Silver it was…Actually, silver ones go faster so I hear. Yes well obviously not with me on it, or Porl! Bastards, the lot of you.

So I sold the trusty tank that was a ZZR600 and bought a ZX-6R. Why? Dunno, just fancied something that matched my leathers. Some may think it a little odd to go from one 600 to another but it was really a price thing. I quite fancied a new bike, the ZZR needed new tyres, MOT and a major service and at £4800, I couldn't really say no to a new ZX-6R.

So a beautiful dry sunny day in late October 2000 sees me picking up my new 6R. Bollocks - it was pissing it down. Perfect way for a new bike to be introduced to its new country. Of all the places in the world it could have ended up, California, Spain etc...it came to sunny England.

It's taken me a while to even start to explore the abilities of the 6R and as at the time of writing, I've only done 2450 miles. So we're still in our early days. So far, its fast. Running a bike in is an absolute pain in the arse. It took me a month with all the crap weather we were having and by that time, I'd forgotten what it felt like to go fast. So the first time I opened the bike up, I nearly fell straight off the back of the seat. Accelerate - ho yuss. Much faster than the ZZR (this could be my all in my mind but I truly believe it was much faster).

And so much lighter. And it goes into corners so much more easily. And it doesn't bounce, wallow or wobble. I like it. Of course, the 6R isn't for everyone. I test rode an R6 and a CBR600 before I settled on the 6R. The R6 is fantastic but a short run in town followed by a few miles on the motorway said it all. It's too committed for day to day use - unless you're about 5'5" and weigh 8 stone. Perfect for ickle girlies then! The CBR600 was great but looked a little bland. I'd seen the pictures of the new CBR600 but couldn't really justify spending an extra £2000 just for a new model bike - and I don't believe any of the 600s are really any better than each other, despite what the press would have you believe. If you're in the market for one, just pick the one that fits you best and forget the rest.

The bike is great to ride and looks the business. Town riding is a bit of a pain as the bike has a flat spot at about 3000-4000 rpm (now cured). On the open road though, and it's all systems go. The fairing gives a reasonable amount of wind protection and the induction roar is simply addictive. The bike has rattled a bit from new but I've been assured "They all do that sir" and collective UKRM wisdom (actually, I think Bear said it) told me that it's a Kawasaki, therefore you need to "cane the tits off it" for it to run properly. I just hope I'm doing the bike justice!

The bike has had a few bits added:

A black hugger from NWS (www.n-w-s.com): perfect fit and stops the crud getting on the rear shock and linkage.

A Datatool Veto Evo alarm: More hassle than it's worth but I wasn't able to get a decent quote without a Thatcham approved alarm. It's let me down once and had to call the RAC to take it to the dealer for a new alarm unit.

Magic mushrooms: Black ones bolt straight onto the frame and should help save the fairing if it is dropped. Hardly notice they're on anymore.

A Remus oval titanium exhaust: Bought from the Ally Pally show for a knock down price. I like the look of the oval cans but it's a matter of personal preference. Sound wise, not too loud so unlikely to attract too much unwanted attention.

Dynojet/K&N filter: Dave down at Lloyd-Cooper, Watford (www.lloyd-cooper.co.uk) sorted this out and you can see the results from the graphs below. It is now much more responsive and it seems to have cured erratic idling at about 3500-4000 rpm. The bike feels so much more responsive. Power is up to 103bhp at the rear wheel from 96bhp. Torque is also up from 43.8lb/f to 46.1lb/f. Mmmmm.