Well a quick comparison.....
The Z handles well, although the weight is quite high you can tip it into corners and it sticks really well, even on knobblier tyres. The suspension as you'd expect is relatively 'bouncy', but with adjustment you can stiffen this up a few notches for road work, but the travel is still there for those bigger bumps.
The motor pulls well as standard and will cruise at 70-80 comfortably, over that it struggles a bit. At lower speeds, even loaded it accelerates well and will wheelie off the power.... a bit of clutch and way heh! It rattles and vibrates a bit, but its not obtrusive. Mid range power is good.
Seating wise the position is comfortable and natural for long rides, over rough ground the bars are a bit low for standing up (I'm 6') but as a very occassional 'off roader' this isn't a massive priority. The cheap ebay peg mod is great and offers loads more grip and stability, but allows a touch more vibes through your feet.
The X handles really well on the road, with a sure footedness that the Z doesn't quite match - as you'd expect. The road tyres are grippy and allows the bike to track well in corners. However, the steering head angle and length of the forks seems to make the steering a bit twitchy and over bumps like roundabout cambers, you need to be smooth and assertive..... or back it in like a true hero!
The gearing is totally different to the Z (in addition to standard differences I've one tooth smaller front sprocket fitted too) and as a result the bike accelerates quicker.... with less weight too, it seems to get through the gears much quicker and up to 70 in no time. The bike won't quite pull an indicated 100 like the Z, but feels better overtaking at motorway speeds. Off the power it'll wheelie in first and with clutch it'll do the same in second. The vibes don't seem as obvious as on the Z except when revving high, but your better changing early as the power is lower down.... that gearing difference again.
Seating again is comfy, but firmer so longer rides will be a bit more fidgety. Position is good and pulls you forward to the tank more than the Z, this feels more offroad than the Z in some ways.
Build quality on both bikes is reasonable. I use copious amounts of scottoiler corrosion inhibiter and ACF50 whenever I wash my bikes and this certainly helps keep fittings and engine paint etc... as it should be. Design details like the swingarms on both bikes give a level of quality above the bog standard box section and its these little details that help make the bikes feel soild and well built. They are simple, materials aren't fancy, the bodywork is sturdy and overall they are well thought out and well put together.
In summary, the Z is more relaxed and more useable in different situations / road conditions...... but this makes the ride on the road more compromised. The X goads you into riding harder and as a result feels more hectic and twitchy. They are very different bikes and whilst I would recommend either.... I'm glad I've got both for the flexibility it gives me. If your buying new and especially with Yamaha prices as they are now, go for pre-registered or last years model. My Z cost �4.5k 18 months ago and the X �5k two weeks ago..... both under list and both huge savings on current RRP. Secondhand, with the Z get as many genuine / quality extras as possible... the X get as late a model as possible - just for the funkier swingarm!
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