Bought a new bike yesterday. After lots of research, and a whole bunch of test rides, I found a black 2006 Kawasaki ER-5 at the right price.
Took it to work this morning. First impressions- nice and smooth, great power upgrade. Had to watch the speed more as it was easy to creep up to “past the tolerance” without noticing.
The bike feels heavier but more stable than the GN, I can hear myself think on the motorway, and brace the tank with my legs when breaking/cornering. It has 6 gears and sits very comfortably on the motorway with easy power for overtaking. Doesn’t seem to be much in the way of rear brake so will have that checked. The previous owner has adjusted the clutch so there was little movement and I had to stop on the side of the road to adjust it. Will keep an eye on that and put it back to a more sensible operation.
I’ll have it serviced next week. The build quality is a step-up and I look forward to giving it a thorough (and I mean thorough) cleaning this weekend.
That’s about all I can say about it for now – will post again in a week with further thoughts.
Was it worth the upgrade? Well, time will tell as the GN did just fine and was very enjoyable. I’m a big fan of the GNs styling – I just like ‘em. GNs are very chuckable and I found it a fun bike to own. Would love to keep it as a run-around, or for the wife, but needs must means selling it.
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