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Kawasaki Er6n

12DrinkMore

By 12DrinkMore
in Motorcycles in Thailand

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BigBikeBKK Ruby Member

BigBikeBKK

Posted
Posted
Yes that was a nice write up. which is unusual for a newspaper, hey you never know maybe the wonderful Bangkok Post might actually have a motorcycle in its motoring section soon..........but i doubt it :o .

Allan

Hiya Allan! Any nibbles on the CBR250 yet? Good luck with that- I know how much you're going to LOVE Bard's Ninja 250R! :D

I only read the Bangkok Post sporadically, but yeah, it would be cool if they did a write up on motorcycles some day. Why don't you suggest it to them:

Send suggestions

Happy Trails!

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thaicbr Diamond Member

thaicbr

Posted
Posted

cos i'm to Lazy to suggest it. and they are to dumb to listen... it should be the likes of Kawasaki or even little Tiger that do the leg work :o

NO nibbles yet. gonna put it on Mocyc, baht sold and here later on tnite. just gotta upload some better piccy's.

Allan

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neverdie Star Member

neverdie

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"Just got the mrs to snap another pic :o "

Didn't realise anybody would take that claim seriously :D

I thought thats what these smiler things are for :D:D

Cheers

You didnt fool ole unc neverdie....hes got a sharp eye for a man whos 183 years old. :wai: You have to wake up early to get one past me :D

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BigBikeBKK Ruby Member

BigBikeBKK

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Woohoo!

Picked up my new ER-6n today and am loving it! Showed up a bit late on account of a flat tire on the truck this morning so one guy got ahead of me but no worries- the folks at Kawasaki are always a pleasure to deal and joke with and my missus went across the street to get food for everyone and we all had a good time.

Here's the guy who camped out (kidding!) to get his ER-6n first today:

012809KawasakiSm.jpg

He hasn't ridden in 10 years but the ER-6n has lured him back to biking. How cool is that? :o

Since I already bought a bike from them before it was easier this time as they had most of the paperwork already filled out ahead of time, which was a nice touch.

Despite the tough economy it seems Kawasaki Thailand is struggling with more sales than they know what to do with - when I arrived they were in the process of setting up a KLX, a D-Tracker and another ER6n for customers who got there before me. They had many more bikes to set up later in the day as well and their service area is PACKED and the techs are very busy.

Kawasaki Rama 9 used to be pretty quiet but now it's crazy busy and bustling all day long. They have 6 bike lifts in the service area and tons of mechanics but it's no longer enough so they're using the elevator to send bikes upstairs where they've installed additional work space. They're also sending staff from the factory in Rayong to assist the service department in Bangkok!

The nice thing about upstairs is the air conditioning!

ER6nService.jpg

Getting the bike serviced in the afternoon. How many techs does it take to change an oil filter? Three apparently! - Pardon the terrible pic- I snapped it with my phone...

I didn't mind waiting in the morning though- I enjoyed checking out the new Ninja ZX10R (SEXY!) which they plan to start selling in March and my wife is still trying to talk me into buying a Vulcan (NO THANKS!) and enjoyed getting those big cruisers between her legs :D

Put nearly 200km on the ER-6n today and it's a wicked fun bike. I've never ridden anything quite like it and it does take a little getting used to. Been a while since I've been on a proper "Big Bike". As much as I loved (and still love) the Ninja 250R, there's really no way the Ninjette can mess you up no matter how hard you crank on the throttle. The ER-6n requires a little more "respect" :D

The handlebars on the ER-6n are relatively high compared to all of the sport bikes I've owned in the past, and having the mirrors on the handlebars again is something I've only experienced on dirt bikes and need to get used to.

Wicked torque- very easy to pop wheelies with just a twist of the wrist. I got a little sideways :D on one of Bangkok's greasy roads, partially from giving too much gas, and probably also because the new Dunlop SportMaxs weren't scrubbed in yet.

I'm pleasantly surprised at the volume of the stock exhaust- whenever I split lanes or come to a traffic light the ER-6n is easy to hear and if I give the throttle a little twist people tend to get out of the way. :P The Ninja 250R stock exhaust in contrast is incredibly quiet (and hurts the performance of the bike) and I think in Thailand it's quite helpful and safe to have a bike that people can hear.

Not many decent pics yet, but I'll work on that over the days to come.

Fun fun bike! Hooligan is the word that keeps popping into my head... :wai: That's really the way the ER-6n is meant to be ridden- balls out and in your face!

Everyone should run down to the dealership and take one for a spin- guaranteed to put a smile on your face and a hole in your wallet! :D

Put about 200km on my new ER-6n today and I'm loving it! Looking forward to riding to the Lopburi Bike Rally this weekend and hope to see you there!

012809ER6nMeCharnSm.jpg

Happy Trails!

Tony

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BigBikeBKK Ruby Member

BigBikeBKK

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Posted

Obviously I'm quite happy with the new ER-6n, but I thought I'd go ahead and list some likes and dislikes for for anyone considering this bike:

Likes:

  • Price :D
  • Adjustable clutch and brake levers :wai:
  • Digital instruments including fuel gauge, two trip odometers and clock. :D
  • Hazard Lights (the Ninja 250R doesn't have any...)
  • "Pass" button (High Beam Flasher) Seems common on many new bikes, but again, missing from the Ninja 250R

Things I'd like to see on the ER-6n:

  • A temperature gauge. :D
  • Better use of the space under the seat. :D
  • ABS (available elsewhere, but not in Thailand for some reason...) :o
  • An immobilizer anti theft system. Kawasaki includes this with some of their bigger bikes but not the ER-6n

I should also mention that the Orange ER-6n, while sometimes not so attractive in pictures, is really a stunning color in real life. I have no regrets choosing black, but for anyone interested in the Orange- I say go for it!

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thaicbr Diamond Member

thaicbr

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Tony i know your talking about the er-6. but hazard lights are an easy fix for the ninja it's just a switch and blinker box inline.

About the alarm i have sent an e-mail to GT alarms asking what they have for available for the ninja 250 and er-6.

If i was Kawasaki, i would get rid of the clock and put a temp gauge on it. shit don't they know people wear watches these days :o

And i didn't know the Ninja didn't have a pass button. that is <deleted>. especially here in Thailand.

As Kawa would say 'let the good times roll'

Allan

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LivinLOS Star Member

LivinLOS

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Surprised no temp guage (hot climate too).. Bit leary of ABS systems, hearing that they have started to get them right but had a few difficult years until now, would rather have non ABS that was precise and predictable than an ABS dual brake setup that I felt unsure with.

Well done Tony.. Look forward to seeing it sometime.

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BigBikeBKK Ruby Member

BigBikeBKK

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hazard lights are an easy fix for the ninja it's just a switch and blinker box inline.

Yeah, but where do you actually put the switch? Not much free space anywhere on the Ninja...

If i was Kawasaki, i would get rid of the clock and put a temp gauge on it. shit don't they know people wear watches these days :o

I hear ya! Fortunately it's easy to add a temp gauge and plenty of places to mount the display.

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LivinLOS Star Member

LivinLOS

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Sorry being a dumbass.. Whats the hazard blinker problem ??

You do know you can get 'smart' indicator boxes ?? Hold turn 1 sec is 5 secs signals (lane change), hold 2 secs its 15 sec signal (junction), hold 3 secs its 30 sec (traffic lights).. I am fairly sure these provided a hazard function too.. Will dig out thier info..

Would that solve whatever the issue is ??

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BigBikeBKK Ruby Member

BigBikeBKK

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Posted
Sorry being a dumbass.. Whats the hazard blinker problem ??

You do know you can get 'smart' indicator boxes ?? Hold turn 1 sec is 5 secs signals (lane change), hold 2 secs its 15 sec signal (junction), hold 3 secs its 30 sec (traffic lights).. I am fairly sure these provided a hazard function too.. Will dig out thier info..

Would that solve whatever the issue is ??

I wouldn't call it a "problem" per se, it's just that the Ninja 250R does not have a hazard light switch. Right hand side has the kill switch and starter button, Left hand side has turn signals, horn and high beam switch. Fitting a hazard light swith would be tricky because I can not think of anywhere to mount the switch on the clip ons so that it would be in easy reach... I didn't lose any sleep over it- just got used to riding without. I'm just happy that Kawasaki included hazard lights and a "pass" button on the ER-6n :o

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Bard Gold Member

Bard

Posted
Posted

Hey Tony,

Congrats again with the bikey, just one thing I am very curious about, how is it riding missing the fairing as we talked about. Is it OK or will you get a GIVI tour screen for it? My new Yamaha is in the shop now nice and blue as it is (depressing I have to go to work now), so if you go there don't touch it :o Will you wait for a secret soi trip to break in the saddle as I will do with the XXX one you meet?

Cheers Bard

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BigBikeBKK Ruby Member

BigBikeBKK

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Posted
Hey Tony,

Congrats again with the bikey, just one thing I am very curious about, how is it riding missing the fairing as we talked about. Is it OK or will you get a GIVI tour screen for it? My new Yamaha is in the shop now nice and blue as it is (depressing I have to go to work now), so if you go there don't touch it :o Will you wait for a secret soi trip to break in the saddle as I will do with the XXX one you meet?

Cheers Bard

Thanks Bard!

Awesome bike and having a blast- too bad you have to go back to work; guess the secret soi will have to wait :D

So far only ridden up to ~140km/hr and at that speed there's no need for a screen. I imagine at higher speeds however that a screen might come in handy. The 2009 ER-6n is actually quite different from the previous version so the old Givi screen won't fit the new bike and it's going to be a couple of months before a new screen is available. Same for exhaust, sliders and top box. So, I'll just ride her stock for the time being and get to know her before I start making mods as new parts and accessories become available.

Happy Trails!

Tony

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BigBikeBKK Ruby Member

BigBikeBKK

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Um, the first link is a signal canceler.

Second link seems to have the product needed to add hazard lights to a Ninja 250R:

http://www.kriss.com/hazardflasher.php

Guess one would install the flush mounted switch on the fairing somewhere- not ideal, but better than nothing.

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BigBikeBKK Ruby Member

BigBikeBKK

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Tony can you post a pic of the speedo. the Uk web site shows a different speedo for the N and the F.

http://www.kawasaki.co.uk/sports

Thanks. you do have a warning led light for coolant overheat.

Allan

Hi Allan,

The 2009 has a completely new instrument panel. I'll post a pic later. Yes, there is a red overheat light.

Cheers!

Tony

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Bard Gold Member

Bard

Posted
Posted

Regarding screen Tony,

Just bought Two Wheel Only magazine and they claim the new 09 ER6n has a dedicated Kawasaki screen made for it, check it up with Kawasaki UK for extras and give the part number to Kawasaki here and they might be able to dig up a screen for you, who knows?

Cheers Bard

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