Well I finally got to take one for a bash, and I'm sold. Main points:
I see what they mean about the engine
It's bloody tops! Sounds fairly angry for a stock bike, behaves quite well and that lazy torque just builds into a big grin once the revs pick up.
Those 36k's are genuine
The whole thing felt like it was brand new! Everything works perfectly and nothing is loose, wobbly or worn. The bike appears to have been under cover for much of it's life, and apart from the occasional few marks you'd expect on a 20yo bike it's pretty neat. Due to age it has copped a new chain & sprockets, reco'd calipers and a new timing chain, but apart from that and a horrible sticker (put on when the chain was fitted) it's very original.
I worried more about the weight than I needed to
I didn't notice it on low speed manouvres, if anything with the lower centre of gravity it actually felt lighter than my GPX600. Cornering at speed will take some getting used to, but you can only get so good at it on a 5 minute test ride in a 70km/h residential area. Rather than complaining about the weight, I'm more inclined to complain about the 16" front tyre!
The sidestand is ridiculous
What pinhead decided to put the stand THERE? It took me about 30 seconds to get it down properly, despite knowing exactly where it was. If I didn't like centre stands so much for servicing, I'd be pulling it off for some more room to get at the sidestand which obviously gets daily use.
Not long to go now!
Ten days until I pick it up - the guy only rides it once a week to and from work to keep everything spinning, and has said he won't ride it again