[TransAm]

@ brembo - I shall do my best to be safe - just have to assume every car didnt see you and that there is oil on every bend. There is a racetrack near me (Cresson, TX) so I hope to ride to extremes on the track and not the public roads.

@ Min - Yep there will be custom shots and closeups tomorrow night or maybe Wednesday. I'll probably put a post in the 'what do you drive' section once I have the custom pics! It's not the lightest 750 you are quite right, but they say it has a very stable frontend which was a huge positive point for me.

@ z28 - yeah it's mint apart from my scratching the gas tank at the base putting it back on after cleaning the airfilter. I am a bit pissed about that but it's a small scratch easy to repair.

Sometimes it's difficult to tell if a bike has really had the crap hammered out of it to be honest, you have to use a bit of instinct. Low miles and immaculate bodywork (with original paint and stickers of course) are usually good indicators the bike has been well-taken care of - ask yourself, are the consumables in good condition (oil filters brakepads tires etc). You can check things like wheel bearings, cush drives, headstock bearings, big end bearings quite easily without even riding the bike! If any of this lot is loose then assume the worst and walk.

Sometimes the guy selling the bike is the only owner the bike has had and you get to check him/his garage/ his home out - if it is all nice and tidy and well cared for then the chances are the bike will have been cared for and he has maintenance records to prove this, or at the very least receipts for oil/filters/plugs etc if he's done his own work maintaining. If you buy (preowned) from a dealership you are buying a bit blind in this respect - sure you get some kind of warranty but then you pay 15-20% more than you would privately.

The z1000 I found to be great fun, I really enjoyed riding it but the styling just doesnt quite do it for me. Also, it's unfaired as you know. If they made a half faired version like the Aprilia Falco I'd have been well up for one of those.