When I first saw the ER-6, I was pretty impressed with the Manga-styled design theme. This is one bad-ass looking bike. It reminded me a bit of the Z1000, but was even more radical than it's big brother. But riding it, I soon realised the two had very little in common. For a 650, the ER-6 is pretty good. With 70hp on tap - the bike will exceed 200kmh if urged. However, speeds above 150km/h are best left to those with very strong forearms.
The lack of wind protection means the bike is pretty hard to ride at high speeds. Although the bike will cruise happily all day at 140-150km/h, the toll on the rider is more severe. Be prepared for stiff neck muscles and make sure you wear your full fetish leathers and an airtight helmet on long journeys. Otherwise - the constant blasting and negligible wind protection will have you stopping more often than your buddies are willing to tolerate. This bike is actually meant as a budget machine - hence it doesn't have any upside down forks - so don't expect ZX-6 like handling.
The Tokico brakes are also not on par with the Nissins on some of the bigger Kwaks. Some of my buddies who rode even complained that the brakes were 'scary' for the amount of power the machine produces. At nearly RM50,000 it doesnt make much sense to buy the ER-6 here. While it was meant as a cheap commuter in most countries, the motorcycle tax structure here does it no favours. Although it's simplicity would make it a good bike for beginners and the ladies, if you add in a couple of grands more you'll already be in 600 4-inline territory - which is much more 'interesting'.
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