[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by prajwalkashyap

Hi Aditya,

It would be great if u could post the details of the shop where the Paint Protection Film was purchased. I am interested in looking into it over the weekend sometime.

Cheers!

Prajwal

Hi Prajwal,

I am not aware of the shop name and my friend only remembers directions to the shop. Why dont you get in touch with Auto Service at Banashankari? You can speak with Mr. Venkat Shyam and refer my name. Mr. Venkat is a very passionate and helpful person and an avid biker/enthusiast. He has genuine 3M paint protection films which are currently designed for the fuel tank area. He might be able to help you. Contact him at the service center numbers.

[isodope]

Have got a 15-tooth JT front sprocket - the stock one has 14 teeth. I'm told that's equivalent to dropping three teeth off the rear sprocket.
Have got it because I find the motorcycle geared too short for normal use - I'm no speed demon, and the Ninja is too frantic at cruising speed. I'm also told that my performance might INCREASE with the slightly taller gearing. Will compare to stock and see as and when possible - which will probably be the middle of January.

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by isodope

Have got a 15-tooth JT front sprocket - the stock one has 14 teeth. I'm told that's equivalent to dropping three teeth off the rear sprocket.

If you don't mind please share the cost of the parts and where you sourced them from.

So does this sprocket increase the acceleration or the top speed of the bike?

[isodope]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

If you don't mind please share the cost of the parts and where you sourced them from.

So does this sprocket increase the acceleration or the top speed of the bike?

Sourced from here, shipped to a friend in London who was returning to India for a while. Cost around Rs 1000, little more now that the Rupee has fallen.

Kawasaki EX 250 R Ninja 11 Sprocket Front Plus 1 Tooth Parts at Wemoto - The UK's No.1 On-Line Motorcycle Parts Retailer

Since it is a larger front sprocket it will lengthen the overall gearing. That means slower acceleration but higher top speed. However, I've always got the feeling that the Ninja 250 was geared too short for a road bike, and a friend who works on motorcycles says the same. He is of the opinion that it will help both acceleration AND performance.

I plan to install the sprocket, then take along a stock motorcycle and test the two back to back. Plan is to test with a 100kg rider AND a 50kg one, so you know what kind of performance difference it offers. Will get back with the figures - but this will happen only in the middle of January.

[isodope]

Sprocket installed yesterday evening. Had a short ride, here are initial impressions:

bad things: the motorcycle is slower to accelerate - but not by much.
Rideability is less. You can't stick it in sixth at 25kmph any more.
Engine braking has lessened.


Good things: It is a LOT less busy at highway speeds.
When you're riding calmly, you're going to be more relaxed, especially in top gear.
When you're riding quickly, you're going to be much quicker through a corner because there's a couple of hundred revs still remaining at the top at the same speed compared to the stock gearing.
The jerkiness of the on-off throttle has reduced.
Engine braking has lessened.

Would I recommend it to other Ninja owners? If you don't want a VERY quick motorcycle and would like more top speed to acceleration, yes. If you want something that is rideable and the quickest it can be point to point, leave it stock.


Full test in mid-January.

[isodope]

Had a back-to-back ride this morning with a stock Ninja out on the highway. A CBR250 came along, so hopped onto that as well for comparison.

Seat of the pants feel: the stock Ninja will leave my bike in the dust in roll-on acceleration. However, there's a difference of just over 1000rpm in top gear - at 100kph, my bike turns over at a shade under 7000rpm, where the stock bike is doing 8000rpm.
Doesn't feel quicker than a CBR250 any more, but it certainly is, as we saw more than a few times today.

Am attaching two images from the ride, as I haven't yet got the motorcycle shot.

[bluenicotine]

Originally Posted by isodope

Sprocket installed yesterday evening. Had a short ride, here are initial impressions:

bad things: the motorcycle is slower to accelerate - but not by much.
Rideability is less. You can't stick it in sixth at 25kmph any more.
Engine braking has lessened.


Good things: It is a LOT less busy at highway speeds.
When you're riding calmly, you're going to be more relaxed, especially in top gear.
When you're riding quickly, you're going to be much quicker through a corner because there's a couple of hundred revs still remaining at the top at the same speed compared to the stock gearing.
The jerkiness of the on-off throttle has reduced.
Engine braking has lessened.

Would I recommend it to other Ninja owners? If you don't want a VERY quick motorcycle and would like more top speed to acceleration, yes. If you want something that is rideable and the quickest it can be point to point, leave it stock.

Full test in mid-January.

Thanks for the sprocket installation review isodope. Your thread on the Ninja is very informative. Once of the reviews which gave me the confidence to go ahead for the bike

Originally Posted by isodope

Am attaching two images from the ride, as I haven't yet got the motorcycle shot.

Thanks for the pics. A feast for the eyes esp the HD

[isodope]

Originally Posted by bluenicotine

Thanks for the pics. A feast for the eyes esp the HD

Be aware that spares remain horrendously expensive - and it's my pleasure to put this up

That's no HD - it's the big daddy. M1800R.

[isodope]

My apologies for remaining silent - the bike has developed a problem and so no test has been conducted so far. The FI light has turned on. Unfortunately, my bike doctor is in the process of shifting his work and home premises so I have no option but to wait it out. I've been promised that my bike will be attended to in the first few days, so that will happen when it happens.

I hope it didn't happen because of neglect - on that ride I'd taken another person's motorcycle to ride because I wanted to ride something bigger for a change :S

[isodope]

Diagnosis done - the fuel injectors and air filter were clogged. The tank and injectors had water in them (we suspected this all along) but surprisingly the injectors also had a white powder in them. This, I am told, is from the phosphate coating in the tank.
The FI remains on, so the next step is to get new injectors - I hope they don't cost as much as some of the other spares do!

The air filter is also too clogged to clean effectively so it'll need a new air filter. I've got a stock one standing by, but I'd like to try out a paper filter, and have settled on the Simota thanks to balenopower's recommendation. Let's see how that works out. This is going to push the test real far into the future. Sorry about this!

[isodope]

Had a chat with the Thane service centre, they don't keep the injectors in stock. They also don't have an idea of what the price or delivery period will be; you simply have to give them an advance payment of Rs 1000 and place the order and wait. Am talking to Bajaj directly now - they are extremely helpful, which is encouraging.


RaceConcepts has quoted Rs 3200 for the Simota air filter - that's almost ten times the cost of the stock filter. I'm going to stick to stock, then.

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by isodope

Diagnosis done - the fuel injectors and air filter were clogged. The tank and injectors had water in them (we suspected this all along) but surprisingly the injectors also had a white powder in them.

Would it not be possible to clean the injectors? Try Sonax injector cleaner. It works pretty well. I have used it in my car.

Originally Posted by isodope

RaceConcepts has quoted Rs 3200 for the Simota air filter - that's almost ten times the cost of the stock filter. I'm going to stick to stock, then.

Stick to stock mate. I installed a K&N drop in filter and switched back to stock since the stock one is easier to clean.

Also, there is only a marginal improvement in performance (low end and mid range) with the K&N.

[isodope]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Would it not be possible to clean the injectors? Try Sonax injector cleaner. It works pretty well. I have used it in my car.

I use injector cleaner regularly - and dumped in a whole lot of concentrated injector cleaner for the last tank once the FI light came on, to clear the system. The injectors have since been removed and cleaned physically, and yet the light is on. Therefore the need for new ones.

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by isodope

I use injector cleaner regularly - and dumped in a whole lot of concentrated injector cleaner for the last tank once the FI light came on, to clear the system. The injectors have since been removed and cleaned physically, and yet the light is on. Therefore the need for new ones.

Hmmm.. So it is time for new ones.

BTW, i would advise you to stay away from such solvents, injector cleaners, octane boosters, etc. as much as possible, since they do more harm than good.

Using them when really necessary is ok.

[isodope]

Yup. I've had nothing but good experiences with the additives (as does anyone who uses branded fuels, eh?) so I'm going to stick with them unless someone can give me proof of the harm they do to ordinary Indian people's machines running on adulterated fuel

Bajaj got back already - this is lightning quick! - so am taking the motorcycle to the service centre in the afternoon.