Faults:

A lot, soon after buying and I began to ride it (I bought the bike before I could ride it).

The battery went, which I believe to be my fault, but something to bear in mind; after putting between 100-150 miles on the bike, the rear wheel bearings gave way, and after discussion with a motorcycle engineer of 40 years, from my information and his knowledge, it is apparent the bike was likely sold to me with the bearings well worn and unsafe. Know recently when working on it in my college workshop (as I am on a motor vehicle course), it's apparent that the front engine mounts are non-existent and, again, classed as 'unsafe'. Though I have friends with the same make, model and year of bike who have had few problems. It goes to show it's not the make, model and year; it's where you buy it and in what condition.

General Comments:

Not great off the line, but once it gets going (out of 1st and half way into 2nd), it accelerates amazingly for a 50.

Stop pretty well, provided the road isn't wet.

Corners pretty well, and you can get some fair leanage on it.

Faults:

I received the bike from an owner in England and I took it across to my home in Northern Ireland.

The bike's bodywork was in a drivable condition, although I wanted it to be perfect. I stripped the bike down and painted the frame black, and then sanded, primed, painted and glossed all the plastics. It came out looking spectacular.

General Comments:

A very easy bike to customize.

Very reliable and would recommend it to anyone - especially learners.

The noise of the engine cannot be improved, as a learner you don't really want to go 120mph. It's fast for what it is, hitting 60mph flat out.

The bike is aesthetically pleasing and is also an eye catcher!

Faults:

When purchased (used) the dealer fitted a new battery - perhaps this should have rung some warning bells - on 2 occasions now the battery has "lost" its charge. It still has enough to turn the motor on the starter, but there doesn't seem to be enough left to fire the ignition.

The actual battery voltage when measured in this condition is 11.30V - a fully charged battery should be 12.60V (or more). The charging system seems to work okay, going up to 14.5V. The solution is to charge the battery every couple of months.

Other than this, it has been remarkably trouble free for an Italian machine.

General Comments:

A stunning looking little machine that always attracts looks wherever it goes. Other than the previous comments, it has been very reliable.

The handling is excellent for a machine of this size and the brakes are setup to match the handling - they are actually sharper than the ones on my 600 Bandit.

For commuting though, forget it - the race derived riding position is just not suitable for round town.