Longish post :::: Do the words .............
............. "like a bat out of hell" mean anything ?:lick:
I am impressed (ok ok , I know it don't take a lot to impress me, light switches for example!).
Make no mistake, it ain't a 'Bird by any stretch of the imagination, other than the fact it is very fast.
For a full on sports bike, it is reasonably comfortable. I found the 'Bird somewhat uncomfortable to start with, but with the benefit of hindsight, it could have been down the fact I wasn't happy with the way it handled, and therefore didn't relax on it. The ZX is one of them bikes that you can climb on and feel at home straight away, nice feeling.
Did I mention that it is fast?
It isn't as "solid" as the bird, and would probably suffer a lot more in a minor lowside spill, but I ain't intending to find out. By the way "Cheers Jaws, your 'Bird mushrooms fit the ZX a treat"!! Quality is surprisingly good, fit and finish of the panels is excellent, and not a single corroded fastner on the bike. The previous owner was obviously a very attentive owner, unlike Kylies previous (to me that is !!)
It changes direction very quickly, although it can feel a little nervous when really pushing on.
It's fast as well.
Engine is about as smooth and as quiet as marbles in a coke can, until it hits about 4500 rpm, then it changes character, snarls (induction roar I think) and then simply becomes mental. Top end power is awesome. Bottom end is bloody useless. It's a rev happy little monster!
Mirrors work. Actually very well for a sports style machine.
Eats tyres. I've had mine a week now, done 856 miles, and had to fit a new rear tyre this afternoon. Had 2.5 mm tread on it when I collected it !!
(To put that mileage into context, in the 8 months I had Kylie, I covered just 3500 miles. I've done a quarter of that in one week. When I bade Kylie farewell, I said I needed to get the bad experience of her out of my system, and that I'd stopped enjoying my riding as a result of owning her. The ZX has put my smile back on my face. I know Kylie was a bad bike, and I was getting angry that she and TAZ were spoiling my biking.)
It's blue, and very quick through the gears.
So yes I like it. That said, I'll not be keeping it long though. I bought this bike to get the smile back, to be able to do my holiday that I'd booked, and I'd have been daft to pass up the excellent deal that Riossi sorted on the bike.
But I will have another Blackbird, maybe even this year. Who knows, maybe the new 1200.
In black of course. :beer: