This is a never ending affair I am having with Midori. Absolutely in love with the Ninja 650. Few noticeable and surprising things include the tire pressure has not dropped even by 1 psi in the past 5 months of riding, I have never filled air because whenever I go to fill air the air pump attendant says that tire pressure is normal Secondly, the chain has not been touched by the KTM mechanic till date because there is no chain lag and there has been no requirement to tighten the chain even after 15K kms of riding. I am mighty impressed overall as this is my first big bike experience and I am glad it is turning out to be a good one

Coming to the rides, I think there has not been a single weekend till date from the time I bought Ninja that I have stayed at home. Although I do get a lot of stick at home for staying away, I must say I am having the time of my life with Midori. Be it a short breakfast ride or long weekend run, I have manage to sneak out every weekend. I think most of us do this but I have never been so addicted to riding a motorcycle as I am as of today.

With rains coming soon, I think I ll give Midori a much needed rest in between and sometime take my ZMR out now.

Date: 26th May'13
Destination: Igatpuri
Distance Covered: 200 kms (NH3)

Two of my very close friends and fellow Xbhpians got their Ninja 300 delivered and we decided to go on a short run in ride to Igatpuri and back. For a short run, this has to be my favorite place as the roads are perfect to ride with good amount of twists both ways! Sharing the pictures below which we clicked during this ride. Pic credit goes to Deepan Devraj & Avinash Keshav Ambekar.

Are you married? just kidding!!! I so miss my bachelor days where I could stay out on weekends. Your posts are tempting me to sell my new Duke for a Ninja 650. Long gone are my wild days. Any ways Wonderful Bike. Ride safe....

@SachinnairLove your thread bro! I've a query, did you ride your friends N300? How do you find it compared to the N650?I sometimes feel confused between the two. I'm asking from a touring point of view?Can the N300 keep up with the N650? How would you rate the comfortable level of the N300 on tours against the N650?I read that the N650 is more comfortable on the highway, how would you compare the suspension of these two bikes from a touring point of view?Thank you for your inputs.

Thanks for your input bro! Since I use my bike almost entirely for touring, it made me think whether the 4L was worth it. I can keep my P220 for local use and enjoy the 650 for touring. Also, sorry, have 4 more questions?

How do you handle the weight? I've a thin frame so that gets me worried, incase I drop the bike or I'm on an incline.
Do you think adding softer seats and making the suspension soft in the N300 will make it more tourer friendly?
And do you think the 650 can handle a little offroading? But I guess that depends on if I can handle the bike's weight.
How are the headlights on the N300 as compared to N250 and 650? You said in your OP that the 650's lights were bad.

Current waiting period for 650 is 6 - 8 months according to local PBK. I hope they are joking.

Weight: On Papers Ninja 650 is 210 kgs however once your in motion you won't feel the weight what so ever. It feels nimble and many N650 owner use it even for commuting to work daily. In case you drop the bike, if you don't have frame sliders installed then yes it might fall on your leg. Frame sliders will save your leg to some extent but all this is very subjective and may vary on actual situation.

Seat: For N300 seat, you can install gel seat which will make it a little more comfortable however I doubt you would be able to change the suspension as it is not adjustable.

Offroading: I have done a bit of Offroading on N650, it can be managed but better not to exploit it too much. It's Scary to Off road on N650 is all I can say But but... I know people who have taken N650 to Ladakh, Nepal & Bhutan so it's how well you can manage it and how well have you prepped your bike for those conditions.

Headlights: N300 has got brilliant headlights as previous gen N250R, no doubts on that. It's much better than N650 stock bulb. I have swapped to Extreme Vision which has improved night riding.

Hope this helps

Perhaps, some generous brother will give me a test ride on the N and then my mind would be made up...

[MENTION=47870]devils_friend[/MENTION]: oh! et tu brutus? come over & have a seat

Monsoon Action coming up shortly...

Every other day, I read this thread. Especially when after a ride on my CBR 250, I keep asking myself as to why I am riding such a small, uncomfortable bike. Some philosopher has written on this forum that a bike is meant for you if you look back over your shoulder at it after you have parked it. That does not seem to happen for me at all...

I have waited and waited and waited (well, you get the drift) for the Triumph Bonneville but it seems that project is dead. Suzuki (stupid, short-sighted @#$% Suzuki) is not at all interested in getting its V Strom 650 into India. And the more I see the N650 and read about it, the more I seem to develop an affinity for it.

I want a good, big-framed, large-engined, trouble-free, comfortable highway muncher and this seeming contradiction of needs probably will be satisfied by the N650. Most importantly, I can see myself riding the big N even 10 - 15 years from now, when I am in my 50s and 60s. The same does not hold true for the C250.

Perhaps, some generous brother will give me a test ride on the N and then my mind would be made up...

mere bhai... ab aur photos bhi dalega ya sirf baatein he karte rahega!
yeh kwanja ke fotos ki bhookh hain badee

I was planning to do a couple of more rides, before I added all the pics together but if you prefer in installments then will upload shortly