1995 gpz500s (Kawasaki GPZ500S)

Member Name: luke h

Product:	Kawasaki GPZ500S
Date:	26/05/09 (526 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great for beginners, Quick off the mark, Cheap insurance

Disadvantages: Lack of acceleration over 100mph, Lack of storage under seat

i have a gpz 500s 1995 model, it currently has 49000 miles on and is going strong. these are great 1st bikes(im 17 and passed my test 3 months ago) with cheap insurance(as above with 1 year no claims was £290 tpo). the bike pulls well to 100mph due to the 60bhp but hasnt got much guts after that. i have been clocked at 115mph(105mph indicated on my speedo) by a car and it felt stable at speed, it should beat almost any car to 100mph. although fast it does feel like a toy when riding with bigger bikes. it starts very easily in hot or cold weather and is quite stable in rain. in bends it is very forgiving unlike some sportsbikes. there is however no underseat storage what so ever which resulted in me fitting a topbox for storage.

the bad points are firstly the ground clearance which is very low which means it scrapes on speedbumps with a pillion on. and the bellypan is very fragile meaning i need a replacement.
secondly the forks are far too soft and can bottom out under braking with only the rider on.
thirdly is the brakes, the front is a single disc and it shows, i dont have enough confidence with the brakes to ride the bike hard, but they are adequate at low speeds. i am currently converting mine to twin disc to hopefully cure the braking problem. the rear disc is ok once warmed up and doesnt fade hardly at all.

the good points.
it will do 100mph almost anywhere.
0-60 takes around 4 seconds which is far better than even the fastest 125cc's
the bike has immense grip round bends(but tires and fuel dont last long if the bike is pushed
cheap insurance
the list goes on.

Summary: Reccomended to anyone

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