ZZR or 'cat? (or suggestions?)

[carlmalibu]

as I can probably get either of these for around £1500 and insured TPO for 5 or 600 which should I go for? I must say I'm more tempted by the cat, its prettier for a start.
bear in mind I'll be restricting either to 33bhp - probably with a throttlestop

is there anything more sensible people can recommend before I go and possibly make completely the wrong decision!

I'm nearly 18, I need a 365 day a year bike, I'm 6'4 and I need to still be able to walk after doing 300 miles or so.
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[veeeffarr]

I'm tempted by both bikes but also put off by the second gear problems they both supposedly develop.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

If it's going to be 33bhp'ed then why not save boat loads on insurance and get an ER-5, GS500, Honda CB500 etc.??
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[carlmalibu]

I want something large and faired. the only 500 (afaik) that fits the faired bill is gpz500 and I was getting bigger insurance quotes then on the 600s.

Also the gpz is apparently a very low bike, I need something physically big.
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[palmer]

dare i say sv650s?

[carlmalibu]

I was tempted by the SV650s but I'm really not sure how happy I'd be with it. Apparently they're prone to corrosion, making them possibly not the best choice for all year round.
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[R4nger]

A faired GS500? It does get rusty but they are so cheap... who cares!

[palmer]

keep it clean and treated and it will be fine.

[krebsy]

Saw a '56 plated GS500e the other day and it looked about 10 years old already..

Get the Zed. Mind you, I'm Biased.

K.
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[palmer]

our of the two your asking for, id say ZZR, but thats only because i know of someone who has it, and he absolutely loves it.
comfy, handles well, and fast as you like (de-restricted)

but i dont know anything about 'cats, other than they look tasty

[angryjonny]

[Kickstart]

Hi

The ZZR600 is a remarkably small bike. My better half can ride one and she is over a foot shorter than you. However don't think the thundercat is that large.

Power wise I suspect the ZZR is very slightly more pokey, but pretty close.

ZZR exhausts rot VERY rapidly.

Personally I think I would go for the Thundercat, but having said that the ZZR is probably a better motorway bike (smoother engine, comfy riding position), had less lurid colour schemes, can be bought far cheaper, etc.

All the best

Keith
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[stevo as b4]

The Cat is a far better bike overall IMO than the ZZR600. Both bikes have their advantages, but i don't think the difference in finish or build quality is that great, and although the kawasaki engine is a stormer, the lazier but more torquey feeling Cat engine makes the better long distance bike, even if it's not as smooth. The Cat if set up right, will always out handle and out brake the ZZR600, but both are quite decent in most areas, and weak in the same areas too, like being too squidgy and soft etc.

[carlmalibu]

sorry guys I think I'm going for an SV650s

itll be ok for my 2 years of restriction and I think it would be silly to get a beastly 600 at 17. 650 = cheap insurance, good workhorse, but also I need a new bike ASAP and theres one here:

https://forums.sv650.org/viewtopic.php?t=50123

which looks too good to let up, as he's only about 30 miles away from me.
____________________
Shine on, you crazy diamond
CB500, woop.