JonnyF

Good report on the first 300kms. However, apart from the comment on the seat pushing you towards the tank (which I found myself) it seems like you’re riding a different bike to the one I bought.

My Ninja starts at the push of the button hot or cold, I’m not sure if I blip the throttle or not as I don’t really think about it but I can never remember the bike not starting first time. I use 91 in mine.

You say “there so much torque you aren't forced to constantly be adjusting yourself and your gear to get the most performance.” Whilst I was quite surprised how “torquey” it was between 4k and 7k, this was because I was expecting it to be completely dead below 7k and it wasn’t. I wouldn’t consider the amount of torque that it has to be a fault, just a relief that it doesn’t have less.

Also, you say it feels nervous at 80 (and over) which has really surprised me. Mine feels glued to the road until 130, the limit I’ve reached so far as I’ve not had the opportunity to take it outside Bangkok due to work commitments. If you’re getting a lot of shake at 80 kmh then I’d really suggest getting the bike checked out because I’ve never heard of this before or experienced it on my own bike.

As for the wind shield, I don’t notice the wind hitting me, but it sounds like you are quite a tall guy so maybe this one just goes right over my head

Enjoy the "Iron Butt" ride tomorrow everyone, I’m extremely jealous and hope to make the next one.

I got one recently from Bangkok Bank, but I had to agree to keep a minimum balance in my bank account equal to DOUBLE the limit of the credit card. I have a work permit although it wasn't made clear whether this was also required to get the card.

I'm not quite sure why they needed "double" the limit to be kept in the account, but having the credit card will make ordering a few things easier for me in the next few months so I reluctantly agreed to it. I'll ask them to change the terms in a few months time and if they won't then I will probably cancel it.

Yeah I'll be really interested with the results of that dyno as well. I'm probably going to do the exhaust first but if you can get 40hp at the rear wheel with the power commander then I'll consider one of those as well - it sounds like a bit of a bargain if you can plug it into a laptop and map it yourself.

I'm starting to get quite attached to the little Ninja, I was thinking it might be a stop gap until the sensibly priced 600's arrived next year but I might just do a few mods and hang onto it for a while.

I finally got round to fitting the seat cowl that came free with the Ninja at the weekend. It's a nice bit of kit, you just bolt the bracket they provide to the bottom of the cowl, put a couple of dampeners on and then it slots on in the same way as the passenger seat does. It clicks in quite nicely and feels quite solid, and in my opinion makes the bike look better. It gives you a little bit more storage as well, not much but maybe something the size of a travel wallet, a couple of DVD cases, that kind of size.

The only fault I can find with it is the material that they use for the triangular section that the base of your spine sits against. I'd have expected it to be the same material as the seat but it's not, and hence it feels a bit cheap. Seeing as they're 75 quid on that website I'd have thought they'd have used the nicer material.

Does anyone know if they sell any of these other accessories (in particular the tank pad) at Kawasaki on Rama 9?

I bought my car while living in Phuket, when I took a job in Bangkok it moved with me but other than a weekend trip to Pattaya I haven't really used it in the 6 months I've been here. In fact I've had to recharge the battery 3 times because I left it standing for a month or more. I can't stand the traffic so I use my motorbike to get to work, and if I'm going out then I normally have a couple of beers so I don't want to drive anyway.

If I hadn't already bought one then I wouldn't bother with one. I'd use taxis and public transport, and hire one for the weekend trips as and when I needed it.

So why don't you use taxis and public transport and get around on a bike instead?

Incidentally, it's been raining for nearly two hours now, sometimes just dribble, sometimes really heavy downpoor.

During rains buses shut down their windows, taxis disappear, and motorbikes hide under bridges.

>>>

Everyone raves about BTS - it's great for speed, but comfort?!?!

Bloody stairs, overcrowded cars, noise, advertising, freaking Ice Age cold inside, and costs a fortune for occasional travellers, too.

I do use taxi's, motorbike and public transport, hence my car standing for a month at a time. When I said "I'd", I meant "If I was you, I would" as advice to the OP.

If it rains I put on waterproof clothing for my short journey to work. If it's really bad then I get a taxi. I've never seen them disappear. Driving in Bangkok is a pain in the arse, I'd rather let someone else do it.

I bought my car while living in Phuket, when I took a job in Bangkok it moved with me but other than a weekend trip to Pattaya I haven't really used it in the 6 months I've been here. In fact I've had to recharge the battery 3 times because I left it standing for a month or more. I can't stand the traffic so I use my motorbike to get to work, and if I'm going out then I normally have a couple of beers so I don't want to drive anyway.

If I hadn't already bought one then I wouldn't bother with one. I'd use taxis and public transport, and hire one for the weekend trips as and when I needed it.

I've been working in China the last couple of weeks and saw loads of them. The first thing I thought was what a great idea it would be for Thailand, especially Bangkok with the pollution problems. Didn't consider the problems of charging them if you're living in a condo.

I also saw loads of push bike frames with little (50cc?) engines in them. Perfect for making your way around the soi's, but again I've not seen them here. I guess the Honda Wave is so economical to run now that there's no need to take the risk on one. I can't imagine they'd cost more than 10,000 baht if they were on the market, but I've seen half decent second hand Waves/Dreams for not much more than that.

Yeah they offered me the same deal, but unfortunately I wasn't expecting it and couldn't decide on a 3 digit number of any significance at the time so I turned it down. I was also a bit concerned that it would delay getting the plate and give the BIB an extra couple of weeks to hassle me at road side. Nice idea though, and a lot cheaper than choosing a private plate in my home country.

One thing to consider is that there is a world of difference between big smooth roads in the US where most road users at least try to follow the rules, and busy potholed roads in Thailand with people wobbling up the wrong side of the road at you with no lights every 30 seconds.

I'll consider the new 600's if they arrive at the 300-350k mark, but to be honest I think it's a bit unnecessary here, especially for me in Bangkok - I'm finding it hard to open up the 250 as often as I would like. I'm inclined to think that the lightness of the 250 is more of an advantage than the extra power that anything 400cc or over would offer me. If I was out in the sticks or doing a lot of touring then I might change my mind.

Another thing to remember is that the bike described in the advert and the bike that you see when you turn up are often very different. I'd probably own at least one VFR400 by now if they looked as good in real life as they do on the websites. Listening to forum members it seems a lot of the older bikes spend a fair bit of time in the garage and although repairs are comparatively cheap, I think the frustration of the rip offs and/or incompetent work would give me major headaches unless I knew a good and trustworthy mechanic - which I don't.

Good luck with your search... if I was you I'd probably get a mint NSR150SP and spend the spare 30k elsewhere.

It was 139,900 THB (special promotion, 5K discount for Sept) plus 7,500 THB insurance and 2,900 THB for the number plate. After I picked up the bike I got stopped on the way back to Ban Chang for a contribution to the policeman's ball.

First, nice Pit.

How much attention is the Ninja attracting from the coppers since they know it's new and relatively expensive and thus the owner must be big money? Anyone else notice the frequency of contributions having gone up since buying theirs?

Thats not a pit,its an english bulldog like bullseye in oliver twist !... a beauty

Actually it's an English bull terrier, not an English bulldog but I agree it's a lovely dog.

Dave Boo, you're really clutching at straws now regarding you negativity towards the Ninja. Just come out of the closet and admit you want one

Just a quick note for those of us who bought the bikes from Rama 9 on the day they were released - your licence plates and green books should be available now, I picked mine up today...

They're so professional in that place, nothing like other dealerships I've experienced in LOS - a really pleasant surprise.

Edit - oops meant to post this in the other Ninja thread!

Ninja 250R vs Honda CBR400RR (Size)

Total Lenght 2085mm vs 1990mm So the Ninja is a bit longer

Total Width 715mm vs 670mm So the Ninja is wider

Total Height 1115mm vs 1080mm so the Ninja is higher

Wheel base 1400mm vs 1375mm so the Ninja has longer wheel base

Seat Height 790mm vs 750mm so the Ninja has more leg room for larger people

Weight 152kg vs 163kg so the Honda is heavier which is logical due to larger displacement engine

The Ninja is in fact a bit bigger but lighter, but then again that is a RR which is all I bothered to dig up. So I would call both of them medium frame bikes.

WOW amazed !!

Having owned 400RR's they were a bit cramped (mostly weight on hands issues) but not madly so, knowing the Nnja is larger than the 400RR make me want to find one to go sit on it and get a feel.. Pics made me think it was slimmer / smaller.

Yeah I was surprised by this as well, but like I've said before, for some reason the Ninja looks quite a bit smaller in pictures (and in my opinion not as good looking) than it is when you stand next to one.

The riding position is slightly more upright than a CBR, but the seat is quite big so you can shift back or forward depending on what suits your size, although I have found that it slopes forward so I sometimes end up pressed against the tank.

If people think that price increases should be directly proportional to horsepower, CC or 0-60 times then we should all be riding bored out NSR150's for 20,000 baht.

Clearly there are other factors such as aesthetics, size, design, technology, stability, rideability. Having ridden both bikes I can honestly say that for me the Ninja was worth the extra money, for others it might not be but it's impossible to make a decision by dividing the horsepower by the price.

So I picked up my Ninja yesterday.

The service in the shop was good, they all speak reasonable English, however no English user manual, no full service manual, no helmets, no registration plates yet, but no surprises there really. To give them their credit, they did everything they could to help and they sourced me a brand new helmet. Expect between a 1-1.5 hr processing time.

I rode straight back down to Pattaya on the bike completely ignoring the 4000 rpm break-in limit and for my sins the heavens opened going past Khao Kiow.

If you ride low the bike will get up to 165km/ph no problem and it feels very stable. Pulling away from traffic lights its nice to be able to dust the rest of the rabble.

The Thai spec has a temp guage rather than a fuel guage and an auto choke.

I did over 200km on it yesterday, all I can say is the bike is super fun to ride, it has more than enough power for any situation and its very forgiving. Me so happy!

If you see a green ninja around Pattaya in the next few days, that's me, give me a hoot.

See you on the roads fellas.

Munchausen

There's a few articles on the web suggesting that a hard break in is better for the bike anyway. I can't realistically stick to 4000 rpm here in Bangkok as I'd be run off the road but I'll keep it under 10k for the first few weeks and get the oil and the filter changed well before the suggested 1000 kms.

I was impressed with the service as well, my girlfriend got there before me and paid so all I had to do was sign some documents, I was in and out in 20 minutes. They gave me a tour of the bike and answered all my questions, the guy was very polite and very professional.

Just rode mine back from the showroom - can't really give too many first impressions because it was 12 kms of Bangkok traffic to get it back to work but it's really smooth through the gears, a nice light clutch and feels at home weaving through the traffic. Very comfortable riding position and surprisingly torquey at lowish revs. The power is obviously at the top of the rev range but I haven't been up there yet and probably won't do for a few more rides.

I actually felt much safer on it than the Nouvo because I can accelerate forward into the gaps now as well as dropping back into them.

Anyone else got theirs?

If the bike is clean and legal then for that price I think you should buy it and decide whether you really need it in a few months time.

Quite an interesting article, well written.

To be honest I find it a bit strange that a Thai female on a Thai website would describe a 250 Ninja as being "designed to attract a female rider" given the range of bikes available in LOS. I can’t really see the average “Nong” or “Lek” seeing this as a viable alternative to a Honda Wave. If the article was written for a European or American audience where anything less than a 600 is considered a bit "gay" then that would make more sense (maybe it was?).

The part about riding in Bangkok was really useful for me and pretty much what I expected.

I’ve been on a few websites for this little Ninja and talk of a high revving motor coming to life when it hits the power band is starting to remind me of some great 2 strokes I’ve owned.

Can't wait to pick mine up - 5 days to go

When I put the deposit down on the Ninja they just wanted copies of my passport and work permit. I think you only need a residents certificate if you don't have a work permit.

This was the dealer on Rama 9.

Yep, put the deposit down on the 250R last week. They wanted 10,000 deposit and have asked me to collect the bike on the 25th. The price was 139,000 which includes a 5% discount which the salesman told me will only be available on the first batch of bikes, but I guess that depends on how the sales go.

I have to say it's a stunning looking bike, much better in real life than it looks in the photos although having said that it does look quite nice on post 17.

I opted for a green one, can't wait until the 25th.

Given your size and going by what you said, I'd go for the larger Nouvo or an Air Blade. I think a Mio, Fino or Click will be too small for you.

Auto is probably the better option if you haven't ridden for a while, you can concentrate on the BKK traffic rather than changing gears, more storage space for trips to the market, keeps your feet dry when the road is wet etc. There's a 135 cc Nouvo that has recently been released which I believe is slightly under 50k baht.

I'd buy from the main dealer rather than a corner shop that might be gone in a couple of months time, but unfortunately I can't help with any specific locations...

Tell them you need special motorcycle.in.th discount..

I'll give it a go but my success rate at getting discounts on new bikes in Thailand is 0/2 so far...

139 seems pretty fair to me if the spec is good given the prices in Europe.

On another thread you said the D-Tracker was a better bike for traffic which surprised me, the Ninja is supposed to be a fairly upright riding position and really tame under 6000 rpm - what didn't you like about it in traffic?

Excellent news! I've got my Ksr110 going in for a service on Rama 9 tomorrow so I'll see if they're taking deposits yet...

Assuming you're from Bangkok as your Avatar suggests, there's loads in the bike shops around.

Check out some of these...

http://www.geocities.com/bkkriders/shops/index.html

Just be very careful what you buy. I looked at more than 10 400's (CBRs and VFRs) in Bangkok in the last 2 months before I decided that paying 70000-80000 baht for a bike that was 10-15 years old, had no history (that was worth more than the paper it was written on) and could potentially be confiscated by the police at any time was not a risk worth taking - I just wouldn't enjoy riding it. Now I have to wait for the Ninja 250 to be released...

I think your concerns are a little overblown.

Many of us ride these bikes with no problems. You do need to do your homework & talk to people that know.

CBR400RR are not that easy to find. If you want to PM me I can direct you to a couple shops I use.

You're probably right, and I may be being a bit over-cautious but I felt that it's only fair to warn the guy as he wasn't aware of the issues with the books...

I've kind of got my heart set on the 250 Ninja now, but if Kawasaki don't release it in the next couple of months then I'll probably give it a miss so if I change my mind re. the 400's then I'll PM you for some contacts - thanks...

I've had mine about a year now, great fun and I'm well pleased with it. In Phuket I was using it for blasting around the dirt tracks and now I'm in Bangkok I'm using it for the daily commute to the office and it's fantastic for weaving through the Bangkok traffic.

People say they're impractical but for what I use it for it's perfect. No good if you're a very big guy or want to do the weekly shop on it, but it was designed to be a fun bike and that's exactly what it is. A bit more power would be nice though, hopefully they'll bring out a KSR140 with the engine from the KLX140 in it...

Other forum members could probably explain better than me, but from my understanding a lot of these bikes are stolen in Japan and imported to Thailand, then a green book from a previously crashed/stolen bike is transferred to the new bike so that essentially you have a 'fake' book. A lot of the dealers that I spoke to admitted that the book was fake but assured me that it was a 'good copy' and their mate in the transport department could make sure the transfer into my name went through with no problems. Other dealers swore blind that the book was legitimate, and maybe it was but I had no way of knowing.

It's a risk that you'll have to decide whether or not to take, but for me as a foreigner riding around Bangkok there's enough reasons already for the police to give me hassle and I don't need a potentially fake green book added to the list. A lot of people I have spoken to have said the same thing that the crackdown on these types of books is only going to get worse.

Like I say, just be careful that you are sure what you are buying.

On the plus side, the 2 VFR400's that I test rode were lovely bikes, although I still think that the Ninja 250 will be more practical for my commute in Bangkok.