Had it a few weeks now almost got it to the point where it looks good out & about have some stone chips on the fairing to touch up after sourcing the paint from a Holden car dealer.
(Slipstream Blue) Not to shabby for an unmolested bike that was made in Sept of 2003 I have done just over 2000klm on it had 42,000klm when I purchased it for $5k.
Only really given it one good handful not quite to 11 grand on the tacho in 3rd gear still pulling strongly just shy of 190kph when prudence stepped in, apparently I am supposed to have another 100kph on top of that!
The Blackbirds really have got allot of horsepower for their size the front tyre is being replaced next week did the back 2 weeks ago so its cost just over $700/Au for the 2 tyres but I will not compromise on good rubber on the road.
Servicing it!
Spark plugs are $35 a pop apparently iridium ones (NGK) IMR9A-9H, oil is $115 for 4 liters, the tank you have to drain somehow or have plugs for the myriad of lines underneath it before you can remove it to get to the air cleaner, I can do most of the easy stuff like the plugs which you can either take the tank off or drop the oil cooler & radiator from the front which also requires removing the 3 bottom fairings, disc pads easy as, chain & sprockets have to get a Ft/lb torque wrench and a chain breaker/riveter as they do not go with the cir-clip type master links now you rivet them.
Now we just have to get Mrs CINDERS a bike and were off been looking at a CBR 300 as my wife is not strong enough to take the weight of say a 600 Ninja besides it will keep me from getting a speeding fines tagging along with her.
She has never ridden a bike so we will give her a go on my sons 250 Honda road trail to see if she has the co-ordination operating the controls then get her brave enough to get in among the traffic as she is not an aggressive driver as you have to be on a bike.
Those of you that disagree you have to assert yourself against those that drive mobile lounge rooms may find that they the car drivers do not give you the respect a bike rider needs.
I know there are those that really display bad attitudes by weaving, doing wheelies past cars and so on I pick my place & time to have fun where the road is devoid of cars I have had 2 good stacks one wrote my Z-900 off as a woman came straight through a stop sign and I had to throw the bike away lest she T bone us.
The other was a Kangaroo at 140kph at night in the wheatbelt near Mullewa where to see a car at night is as rare as rocking horse doo doo so took a chance and hit the 'roo I survived with bark missing the hopper perished that was on my Z1R MkI
