Kawasaki ninja 300 Riders

mechwira · June 12, 2013

another update.

apparently just like stainless steel brake lines, motovation does not yet manufacture frame sliders that will fit the ninja 300. and just like venhill with my brake lines, motovation offered to take my ninja and start using it as a template to design ninja 300 sliders for future production and sale. however, unlike venhill, motovation said it will take between 1 to 2 weeks while my bike is kept with them, which is no-go for me.

so for now i've got no sliders, although i forgot to ask if this referred only to frame sliders or also to axle and bar-end sliders. but definitely frame sliders is the important one and thats the one they dun have. an option is to purchase no-cut sliders off the net, but i'm an |d|ot when it comes to DIY and i dun think i can manage even such a simple installation.

on the bright side, my venhill stainless steel brake lines are on, and i'll be installing Rosso II tires (OEM size front but 150/60 rear) and it'll all be ready by this evening.

anybody know of shops dealing with R&G brand frame sliders? it appears that brand has ninja 300 specific sliders, but i donno which shop deals with them.

Edited June 12, 2013 by mechwira

afterlife · June 12, 2013

guarantor needed if u are paying via installment

thanks for ur info

afterlife · June 12, 2013

yeah sliders are important tho.yoshimura do hv specially made sliders(with brackets) for da ninja but dont know whether u hv to cut or no cut.i prefer no cuttin on my bodyworks.aiyaaaaa dunno when i can buy dis bike.maybe if there are legal full systems...i would buy it.collect $ time

emi_ · June 13, 2013

another update.

apparently just like stainless steel brake lines, motovation does not yet manufacture frame sliders that will fit the ninja 300. and just like venhill with my brake lines, motovation offered to take my ninja and start using it as a template to design ninja 300 sliders for future production and sale. however, unlike venhill, motovation said it will take between 1 to 2 weeks while my bike is kept with them, which is no-go for me.

so for now i've got no sliders, although i forgot to ask if this referred only to frame sliders or also to axle and bar-end sliders. but definitely frame sliders is the important one and thats the one they dun have. an option is to purchase no-cut sliders off the net, but i'm an |d|ot when it comes to DIY and i dun think i can manage even such a simple installation.

on the bright side, my venhill stainless steel brake lines are on, and i'll be installing Rosso II tires (OEM size front but 150/60 rear) and it'll all be ready by this evening.

anybody know of shops dealing with R&G brand frame sliders? it appears that brand has ninja 300 specific sliders, but i donno which shop deals with them.

hi bro, met you yesterday at ubi. im riding the green ninja300. motovation just called to inform me they're importing puig frame sliders. but pricing abit steep..

cheers

mechwira · June 13, 2013

hi bro, met you yesterday at ubi. im riding the green ninja300. motovation just called to inform me they're importing puig frame sliders. but pricing abit steep..

cheers

thanks for the update, go where and do and how much they quote?

and nice to have met you yest.

emi_ · June 13, 2013

thanks for the update, go where and do and how much they quote?

and nice to have met you yest.

I'm not sure go where to do, maybe can check with motovation.

They quoted 250! This is what it looks like.... http://www.puig.tv/tuning-bikes/kawasaki-ninja-300-2013/crash-pads-r/r12/c171en/f1-r49-m3452/

mechwira · June 13, 2013

this bike gives me very mixed feelings.

since i sold my CBR600RR a month ago, i never missed the bike as much as i did when i rode my new ninja300 home. every time i throttled the ninja, my mind goes "why the F did i sell my cbr for this crap?!". yet the more i ride the ninja, the more it makes sense. the ninja300 showed me two things: 1) that i really want the power and thrill of a 'proper' class 2 sportsbike, but 2) if i only commute on local roads, the honest truth is i don't need the power of class 2.

so for those who are thinking of buying this bike and immediately want to know how it performs, i'll be frank: this baby ninja WON'T set anyone's pants on fire, it is NOT some smaller/cheaper substitute for a 'proper' class 2 sportsbike, heck its not even worthy of being called a modern successor to the legends of ZXR400 or CBR400RR or RVF400 or GSXR400.

if what i just said makes you start doubting your choices, give this bike a miss. because you'd have missed the point. Kawasaki didn't design this bike to be a ZXR400 successor; they designed this bike to be a learner entry model towards their 'real' ZX Ninja series, and to be a good-looking strong commuter.

and thats what it is: a strong commuter. it gives you all you need for the road, and a little bit extra. it can overtake standard cars going at normal speeds easily, and it will happily cruise at 120kmh on expressway. heck i tried sixth gear 110kmh indicated and my 'ECO' light was still on. It still had good power to spare. so tell me, how fast do you need your bike to go?

so, who should buy this bike?

people who feel 2B is not good enough, but don't want to pay more for power that you don't really need for the road, and for some reason is not attracted to Super Four. (this describes my current riding attitude.)

who shouldn't buy this bike?

anybody expecting this to be a 2013-spec ZXR400. (I would have bought a brand new 400cc inline4 sportsbike... if such a bike existed).

anybody who yearns to feel a Class 2 sportsbike and thinks this bike will be good value "pay a bit less money for just a bit less power". (relative to today's prices, this bike is pay a lot less, for a lot less power. buy a secondhand class2 sportsbike instead.)

in the end, this is not a 'bad' bike by any means. it is more than enough for the road. you just have to be sure what you're expecting when you buy this bike. i have more to say about how it feels downgrading to this bike, but i think i've talked a lot. potential downgraders can ask me more if you want.

donhxw · June 13, 2013

actually tire-wise regarding the ninja300, there are quite a few brands that provide for it.

Bridgestone have their BT39 and BT45 with similar sizing, 110/70 150/70, but differs in material and grip,

Dunlop has a 110/70 130/70 tire sixe as well for those who want lesser weight,

Pireilli have the diablo rosso 2 with 110/60 or 120/60 and 150/60 rear.

Metzler allso have similar tired as well.

My info and tire size not that accurate but believe me when i say that these tires are readily available in most shops, so dont have to worry bout no tires in stock.

Used to ride RS125, Roadwin X5 and currently an RS4125, all using similarly sized tires and have never had an issue of not being able to find tires

donhxw · June 13, 2013

this bike gives me very mixed feelings.

since i sold my CBR600RR a month ago, i never missed the bike as much as i did when i rode my new ninja300 home. every time i throttled the ninja, my mind goes "why the F did i sell my cbr for this crap?!". yet the more i ride the ninja, the more it makes sense. the ninja300 showed me two things: 1) that i really want the power and thrill of a 'proper' class 2 sportsbike, but 2) if i only commute on local roads, the honest truth is i don't need the power of class 2.

so for those who are thinking of buying this bike and immediately want to know how it performs, i'll be frank: this baby ninja WON'T set anyone's pants on fire, it is NOT some smaller/cheaper substitute for a 'proper' class 2 sportsbike, heck its not even worthy of being called a modern successor to the legends of ZXR400 or CBR400RR or RVF400 or GSXR400.

if what i just said makes you start doubting your choices, give this bike a miss. because you'd have missed the point. Kawasaki didn't design this bike to be a ZXR400 successor; they designed this bike to be a learner entry model towards their 'real' ZX Ninja series, and to be a good-looking strong commuter.

and thats what it is: a strong commuter. it gives you all you need for the road, and a little bit extra. it can overtake standard cars going at normal speeds easily, and it will happily cruise at 120kmh on expressway. heck i tried sixth gear 110kmh indicated and my 'ECO' light was still on. It still had good power to spare. so tell me, how fast do you need your bike to go?

so, who should buy this bike?

people who feel 2B is not good enough, but don't want to pay more for power that you don't really need for the road, and for some reason is not attracted to Super Four. (this describes my current riding attitude.)

who shouldn't buy this bike?

anybody expecting this to be a 2013-spec ZXR400. (I would have bought a brand new 400cc inline4 sportsbike... if such a bike existed).
anybody who yearns to feel a Class 2 sportsbike and thinks this bike will be good value "pay a bit less money for just a bit less power". (relative to today's prices, this bike is pay a lot less, for a lot less power. buy a secondhand class2 sportsbike instead.)

in the end, this is not a 'bad' bike by any means. it is more than enough for the road. you just have to be sure what you're expecting when you buy this bike. i have more to say about how it feels downgrading to this bike, but i think i've talked a lot. potential downgraders can ask me more if you want.

is the power good enough to get out of sticky situations when riding between 110-120kph? hows the monthly maintenance so far? two bottles EO?

mechwira · June 13, 2013

is the power good enough to get out of sticky situations when riding between 110-120kph? hows the monthly maintenance so far? two bottles EO?

consider this:

the bike's peak torque is at 10,000 rpm and peak power at 11,000 rpm. the bike redlines at 13,000rpm.

in sixth gear at 110~120, you are doing 8000 to 9000 rpm. the bike is just about to enter peak torque. you have power and torque to spare if your speed is 110~120.

also, past 5000rpm, the bike's power delivery is very smooth and linear. whether you're at 6,000rpm or 11,000rpm, throttle it and the bike gives you the same 'good' acceleration.

but i have to say, this is relative to the bike. i really dont know what kind of 'sticky situation' you'd encounter at 110+ kmh and what kind of power is 'good enough' to get you out of it. it will obviously give you more than any 2b bike will give, but how much is good enough?

EO is 2L without filter change, 2.2L with filter change. other maintenance, i donno... oil and filter and spark plugs based on manual is every 12000km (but surely you'd change more frequently), it uses two spark plugs, beyond that the chain and sprocket and tyres and battery... depends how you want isn it.

mechwira · June 14, 2013

so here's wat i've done to my ninja so far:

to improve the heavily criticized brakes, a set of front and rear Venhill steel braided hoses:

http://imageshack.us/a/img46/7134/hibv.jpghttp://img12.imageshack.us/img12/5743/h9i4.jpg

and the stock tyres whose reviews ranged from "adequate but better with better tyres" to simply "sh|tty", a set of Pirelli Diablo Rosso II front 140/70 (stock size) and rear 150/60.

http://imageshack.us/a/img407/1438/wfx.jpghttp://imageshack.us/a/img809/2042/zrsx.jpg

and finally, a wash and finish with Muc-off bike wash and water repellant spray. to demonstrate the mirror finish:

http://imageshack.us/a/img844/9288/zo98.jpg

future wish list for the bike:

1)full set of sliders

2)gear indicators

3)upgraded front brake master pump

Edited June 14, 2013 by mechwira

poorboii · June 14, 2013

so here's wat i've done to my ninja so far:

to improve the heavily criticized brakes, a set of front and rear Venhill steel braided hoses:
http://imageshack.us/a/img46/7134/hibv.jpghttp://img12.imageshack.us/img12/5743/h9i4.jpg

and the stock tyres whose reviews ranged from "adequate but better with better tyres" to simply "sh|tty", a set of Pirelli Diablo Rosso II front 140/70 (stock size) and rear 150/60.
http://imageshack.us/a/img407/1438/wfx.jpghttp://imageshack.us/a/img809/2042/zrsx.jpg

and finally, a wash and finish with Muc-off bike wash and water repellant spray. to demonstrate the mirror finish:

http://imageshack.us/a/img844/9288/zo98.jpg

future wish list for the bike:

1)full set of sliders
2)gear indicators
3)upgraded front brake master pump

nice ninja u did there! black looks rlly sleek and clean!

btw, the mudguard of the ninja seems kinda small and does not cover the entire rear wheel, after riding awhile, dirt might cover the underbody.

mechwira · June 14, 2013

btw, the mudguard of the ninja seems kinda small and does not cover the entire rear wheel, after riding awhile, dirt might cover the underbody.

YES....

discovered this to be true.....

poorboii · June 14, 2013

YES....

discovered this to be true.....

Well, the 300 still looks amazing afterall. Just requires more cleaning between rides then!

As for the weight, it seems to be lighter than a s4?

eric68 · June 17, 2013

so here's wat i've done to my ninja so far...

mechwira · June 17, 2013

[ATTACH=CONFIG]280692[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]280693[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]280694[/ATTACH]so here's wat i've done to my ninja so far...

details about the levers and front brake master pump please.

i was quoted about $200 incl installation for an R6 master pump.

however, with my stainless steel brake lines, i can already do two-fingered braking for normal to semi-hard braking. so i'm not sure if a further upgrade is needed, but its still in my consideration.

SC Gaban · June 17, 2013

here is an indonesian doing his ninja 300 in a forum.

http://www.kawasakininja300.com/forum/20-kawasaki-ninja-300-pictures/2906-ninja-indonesia.html

poorboii · June 17, 2013

here is an indonesian doing his ninja 300 in a forum.

http://www.kawasakininja300.com/forum/20-kawasaki-ninja-300-pictures/2906-ninja-indonesia.html

Looks chio! Zx6r frontfork, rvf proarm, custom pipe, red angel eyes.Only in indonesia tho, sg 100% illegal.

mechwira · June 17, 2013

found a good video of on-board camera on a ninja 300.

dont know which country, portugal or philipines or something, but the road conditions look very similar to our expressway at daytime off-peak and the way the guy rides (borderline reckless but still within upper limit of what i consider acceptable), it shows how much power the bike has when used for commuting.

just for people still wondering about its performance.

eric68 · June 19, 2013

details about the levers and front brake master pump please.

i was quoted about $200 incl installation for an R6 master pump.

however, with my stainless steel brake lines, i can already do two-fingered braking for normal to semi-hard braking. so i'm not sure if a further upgrade is needed, but its still in my consideration.

if cluth + brake lever + R6 master pump for $200 not ex ma...

mechwira · June 23, 2013

so i've done a little over 500km so far on this bike, which is about halfway thru running in. to be honest, i've already started riding the bike like it was already run-in. after about 300km, the engine's sound became more throaty past 5k rpm, it was noticeably stronger and more free-revving. my running-in involved varying the rpm, gradually increasing the rpm higher each ride until i brought it to 11k rpm.

this bike is surprisingly fun. the very broad spread of power and torque (from 5k rpm thru 11k rpm), plus the lightweight feel, meant that this is a bike that is very easy to control and corner. the engine never becomes 'frantic'; you want more you just increase throttle. you want a big surge of acceleration, then give a big twist. fine throttle control is not a requirement on this thing; throttling rarely becomes "sh|t, too much!", even on corners that suddenly tighten up.

and cornering this bike is quite fun too, except that it doesn't really do "fast cornering", it's more of 'smooth cornering'. and again, the light weight and broad power/torque is what makes it so easy to do a 'smooth cornering'. however, watch the body posture: when i maintained the bike's 'normal' riding posture, the bike was noticeably top-heavy when you tip it over. very disconcerting.

but purposely lean your upper torso forward into a more classic racing pose, the top-heavy feeling disappeared. make sure you're at least 5k rpm entering the corner, at an appropriate speed and gear, lean forward look thru corner, tip it over and just gradually increase throttle. it just tracks your chosen line without understeer or oversteer. freakin easy and bloody fun.

crosswinds when you're past 100kmh will slightly tug the bike sideways; but again, its not the bike, its your body. the wind is pulling your body, and the bike is neither heavy enough nor powerful enough to overcome the body tug. so again, lean forward (or totally tuck in if you don't mind looking like a GP racer on the expressway), and crosswinds will hardly bother you. this bike has full sports fairings after all.

all in all, i can't believe how much fun i'm having on this bike. i'm actually riding the same speed everywhere on the ninja as i was on the cbr6 previously; the difference being on the cbr6 i can feel that the bike is 'not happy' ridden in such a sedated manner, like it wants to run but i'm forcing it to brisk walk. the ninja though, feels like its doing a fast and steady jog, right where it wants to be. and its true: its more fun riding a slow bike fast than it is to ride a fast bike slow.

izz e · June 24, 2013

Wah!!!the way you explain makes my saliva drip...think will be a good upgrade for me from a 125cc 4 stroker..

mechwira · June 24, 2013

Wah!!!the way you explain makes my saliva drip...think will be a good upgrade for me from a 125cc 4 stroker..

from a 125cc 4-stroke, definitely. just dont expect to catch a super4 on full blast, and heaven forbid you try to race an rvf400. also, remember that there is still a big gap between this ninja and a real class 2 sportsbike, so think about whether you intend to upgrade to a full class 2 before buying this as a temporary ride.

but for riders on 150cc 2-stroke, like nsr150 or krr, especially if their engine is well maintained and strong, i cant guarantee the ninja will satisfy fully. the ninja's engine is definitely stronger, and the spread of power/torque much broader, but i'm not sure if its significantly faster. it'll stay ahead of an nsr or krr, definitely, but i'm not sure it can leave them behind to smell smoke. if their ten year old engines are kept fresh that is.

SC Gaban · June 25, 2013

using Zero Gravity sport touring windscreen for the 300. aaauuu!!!!

http://imageshack.us/a/img690/5853/hze5.jpg

SC Gaban · June 25, 2013

i have a question. can the clip on handlebar replace with a normal handle bar? like the ER6?

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