Kawasaki 650

[Dodgy69]

My mate just got one and reckons it's the most fun bike he's had in years. He's getting on a bit so lightweight and enough go is key for him. Plenty for the road, torquey and does look nice imo. I can imagine it being a blast on the lanes. Two up, not sure, but i must admit, I do like it.
Anyone had any experience of em. ? Thoughts. ?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164387041607

[Amulree]

I don't know about the Kawasaki but having a Suzuki 650 I would fully agree with those thoughts!

[KungFooBob]

The wife had a first generation (2006) ER6-F.

Absolutely horrific build quality, even for Kawasaki. Average handling, but the motor was a wonderful thing for a 650 twin... but they've probably killed that by now with current emissions standards.

[The Spin Doctor]

I must admit it and its faired sibling are one of the few new bikes I really fancy these days. I had a GPz500 twin and it was an absolute hoot, I only got rid because I was wringing its neck everywhere and riding like a kid on an LC again.

I had a GPz500 for a time, too... I liked it. Pretty quick for a 500 twin, handling was 'exciting' - I remember it leaving the ground over a mini-bridge over a dyke on Romney Marsh and tying itself in knots when it landed again, no bike I've owned before or since every got that out of shape on that little jump - and fragile - I'd just replaced the cam chain (Tony Galea - remember him) and it seized solid on the way into work one morning. It turned out that a magnet had come unstuck off the alternator and had stripped off half the others, creating a mass of small shards of magnetic swarf. I didn't even try to resurrect that engine. Just over 40k.

By contrast one of my GS500s hit 140k before expiring. Rather put me off Kawa's so I've not looked at the 650 though the Versys appeals.

The MT-07 is worth a look. Light,flickable, punchy engine (I was chasing one round Essex on a course this morning) and I had fun on one a few years back. Must give the Tracer version a try-out one day.

[Buckaroo]

I've had the Versys and the ninja versions of the 650 twin. Great bikes as long as you look after the fixtures and fittings.

[Supermofo]

My brother had an early Versys and compared to the 690 felt like it weighted about 3 tons. But went well.

[Dodgy69]

Tidy little bike for someone...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203100154993

[Bigjawa]

I had a GPz500 for a time, too... I liked it. Pretty quick for a 500 twin, handling was 'exciting' - I remember it leaving the ground over a mini-bridge over a dyke on Romney Marsh and tying itself in knots when it landed again, no bike I've owned before or since every got that out of shape on that little jump - and fragile - I'd just replaced the cam chain (Tony Galea - remember him) and it seized solid on the way into work one morning. It turned out that a magnet had come unstuck off the alternator and had stripped off half the others, creating a mass of small shards of magnetic swarf. I didn't even try to resurrect that engine. Just over 40k.

By contrast one of my GS500s hit 140k before expiring. Rather put me off Kawa's so I've not looked at the 650 though the Versys appeals.

I put 75k on a GPZ5 from new, never missed a beat apart from a few carb issues that were probably the fault of the carb makers, good oil and filters was the key, flogged it to another courier and it's still around today, clock says 11k though....

I went through a few GS5s, I found that over 30k they started to rattle badly, handled better than the GPZ but the finish was bloody awful.

Both bikes had literally zero grease on the linkages from new but a tub of grease was 6 quid if I remember right.

GPZ was the better courier bike, narrow, would cruise at 90 and because it had a proper oil filter, you didn't have to replace the silly wee studs like on the GS, but then again, the GS was an old 70s 400 engine that was just bored out.