That mean, bad and dreaded owner is me right , haha. Well as answered by Brat and others you wont feel the weight of the bike much once you get going on speeds above 30-40 but its the time when you take a U turn, a slow speed turn, have to brake mid way while taking a turn that would make sure you make this bike touch the ground, one needs to have a good amount of strength in their arms to handle the bike at speeds of 5-10 in traffic.

Heck, i almost made the bike fall while taking it out of parking, to even push this thing back with your feet is like winning a world war, especially for short heighted guys like me around 5"4-5"5.

The new delhi dealer is offering test rides, have a go
I also upgraded from a P220 which is heavy by its standards but nothing compared to the bulky GT. Its not a problem once your feet are up on the pegs, the bike surely isnt as flickable like R15 etc and you wont even flick it like that in traffic (cost factors involved in repair jobs), at slow speeds or taking U turns is when i start sweating and patiently wait for traffic to go past as tight U turns dont go with such heavy bikes, its best to let your legs hang and then do the slow turns.
Man, there you go , after 230-240 kms, the fuel indicator starts blinking so yes that a low range. With these bikes, any adulterated fuel even in small bits screws everything and in our country while on tour one needs to be extra cautious of these highway pumps. I have noticed that even when it started blinking the tank has 5 litres of fuel inside (tank full method calculations) so even if 4 is useable, we can go 60-80 kms.

I would say keep quiet about the fuel thing , just say you got it filled from where you get it filled every time.
There is something definitely wrong as your bike was jerking as well, i have a hunch its something very small like water in fuel etc. A sbk group went to hills from Delhi and one of the bikes came back getting towed, thanks to the fuel quality thats why am wary of these highway pumps always, our Indian bikes take the abuse but these are just too sensitive.

+1
Couldnt have said it better.

A small advice to those going for TD's or going for a short spin on other's GT:
Please be careful during slow speed turns, U turns or tight turns as Brat mentioned. If you take it too casually, the bike along with you would be down before you even realize it, initially dont hesitate in swinging your legs wide down, theres no shame in that.

Melroy had a fall on day 1, thanks to the humongous weight felt during the U turns, all the best for your 600 cc rides, Inline 4 or V twin, the power of a 600 cc is just too good, back to back ride on a GT after 60 kms on P220 really tells the whole story, if you dont be careful, you would be sorry.

Sir, very highly suspecting Petrol in water.

I set out for the ride after a straight 8 hour downpour in chennai. Bangalore weather has not been too forgiving either. Moist air filter is likely an issue.

But, i assumed that the dual O2 sensors should be able to tell the ECU how much fuel is to be injected with the limited air provided to the chamber?
I eliminated this option when i noticed more than usual backfiring and an elevated amount of mis-fires even during idle.

I am noob when it comes to FI units. Would a clogged filter lead to such symptoms?

How many of you have got your brake pads changed till now - especially the rear brake pad as i have seen 2 GT owners getting it replaced withint 1300 kms , whichever way one rides, 1300 kms for a brake pad is really very low by any standards.

To Brat and others who have notched up significant mileage of 2000-3000 kms, can you please throw some light on it, is there a fact to it or the Gurgaon SVC changed people's brake pads to just mint money.

If anyone can please with a photo, explain me how to check for brake pad wear in GT, tried looking around callipers and stuff but couldnt locate it, am really bad with DIY

Rode the Kawasaki Ninja650R for the first time this Sunday and was mighty impressed with its performance on tap,the smoothness of the engine and the easy gear change but I still prefer the GT650R as it more involving to ride and gets a lot of attention.

You may want to turn to page 22 on this thread, at one point - we'd discussed brake pad wear. Unless anyone decides to Break-in the GT as opposed to a run-in. it is likely that they would require a replacement brake-pads in a short duration.

It really just depends upon the riding style, if you ride it like you stole it or happen to take it to the tracks too often, you may expect to change the pads as much as once every 3 months or so.

* Progressive braking will give a longer life to the pads.

* Always use 75% braking pressure for front and 25% on the rear. The rear end does very little to help brake, it is the front end that does all the work, so distribute braking pressure accordingly for longer pad life.

Just the way you run-in the engine, the tyres and brakes need running-in as well. Meaning take it slow for the first 600kms - 800kms or so.
This is for ensuring an even wear. Improper pad wear can result in unwanted expenses.

It is recommended to change the pads when it gets too thin to be used, ideally you can notice the thickness just by looking at the rear pad when its fixed on the caliper. When the thickness of the brakepad becomes as thick as a 2 Rupee coin, thats when it needs a change to avoid damage.
You would feel the dullness in brake force way before you hit this stage.

You will be able to notice the caliper pins, caliper mounting bolts, and the thin brakehose guide. All this needs to be removed in order to take apart the pads. I wouldn't recommend it as a first DIY if you are not comfortable with the basic DIY's because you can easily damage the pads if they are seated unevenly during re-install. They would begin wearing unevenly.



To follow the easy and clean hands method, you can view the rear brake pads on the GT right behind the section indicated below.



This will bring into view the outer side of the pads, ideally the wear on the set should be more or less even. The actual pad is circled below.



If you really want to try taking apart the caliper for a better view -
Maybe this video could help, it is for a '09 Kwacker, but it is really very much similar to what you would do on the GT as well.

Motorcycle Repair: How to Measure Motorcycle Brake Pad Wear on a 2009 Kawasaki KLR 650 - YouTube

Hope this helps!

Fantastic explanation bro

Thanks a lot Brat , that solved all my issues, had a glance at both rear as well as front brake pads and they are in good shape for now.

A wet Air filter will supply Moist air into the inlet and on condensation it will turn into water droplets over a period of time...
Misfiring on most modern bikes happen when the Ignition voltage becomes low or mistimed. Due to rain , water gets into all nook and corner..and also makes the Plug cap and it's seat wet..This can lead to the Ignition voltage to leak and cause misfire...after a hot run if the misfire reduces this is the reason..if misfire continues even after 20 Km ride ,then Water in petrol or wet air filter to be suspected.

Thank you!

Glad to be of help.

Thank you sir, the air filter element should have dried out by now. The bike was running without any hiccups yesterday. I had assumed it was due to water in petrol and shelved the diagnosis. Allowed the fuel to run out and poured in a fresh 5Ltrs. Either it is due to residual water or due to some other cause. Today, the misfires started again. I'll visit the SVC folks tomorrow.

I completely agree. Guys, the issue is only with the Gurgaon SVC Center peeps, who seem to be pretty thick headed and casual in their attitude towards their customers.
Everywhere else, Garware and the Local Dealers are iconic examples of customer service!

Home SVC is not free but during emergencies, like Men_In_Jean had, they will definitely help you. I was given a tiny Credit Card kind of an "On Road Service - 24 Hrs" Card by the Bangalore Mechanic. He said I could use it anywhere in India during Emergencies. Yet to test it.
I would also not recommend door step service as its always better to have it taken to the service center, you never know what they might need.

Nice one Bro. Am glad that you are finally happy! Its God's gift to you, the Delhi Superbikes Dealership. That is exactly how most other Hyosung Dealers are.
I am not sure about the Bill part, I am going in for my first service next week, so will know. I guess the price depends on the Brand of Oil they use.
In the month that I have owned my GT, I have used it regularly to commute to work in heavy Bangalore traffic everyday and though its a wee bit uncomfortable, I just love the feel and experience! I haven't had time to test the bike to potential and haven't revved it very hard or beyond 6K, but this one time, I took a couple of my friends for a test ride (pillion-fully geared) on a safe empty stretch of road and revved it hard to 8K and the bike touches 120 in 2nd gear easily and hits 160 really fast in the 3rd. Pretty fast. I slowed down after that. And it was steady like a mountain and straight like a rocket. The visor got a little shaky but nothing major to report .

Parth, as you already are aware, and as my biker bros have already pointed out, a sports bike is definitely different from your regular 150/250CC bikes, even if its as advanced as your R15 is. Lot of things change; dynamics, power delivery, braking, weight, handling and..guess what...even the user! Yes! You will be a different guy when you get on your 650 and a different one back on your 250. You become a true biker when that happens. Yes, there is a big difference in the "feel of the ride" but you will get used to it very quickly.
But one has to be more careful with the bigger bikes, especially when taking a U-Turn or a slow turn, or getting it off the stand or parking it or when someone is getting onto the back seat(pillion) or when you halt the bike from moving to standstill cuz all the weight shifts on to your foot and if that does not find grip then you tend to fall. But once the bike is in motion...its like poetry, you will get used to the turns and handling, just be confident, the brakes do a good job. You and the bike will be one!


Brat has already done an excellent job of explaining this with pictures and a video
But as is common knowledge, on SuperBikes, everything wears much more faster than regular bikes, Brake Pads, Tyres, Filters, Wires, Plates...pretty much everything. So what you are experiencing is normal. But there is a chance the SVC guys could have scammed you. You would be the best judge of when your brake pads need changing cuz you would feel the reduction in stopping power. Plus, what Brat suggested checking, helps.

Bro...the Kwacker is smaller and lighter, so is a bit faster but has no sports bike feel. The sound on the GT is nothing great but its Pathetic on this one! Yes the bike "feels" like butter in comparison due its super refinement but who cares I want to FEEL my bike..I would travel in my luxury car if I wanted a smooth and refined ride.

And a few more things I want to add about my experience on the GT. I have done 1000 odd KMs now and I feel the projector lights are very ordinary, the petrol tank capacity is TOO small and the exhaust note is very disappointing. But even then, overall, I would have no other bike in this category and its only the GT for me...all the way! I love it and the "feel you feel" when riding, makes you forget everything else! GT650R rocks and I own it! Yeah!

Until Next Time...Ride Well. Cheers!

AG

My question to other GT650R owners - how are you guys managing to use GT on everyday rides to office or work etc, those who say the do
Its not that i dont want to, am ready to bear the heat as well as wrist pain in doing so but am just so paranoid about parking it in the open fearing some one would come, pose and drop the bike which will burn a whole in the pocket. Even 5 mins of parking the GT in any place brings swarms of people trying to touch the bike and some wanting to sit on it.

To those who say they use the bike as a everyday commute, do you have good paid parkings or you put on the body covers or you are "khatron ke khiladi"

@Brat,
Any updates about the injector issues buddy? Did you go to the svc or not, hope it was just a small hiccup.

Just a heads up for the bangalore folks, i had given my GT250 to the service center but even after 2 days the SC guys couldnt fix my brake issue. i am just wondering how if they cant fix a 250cc Brake issue can service a 650 machine. i saw 3 GT650's (2 whites and 1 black) given for service there. Can you guys update on how their servicing has been.

I know of a couple of buddies who commute on Busa. Clearly, the drool factor is far much more higher on it compared to the GT, they do not appear to have any niggles with parking whatsoever. I use the 650 for commuting on a daily basis.

Since i have not yet brought my smaller bikes to bangalore, the GT is used for buying vegetables, shopping, running errands, etc as well
Its not always that you get to have a privileged parking spot.

Most of the places i've been to have been more than happy to accommodate me in the car park. Else, i just leave it outside in the open. Many times i've noticed some of the folks giving it the usual inspection, sitting on it, etc. I dont try to get rid of them, i just tell them to be careful not to remove the stand and not to scratch it. They seem to much appreciate the gesture. Of course, this is followed by a battery of question about mileage.

We may love and cherish it like a baby but end of the day, its going to get scratched or downed at some point of time, you can never be too careful - thinking about this only eats away your peace of mind.

If you are really worried about your ride being tampered with in open parking spots by curious onlookers, install Xena on it and watch what happens.

About the wrist pain, I had complained about it to Men_in_Jean when i had initially got the bike, he told me that it will disappear with time - true to his words, the wrist pain is completely absent now after clocking a decent amount of kms on it. One other xbhpian (Ananth) told me to do a cross country trip to get used to the saddle and wrist pain. After doing some long tours on it, these symptoms have completely vanished. You should try it too, it helps one understand the bike more completely.

The head mech in Bangalore SVC has not been available for the past couple of days. There are already a couple of GT's there awaiting service. I dont want anyone else to look into the fuel injection issue. So, i didn't think it'd be wise to hurry it up and make any available mech look into my GT, i'd rather wait for the expert and take his opinion on the diagnosis, given that i dont know jack s#!t about FI units anyway, so i have to take his word for it. Will update the outcome as soon as i get it fixed.


Edit:
Vijith - May we know exactly what was the brake issue the 250 has been facing?

Bangalore people have a big heart i must tell you then

Agree. Just that people here had a little bit more sense, a simple no towards sitting on the bike or no to fiddling with the switches is taken as attitude by a big bike owner. Would try taking the bike now to places as heat has gone down and if something indeed happens then we have Tata comprehensive insurance

I dont have much wrist pain now even after riding for 200 kms at one go for a stretch, thanks to my training in usa where we had to maneuver an aircraft called Seneca for which we needed to pump our muscles to control it , but on every ride i try to improve my riding position bending the elbows a lil to avoid strain on the wrists. My right wrist some times hurts more than left one whereas it was the left one which i fractured last year - confused.

Sensible decision, the svc people have limited technical knowledge so best to wait for the main guy or else things get worse.

I asked my Gurgaon svc to remove the tank and visor vibes and sound, they ruined everything and made the bike worse which has been finally corrected now.

Servicing GT at Bangalore is not that great.. they are not trained well. Every time when i had problem with my GT I had to wait till the mechanic comes from Pune and fix it. That is one bad thing. They are very good at asking for the problem and nodding their head that's all.