250 X9 EVO

Hi everyone.My first post for a while but if you have read my previous posts you will know im no stranger to the x9 ,specifically the 500.Something of a new experience for me now in the shape of an x9 250 evo of 2004 vintage.Ihave owned many 500,s but this is my first 250 evo,anyway i couldnt stay away from my favourite bikes for long as when i didnt have one ,i was lost,so i decided on the 250 because it was cheaper to by and (i hoped) less troublesome.Isaw this one on ebay so i bought it for £950 pls £200 courier fees as i live in plymouth and the bike was in Birmingham so i opted for the easy way rather than risk it on a bike i knew nothing about,a wise decision as it turned out.The bike had only done around 12,500 miles so i reasoned that it couldnt be all bad.So came the day the bike arrived and at first glance i wasnt disappointed as it looked to be in good condition.So,bike unloaded i could not resist a trial ride and it started first time,so i gingerly set off.Immediately there was a serious problem,the bikes steering left me feeling very unsafe and im a very experienced rider.Riding in a straight line was scary as the bike wandered and was very negative.Cornering was ok so this left me with one conclusion,that the steering bearings needed urgently replacing so you can imagine my frustration.I,d only just got the bike and already a major problem because if you know these bikes this means the whole front end has to come off,So disappointed but undaunted i ordered a complete bbearig replacement kit from a dealer who could provide a genuine Piaggio replacement set as i didnt fancy o e m parts for this job.Cut a long story short and i did the work,put the bike back together again and on the stand the steering felt perfect,light and positive with no notch or off spot in the middle so i felt confident,so once again set off gingerly down the road and wow ,what a difference,the bike was completely tranformed and was now a pleasure to ride although other issues came to light.the bike was fitted with a ginelli aftermarket silencer which sounded tinny and was popping back to an annoying degree,so as an interim measure i have fitted a silencer from a honda cb 500,which looks great ,sounds great and doesnt pop back through and also the bike seems more responsive although i will source a replacement genuine article when i can but i have to say that the cb silencer looks so much better.So im enjoying the 250 very much ,its a good bike,better than i thought but my heart still hankers after that old 500 ........ it must be love.Thats it for now so thanks for reading this if you have and i will keep you all posted and i always appreciate your comments,cheers john