[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Abhi_abarth

Your thoughts please :(

If you want to use the bike for daily commute, then I would advise you not to. Raking up too many miles quick will shoot up your maintenance costs in the league of a car or even higher. Hence, if its daily commute you are looking at, I would suggest you take the maintenance costs seriously. Suppose you do 50kms a day, for 20 days a month, it will be 1k kms per month and a service every six months. Each service will set you back by a minimum of 6k rupees. That will make it 12k for service. Every two years max you will need a set of tyres, which will be 10-15k. So expense on average per year for tyres alone will be another 6k. Chain sprocket replacement is 8-10k aftermarket or some 15k for Kawasaki OE. I am not sure how long it will last but maybe 20k kms is like pushing it. Hence, its 5k a year for the chain.



So, per annum, the average expenses on maintenance alone is around 20-25k, which is higher since I am considering the wear and tear of parts. If your running is low, such as mine, this will be far lesser. For example, I have done four services till now which has set me back by 20k in the last two years. But wear and tear wise, I am good since I have only done 5k kms in this period. Probably you should refer to Aviorps ownership thread to get a better idea of the maintenance costs in the longrun. The only point I wanted to make is that these bikes might not be easy on the pocket in case you have a lot of running.

[miles_hungry]

Hello everyone, I am planning to go for the Ninja 300 but in lots of Youtube videos and articles I have seen about the handle shake/wobble issue in the new Ninja 300s. The primary issue is said to be with the stock MRF tyres which are causing the handle shake post 60 kmph. Once the tyres are replaced to metzelers/michelins, the issue is resolved.


Would love to know from the Ninja 300 owners if any handle wobble issue is present in the new Ninjas with MRF tyres. My use would be 90% in highways for mostly touring only.

[Abhi_abarth]

Originally Posted by audioholic

If you want to use the bike for daily commute, then I would advise you not to. Raking up too many miles quick will shoot up your maintenance costs in the league of a car or even higher. Hence, if its daily commute you are looking at, I would suggest you take the maintenance costs seriously. Suppose you do 50kms a day, for 20 days a month, it will be 1k kms per month and a service every six months. Each service will set you back by a minimum of 6k rupees. That will make it 12k for service. Every two years max you will need a set of tyres, which will be 10-15k. So expense on average per year for tyres alone will be another 6k. Chain sprocket replacement is 8-10k aftermarket or some 15k for Kawasaki OE. I am not sure how long it will last but maybe 20k kms is like pushing it. Hence, its 5k a year for the chain.

So, per annum, the average expenses on maintenance alone is around 20-25k, which is higher since I am considering the wear and tear of parts. If your running is low, such as mine, this will be far lesser. For example, I have done four services till now which has set me back by 20k in the last two years. But wear and tear wise, I am good since I have only done 5k kms in this period. Probably you should refer to Aviorps ownership thread to get a better idea of the maintenance costs in the longrun. The only point I wanted to make is that these bikes might not be easy on the pocket in case you have a lot of running.

My apologies again for the tardy response. Too much work offlate.
You have given me some very important insights on the ownership costs which is something i haven't considered. Looks like I have come back to square one :(
This kind of costs will definetly burn my pocket for which i am not ready

[saurabh041086]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Taking a closer look at the Ninja -


Closer look at the sticker work on the bike & the seat material -
Attachment 1793689

I am planning to get the MY 2019 Ninja 300, the original lime green color. I have always dreamed of this color. However decals are not exactly to my liking.



Are these just decals? Are they removable without causing any damage to paint underneath?

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by saurabh041086

Are these just decals? Are they removable without causing any damage to paint underneath?

The KRT decals on the side cowling of my bike are stuck on the paint. However, the same decals on the fuel tank are stuck underneath the clear coat. Do check the bike and try to feel the edges of the stickers. If the stickers have a very smooth edge, then it is most probably below the clear coat and cannot be removed. If they are having a sharp edge, then it can be peeled off with some effort without damaging the paint.

[saurabh041086]

Originally Posted by audioholic

The KRT decals on the side cowling of my bike are stuck on the paint. However, the same decals on the fuel tank are stuck underneath the clear coat. Do check the bike and try to feel the edges of the stickers. If the stickers have a very smooth edge, then it is most probably below the clear coat and cannot be removed. If they are having a sharp edge, then it can be peeled off with some effort without damaging the paint.

Good advice. I will check that on my next visit to showroom.

Any pointers where we can procure routine service parts like air filter, fuel filter etc. Looking for Delhi NCR region. I have an Ex Kawa mechanic and Motul distributor for my region in network. Yes, I am figuring this out as part of my decision process

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by saurabh041086

Good advice. I will check that on my next visit to showroom.

Any pointers where we can procure routine service parts like air filter, fuel filter etc. Looking for Delhi NCR region. I have an Ex Kawa mechanic and Motul distributor for my region in network. Yes, I am figuring this out as part of my decision process

Log on to www.motousher.com and you should be able to buy whatever your bike needs. Atleast i did. Shipping is overnight, just plan ahead of your service schedules and you should be good to go.

Congrats!

[justwheels]

Hi TBHPians,
I am in a classic bike buying confusion and need advise. I currently own a Thunderbird 350 and have had my own set of driving experiences (long and short). I have been yearning to get a sports cruiser bike since ages now. RE Thunderbird has had its own set of enjoyment and horror stories. It's a bike I have that I don't exactly hate, but riding on it is not love anymore.
I have been a Ninja fan since time immemorial and may be I would have bought a Ninja 300 without an itch, but, now when I can afford one, I am stuck in a dilemma:

1. Ninja 300 - is it still the best (one of the best) sports tourer at the price point
2. Competition - This ranges from a Dominar 400 to Duke 390 to R3 and Ninja 400 (and the Himalayan for it's go anywhere credentials, though I am not a RE fan anymore)
3. Only India gets a Ninja 300, world over it's discontinued. Where does it leave me a s a brand new owner
4. Intentions of use: Everyday office commuter (12 kms total) plus once a quarter long drive (800-1000 kms a day ones) - does it fit the bill anymore
5. Am I a moron to think of buying a 4 lakh bike ?

Heart says, just a Ninja and live the dream, head says, just get the Ninja !!!
(you know what I mean...)
Advise needed desperately.

[Red Liner]

Hold off buying the Ninja 300 until it is in fact BS6 ready. KTM is also bringing a new model line up for the bs6 generation.

People here have been saying the 300 will not be BS6 ready, which makes sense considering it is only sold here.

[ani_meher]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Hold off buying the Ninja 300 until it is in fact BS6 ready. KTM is also bringing a new model line up for the bs6 generation.

People here have been saying the 300 will not be BS6 ready, which makes sense considering it is only sold here.

Kawasaki is finally making the parts for Ninja 300 in India, and I doubt whether it will stop all that process just for not updating the engine. The engine update for BSVI is not as costly in petrol as it is for diesel vehicles.

Ninja 300 price was reduced after it started partial manufacturing in India. IIRC Kawasaki was working on Versys 650 as well. I was wondering what took them so long to start selling the Indian Versys 650. I think they might come up with BSVI 650 engines.

Originally Posted by justwheels

I have been yearning to get a sports cruiser bike since ages now. ...

4. Intentions of use: Everyday office commuter (12 kms total) plus once a quarter long drive (800-1000 kms a day ones) - does it fit the bill anymore

5. Am I a moron to think of buying a 4 lakh bike ?

How old are you? Ninja 300 is NOT a comfortable sports tourer, irrespective of number of blogs you may read online. Uncomfortable seat, low riding position, lack of mounting points for luggage, hard shock absorbers (basically you are absorbing shocks for the bike).... list goes on against it. After 6 years from launch, it still looks absolutely amazing. You will catch a LOT of eyeballs on road, sometimes irritatingly so in remote places. But as a rider, you will hardly ever be comfortable.

If you want to continue touring, as owner of Ninja 300, I suggest you consider comfortable option. It's engine is amazing, but Indian road condition is not really suited for riding comfortably on it.

4 Lakhs (or even more) for your dream is absolutely a steal deal. Don't overthink it. Worse you can face is some depreciation loss while selling it.

[Red Liner]

They haven't sold any Indian Versys 650. I took my info from audioholic who seemed to have some kind of credible information on this particular topic of the 300.

Do note that the only thing manufactured on the Indian 300 is the fairing, brake assembly and other bits and pieces.

The entire 300 power train is imported from Thailand. Making that bs6 compliant just for the Indian market seems as far fetched as Hero launching a 450 xpulse in December.

This also seems to suggest that the indian 300 was a test of sorts by the Japanese to see if things will work with Indian suppliers.

650 class made in India? Do you have any credible info on this? I have heard about it too, but the market size is way too small. In any case it will just be fairing and brake assemblies and the wheels like the 300 if at all. With everything else still being imported. They will test the Indian model first on the Ninja 650. I also expect an all new Versys soon (5 years into this model and its dated internationally, and the klr has been discontinued - maybe something that combines both?).

I don't think it will happen. And if it does, god help all the existing owners if they ever want to sell their versys.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by justwheels

Advise needed desperately.

Hope this helps, speeds are calculated using gearing commander.

Cruising speed is estimated at peak torque and top speed is estimated at peak power.

Reason for stating both is to give an idea of the power band for overtaking purposes on the interstate.

Kawasaki Ninja 300:
Cruising Speed: 150kmph
Top Speed: 165kmph

Kawasaki Ninja 400:
Cruising Speed: 135kmph
Top Speed: 170kmph

Yamaha R3:
Cruising Speed: 140kmph
Top Speed: 170kmph

KTM Duke 390:
Cruising Speed: 120kmph
Top Speed: 155kmph

Honda CBR250R:
Cruising Speed: 115kmph
Top Speed: 135kmph

After all that, do know that the heart wants what the heart wants, alternatives simply wont suffice in the long run.

Cheers,
Tour Safely,
A.P.

[audioholic]

A few points from my side - Couldn't tag each person here so sorry about that due to lack of much time at hands.
Regarding the N300 as a commuter - I would suggest against. Its a sports bike and is perfect for that adrenaline rush on a weekend and a couple of bursts around the neighborhood and for a great highway drive. In the city it rides well, but I would say it's a torture to the bike. The engine begs to be thrashed and keeping it in the 4-5k rpm band with frequent gearshifts is just not what the bike is meant to be. However, my office commute is early in the morning and late afternoon so I do enjoy the bike once a week to office. Not for congested roads. Especially for an RE owner who is used to the low end torque, this bike will take getting used to.

Regarding the future of N300, I would say 75% chances of not getting BS6 ready unless Kawi is reaaallly serious about giving competition to the D390 given that the 300s are doing good numbers now, and far better sales than the overpriced 400. Unless they localize the 400 and bring down the prices to a little more than the current 300, they will create a void in the price band where they are doing decent numbers. That will be a missed opportunity. However on the technical front, upgrading to BS6 shouldn't be a big deal compared to a diesel engine and if the Japs are thinking like I do, they will be planning a BS6 upgrade. But in my own words a few pages back in this thread, I have stated my other school of thought, which is the N300 being a playground for testing Indian suppliers. It no doubt had a fair share of trouble initially. Had they experimented with a global model, it would have been a big deal now with issues in the wiring harness and brakes. Imagine that in the EU and they would have had sleepless nights with a recall.
When news said that the N300 was being localized, I never believed it. But they did it. Hence that is the main reason I am not pessimistic about the BS6 version. But to be honest, I believe it must not be a deal breaker. However as Red Liner has told, I would definitely keep an eye out there on KTM. They never fail to impress. So if not in a hurry, then I would wait for the KTM folks to show us what they have got cooking in their R&D wing.
Recently my colleague was joking about why I need a Ninja when we hardly get to do 60-70 in the city at the most. He has an enfield. I replied telling that more than the speed you achieve, how you get to that speed is the differentiating factor. He had no answer for that. Thats what I enjoy the most in the bike. Even a trip to the grocery store is fun in the Ninja though I hardly touch even 40kmph on the way

[Xaos636]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

The entire 300 power train is imported from Thailand. Making that bs6 compliant just for the Indian market seems as far fetched as Hero launching a 450 xpulse in December.

Also powering the same engine is the Versys X300 and the 2020 model has been already announced for European markets.

https://www.kawasaki.eu/en/products/...FsMWVlRCVlcDF8

This 300cc engine is made in Thailand and exported worldwide and by the looks of it, they will continue manufacturing it and most likely update it to BS6 by April 2020. Removing the Ninja 300 from Indian market would also mean that the cheapest bike would be the Ninja 400 at around 6.3L on-road and that would mean less footfalls and less profit for Kawasaki which I think they would be unwilling to do.

[Red Liner]

Man, how i wish they brought the price of the versys 300 in india down by localising it. 3.5 would be a smacker of a price without all the crap it comes with.