The upright riding position offers terrific
visibility for lane splitting and the like, while
keeping the rider comfortable in a distance-
viable riding position. Persistent higher cruising
speeds are the only comfort issue with the Zed
as there is no wind/weather protection in the
form of a screen and wind pressure becomes
hard on the neck over the course of a long
day in the saddle. However, it is the same with
all naked bikes and judging by the numbers
sold, these riders don’t see it as a problem.
A mix of traditional-style 41mm forks and
a more modern horizontal back-link single shock
design, the suspension is simple in
design but the shock brings advantages in
mass centralisation and overall packaging.
The suspension’s action is nicely controlled and
compliant without feeling too soft. Throughout
the 125mm and 130mm of front and rear
wheel travel it is smooth and spike free with
no hard bottoming-out even when pushed
pretty hard. It’s a good package, and I have
no complaints. I even liked the look of the
right side of the swingarm which curves up to
allow clearance for the shorty-style muffler.
Nissin takes care of the braking with twin
300mm discs up front and a single 220mm rear.
While offering adequate stopping power the