DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Tommy At Nankin Mills
"How long it takes you to get there depends on how fast you go."
- The Ride
- The Driver: Tommy
- Car in Question: 2005 Kawasaki ZX636
- Spotted at: Nankin Mills, Ann Arbor Trail, Westland, MI 48185
- Odometer: 45,000
THE DEFENSE
Q: First of all, this is a cool bike, no doubt. What kind is it?
A: It's a 2005 Kawasaki ZX636.
Q: How many miles do you have on it? Have you put a lot on it?
A: It's got about 45,000 on it. When I got it, it had about 20, 22 on it? Forty-five is basically, for a car, it would be like, almost 200,000 [miles].
Q: So it's high mileage? Is it a lot of maintenance?
A: It's high mileage. As long as you keep up with maintenance, like coolant changes and oil changes, it doesn't get too bad usually.
Q: I've never owned a bike. Is it just like maintaining a car? It sure is clean for the mileage.
A: For the most part, yeah. I make sure I take good care of it.
Q: So is this your daily driver?
A: Yeah, for the most part. The Kawasaki is far better on gas than my car is.
Q: Do you drive it in the winter?
A: No, unfortunately I can't do that. I can't put spikes on my tires, it's illegal in Michigan.
Q: So you said it gets good mileage. What does it get?
A: It gets about 40-50 miles per gallon depending on driving conditions and how I drive it.
Q: Have you done any mods on it?
A: I've done plenty: aftermarket exhaust, cams, air filter, aftermarket clutch, paint. I like to use performance parts. I've done about all you can do with a bike.
Q: If you could get any vehicle you wanted, car or bike, what would it be?
A: Would I have to stay in Michigan? If I could go anywhere and get anything, it'd probably be a little 250--Honda, Kawasaki, whatever. Those things are great because they get about 70 to the gallon. I'd probably go with Kawasaki because I'm a Kawasaki fan.
Q: What does the decal on the front say?
A: It says, OutKast Customs. It's my shop. I work there and they've done all the work on the bike, including the flip-flop paint.
Q: You gonna take any trips on your bike?
A: Actually, I'm planning on going down to Bike Week, down in Florida--all 12 hours.
Q: Twelve hours? I thought it takes about 24?
A: Yeah, well, how long it takes you to get there, that depends on how quick you go!
Q: You be careful out there! That about wraps it up. Thanks for your time Tommy.
A: Any time.
Photos and interview by Don Gurka
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