Re: CBR650R with no test ride?

Thanks every one will go for test drive when current situation improves.

Hi everyone. I’m back again since cbr650r is not releasing anytime soon, so after months of thinking(fell from roof so had lots of time). I decided to increase my budget to z900 or ninja 1000sx. Contacted aurum kawasaki and decided to take a test ride in coming weeks. Now the problem is now I’m experiencing cold feet(riding a 1000cc bike straight from 150cc). Just wanted to take some pointers before going for a test ride. I’ve very responsible attitude, i just don’t whack the throttle. I’ve ridden my fz for 8 years with 1 accident(just started learning) and for last 3 years using it for my daily commute of 70km, in between whenever i got the chance jumped on duke 200 and bullet(electra and classic). But never ridden a bike more than 30 ps.
Can you please suggest me things to do while test riding.
should i ask them to take bike to a more open area with less public(if that’s an option) and ask them to reduce the power of bike to low power mode etc.

You have never ridden a faired bike before. You haven't even ridden a twin cylinder bike. So, why are you rushing to buy a big displacement bike right away? You don't even know what to look for during your test ride. All indications of a possibly bad decision you might regret later.

How do you even know you will like it? Actually, even if you do one ride with these bikes for 50-100 kms, you can't be sure if you like it or not. It takes time and a few rides to get used to the stance and all the other nuances of the bike.

I'd suggest buying a RR310 or Ninja 300 or a R3 and learning how it feels to ride and maintain a twin cylinder sports tourer. Better if you get a good deal on the used market. Then, in 1-2 years, if you like riding faired bikes, you can get the CBR 650R.

For test rides, I'd check if I like the riding stance, how does the power feel, how the brakes feel, suspension over bad roads and how the bike handles corners, stability at 100-120+ kph. This will just be a cursory assessment. Better way to test a bike is to rent for 1-2 days and ride it a lot. Obviously, it helps a lot if you have some previous experience with a faired bike for comparison.

Actually i can only buy one I generally stick with my buys for a longer period. I did ride r15(friend’s) and r3(test ride 15-20 km) but my back didn’t agree with sporty posture and on highway they still felt lacking power not the initial grunt but comfort and confidence at high speed. So if i buy 300 cc this is it for me, at-least for 5-6 year. That is why i zeroed in for sports tourer. My first choice was cbr 650r but that is not going to release. Other option are z900, street triple and then ninja 1000sx. I am not considering z900 and triple because of wind blast, when i rode my fz from Pune to shirdi the wind blast was really uncomfortable and my rain coat was acting like a parachute. Plus the heat from engine on naked bike is unbearable(can be overcome by boots). So these are the reason i am leaning more towards ninja 1000sx. Going from 300 to 600cc then to 1000cc not possible for me both monetarily and age wise. I was going for 600 in that category only cbr made sense.

The Ninja 1000 is a great bike! If you get it, know that you'll not enjoy it riding in traffic or the city. It is solely meant for the highways and touring and even then, you will get few chances to use its max power.

I had a FZ16 before and own a CBR 250R now and I really miss my FZ in city traffic. Sometimes, even the CBR feels too much bike for the city.

CBR650R BS6 i think could be out in a couple of months?
With Ninja 1000sx one thing is the power and other is the weight which is also an important consideration. Why not go for an ADV bike like say Triumph Tiger? They have superb touring attributes and are the in thing these days.

Even ninja 1000sx has stretched my budget a lot. I like tiger but its starting price is 13.7 lakh and mostly of the adv’s have really high seat. I’m reluctant to buy Cbr650r now because of the longer waiting period and behavior of their staff (every time i call Honda big wing it feels like they are doing me a favor). Tiger 850 is the best option with adjustable seat height and price will also be low but it looks ugly. I will go to triumph and try it but i read triumph has really poor service reach. Even on google, Delhi and Gurgaon triumph has really low number of review.

One more thing triumph uses dry weight, where as Kawasaki curb or wet weight or ready to ride weight. So a 192 kg tiger 850, with 90 percent of 20 liter and with 73 % density, min 3kg on engine oil, 3 kg misc. weight(brake fluid + coolant) will weight around 211 kg at-least. So, I don't think even adv is going to be any lighter. The only thing is tempting is adjustable seat height and cheaper service but ugly looks. Kawasaki also offer seat height but it costs 18k. Only if there is any custom seat maker in Delhi otherwise I've to pay 18k for a seat. Man it is hard to choose a bike.

I would look not just at the initial cost but also maintanence & spares cost. Both are low for Cbr650r from what i hear, and the spares are supposed to be more readily available (no 2 month waiting time?).
I was nearly about to buy the CBR650r right after it launched. It looked good and in my mind i wanted to believe that the R in 650R stood for better performance and handling compared to the old 650F. By chance i managed to get a test ride of the bike from Honda showroom in Gurgaon: just two 2km long straights and two turns. Frankly, the engine didn't appeal to me, it lacks low and mid range torque and has typical Honda linear power... not much fun. Also, it's a bit buzzy. And they have done something with the exhaust that makes it sound louder to the rider. Personally i didn't like the sound either. (For sport riding it's not even close to the RC390 that i own.) Still it's a more or less affordable Honda big bike and one can get 5 years warranty. BTW, i liked the seating position (rider triangle) suits my 5'8" frame nicely, though probably not ideal for very long rides.

Regarding weight it's more than just the actual weight of the bike. It's also how the weight feels when you are on the bike, while riding it and how it affects the handling. I haven't ridden the Ninja 1000sx so can't comment there. I have ridden the Z900 and the Suzuki s750. I liked the S750 and even though it's a naked somehow the wind blast didn't bother me as much as say on the Triumph 765. Maybe it's got to do with the height of the tank? not sure. I could imagine myself going touring on the Z900 or the S750 without hesitation.

I was also thinking of Cbr650r but availability is kinda turnoff plus if I’m spending that much i need some attention and etiquette from showroom guys. You are right honda is way cheaper compared to kawasaki. First of all 10k kms vs 6k of kawasaki. Parts are more readily available for kawasaki compared to honda i think deducing that from team bhp and xbhp review.

I don't think tank can deflect that much amount of air to be comfortable when sitting straight may be you test rode that on quite day.

There are two kawasaki showroom in delhi, west delhi and aurum. Where as honda has only one in gurugram. So I’m biting the bullet and choosing expensive kawasaki service.
People at aurum kawasaki are easy to reach there response time is instantaneous but on phone they felt very haughty and rigid and west delhi answered my call after 2days. When i asked them(aurum) for reduced seat height they told me it will cost you 18k. Where as people from west delhi straight up told me that they will give me old ninja seat for free and they also knew how much seat height is going to get reduced. Whereas Aurum had no idea apart from price. West Delhi kawasaki was also speaking keeping in mind customer’s point of view. He straight up told me, very less people buy original kawasaki accessories they are so expensive that is why we also keep third party.
The only thing is, on road price is high compared to Aurum because of insurance.

I am also attaching quote that I got from both showroom. Insurance difference is 10k and some one on team bhp suggested to go buy insurance by yourself he opted for hdfc ergo for only 28k.

Hi everyone
Finally took the test drive, ninja 1000sx felt lighter than z900. Weight on z900 is concentrated on the upper side where as in ninja 1000sx near the engine. When i tried to tilt the bike from side stand z900 felt quite un-natural, where as ninja stood straight without effort. When i sat on the bike i was shaking in my shoes as soon as i hit the throttle it was little terrifying because i was not accustomed to clutch but after that it was smooth sailing. The engine is really smooth i felt no vibration at all on foot pegs(may be i was too excited to feel anything). I didn’t tried rip the throttle because i won’t be doing that but still pushed her little hard and man she flies. Torque was plenty so no frequent gear changing.
Things I didn’t like
Gear box seemed clunky while downshifting.
High for me(can only touch feet’s ball)
While i was riding i felt she was swaying/leaning to the right side, may be because of my shoulder injury(fell from roof 2 weeks ago).

So finally booked the bike, they just received a fresh batch of the bike and assigned one ninja to me.

I need one suggestion, i was asking for lower seat but sales person was suggesting me to stick to original seat and go for high heel boots.
I will buy the boots anyway but i was thinking of a* smx6 v2 not woodland. a* doesn’t change the reach that much. So should i opt for low seat height?

Finally 5 years of wait is over.

Congrats on your new ride! Looks smashing!

thanks siddhant.