A good first bike after Direct Access (Kawasaki ER-5)

Member Name: mhazell

Product:	Kawasaki ER-5
Date:	04/09/00 (3847 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good first big bike, good controls, confidence-inspiring

Disadvantages: Bad for motorways, you may find yourself wanting something bigger and faster very quickly

I bought a secondhand P-reg ER-5 after passing my Direct Access course in June 1999, and since then I have been using it to commute to and from work in Central London.
It has been very solid and confidence-inspiring, and nothing has gone wrong with it as yet. I've heard of electrical problems with new models, but have not experienced any with mine.

Having an unfaired bike such as this as a first bike means that, should you drop it, which seems to be a common occurrance among new riders, there is not normally much damage to repair - only indicators and levers. Also because of it's small engine it's relatively easy to pick up again.

Overall I think that this is a great little bike for taking your first steps as it is pretty good to throw around in between traffic, gaining confidence.

Although not really suitable if you use a lot of open roads, as the lack of fairing really prohibits speeds in excess of 60mph for prolonged periods, around and about the town for commuting etc it is a winner, and I would recommend it.

As for pillions, the comfort is good due to a well padded seat, low pegs and good grabrail, but you will suffer a considerable lack of power if you are not both small light people.

Tip: Don't forget to remove your disk lock before trying to ride away. I found out the hard way what can happen if you're in a hurry and forget!

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