Well, I've been meaning to review my baby for a while now. It's a Friday afternoon and I'm not too busy, so I might as well pop back in here and write it up before I get too out-of-touch. What with the full licence and all, I'll be flogging it later this year, so consider this an appetiser. Or a warning. You decide.
It's a '92 model Japanese import. I got it with 42000km on the clock, and I've put another 8000 on in the last five months or so.
My first bike was a Suzuki FXR150. I was going to stay with it until full licence time; the whole ZXR250/CBR250RRRRRRR thing just didn't do it for me, and I'm *really* not into two smokes. However, a couple of members on this here fine forum either currently ride or used to ride Zeals, and hearing of the bike whetted my appetite. I looked up a few photos, and I have to admit, of all the two fiddies I've seen, looks-wise, it's perfect. Gorgeous. Svelte, yet chunky. Sleek, yet compact. I loved it. And it had a reasonably decent reputation, mechanically and performance-wise.
So, anyway, when I heard that our esteemed moderator Blakamin's Zeal was up for sale in Wellington, via one intermediate owner, I just had to pop down to Colemans for a serious test ride on their demo. The Colemans bike was as good to ride as it was to look at, so I spent a couple of days negotiating (read 'picking up the phone and begging the seller not to let anyone else get it before I put the cash through') and then picked Blakamin's old bike up. (Sorry, Colemans...)
It is red.
And silver.
With black rubber bits where there should be black rubber bits, and dirty bits where I can't reach with a toothbrush.
The four-into-two stainless exhaust (twin pipes on the right-hand side) is chromed. It wasn't when I bought it, but I found a reasonably nice not-dropped-all-that-much full chromed set at Victorian Motorcycle Wreckers and got it shipped over.
What's it like to ride?
To 140kph, it'll stay with any of the more popular, racier four-stroke 250s, no problem. It redlines at 15, but stops making power around 12.5krpm, so it doesn't have their legs. No matter. Going any faster than that just imperils one's licence. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.
The engine is smooth as butter. It really does feel... refined. No other way to put it. It has a lovely, smooth, flat torque curve. No discernable powerband. No intrusive vibration at any revs. Polite, but punchy. In top gear, 110kph cruising speed is just under 8000rpm.
In the words of vifferman, after following me on his VFR800 from Coatesville to Riverhead along SH28, "That Zeal's got quite a bit of poke, hasn't it?"
It does, however, have a shortcoming, namely the suspension. Which, as far as I can tell, is constructed from ghee. The bike would be a lot faster with progressive fork springs and aftermarket rear shocks (the stock twin shocks, while pleasantly retro-looking, don't quite cut the mustard through fast bumpy corners). I find myself with embarrassing centimeter-wide chicken strips on the Pirelli Sport Demons, simply because I fear to crank it over all the way lest one of the random undulations of those rear shocks bounce the back tyre straight off its edge. The upside of this is, of course, that it encourages a smooth and reserved riding style. It's entirely possible to go fast on a Zeal, but it can't be done with quite the gay (and I use that word intentionally) abandon that one would use on a GSXR.
To balance this shortcoming, it brings to the table a stunning ability to go a long way in a relatively short time. On Easter weekend, I did 1800km in just over 48 hours, with no ill effects, no drama and no discomfort. During SH1 from Auckland to Wellington, the 'Takas, Pie Cock and environs, general bimbling about and the run back up, the bike didn't miss a beat. It fits my slightly lumpy 175cm frame *perfectly*. It really does have the best ergonomics of any bike I've ever sat on. The totally neutral, upright riding position, the sufficiency of power to cruise happily on the open road at [ahem] slightly above the limit, and the smooth exhaust note combine to provide about the best 250cc touring experience one could hope for.
Of course, my normal riding involves 300km or so per week of commuting across Auckland. It handles that job with aplomb, too. Having installed Oxford heated grips, I can recommend those as well for cool-weather and late-night riding, although that's a subject for another review sometime...
Anyway. It's a bike with a strange name, but it's the perfect two fiddy for me. Not for everyone, perhaps, but I know I love it. I'll try not to chuck it down the road over the next few months, and hopefully this one will have a long and happy life over the following several years as it serves the needs of future learner and restricted-licence riders.
A quick Google found some perspectives on the Zeal from the UK grey-import market:
http://www.bikelife.com/natania/dubi/250cc.htm
http://www.umgweb.com/member1/yfzr2.htm#zeal
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