly the cheapest bit on the bike. It will transform it massively. Pretty much turns it into a 900cc I4 motard. Great for strifing the unsuspecting / poorly ridden sports bike in the twisties.


BTW what tires did your new Hornet came with? The BT's or the Pilot Sports?

[Gizzit]

BTW what tires did your new Hornet came with? The BT's or the Pilot Sports?

It came with Mitchelin Hi Sport tires ? I've never heard of them before ?? As soon as they wear down .. they will be gone. I was talking to my local Honda dealer, and he quite rates the Avon Storm which had on his bike I seem to remember. He said they were pretty good wearing and stuck like the proverbial in wet and dry conditions. They are dual compound tires from memory, like the Pilot's .. ?

How much for an Ohlin's shock fitted ?

In the future, I am looking at replacing the bars to get a little more height and closer to me. Fitting a small clear screen so that it takes a little pressure off my body and leaves my arms still in their sockets !! I will probably do the seat (I have put a 'Rider Seat' on all my bikes, and I really like them), and eventually replace the cans to get a little more burble !!

[2wheeljunkie]

Congratz Gizzit..u have made a wise choice..wait till u do the coro and find out that the hornet loooovvvesss twistiess...:niceone:

[Zapf]

It came with Mitchelin Hi Sport tires ? I've never heard of them before ?? As soon as they wear down .. they will be gone. I was talking to my local Honda dealer, and he quite rates the Avon Storm which had on his bike I seem to remember. He said they were pretty good wearing and stuck like the proverbial in wet and dry conditions. They are dual compound tires from memory, like the Pilot's .. ?

How much for an Ohlin's shock fitted ?

In the future, I am looking at replacing the bars to get a little more height and closer to me. Fitting a small clear screen so that it takes a little pressure off my body and leaves my arms still in their sockets !! I will probably do the seat (I have put a 'Rider Seat' on all my bikes, and I really like them), and eventually replace the cans to get a little more burble !!

Those Hi Sport tires are the older generation of Pilot power / sports I believe. They are quite sticky when warmed up. Personally I would get the Metzeler M3 for sporty riding, or the Pirellie Strada's (sports touring) if you want something a bit longer lasting. With the M3's the bike pratically sticks to the the road, and it says stuff the cheap suspension let me (tire) take care of it and I found I was reving out in 2nd / 3rd around the coro on those tires. Around 1600~1700 for an ohlins rear from memory, and then you pay your dealer for fitting.

Re screen, I have custom made / desigend some screen brackets to fit the small clear GIVI screens. (cause none of their fitting kit works properly) Shouldn't be too hard to get you a trace of the design. (Go hassle Gremlin for it)

And another thing, get some aftermarket pipes. The bike will rev much better.