Faults:

Nothing major has gone wrong with my ZZR, but I have ridden it hard, on some long runs and to work most days.

Now the engine seems to be a bit noisy and she has lost a little power. I would love to know what the noise is about.

General Comments:

She has pretty good acceleration.

She has awesome handling and is very light to be flicked around.

She is a comfy ride.

Has a good all-round look.

Faults:

The seat has started to wear and is ripped in a couple of places.

General Comments:

This bike amazed me that I can get BOTH feet flat on the floor (I'm a lady rider and have an inside leg measurement of about 27 inches). This has made it an ideal first bike, as not only is it nippy and looks like a much bigger bike, my confidence has been boosted because I don't feel like I'm about to drop it every time I stop.

The acceleration isn't great on this bike until you hit quite high revs, so don't try and take anyone on at lights! But what do you expect from a little engine?

That said, once it starts going it's got quite a lot to give up to about 75mph, which for town riding and the odd longer trip is ideal.

This bike has been abused by the previous owners, but still runs really well and the handling is great.

The ZZR250 is also very cheap to run and you can nick parts off other, non-imported bikes.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the motorcycle.

General Comments:

I bought the 2004 Kawasaki ZZR250 as my first bike. As such, I don't feel I can give proper acceleration/roll-on/handling marks. Here's my textual description:

It will out-accelerate most cars from stop-lights if you want it to; handling seems better/firmer than the learner bike that I rode for my "Gearing Up"/MSF course; if you are in the correct gear roll-on acceleration seems adequate for the traffic situations I've been in; the bike stops when I want it to, so braking seems fine.

Fuel economy is excellent, since new it has averaged 3.57 L/100KM, roughly 65 US MPG or 78 IMP MPG.

General maintenance is simple, there is a centre stand which eases oil changes and chain lubing.

I've commuted on the bike and it can run warmer during the stop-and-go type city traffic. You can hear the cooling fan cycling on/off, and feel a bit of warmth on your legs. Please remember that I have no other experience for comparison. It commutes wonderfully, more than quick enough to keep up with traffic and great fuel economy are excellent traits for this type of duty.

My only complaints would be that the side stand is the first object on the bike to touch the ground when cornering left, not the peg feeler on the left foot rest. The seat can be uncomfortable for riding after approximately 45-60 minutes.

Faults:

One of the intake rockers of cylinder number 1 wore out at around 92,000km (probably my fault, postponed a valve clearance check for too long). Cost about USD$10 to replace, DIY.

Sidestand switch was malfunctioning when I purchased it. Bypassed the switch. Also DIY.

General Comments:

A very reliable bike. I replaced all the consumables - tires, brake pads, brake fluids, coolant, oil, fork oil, fork seals - immediately upon purchase. Apart from said sidestand switch malfunction, there were no problems at all with the bike.

It fulfilled its purpose as a practical commuter bike that can do the occasional long-range tours. A full tank can net you 380km before needing to switch into reserve. Maybe 290km if you treat the throttle like an on-off switch, and wind out the gears.

It's no racing bike, but handling is good, and will provide fun times in the twisties if fitted with the proper tires. Only the rear preload is adjustable, and ground clearance is limited compared to the race-reps, but then this is a touring bike.

Accelaration... not much. It is a 250 four-stroke after all. Given the fuel economy vs performance and maintainance costs, I can't complain.

AFAIK, only the rocker arm had been replaced since the engine came out of the factory, and it still managed 165kph (indicated) in one kilometre (14t front 47t rear, around 12k rpms). However, you should plan your passes, don't expect the throttle response of a 600, or even a 500.

The front brake is a little unnerving when wet though. Perhaps aftermarket pads are in order?