Got my first puncture. Was on the Sunday G2G ride. Finished a 130kmph run and then slowed down as there was a diversion on the road and had to shift on to the makeshift road. Felt a slight wobble at the rear end of the bike. drove another 100meters through the gravel and pulled over. Found the rear tyre wasnt fully inflated. The only great part about the puncture was that location where i stopped to check the tyre - right in front of a petrol pump with a tyre repair chap. It sure as hell doesnt get better than this. One lone nail embedded in the tyre. Got it repaired and then continued on the G2G ride.

Hey Zimply,
Heartiest congratulations on your ride. And thanks for putting in your ownership experience.
I've got my eyes on this bike in the near future, so needless to say I'll be keenly following this thread.

Wish you and all the owners of this green machine miles upon miles of riding pleasure.

Regards

Hey Hiren, Thanks. Waiting to finish the run in. 200kms more to go and then there is going to be a permanent smile plastered on my face.

Add Ons to the bike so far.
1. Gorilla 8017 Motorcycle alarm - A real boon to have. Gives a warning beep when one initially brushes the bike. Sets off the alarm if someone bumps into the bike. Also comes with a tilt sensor that gets activated if someone takes the bike off the side stand and makes it upright.
The best part is the two way paging system, which identifies visually which alarm has gone off, even when out of hearing range of the alarm.

2. Rascal Grafiks Tank lid protector.

3. Rascal Grafiks Wheel rim stripe.


Add Ons pending.
Tank Protector.
R&G Frame Sliders/ Crash Protectors
Xena Disc Brake lock.

I found the horn quite weak. Doing anything about it zimbly?

Very nicely written ownership review zimbly. N 650 surely does look pretty. I am getting tempted to buy one!!

Congrats!! Is runnin over ?? have you ran the beast to top speed? so what figure?? and how does it feel at that speed??

I am interested in this Gorilla 8017 Motorcycle. Price? where did you buy?

@Zimbly / Amar - I have heard that the distance between the left foot-peg and the gear-shifter is longer than what it usually is. Can you please share your experience of gear shifts? Is it difficult to shift gears as a result of the given set up?

Hey Amar, I am ok with the horn, planning to leave it stock for the time being.


Thanks GT, next G2G and i will convince you to go in for one.


Hey Somen, thanks. Still running in, So far managed to clock 145 subconsciously. 150kms to go to complete running in.


Hey bprags, Ordered the Gorilla 8017 Motorcycle alarm was ordered online on Junglee.com, shipped from US via amazon. took 2 weeks to reach home.
Cost of product : 145.40$
Shipping and handling : 10.97$
Import duty : 40.95$
Total was 197.32$


Hey Sachin, I find the distance just right. I wear size 10 riding boots with a heel. the heel locks on the foot peg and i still manage to comfortably shift the gears. Though i reckon that someone with a size 8 and below may have an issue with it. Amar, your take on this?
Having said that i find the Brake lever to be a little uncomfortable to use, i have to point my toe inwards to access the brake.

Hey Zimbly, one more starry-eyed question- Why the giant leap from a 160cc FZ to a 650cc Ninja? Didn't you consider the quarter-liters....an N250 would have been the logical next step-up?
If you did, do shed some light on the tangible benefits that the 400cc and 1.5 L extra offer

Hmmm... Interesting question. Well i am 6'2", would want to say well built, but the truth is that my build is, ahem..... healthy. When i picked up the FZ it was one of the more bulky bikes which offered oodles of class and handling was in another league altogether. I would have hated to have a bike with a diminutive size which would lend me the"bear on a bicycle in a circus" tag. Seat comfort and seat height was another factor that played a role in the decision. The N650 ticked all the boxes on this front and it had performance to boot. i particularly liked the riding position, which is fairly upright, with the option to lean and crouch as required. It offered me the best of both worlds, cruising comfortably, while letting me unleash the horses on demand.
Having ridden her for 1500kms on highways and in the city, one word to describe her - versatile. She is at ease in all the roles.
As for the quarter litres, i did consider the CBR 250. But then i am 34 and i would be keeping the bike for atleast 5 years. I would be running 40 by the time i get the next bike. So if i had bought the 650 at that stage then i may not have been able to enjoy it to its full potential. Does that make sense??? well not really, even i am not conviced with that answer. honestly i was trying to find a logical explanation as to why i jumped from the FZ to the 650, would the heart ruling the head be an apt explanation

Kawasaki, aka Bajaj have done a fabulous job with the pricing of this bike. Its VFM given its displacement, power, ridability and a 0-100 in 4.5secs. As for the tangible benefits of 400cc and 1.5l extra is the extra wide smile which seems to have become a permanent feature.

I am exactly in the same boat as you, at present I have the Fiero 11+ yrs old, she has done around 1 lakh 25 kms and still going strong. I plan to use the Fiero for my daily routine rides to office etc, the Ninja will be my weekend and off course long distance ride.

By the way, my Ninja650 has arrived in Mysore, hopefully she should be mine by beginning of next week. I did a down payment of 3 lakhs last week. I went to Mysore on my Fiero last week to give the DD, the lady over there was like

Receptionist :- "Sir you came to Mysore just to give the DD that too on a bike".
Me :- Yeah.
Receptionist :- And you will be leaving immediately now to BLR.
Me :- Yeah, she thought I was crazy . I told her "You should allocate the Ninja to people like me, who love riding and love their bikes".

Hey Zimbly, had a few question about the add ons

Gorilla 8017 Motorcycle alarm - I got the same one, was the wiring easy? as I am gonna ask the guys at the showroom to fit it and where did you install the beeping LED?

Rascal Grafiks Tank lid protector / Rascal Grafiks Wheel rim stripe - loking for a good TP did you get these here ifso do let me know the site. Thanks

Hey bprags, amazing news. I am sure that u have checked into a hotel in Mysore by now in anticipation of taking delivery of the beauty. About using the fiero for the daily rides, wait till u get the Ninja, and then ur fiero will be catching dust just like my FZ. All the best for the delivery.


Hey Vectorz, The gorilla 8017 is a breeze to install. the instructions are very easy to follow. DONT take it to the service guys for installation. U will void the battery and the electrical part of the warranty on the bike by doing so. I spoke to the service guys and they were quite clear on this front. But i went ahead and picked it up anyways. Its got just 2 wires running to the battery. and everything from the tilt sensor to the siren fits rather well under the pillion seat. I moved the tool kit under the drivers seat. Planning on removing the setup before taking the bike for any of its scheduled services. As for the LED, i have not put it up at all. Didnt have the heart to drill a hole in her. But its just a visual deterrent and one that not many see. Infact the warn away alarm that sounds initially does a fairly good job of keeping miscreants at bay. Only the few stubborn oafs end up activating the shock sensor.
Also note that if the bike if not going to be run for more that 2 and a half weeks, disconnect the alarm as it will drain the battery completely.
Hope that helps, incase of any more queries, feel free to pen me a line.

As for the Rascal Grafiks stuff, i picked them up at performance racing store in Mumbai. One can order it online from them as well. A bit on the expensive side, but its available locally.