Re: Yamaha YZF R3 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Benelli TNT 300 - Which one to buy??? Please help...

Maybe a random rant ... but with the Z250 ... I feel that Kawa are literally cheating us. Someone in management's like ....

Manag-ass 1: Hey with the N/Z300 out what do we do with the stock of the Ninja 250
Manag-ass 2: Let's naked the s#@3 out of it and sell it to people who are fanatics of Naked bikes ... and them Indian folks too.
Manag-ass 1: Well what if they notice ...
Manag-ass 2: The whole world either denying them the good stuff or is feeding them crap anyways. Well ... fit it with a midget Z800 headlamp so that they feel better.
Manag-ass 1: Sound like a plan ... let me type out that memo
Manag-ass 2: Just flip some paper in the printer. Why bother with wasting another paper ....

They don't care ... really. The whole world's out there with the Z300 and I can't get a TD for heaven's sake. I wouldn't give them my hard earned money for that.

p.s: please don't point out technical mistakes ... this is OT as is

Re: Yamaha YZF R3 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Benelli TNT 300 - Which one to buy??? Please help...

1+1=4

You need to check in your city how good or bad the SVCs are. Both for spares and quality of service.

Since you already have a Yamaha, you will probably be more comfortable sticking with the brand.

The T3 we rode around India for 10000km. A naked bike is not meant for touring at speed over long distances. It is just plain tiring. Of course that doesn't mean that people don't do it or won't continue doing it! Personally i find the N3 or the R3 far more comfortable. I am sure you will as well, since you currently ride the R15.

Regarding your query about going to Ladakh. How often would you be riding in Ladakh? Not very i guess! Needless to say lots of people have taken N250s to Leh without any hassle. Heck, xBhp even took a Gixxer 1000 to Spiti! Don't base your purchase on a trip which you will do once or twice. For every other form of touring, these bikes will do the job without any fuss.

Re: Yamaha YZF R3 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Benelli TNT 300 - Which one to buy??? Please help...

If touring is your scene, then your choice narrows down to N300 and R3 because of the faring which will allow you to cruise at relatively higher speeds without the fatigue factor. The N300 has an approximate range of 450km to a full tank i am not sure of the other two. The slipper clutch is a boon on the N300.

Re: Yamaha YZF R3 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Benelli TNT 300 - Which one to buy??? Please help...

I have owned the R3 for almost 4 months and 3800 kms now so can comment about a few things.

1. The R3 is among the best tourers out there. You can cruise at 130+ speeds with the engine singing along beautifully. I did a 500 kms round trip in 5.5 hours with a mile-wide grin plastered on my face throughout.

2. In terms of top-speed, the bike starts losing a bit of steam post 175 kmph but only slightly so. Anyways that is not what we can maintain on Indian roads for long (nor recommended). It has ample of mid-range grunts to overtake vehicles without needing a downshift.

3. The wind blast is tackled amazingly and the seat is roomy enough to move that complaining bum around.

4.The only grouse I had was the low fuel economy (around 30 kmpl) on the highway. But I was ripping the bike above 130 kmph throughout so that was expected. [MENTION=61712]ArnabC[/MENTION] has done a mileage run which gave him a figure of 36+ kmpl. So it will boil down to your riding style.

5.Riding position is NOT committed at all. This is my first faired bike and I feel completely at home with the ergonomics.

6. Another small complain was the slight buzzing at 5-6k rpms. However above that (in higher gears) the bike is like a floating UFO. You have no idea you are doing triple digit speeds and have to look at the speedo to realize how fast you are going.

7. The suspension is great and the bike was not unsettled over potholes and speed breakers appearing out of nowhere.

As far as the other bikes are concerned, the Ninja 300 has a more committed riding position. Also I found the low end torque to be insufficient for city traffic conditions. The bike opens up in higher rpms and has a great top end. However as a daily ride, that sweet spot is seldom achieved. Tank range will be more than the R3 and the bike is butter smooth with nil vibrations. The tank is metallic and will support tank bags for tours. I have not ridden the TNT.

Maintenance-wise the Ninja spares are expensive and the TNT's are over the roof. I believe they sell bikes at lower cost and then earn money through the outlandish price of their spares. And then croon about how 'premium' their bike is. The R3's spares are interestingly priced with the plastic parts being very cheap and the metal parts being expensive.

With regards to the overheating news, yes the bike does heat up in stop-and-go traffic after a long ride. The radiator fan kicks in and if the bike is switched off then it takes multiple cranks to start. With my bike it refused to start for 20 minutes once, and I got the starter relay changed under warranty. Since then it has not given me this issue. I don't know about the high traffic behavior of the other bikes.

Re: Yamaha YZF R3 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Benelli TNT 300 - Which one to buy??? Please help...

[MENTION=31875]chandan[/MENTION] - Some owners have reported that these vibes are cleared off by the first or second service. Is that true?

Regards...

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Hahaha... ROFL. Really good one [MENTION=42667]Naveen Vajja[/MENTION]. Actually Kawasaki has been taking our market as for granted for quite some time, even though we are among the fast growing 2-wheeler market in the world, specially in the premium segment...

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[MENTION=38603]The Monk[/MENTION] - Agree with most of your points... And thanks for your approval to the thread also...

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Thanks [MENTION=13381]Akshay.[/MENTION] Please excuse my ignorance, but what is the use of slipper clutch??? Have been hearing this term for quite sometime. Google was too technical for me to understand it. Does it relate to downshifting without using clutch??? Please enlighten me...

Regards...

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[QUOTE=Deathmate.Zed;1217121]I have owned the R3 for almost 4 months and 3800 kms now so can comment about a few things.

Hi [MENTION=67255]Deathmate.Zed[/MENTION]. Quite an awesome experience with the R3 that you have shared! I think I would hardly be able to touch/ cross the top speed (my family might even tell me to get rid of the bike if they find me driving at that speeds... ). A speed range of 110-140 shall be sufficient for my needs. That may offer me better FE as well.

However, will the seat be comfortable for the pillion also during touring (my wife would be accompanying me often for my rides and her comfort is a priority)? Have you ever tried it??? Also, does the bike remain stable at high speeds??? Are the vibes at 5-6k rpm settled after first service? What are your suspension settings??? Too any questions!!! Pheww...

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Can some Benelli and N300 owners share their experiences and problems as well. Also, should i consider HD Street 750 as well? Am not much of a Harley fan and the quality of HD Street 750 is also not as comparable to the other Harleys (not even its symphony)! But still, does it stand a chance?

Also, I shall be using my bike mostly for daily commuting with occasional touring on weekends, etc. Any other bike that I may consider?? Please guide.

Regards...

Re: Yamaha YZF R3 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Benelli TNT 300 - Which one to buy??? Please help...

Thanks [MENTION=13381]Akshay.[/MENTION] Please excuse my ignorance, but what is the use of slipper clutch??? Have been hearing this term for quite sometime. Google was too technical for me to understand it. Does it relate to downshifting without using clutch??? Please enlighten me...

In short, the slipper clutch enables the rider to downshift (depends on the rider whether he wants to downshift using clutch or without) without the rear wheel locking up which happens due to abrupt changes in rpm. This is especially useful when riding the twisties. Further the N300 clutch is "assist" which enables the rider to make gear changes with hardly any effort and over the long run preserves the life of the clutch.

This is some of the tech that Kawasaki offers, which unfortunately not many people appreciate, and also why the bike cost comes at a premium. Try basing the N300 price near about the other two choices and imagine then having to install these features separately, you will then see the value.

Re: Yamaha YZF R3 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Benelli TNT 300 - Which one to buy??? Please help...

With the speeds that you have mentioned the R3 will be butter smooth on the highways. Although it is blazingly fast(I touch 150+ daily while going to office on an isolated stretch) it is remarkable torquey at lower speeds too. The bike is stable as a rock at high speeds so no worries there. Some vibes at 5-6k rpms are still there for me and I am yet to give it for second service. Suspension setting is on 3 by default. This is comfortable for commuting and if required can be made stiffer (till setting 7) for track use.

I have never tried riding with pillion nor do i feel comfortable with the idea. This is a sportsbike that can handle touring and not the other way round. I would have taken a pillion if this was like hayabusa. However fellow owners have taken long tours with pillions and they were comfortable. As we speak one of us from Kolkota, is touring south india with his wife. And from his updates, the wife is fairly happy with the R3.

My 2 cents about the street 750 : It is a fairly good product but with a lot of cost cutting evident in the build quality. The brakes were shit and still are not that competent. I have heard other harley owners telling to be aware of any tailing street 750 riders rear-ending them. I also personally don't like the idea of spending so much and not even getting a pillion seat as standard. But it is the easiest way to gain entry into the harley club and you might want to have a look just for this. I have no idea about it's touring creds but it surely has everything required to be a good tourer.

Re: Yamaha YZF R3 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Benelli TNT 300 - Which one to buy??? Please help...

[MENTION=6008]akshay[/MENTION] - Thanks a lot buddy. Now understood it...

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Thanks a lot [MENTION=67255]Deathmate.Zed[/MENTION] for the update. Who's the person from Kolkata you've referred to above? Any link where I can go through his travelogue, if he has posted something as yet?? Also, somehow, I am just unable to make up my mind for HD Street 750. I'd rather buy a higher edition of HD to get an entry to the Harley club. But it seems unlikely owing to my inclination towards faired bikes...

Re: Yamaha YZF R3 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Benelli TNT 300 - Which one to buy??? Please help...

His name is Abhishek Banerjee. https://www.facebook.com/clive.banerjee?fref=ts this is his fb profile. He has posted some updates regarding his ride.

Re: Yamaha YZF R3 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Benelli TNT 300 - Which one to buy??? Please help...

I had participated in a photoshoot for the magazine Motoring World. The article on parallel twins in India is out in their March issue. You might find this useful.

Re: Yamaha YZF R3 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Benelli TNT 300 - Which one to buy??? Please help...

Bloody hell!!!!
The baby ninja looks like zx10-r in all the pictures here. What's the trick :P

Re: Yamaha YZF R3 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Benelli TNT 300 - Which one to buy??? Please help...

No trick, it just does. This was the same comment that the team from Motoring World made after the comparo.

Re: Yamaha YZF R3 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Benelli TNT 300 - Which one to buy??? Please help...

Thanks a lot [MENTION=13381]Akshay.[/MENTION] M trying to get the issue and go through the article. Might get it by weekend...

Re: Yamaha YZF R3 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Benelli TNT 300 - Which one to buy??? Please help...

You are welcome, though just some advice to keep in mind is that the media generally tends to glorify the latest entrant into the market, be it cars or bikes, which in this case is the R3. Ultimately you are the best judge as each persons expectations are different.

Re: Yamaha YZF R3 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Benelli TNT 300 - Which one to buy??? Please help...













2015 Entry-Level Sportbike Shootout - Motorcycle USA

Kawasaki Ninja 300, KTM RC390, Yamaha YZF R3, Honda CBR300R | Cycle World: Honda CBR300R vs. Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs. KTM RC390 vs. Yamaha YZF-R3.