Stylish Suzuki Zillion (Other Suzuki...)

Member Name: nakedchoke

Product:	Other Suzuki...
Date:	06/12/01 (2416 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: cheap to run, low insurance, looks good

Disadvantages: slow on busy roads, safety aspect

Intro
When I was sixteen and at school everyone wanted to be the first to get a scooter. Really it’s the first time you get to explore the freedom of the roads and it’s also very useful. The Zillion wasn’t the first bike I ever had but the first one that was road legal. It wasn’t my choice but my parents went out and chose it and they must have very good taste. Before they got it I wanted the common as muck Peugeot Speed fight because everyone else had one and they were faster than the average 50 cc. So my parents got the Zillion and brought back the pictures and I was impressed as it’s one of the most stylish bikes of its type.

Service
After buying it and arranging the finance it wasn’t long before the bike was delivered with a full tank of petrol and oil. It came in a big Suzuki van and attracted quite a crowd of young kids. Inside was a beast of a machine, or so it looked. Suspended it stood with straps holding safely in place looking like some crazed maniac being restrained in a police van. Once the deliveryman pulled out the bike he showed us round it and explained a few things before putting it round the back for us. The bike came with insurance as well because it was brand new. Another great thing about the service is because after a certain amount of miles your first service is free.

Stylish looks
Looking at this bike is like looking at something from the future. The headlights are small twins and look like beady eyes. Under the lights is the big radiator to suck in the air, which looks like a gaping mouth. The entire front end slopes into a v-shaped steering section, which has some nice dials for speedo, oil and petrol. The front wheel has a big metal mudguard covering the aluminium three spoke wheel. Holding the wheel is the really smart upside down suspension forks that look like something from a super bike. Under the part where your feet will be is a huge ribbed section and the battery is
housed between your feet. Either side of the seat is another air intake. The seat is quite high and very comfy and slopes back to a point. Underneath there is enough space for your helmet and a small tool kit. The back wheel is held on a by a swinging arm and has a rear hugger over it. All in all this is a real smart bike with curvy futuristic looks.

Performance
After running in my new machine I managed to reach the dizzy speeds of 35 MPH. This isn’t fast but it’s the legal limit for a 50 cc motorcycle if it’s being ridden by a 16 year old. Once I was a little older though I bought the Arrow racing exhaust system which not only made it look even smarter but gave some more BHP and it was even possible to reach speeds in excess of 45 MPH. After the new system was fitted I noticed that I could no longer get something like 60 miles to the gallon but something round the 35 mark. Still when you consider the extra speed it was well worth it. To fill the tank with petrol it costs about £4 before you totally fill it and this will last for a long time. Engines on these bikes are 2 strokes and wont last long if you don’t look after them properly. You need to make sure the bike is full with oil and that you only use top of the range 2 stroke oil otherwise you could seize your engine. Please note that fitting a racing exhaust will mean you will burn oil a lot quicker as well. Round the town I couldn’t complain about the speed and acceleration at all. When pulling away at traffic lights I could easily beat cars especially because it’s an automatic transmition. Once you hit a dual carriage way or any national speed limit you will struggle to keep up.

Final comments
Make sure you pass a CBT test even if you don’t have to as it really helps you get to grips with riding a bike. Another thing is don’t take any chances because the bike safety is not like that of a car. Recently I know of a few people who have di
ed from motorbike crashes and one that got seriously injured. Don’t bother trying to have a pillion passenger on the back because it is seriously dangerous and these bikes aren’t really made for this type of thing. As far as looks and style you cant beat this bike but I think it has now been taken off the market after only one year. If I find a picture I will stick a link up but as of yet I am unsuccessful. If you need to venture out of town and onto busy roads with fast traffic then this really isn’t suited especially without being speeded up. Around town and for short distances this bike is utterly amazing and will save money over a car because of its superior value for money because it’s cheap to run and to insure, even for younger riders.

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