[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Just the riding position is a concern.

Doc,
Ninja 300 is a very good bike no second thoughts on it. Quality at that price is again awesome. But be ready to shell out the big ones when it comes to services/maintenance. The bike handles like a dream and comes to its own if you prefer taking it to tracks. If your primary usage is for touring then my gut feeling would suggest the nakeds which have a slight upright position. One that is easy on your wrists. Think over it before taking the plunge. Honestly feel that the 690 is an ideal step up for you

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ku69rd

Doc,
Ninja 300 is a very good bike no second thoughts on it. Quality at that price is again awesome. But be ready to shell out the big ones when it comes to services/maintenance. The bike handles like a dream and comes to its own if you prefer taking it to tracks. If your primary usage is for touring then my gut feeling would suggest the nakeds which have a slight upright position. One that is easy on your wrists. Think over it before taking the plunge. Honestly feel that the 690 is an ideal step up for you

I don't hear anything on the 690 yet bro. And while I am not bored of the 200, I am bored of how fast it goes.

A 300 cc parallel twin that can (and does) top 190 kmph, even if for 4 lacs on road, does present a serious alternative.

And I'm not kidding when I say that it does look significantly beefier than the 250. It LOOKS like a BIG bike.

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by ebonho

A 300 cc parallel twin that can (and does) top 190 kmph, even if for 4 lacs on road, does present a serious alternative.

Then why not the Ninja 650? Am sure you will get very good pre-worshipped ones that are capable of going even more faster if speed is the only criteria? Yes the Ninja does an easy 190 Kays and is quite stable at such speeds.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ku69rd

Then why not the Ninja 650? Am sure you will get very good pre-worshipped ones that are capable of going even more faster if speed is the only criteria? Yes the Ninja does an easy 190 Kays and is quite stable at such speeds.

I don't know man. The 650 has suddenly fallen out of favor since we have ridden my friend's new one. Brakes are not nice. Front end is wallowy/spongy/vague. Bike is too heavy and bulky. And its not as nice looking as the 300. Plus its costlier by 1.5 lacs (not talking used). And not as frugal as the 300 either. I've never owned a proper sports bike. The 650 won't be one. The 300 will. And looks the part.

Botom line - will the position screw me over? Can someone lend me his 250 for a ride to Goa and back?!!!

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Botom line - will the position screw me over? Can someone lend me his 250 for a ride to Goa and back?!!!

Yes the Ninja 650 does have soft springs in the front end and does wallow. Not the confidence inspiring one like that on the Ninja 250.

Regarding the position, if you can't lay your hands on the 250 then scratch around for a R-15. If your body can take the R-15 to Goa and back with no fuss then trust me Ninja 300 is a bit more forgiving.

All the best, will be watching your space.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

The brake issue is back and it's much much worse than before. The brake lever all of a sudden has lost any feel / pressure whàtsoever. I pull the lever in (2 fingers) right up to the point where I pinch my ring finger n pinky. There is literally zilch stopping power. I pull the brakes in with 4 fingers n there is some loss of speed

And guess where / when I found this issue ........ On a national highway, at 3 am, surrounded by trucks

Since this is repeating, suggest you insist that the MC be changed.
Even if it was improperly bled last time, rapid deterioration means either air is entering the system/ buckets not maintaining (for whatever reason) a fluid tight seal.

Another rare occurrence is if the rotor is wavy/ follows a wavy trajectory. This pushes the pads apart, and the MC then has to be pumped for the brakes to work. This can be due to seemingly unrelated causes like bad wheel bearings.

Regards
Sutripta

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Since this is repeating, suggest you insist that the MC be changed.
Even if it was improperly bled last time, rapid deterioration means either air is entering the system/ buckets not maintaining (for whatever reason) a fluid tight seal.

Another rare occurrence is if the rotor is wavy/ follows a wavy trajectory. This pushes the pads apart, and the MC then has to be pumped for the brakes to work. This can be due to seemingly unrelated causes like bad wheel bearings.

Regards
Sutripta

Thank you! The service advisor came over today and took the bike for "running some checks".

But surprise surprise; the brakes were working fine when they came over.

I was like

Still; they took the bike to make sure they are able to diagnose the root cause of this erratic behaviour.

I have dropped the senior techie a note as well; which basically is a copy paste of what you have written above. Thank you so much for your insight. Will keep you posted on how it goes

[ff1609]

Another example of how poor the quality of rims is.
Today I hit a random pothole at 40km/h and this is what I ended up with - I will be seriously afraid of riding this bike fast anywhere now, wonder what will be left of these rims if I hit the same kind of pit at 100km/h.

Can we not collectively urge KTM/Bajaj to replace these rims with better quality ones since this is a major safety issue?

[ArizonaJim]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

...

But surprise surprise; the brakes were working fine when they came over.

I was like

Hopefully, they did (or will do) a complete check of the Anti-lock brake system.

As you know, these systems are designed to reduce the braking force in the event of a skid. This takes some complicated electronics and fluid controls and if any of these is at fault, the results could be life threatening.

A wire anywhere in the system which makes good contact sometimes and poor/no contact at other times could produce the "Worked for them, didn't for me" experience you are having.
The mechanics really need to do a complete investigation of the entire braking system.

Ride safe.

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by ArizonaJim

Hopefully, they did (or will do) a complete check of the Anti-lock brake system

Thank you! The service guys were carrying a diagnostic thingy which they did plug in; but it never showed up any errors. How else can the ABS system be checked?

[sridhu]

@ff1609 what was your tire pressure when you went riding?

Just trying to suss out if the theory that under-inflated tires are the main cause of rim damage has any currency.

I have been very lucky (in more ways than one!): on the Bangalore ORR, I hit a brand new, unmarked speed breaker just before the Whitefield flyover at a "rate of knots" as our beloved Ravi Shastri would say. Bike took off & luckily landed on the wheels & I continued.

The point I am making is that that episode did not leave ANY mark on the rims.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by Mik

Is the KTM a fill it/shut it/forget it bike.

It does feel like one, that is if you get a good piece. I feel lucky to have a trouble free motorcycle. No major problems to highlight in 6200km. Has never stalled. Fires up easily in hot and cold conditions. I feel the economy range of 24-26 is awesome and this is after the bike does well in excess of the ton on every day of the week. My last tank full in a mixed cycle went to 252km. The bike took in 9.6l of gas.

If there is a complaint, it is the rear brakes. They are hopeless on feedback.

[Bluu]

Originally Posted by ebonho

I don't hear anything on the 690 yet bro.

I asked at Khivraj about the 690 and about Akra and the SA said both are not on the radar at present. Approx 39K for getting the exhaust unit from abroad.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

It does feel like one, that is if you get a good piece. I feel lucky to have a trouble free motorcycle. No major problems to highlight in 6200km. Has never stalled. Fires up easily in hot and cold conditions. I feel the economy range of 24-26 is awesome and this is after the bike does well in excess of the ton on every day of the week. My last tank full in a mixed cycle went to 252km. The bike took in 9.6l of gas.

If there is a complaint, it is the rear brakes. They are hopeless on feedback.

Completely agree! I've been lucky to have not had any issues so far with the bike. Completed my second service this weekend and the only problem is that the bike is running hot(ter) but I attribute it to the higher temps in Bangalore (seriously, what is up Garden City!?)

[unk9ja]

Originally Posted by ff1609

Another example of how poor the quality of rims is.
Today I hit a random pothole at 40km/h and this is what I ended up with

+1 to sridhu's question. Did you check the pressure on the tires? If so what were the readings. A couple of psi above does not harm you as I have found out after a similar experience. I would rather have a center tread wear on the tire rather than having bent rims every now and then.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by Bluu

the only problem is that the bike is running hot(ter) but I attribute it to the higher temps in Bangalore

It is the weather. On my return commute from work, even with good air flow through the radiator, the temperature bars stay steady at eight. Goes up to 9 when stationary, slow moving traffic. The heat is unbearable. It is not over heating for sure, just runs hot.