Faults:

Regulator rectifier connector melted at 67,000 miles.

Stator replaced at 68,139 miles.

Regulator rectifier replaced at 108,168 miles.

General Comments:

Awesome all round moto. Used it for commuting to and from work daily, plus assorted weekend rides in Northern California. The bike was running strong when I sold it; never burned oil between changes (5000 mile oil change interval). Excellent power band and good ergos for all day comfort, even with a stock seat. Put several 13 hour days on it/500 miles plus. Routinely achieved 48-50 MPG, 250 mile range is common.

Engine is easy to maintain for a mechanically inclined person with a service manual. Linked brakes work well. I did replace the rear brake disc shortly before I sold it, due to wear beyond service tolerance.

Sold the bike to purchase a low-mile 2000 model year bike. By now these bikes are pushing 16 years old, and can be had for well under $3000 US. I consider them to be an excellent value, bang for the buck.

Faults:

Nothing that was the bike's fault. Some nad ran me off the road, and I had to replace the right side fairing (insanely expensive in comparison to my ZX-7).

General Comments:

Great bike. Runs like a dream with little drama. Accelerates quickly and handles even better. Brakes are outstanding.

Only negatives are the look-at-my-elbow mirrors (too short in length to see past riders elbows) and some slight buzzing while cruising at say 80 mph (solved by switching to aftermarket grips).

The bike seems unbreakable, mechanically.

Faults:

Charging issues traced back to the aftermarket rectifier installed by the previous owner.

General Comments:

Pretty darn comfortable; with the right modifications it can be a great touring bike.

Engine is glass smooth at highway speeds. Great passing power above 6500rpm, and decent torque above 4500.

Linked brakes work well and aren't grabby, yet give you confidence the bike won't lock up as easily if the front is grabbed too hard.

Gas mileage is great at 50mpg, especially for 100hp. 40mpg around town.

Fairly comfortable pillion seating position with lower footpegs than usual. Same for the driver, more relaxed pegs.

Stock bars put too much weight on the wrists. HeliBars are recommended for longer rides. Ditto for the stock seat.

Rear tire a snap to take off with the single swingarm.

Stock centerstand.

For a heavier 'sport' bike, it handles very well and takes low speed maneuvers with ease.

Rectifiers are a known problem on this bike. Honda has an updated part that works much better. Do NOT get the aftermarket version. Also wiring extra ground and hot wires to the battery nets a solid 14v. Previous owner spent $1500 trying to nail down the charging issue; I did it with less than $200.

Faults:

The voltage regulator quit unexpectedly at 10,000 miles.

The battery boiled all the fluid out at the same time.

The high beam switch would intermittently shut off the headlight.

General Comments:

Once I fixed the electrical problem, this turned out to be a good motorcycle.

The V4 has a great sound and feel to it, and it is just as fast in a half-mile as a 1998 ZX6R in repeated tests.

While the weight looks high on the spec sheet, the balance of the engine makes this bike feel very light and the handling is confidence inspiring.

Even when the regulator quit, I was still able to pop start the bike and ride it. The engine seems like it will last forever.