I am currently a ZZR250 rider. I have TSSes shop loaner on loan whilst the Mighty FJR has its 50,000km service.
It has been a few years since I have had an opportunity to go for a fang on a 250 and it is nice to be reminded about this genre of bike.
The ZZR250 is great fun. Like most 250s it has an engine that is more than willing to get its neck wrung, for no significant gain in acceleration compared with a larger capacity engine. 8,000rpm in top to move along with motorway traffic is a bit different from the 3,500rpm I am normally used to, that's for sure. This is the same inline twin donk that Kawasaki puts in a number of models. Mrs H had an EL250 Eliminator powered by the same engine, and they are fantastic. Way better than the Suzuki GSX250 on most scores.
But the ZZR is light, agile and well balanced. The seat height is low and comfortable. The clip-ons are nicely placed and not in some sort of Spanish Inquisitional hard-out squiddly small penis way. The riding position is comfortable, and I'd be happy to do 500km days on the saddle of one of these.
The gearbox is typical notchy Kawasaki fare. I love the neutral finder.
Brakes? Good. TSS have their shop bike on Pirelli Sport Demons. A good choice.
If the speedo, temperature gauge and left-hand turn indicator worked, this would be a great little bike for a somebody killing time on a restricted license who wanted to have some fun riding.
"Standing on your mother's corpse you told me that you'd wait forever." [Bryan Adams: Summer of 69]
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