T he mountain area near Okutama is the destination, and the ride out of town is uneventful as usual. Taking off quickly requires some clutch slip. Grabbing a handful of throttle in the lower RPMs, the ZXR400 barely responds. Once the engine spins past 10,000 RPMs however, the excitement begins. Shift to second at the 14,000RPM redline puts the speed at 80kph, once at 100kph, the power comes back on and it's time to shift to 3rd at 120kph.
Shifts thereafter are close, allowing the engine to stay in it's power zone.
The lack of low-end power is likely due to poor carburation, or the fact that the exhaust had been damaged in a crash by one of it's many former owners. I find the low seat, which caused my overly long legs to cramp, an asset as it allows me to effortlessly hang off and plant a knee. Mid corner correction requires but a mere thought, to place the bike on any chosen line. The down side to the short wheel base is cornering instability which can be avoided by getting the lean angle, speed, and engine RPMs spot on. Get it wrong, and it's obvious as the bike wobbles around the apex.