Ah here it is again – what you have been looking forward to all week, or more than a week, or less than a week - we do realise that it is all a bit random...hey ho...Anyway here we are again we have arrived at that happy time - the bike of the er week – bikes you have loved, hated felt indifferent to who can say – please tell us what you think. This week it is the Kawasaki ER-5...

The Kawasaki ER-5 is a naked parallel twin 500cc middle weight commuter bike. It is small and light - but not too much so - in fact, like baby bear's porridge, it is just right. Here is a run down of the pros and cons of this strangely addictive motorcycle

What's good about the ER-5? - Well this friendly sociable little bike will give you no trouble getting around town with ease. It is very fuel efficient – always a good thing in these straightened times. It is also cheap to insure – so far it's sounding good.

Its plucky parallel twin engine does its funky stuff very well when you are commuting or visiting granny nearby although it may not be the very fastest on the motorway. You can have fun on it too and they are great for learners as they are kind and forgiving when you're learning the basics of handling and braking. As it is a relatively light manoueverable bike it is easy to handle and confidence building for any rider especially a newish one.

This bike has roots as well, it's no blow in – although it was first produced in 1996 and then restyled in 2001, it comes from the stable of the GPZ500, 450LTD cruiser and GPZ305 from the 1980s – a fine pedigree.

It is a machine with great balance while still exuding a whiff of 'sporty'. Because of its size and stability it is very easy to manage, whatever the speed, and turning it at slow speeds is a breeze - a real boon for newer riders and learners. Rider comfort is high and the gearbox is sound. It is low too so if you are a long streak of anything, don't buy this bike but if you are small and sturdy go for it, it will do you well.

Some of its features are...it is liquid cooled, has two camshafts, six gears, four valves per cylinder and vibration smoothing balancers – comfy.

If you are the proud owner of an ER-5 then one thing it is worth doing is keeping it well washed down and waxed to keep out that winter wetness, salt etc, like most metal objects it can get rusty if not looked after properly.

The ER-5 has a disc front and a drum rear brake which produce gradual braking – perfect for learners who will not be able to slide the front wheel when braking heavily, but beware when adding the weight of even a moderately lardy pillion, allow plenty of braking time.

The ER-5 sports a twin tube frame and non adjustable 37mm front forks and a twin shock rear end.

All in all this is a buzzing bike and very affordable to buy second hand just check out the paint - if it hasn't been well loved and cared for you will be able to tell at a glance as its bodywork will speak volumes.

Top Speed:                      110mph
Max Power:                      48 bhp
Max Torque:                     33ft-lb
Weight:                              179kg
Seat height:                     800mm
Fuel capacity:                 17 litres
Av Fuel consumption: 46mpg
Tank range:                     170 miles
Engine size:                    498 cc
Engine Spec:                  Four stroke parallel twin, 6 gears, watercooled
Frame:                              Steel tube double cradle
Front suspension:       Adjustment none
Rear suspension:         Adjustment Preload
Front brakes:                Single 280 mm disc
Rear brake;                    240mm drum