Kawasaki Z800

"A brilliantly balanced naked that rewards experienced riders without punishing beginners."

The Z800 sits in a sweet spot that Kawasaki absolutely nailed — enough grunt to embarrass sportbike riders at traffic lights, yet comfortable enough for a two-hour commute without destroying your wrists. The 806cc inline-four pulls cleanly from about 3,000rpm and absolutely sings above 7,000. It's genuinely fun in a way that numbers on a spec sheet don't capture. For used buyers, this is a solid pick provided you do your homework. Check the frame sliders — these things get dropped in car parks more than you'd think, purely because owners get cocky about how flickable they are. Inspect the throttle bodies for carbon buildup if it's been sitting, and peek at the exhaust headers for rust around the collector. Owners love bolting aftermarket exhausts on these, which isn't a problem unless mapping was ignored afterward. Service history on the valve clearances matters more than mileage here.