Kawasaki ER5

I bought my Er-5 in March 2008. So far it has been a great bike!
I bought it second hand with just 11,500 miles on the clock at a very reasonable cost of £1300.00. To date this bike has been a real money saver it is very economical about 65 miles per gallon with tax and insurance prices being incredibly low! It is perfect for everyday commuting and not bad on motorways and long journeys. All the power is midrange and shortlived. Don't expect much more than 100mph top end and be prepered to change gear ALOT! Take off from a standstill start is ok and will beat average family cars off the mark. Handling is surprisingly agile with no dramas. Confidence in riding this bike grows quickly! The engine & exhaust has a nice thumping note that sounds better than the actual performance! Basic servicing is really easy on the ER-5 with most servicing parts available in Halfords although getting to the spark plugs and removing the fuel tank is a pig. These bikes are capable of very big mileage just look on ebay or bike trader! There are hundreds of these machines for sale so don't buy the first one that you see unless you know its a gem. There is no need to pay more than £1300.00 for a good second hand ER-5. The braking configuration of rear drum and single front disk is really poor this brake configuration is really noticable and scary when breaking with a pillion passenger or carrying heavy luggage. Unfortunatley changing rapidly down the gears when slowing down is necessary meaning the engine is the third brake! In summary don't buy one of these bikes if your a thrill seeker or want to enhance your street cred not that the ER-5 will damage your street cred!. Seriously consider purchasing an ER-5 if your on a budget want trouble free everyday motoring are a new biker/returning to biking or need a cheap reliable machine in a hurry!