Faults:

The engine tends to stall when you release the accelerator when it's first started.

False contacts in the starting system and problems with the side stand sensor (which cut off the current unexpectedly) and premature battery discharge.

Spark plugs wear out very quickly at high temperatures.

It is common for the neutral point to be difficult to find or for changes to feel heavy.

General Comments:

To summarize what the motorcycle is like in some aspects, I'll go into details.

Looks:

Sure, there are lots of them on our roads, but it still is rather a stunning looking thing, especially with those tasty alloys. The fuel tank and fairing are well designed, and the bike gives has loads of presence.

Build Quality:

I was not very happy with the switchgear quality. It was decent, nothing more. Some of the switches were good quality, some were not very good quality.

Performance:

This engine is an absolute gem as far as performance riding is concerned.

At low revs, there are hardly any vibrations of speak of. But as the revs rise, the vibrations beyond 7k rpm are pretty harsh and spoil the experience a little. One might quote the 'definitely male' line here, but still, they are irritating.

The performance is pretty good, but more than the performance, it's the way the bike responds to the throttle at medium and high revs, and the way the gear ratios are selected for in-city red line shifting that is so much fun. The first 4 gears are dispensed with in no time, and getting the bike to indecent speeds doesn't take that long. It is a quick bike, not amazingly quick, but quick nevertheless.

The bike does not have very good response at lower revs, but then, if you've bought this bike, you've bought it to ride quickly, and so you won't be at low revs for long periods.

The gearbox was slightly recalcitrant on the example I drove, taking a bit of patience to come back to neutral, and not having a smooth feeling when shifting gears. I do not know if this was an isolated problem or if it occurs on all bikes.

The clutch, too, was a bit irritating and had a bit of 'bite' (I do not know the correct term), so one cannot always get a smooth getaway, which might get irritating in heavy traffic.

But one tends to forget the complaints about gearbox, clutch and vibrations when ripping down a gap in traffic. The engine noise and response are truly intoxicating, and would make a hooligan out of anyone.

Ride and Handling:

The ride quality is decent, and soaks up most bumps without too much ado.

I can say that at most in-city circumstances, it is more than adequate and is stable and confidence-inspiring, although one must be conscious about the weight of the machine, and must not go too far from where relatively small-built people cannot recover the bike.

Comfort:

The riding position is very good indeed, young people will certainly not find any problem with the riding position, slightly sporty one.

Sum Up:

Anyone wanting a good decently fast sports bike to do some fooling about in, this is the perfect vehicle for them. It takes some getting used to, and requires a bit of patience for a beginner to pilot in traffic, but it's all a matter of getting used to the bike. It's not very beginner friendly.

I loved the bike, was a little irritated by some aspects, but love it for the fact that it has so much character, something that is missing in most of the bikes in the market today.