Newbie On Ninja

monty1412 · October 23, 2011

Rented a Ninja 650 in Pattaya yesterday. Impressions/ thoughts.. and remember this is from a newbie who has ridden scooters a cbr250r and not allot else.

It has high handlebars so very upright position, much prefer the bars that are lower and means you have to bend more.

For me at 6'3' its not as comfortable as my cbr250R from legs position.

Lots of heat, really notice my right leg getting hot on this while on the cbr250 I can ride all day without noticing heat.

Gearbox is clunky and lots of fan noise from radiator even with full faced helmet on..my cbr250r may have this as well although gears are smoother its just with sport exhaust i don't notice it as much.

Having said all of that the Ninja has loads of power and torque, you can motor along 50kmh in 6th at 3000 rpm and pull from there.

second gear is awesome when you give it stick. Seems to hold well to road but just the uprightness ( is that a word) of it doesn't give me cornering confidence although admittedly Im <deleted> at cornering anyway.

. On the cbr250R I can really grip the tank with my kness and it feels like Im part of the bike.. on this its uncomfortable to do it.. tank not contoured the right way.

This rental bike has only 13000 km so should be in pretty good condtion.

One thing I did notice is although the box is clunky changing gears without clutch both up and down is very easy .. is that normal ????

On straight open road last night I gave it full stick ,, yeehaaa my first wheel up experience...

Second day of riding and yes it feels allot more clunky and engine/ fan noise.. brakes excellent and not as sensitive /twitchy as the Honda's. Engine is unbelievable with regards to torque band...amazing just how much more powerful a 650 is compared to my 250.. I know that sounds asinine.

In next few weeks I will take possession of a beautiful cbr400rr NC30 in Phuket and just after that a Yamaha FZ1 in CM so my riding world is about to broaden up allot.

Girlfriend thinks Im about to open a bike shop, family back home seriously questioning my sanity and degree of mid life crisis, me Im just having fun and doing something that ive always wanted to do but now have the time and money to do it.

Have to also say that the folks ive dealt with whom Ive bought bikes from have just been fantastic.

heres the FZ1 photo

Cheers and ride safe

ScubaBuddha · October 23, 2011

Heat on the legs, high handlebars, funky tank/leg position and clunky gearbox are all common complaints. The fan is noticeable but remember you always sacrifice something for power. The stock bar position IMO is ridiculous. That is one thing they should have done differently with the 650R from the ER6n. I hate riding the 650R without sport bars on it. With stock bars, when you punch it the bars want to rip out of your hands. With sport bars the energy is transferred nicely into the saddle more like a full sport bike. With stock bars the 650R (and ER6n) feel more like a hypomotard. Plus with a little weight on the tank and arms, it really makes it more comfortable on my back, but that is probably a personal thing. Sitting upright on, for example, a Click for any great amount of time gives me lumbar pain. So did the 650R with stock bars. Lastly, adding sport bars gets your head out of the wind a little more. Your hight is what is making the 650 feel uncomfortable down low. The twin engine actually makes the bike narrow, making it easier to reach the ground when compared to 4 cylinder sport bikes.

And on any bike you can shift gears without clutching, it's just not good for the gear box. If the gears are synced at the time of shift then the shift can be done easily and you would just feel a lurch forward or backwards depending on which way you are shifting.

My bike prior to my last..is it 3 now?...650R's was the NC30 CBR400RR. Get ready for a lot of maintenance, registration issues and wrist pain. You want to talk about a loud radiator fan? Wow. The bike performed fantastically on twisties and seemed to have more than the 51 or so advertised HP. It is, after all, a full sport bike..and a good one. The feeling to me is the 400RR and the 650R have the same power even though the 650R has 20 more, probably due to the Kwackers heavier weight. And the 400RR will not be nearly as easy to ride or nearly as forgiving as the 650R. The 650R is aimed at first time riders.

Those FZ's are nice looking bikes. Never ridden one tho. You will probably feel upright on it as well.

At the moment the only sporty big bikes fully supported with non-marked up parts available locally and "properly" trained mechanics is the Kawasaki's. The 650R, ER6n, and Versys. Any problems and the dealer sends a truck to your house. You will have a difficult time finding parts and reliable service for the Honda's and Yamahas. Be prepared to throw lots of money at them. And the 2012 Kwackers are beauts. At almost half the price of competitors, there is really no choice.

Edited October 23, 2011 by ScubaBuddha

thaicbr · October 23, 2011

hi Monty. You got John's Fz1. That is a lovely Bike for the money. have fun.

BigBikeBKK · October 23, 2011

hi Monty. You got John's Fz1. That is a lovely Bike for the money. have fun.

+1! John's FZ1 is a beauty and he sold it for a lot less than market value- you got a great deal! You're still going to get the CBR400, eh? Good luck with that one! Having the Fazer will come in handy for all the times the 400 will be down for parts and repairs. Happy Trails! Tony

monty1412 · October 23, 2011

hi Monty. You got John's Fz1. That is a lovely Bike for the money. have fun.

+1! John's FZ1 is a beauty and he sold it for a lot less than market value- you got a great deal! You're still going to get the CBR400, eh? Good luck with that one! Having the Fazer will come in handy for all the times the 400 will be down for parts and repairs. Happy Trails! Tony

Thanks BBBKK and THAICBR.... FZ1 is way out of my league as rider at present but also believe from all Ive read and talking to John who was just super nice that its also pretty forgiving to ride sedately and isn't deadly potent until you stir the beast up.

Im really looking forward to getting loads of experience on the CBR400RR. Guy Im buying it from is mots fastidious and Im going to spend weekend with him going over the bike and finding out where to get "what from where" for it. Yes expect it to have the odd problem but so be it. Im almost tempted to see if John ( guy I got he FZ1 from) would take it on as a complete restoration project.

I might broach the subject when Im in CM with him.

Just back from a ride from Pattaya to Bang Sarea... not a long ride and had girlfriend on back so kept it fairly safe.. add on comments to my Ninja summary...

Scuba Buddha is so correct in fact my shoulders hurt riding this bike.. lower sports bars transfer weight through bike and lower body and not on rider arms.....

It is noisy and bloody hot on RH leg.

What is it about Thai car drivers that they feel they have to pull right up next to you in same lane even though your all moving at same pace and next car ahed is only 20 -30 metres ahead....

Called in at Jomtien on way back for a coffee.. man oh man... is Sunday the day when they let all the idiots loose on the road... .....

I've lernt a few new road rules as taught by local drivers

1) when in car and looking for a parking spot on a clearly crowded beach front best to just idle along no matter what traffic is behind. Then at slightest space no matter how infinitesimally small jam on brakes.. do NOT repeat DO NOT use indicator .. people behind you have no right to know what you are doing.. its your business and your business alone.

2) as above.. if you have a big tourist bus behind you.. suggest you go past the vacant spot about 20 yards and then start reversing.. bus cant go anywhere and eventually no matter how long the wait the spot will be yours.

3) Open air taxi's please note.. you are excused from any form of safe driving.. pull out or swerve in as you please... mirrors are only for checking that elusive piece of facial hair that has escaped otherwise attention.

4) Thai families.. please cross busy road at the most inopportune time and pretend to be grateful for the screeching stoppage you cause... its good to teach your children road rules early and besides whats a little bit of danger on the road compared to threat of cholera epidemic back in Bangkok

5) Som tam cart drivers.... you have to make a living so please cross road at any time with no regard for traffic..... I think its illegal to hit a somtam cart anyway....

6) Thai families again... special subsection.. those with baby strollers.. DO I REPEAT DO when coming out from behind parked cars and trucks push the stroller out first.. Make sure its not a gentle little push but a full fledged thrust out into traffic.. it has been shown that varied stimulus in early childhood development is beneficial to your child and the sight of a bus bearing down on the stroller will no doubt provide that stimulus to the child.

7) Thai girlfriends and giks... do admonish your boyfriend in no uncertain terms when in response to a car pulling out and almost knocking one and the gf off the bike he stops next to them at the next lights and asks

if the car driver has a fuc_king brain..... clearly your boyfriends fault.....

8) Farang on motor scooter.... this is vacation land correct.... ride like you've never ridden before ( which in most cases is true).... the road is yours to enjoy.

9) Pattaya Motor Transport authorities.... everyone loves the sight of a huge tour bus swerving three lanes across a busy road to squeeze into a small soi.. lets have more of it... lets also make sure entrance to small sois is festooned with somtam and fruit carts which have to be moved so that bus can enter.. what a spectacle..... must be a crowd pleaser as the traffic behind the bus was lined up for most of beach road.

10) Scooter riders and moto taxis..... suggest you all jam in front of a big bike stopped at front of intersection. Also make sure you are close enough such that when the rider of the big bike leans back he will contact your mirrors or some other part of your bike...

I feel like every time I go out on a bike its an advanced education course... one hour on the bike in Pattaya and surrounds is equivalent to a month of riding in Brisbane.....

But its all fun.... btw is there any law in Thailand about carrying an electric cattle prod on a bike... just a thought..

monty1412 · October 23, 2011