Faults:

Firstly: I haven't touched the engine.

Rear unitrack suspension rebuilt for MOT.

Exhaust repaired with Gun Gum - still fine - it works!

Indicators (front) replaced with fairing mounted units.

Seat cover repaired with some magic adhesive they use to repair dinghies. It works!

I could do with an oil filter that doesn't need the exhaust system removing if you need to change it. Especially as these days the exhaust will probably fall apart if you try and take it off.

General Comments:

Very reliable. I bought this bike from some bloke who thought he wanted to get back into bikes until he dropped it, then he sold it to me and bought a Nissan Micra.

It isn't very quick or flash, but it goes and stops, and keeps going and stopping.

Fuel consumption is very good. Miles per smile very good. A cheap set of wheels.

Not the flashiest, but keeps on trucking.

Faults:

Had to replace right hand front caliper; mounting hole was made of cheese, not sure what happened there.

Carbs need an overhaul, just wear and tear/maintenance.

Rear shock is a bit flogged.

General Comments:

I bought this bike as a barn find that had been in a shed for nearly twenty years. A quick tidy up and it flew through its compliance Warranty of Fitness, and a nice new licence plate was issued.

My previous bike was a factory hot FZR400 that was incredibly quick, handled very nicely, but required physiotherapy after each ride; far too cramped! The XJ600 is very comfortable, and pretty staid.

It isn't the most exciting bike performance-wise, but to be honest it is nice to have something where I turn the key, go for a nice ride to work or just out and about, and nothing bad happens. It is comfortable, I get a good range out of a tank, and I don't feel tired after a ride. I like it!

The brakes are not particularly flash, but the engine has excellent 'braking' properties, which negates the need to use the brakes much at all.

The bike is rated at about ~53kw (~72hp) from the factory, and it is delivered smoothly and predictably, making it a very easy bike to operate.

Faults:

The air filter housing got blocked with some strange looking, emulsified gunk, which lead to oil spilling out over the engine.

Also the starter motor brushes wouldn't retract properly; easily fixed.

General Comments:

The XJ600N is the reliable old man of bikes.

Apparently, it does 0-100km/h in 4.3 seconds; and pigs do fly. The acceleration on this bike is fairly non existent until you reach around 5000 revs.

Once you are moving the bike handles well, and is reasonably fun to ride. The braking is very good (2 discs on the front), although the weight of the bike is an issue.

The bike is air cooled and so for those long distance trips (regular London - Edinburgh) I would recommend some time out as the engine does get very hot.

If you like to tinker with things yourself, one of the most annoying things about the bike is mechanic unfriendly design. The downpipes and cans especially are frustratingly positioned to make the easiest of jobs fiddly as..

For all the ups of this bike, I just can't get over the lack of power. I will be upgrading to a Hornet, a bike with some real sting.