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**sunilg** · 03-14-2019, 11:48 AM

Re: Ninja 300 (2019) or Apache RR 310 - MUMBAI

What bike query approved.

**Ankey** · 03-14-2019, 12:47 PM

Re: Ninja 300 (2019) or Apache RR 310 - MUMBAI

If budget is not an issue, the Ninja is better than the RR310 in every single measurable way. of course, premium-ness and quality comes with a price. The twin cylinder smoothness and the Japanese robust-ness is second to none. Regarding the global discontinuation of the bike and the parts availability; there are many ninja250 owners who are happily living with their bikes without any worry. The key is to know your bike inside out, then plan and stock. The kawa authorized service centers are a joke when it comes to spare part availability, they don't even keep basic things rear view mirrors and brake and clutch levers. Online aftermarket sellers are the way to go. The quality is at par, the price is at par the it arrives at your doorsteps. Owners who know their bikes, have a good idea what they will need in near future and keep a good stock of spares (brake pads, oil filters, clutch cables etc). So they face no problems ever. If you can manage the same, go for it.

For everything else the RR310 is the answer. Its cheaper, the fit, finish and quality is awesome for an Indian maker, it has all the bells and whistles that a rider would want in 2019 and its a looker in Red.

other things :

Headlights (I love the lights on Dominar for perspective) - LED on RR310 vs Conventional on Ninja : The twin LEDs on the RR are good and bright and the Ninja is well lit too. You won't face any issues in any of them.

Servicing costs : Kawa will be expensive to service and maintain. The authorized service centers don't have a good inventory of spares, it takes a few weeks to get what you need from the Auth. service center. I think TVS would be better on this case, check with the owners in ownership thread to get better idea. Keep a stock of your own consumables is a good way too (as mentioned above).

Long Term Reliability : Kawa is solid in this regard, have decades of experience and owners vouch for them with their hearts. The RR310 is the new kid on the block, but judging by the products TVS have ben putting out in past years, they are good too. I wouldn't compare them with the Japs, but they are in the race nonetheless.

Importance of slipper clutch in city riding (80% of the time) : Slipper clutch is useless on daily commutes. I have been riding for a decade (both daily commutes and tours), I never felt the need of one. I don't think I'll ever shift so hard that my rear wheel would start hopping. And small displacement bike do not produce any significant amount of torque that might be problematic(unless you go from 6th gear to 1st at 70 kmpl). Its a marketing gimmick and a normal rider have no use of it (unless you visit a race track frequently). ABS however is a must and is available on both.

Suspension : can't comment. different rider have different likings and the dynamics change with weight of the rider. Take test rides and you'll get better idea.

Engine heat dissipation : Both will heat up in stop and go traffic, but that's what radiators are for.

Tyre - Not planning to replace the stock tyres : both bikes have good shoes for day today riding and touring. Unless you take them to trace frequently, you won't feel the need to upgrade.

**ajayreddy** · 03-14-2019, 03:40 PM

Re: Ninja 300 (2019) or Apache RR 310 - MUMBAI

Originally posted by Ankey View Post

If budget is not an issue, the Ninja is better than the RR310 in every single measurable way. of course, premium-ness and quality comes with a price. The twin cylinder smoothness and the Japanese robust-ness is second to none. Regarding the global discontinuation of the bike and the parts availability; there are many ninja250 owners who are happily living with their bikes without any worry. The key is to know your bike inside out, then plan and stock. The kawa authorized service centers are a joke when it comes to spare part availability, they don't even keep basic things rear view mirrors and brake and clutch levers. Online aftermarket sellers are the way to go. The quality is at par, the price is at par the it arrives at your doorsteps. Owners who know their bikes, have a good idea what they will need in near future and keep a good stock of spares (brake pads, oil filters, clutch cables etc). So they face no problems ever. If you can manage the same, go for it.

For everything else the RR310 is the answer. Its cheaper, the fit, finish and quality is awesome for an Indian maker, it has all the bells and whistles that a rider would want in 2019 and its a looker in Red.

other things :

Headlights (I love the lights on Dominar for perspective) - LED on RR310 vs Conventional on Ninja : The twin LEDs on the RR are good and bright and the Ninja is well lit too. You won't face any issues in any of them.

Servicing costs : Kawa will be expensive to service and maintain. The authorized service centers don't have a good inventory of spares, it takes a few weeks to get what you need from the Auth. service center. I think TVS would be better on this case, check with the owners in ownership thread to get better idea. Keep a stock of your own consumables is a good way too (as mentioned above).

Long Term Reliability : Kawa is solid in this regard, have decades of experience and owners vouch for them with their hearts. The RR310 is the new kid on the block, but judging by the products TVS have ben putting out in past years, they are good too. I wouldn't compare them with the Japs, but they are in the race nonetheless.

Importance of slipper clutch in city riding (80% of the time) : Slipper clutch is useless on daily commutes. I have been riding for a decade (both daily commutes and tours), I never felt the need of one. I don't think I'll ever shift so hard that my rear wheel would start hopping. And small displacement bike do not produce any significant amount of torque that might be problematic(unless you go from 6th gear to 1st at 70 kmpl). Its a marketing gimmick and a normal rider have no use of it (unless you visit a race track frequently). ABS however is a must and is available on both.

Suspension : can't comment. different rider have different likings and the dynamics change with weight of the rider. Take test rides and you'll get better idea.

Engine heat dissipation : Both will heat up in stop and go traffic, but that's what radiators are for.

Tyre - Not planning to replace the stock tyres : both bikes have good shoes for day today riding and touring. Unless you take them to trace frequently, you won't feel the need to upgrade.

Thanks a lot for the really detailed explanation Ankey! Appreciate your inputs. Not sure if you will know, but do you think there will still be an issue for the cosmetic spare parts after localization?

I have gone through the Ownership thread for RR 310 and Ninja so yea that's giving me a fair idea of the real world usage feedback.

I have test driven both the bikes and frankly, loved both of them for different reasons. But the smoothness is unparalleled.

One more thing, I didn't find much difference in the braking but I have heard the Nissin brakes that Kawasaki used to get earlier are a lot better than the Endurance ones. Would you know of the feedback on Endurance? From what I could gather, it's primarily used by Bajaj in their Pulsar series.

**Ankey** · 03-14-2019, 04:06 PM

Re: Ninja 300 (2019) or Apache RR 310 - MUMBAI

Originally posted by ajayreddy View Post

Thanks a lot for the really detailed explanation Ankey! Appreciate your inputs. Not sure if you will know, but do you think there will still be an issue for the cosmetic spare parts after localization?
Ans: bro, Its not so much about the localization than about the demand. You see there are hardly any Ninja's on the road. So less number of bikes means less demand for spares. Due to this the service centers don't want to store lots of different spares. They know that there is a high chance that they will rot or expire in the warehouse only. So they hardly keep any spares and wait for someone to order them. If you dropped a ninja and wanted a body panel or a side fairing, you will have to wait a few weeks if you live in a small city. Of course being in a metropolitan city speeds things up quite a bit, with lots of service centers. I live in Chandigarh and hometown is Dehradun. Both are medium size cities and are capital cities for their respective states, People still face problems and the nearest solution is Delhi which is 300 kms away. Hence people choose online shopping. Living in a city like Mumbai, you might never face this problem. I would advise to do proper research, talk to a few owners personally if you can and then make an informed decision.

One more thing, I didn't find much difference in the braking but I have heard the Nissin brakes that Kawasaki used to get earlier are a lot better than the Endurance ones. Would you know of the feedback on Endurance? From what I could gather, it's primarily used by Bajaj in their Pulsar series.
Ans: I can't comment on the braking performance bro. I have ridden the old 250. But have very limited experience on the 300. you'll have to visit the ownership thread. I can however vouch for the nissin brake setup. My bike have them both front and back and I never had any complaints. They are very good in bite and feel. Can't comment on the Endurance once. But hey, as long as they do what they are supposed to do, it should be all good.

Please find the answers above.

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Ninja 300 (2019) or Apache RR 310 - MUMBAI

Ninja 300 (2019) or Apache RR 310 - MUMBAI

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