I don't know about negative/positive reviews and there is a tendency for people to get carried away whenever they hear the name Ninja. This is possibly why Suzuki doesn't call the Bandit a GSXR1250S or whatever. Kawasaki for some reason seem hell bent on diluting the Ninja brand as it is the only thing that seems to sell for them at the moment!

The 650R was light and nimble around the Chakan track and I had it up to 210 Km/h down the main straight...no problem. My comments to the Bajaj representatives was:

1. Price of around 5L OTR - which they have delivered
2. Accessories like panniers, lights and other touring gear - which they are working on
3. Trained service personnel - which Probiking seems to have sorted out with the Ninja 250R unless some owner feels otherwise.

They took their time to launch but they have done it right. It is meaningless to KNOW what this bike is all about and yet keep harping about the "R" in it's name or the fact that it doesn't look great, doesn't handle like a ZX6R, doesn't accelerate like a Liter bike etc.

WHAT IS IT GOOD AT?

How about this - you ride this alongside a ZX6R or a Hyosung GT650R to Ladakh and back and then let us have a chat about what's what! It is simply preposterous to compare apples and oranges! I would have expected a bit more maturity from everyone.

This is the same reason why the Bandit is also struggling in sales...nobody appreciates a bike they can ACTUALLY use. They all want something stupidly expensive, runs on unobtanium octane fuel, does 400 Km/h through our gullies and potholes and looks like a naked Tamanna draped over your crotch.

Shocking!

IMHO, instead of stressing that the bike doesn't live up to the 'R' tag, the bike's 'touring' potential should have been highlighted 'more'. The bike is no way a 'sports bike' (a look at the chassis, riding ergonomics and engine layout should give a clear hint) and therefore the expectations should have been appropriate. For someone who wants a pure 'sports bike' in 600 cc category, kawasaki has zx-6r, but sadly it wont be available in india, at least for the time being.

The bike looks to be a very potent tourer with relaxed seating and a fairly stress-free engine. This potential of the bike should have been 'talked about more' instead of 'what the bike isn't'..... It makes a fantastic proposition for a 'tourer' at ~ 5 lacs when compared to other bikes in the 'tourer' category (not restricting to the displacement)

The review leaves a kind of 'negative impression' about the bike towards the end....

P.S.: It is just my opinion. Someone else may have a different opinion. No offense meant to anyone.

There is no comparison between the GT650R and the Ninja 650R...

These are two bikes built for completely different applications. The GT650R is more appropriate when compared with a Triumph Daytona 675 or a 600cc supersport.

The Ninja is an out and out mile-muncher with proper touring credentials. Traditional handlebar, upright ergonomics, huge windshield and a motor tweaked for low-end performance over screaming top-end.

How can you compare the two and to what logical end?

Why not throw the Royal Enfield Lightening 535 or a Classic 500 into the mix if all you are looking at is cubic capacity?

Nice Review...

Now the wait for ZX6R or even better ZX10R starts...

If the pricing stays on the same lines.... boy.. I am game.

The 650R was light and nimble around the Chakan track and I had it up to 210 Km/h down the main straight...no problem. My comments to the Bajaj representatives was:

2. Accessories like panniers, lights and other touring gear - which they are working on


WHAT IS IT GOOD AT?

How about this - you ride this alongside a ZX6R or a Hyosung GT650R to Ladakh and back and then let us have a chat about what's what! It is simply preposterous to compare apples and oranges! I would have expected a bit more maturity from everyone.

This is the same reason why the Bandit is also struggling in sales...nobody appreciates a bike they can ACTUALLY use. They all want something stupidly expensive, runs on unobtanium octane fuel, does 400 Km/h through our gullies and potholes and looks like a naked Tamanna draped over your crotch.

Shocking!

There is no comparison between the GT650R and the Ninja 650R...

These are two bikes built for completely different applications. The GT650R is more appropriate when compared with a Triumph Daytona 675 or a 600cc supersport.

The Ninja is an out and out mile-muncher with proper touring credentials. Traditional handlebar, upright ergonomics, huge windshield and a motor tweaked for low-end performance over screaming top-end.

How can you compare the two and to what logical end?

Why not throw the Royal Enfield Lightening 535 or a Classic 500 into the mix if all you are looking at is cubic capacity?

I don't know about negative/positive reviews and there is a tendency for people to get carried away whenever they hear the name Ninja. This is possibly why Suzuki doesn't call the Bandit a GSXR1250S or whatever. Kawasaki for some reason seem hell bent on diluting the Ninja brand as it is the only thing that seems to sell for them at the moment!

The 650R was light and nimble around the Chakan track and I had it up to 210 Km/h down the main straight...no problem. My comments to the Bajaj representatives was:

1. Price of around 5L OTR - which they have delivered
2. Accessories like panniers, lights and other touring gear - which they are working on
3. Trained service personnel - which Probiking seems to have sorted out with the Ninja 250R unless some owner feels otherwise.

They took their time to launch but they have done it right. It is meaningless to KNOW what this bike is all about and yet keep harping about the "R" in it's name or the fact that it doesn't look great, doesn't handle like a ZX6R, doesn't accelerate like a Liter bike etc.

WHAT IS IT GOOD AT?

How about this - you ride this alongside a ZX6R or a Hyosung GT650R to Ladakh and back and then let us have a chat about what's what! It is simply preposterous to compare apples and oranges! I would have expected a bit more maturity from everyone.

This is the same reason why the Bandit is also struggling in sales...nobody appreciates a bike they can ACTUALLY use. They all want something stupidly expensive, runs on unobtanium octane fuel, does 400 Km/h through our gullies and potholes and looks like a naked Tamanna draped over your crotch.

Shocking!

Ok I might be hated for saying this, but I speak out of my mind.
Decent review, but too much of unwanted nerdiness in it.... doesnt fill the 'need for info' quotient... ofcourse we have other reviewing sites for it.
Pics are brilliant and the review comes across as just around the 'art form of pics'

- Wrong spec sheets. One is a chromed exhaust carbed 250
- The spec sheets goes awry, the correct comparo should compare
Category with BIKE A, BIKE B the incorrect alignement makes it measure different category and variable
- When the write up talks about exhaust the pic shows the handlebars
- When the write up talks about the clock (console) it shows something else
- The factory pic is an eyesore IMO

Just my two cents.

Edit: These are just little things that transforms the good into the best! I hope it helps in the vision to make xBHP the BEST motorcycling magazine man!

Here is the promotional video.