BTW, I found the manual for the Ninja 650 online. Here it is: http://www.kawasaki.nu/af/Upload/Man...24-1454-01.pdf

If your tire is completely flat do not ride it as you would damage the tire even more. Just find where the puncture is and patch it. It would help if you have a foot pump to fill air temporarily so that you can take it to the nearest puncture wala for filling air.

Regarding heat, because your bike is still in run in period and you are continuously riding below 4000 rpm the engine would heat up. This happens to all high capacity bikes so nothing to worry, it will get better after first service.

I suggest owners to continue their discussion on Ownership thread so that it helpful for others who might refer it

Keep up posted

Well, the problem is that I think I rode it quite a bit already on a flat tire (at least 20 kms).

I was finding the handling difficult on the last day I rode it before discovering the flat.

That is why I am wondering if I shouldn't just get a new tire.

2012 N650 Pics in Goa

Hey guys I was unable to upload the pics here due to some error. So please follow the link to checkout the pics of Goa's first 2012 N650!

Link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...0163463&type=1

The Ninja 650 is fantastic. I got my bike delivered on Friday. It was a pleasure to have Vectorz with me for the delivery. The bike had done just 30 km when I started riding.


Impressions immediately after delivery :


The bike just responds off idle and it feels sweet, you dont have to get the revs high to remind yourself your riding a big bike.


When I braked (Use only the fronts), it was like wood and was riding at 20 kmph, I was very upset. But I consoled myself telling the brakes are brand new and no one has used it at all before me (was happy about that). Once I braked hard for two speedbreakers from moderate speeds, the brake had bed in a little. After that the brakes were very assuring.
I wanted to check it a bit (after all the flake about the 2011 brakes), tried hard stops (from speeds of 80) and boy I had some unintentional stoppies.


Was jittery to ride hard on new tires and was generally keeping all the senses high when I was taking some fast corners, but nothing, no drama and was very assuring.


I was also impressed that the bike ran for a lot of km for the fuel i had put in (guess was averaging 25 kmpl).




Sunday Ride :


By Sunday, I had done a few heat cycles and was ready for giving the bike a proper run. Had a chance to ride with Born Riders (great bunch of bikes in varying bikes with all the enthusiasm for riding).


What a joy to ride this bike. Earlier, I was crazy about a fast inline 4. This was until I rode a few bikes like CBR600RR, CB1300, GSX-750. These mentioned bikes are great, when you consider the brakes (CB600RR), the acceleration (GSX-750) and the pulling power of the CB1300. But all these bikes did not complete my search, all of them had something missing which I found in the Ninja 650.


The first is that you don't need to be in such aggressive riding position, the Ninja is so super comfortable, the seat is just painless after riding for 2 hours in a stretch. The next thing is there is absolutely no heat (the CBR600 and CB1300 burnt my legs so many times). You forget you are riding a big bike because there is no weight to worry about in slow speed / parking etc.


The engine is just fantastic, just responds to whatever you want and in such a pleasurable way. It is most happy when cruising at 120. And at that speed all you have to do is just open the throttle and it flies to 180+. I cooled off after 180, I am not too crazy for top speed. So, it is plenty fast in an relaxed manner. Above all, at 120 the fuel efficiency on the multi info meter shows 28 - 30 kmpl. Can you beat that.


The suspension is a pleasure, very soft and planted in all situations. We went up Nandi hills and I am crazy about the corners. I had the feeling the tires were new, but since it never showed any signs of slip, I just went up the hill like a 16 year old. The bike was fantastic, no shakes and no squeals. No Drama. In some corners I felt I was a little too fast, had to turn with the brakes and was expecting a slight under steer (sorry, I am more a car person), no nothing at all. Just listens to you and mocks you by saying is that all you got. Then started getting more confident and started giving full throttle at the corner exits (no oversteer again), but I was not able to pull it inside my lane because of the strong power delivery. Brakes don't have the over servo like bite, but stops confidently. I like this more, because in one emergency braking I had, if it was sharp bite I could have locked the wheel and lost control. Overall had a blast.


And then came the high speed sections on our trip, we were doing 140+ all the way (more than 50km), i just felt like sleeping. And to wake myself used to occasionally blast to 180km. Amazing stuff.


With all this riding, my meter reported an average kmpl of 21.5 after 200km of riding.


Now coming to the negatives, you need to set your expectations correctly. This is not an inline 4 to get the fast / wild top end rush feeling (though its there a little).


Other than that, the mirrors vibrate and cant use it much. The headlights are always on when you switch off the bike using the kill switch. So, you need to switch off the key and on it back in every signal.




Thanks for the patience to read the long post.

Hey Reddream, Congrats on your ride. Is sure is one helluva bike. I just finished 1000kms on mine and sending it for the first service.

To add to your comments, the brakes are very usable and progressive. The new tyres had a run in of 160kms as per the manual and i did have some heart stopping moments when riding in the rain with them. was really slippery. But that gave way to gluey tyres soon thereafter. Enjoying the cornering with lean ins now.
The vibration on the rearview mirrors you experience disappears after 3500rpm. At Higher speeds they felt fine.
Did a 200kms run yesterday with the Pune G2G gang. Amazing ride and got a chance to experience the upper end of the run in at 6000rpm. managed a 130 at that rpm.
Safe riding
PS : i believe the saree guard is coming off.

Congrats Reddream on owning the green dream It felt good reading through your post. Initial first impressions are always good to read. I am happy to see owners getting mileage in excess of 25 which is brilliant in my eyes for such a powerful bike.

Between how come you are ripping at 180? Following Motoman's run in or could n't resist the power ?

@Zimbly - congrats to you too! Thanks for sharing inputs on tyre run in. Please let us know about the details of the first service once it is done.

Cheers!

Congrats bro

Very enjoyable post - thanks for sharing!