[kedar_GT]

Originally Posted by sasmit

A baby Ninja it is!

Congratulations !

Originally Posted by dhruvafc

I would be very happy if you could tackle this noob-ish, prospective buyer’s questions,
1. Kawasaki accessories seem mighty expensive, for e.g, the frame sliders cost a whopping 28k, and I don’t see a lot of accessories online. So have you added anything, if so, from where?
2. How comfortable/uncomfortable is it to mount a tail bag? Are there enough points to mount the bag’s straps? I have an unused Rynox Expedition tail bag which I hope to use if and when I tour with the Ninja.
3. How comfortable is it as a daily commuter?
4. I saw that your first service cost 8k. Have you serviced it again? If so, how much was the bill?
Thanks in advance!

Great questions - you should "quote" him on your reply so that @sasmit gets an email about the same :-)
On that note, I observe that he has used sliders from RetroCross (its visible in the pics). @sasmit, how much did these cost you?

@sasmit - do you have any solution for the pillion grab rail? It would be great if you can post an under-pillion-seat picture to get an idea about any possible mounting points. I wish to use this bike to ferry my son at times for his class and this sort of safety feature is a must!

[dhruvafc]

Originally Posted by kedar_GT

Great questions - you should "quote" him on your reply so that @sasmit gets an email about the same :-)
On that note, I observe that he has used sliders from RetroCross (its visible in the pics). @sasmit, how much did these cost you?

@sasmit - do you have any solution for the pillion grab rail? It would be great if you can post an under-pillion-seat picture to get an idea about any possible mounting points. I wish to use this bike to ferry my son at times for his class and this sort of safety feature is a must!

Ah, yeah my bad, I knew I was missing something. Thanks! Yes, I did notice the aftermarket slider, which looks pretty seamlessly fit. I see on Instagram that it costs ₹10k. And thanks for asking about the grab rail, I have the same use case as well, except mine’s a daughter. :-)

[sasmit]

Originally Posted by dhruvafc

I would be very happy if you could tackle this noob-ish, prospective buyer’s questions,
1. Kawasaki accessories seem mighty expensive, for e.g, the frame sliders cost a whopping 28k, and I don’t see a lot of accessories online. So have you added anything, if so, from where?
2. How comfortable/uncomfortable is it to mount a tail bag? Are there enough points to mount the bag’s straps? I have an unused Rynox Expedition tail bag which I hope to use if and when I tour with the Ninja.
3. How comfortable is it as a daily commuter?
4. I saw that your first service cost 8k. Have you serviced it again? If so, how much was the bill?
Thanks in advance!

Kawasaki accessories are outrageously priced, but you can import stuff from us where lot of aftermarket stuff is available for this platform. Some stuff is available e.g. taller screen But unless you plan to modify it extensively the only accessories needed are some sliders and may be a radiator guard . I installed the dealer pushed “retro cross” stuff ( radiator guard, spools and frame sliders ). I found the frame sliders to be good but the other stuff is just ok.

Tail bag mounting is a breeze it has the hooks on the rear foot peg mounts and the tail has hooks also. I use a via terra element which fits perfectly. The Rynox too should mount without much fuss. I added some old socks to the mounting straps to prevent paint scuffing.

Daily commuting is very much doable on this , it heats up a bit but nothing that would bother you, unless you’re crawling through an endless jam in which case the fan would switch on very frequently. I have done commutes @40 plus temperatures and it’s been fine . Clutch is lighter than my gixxer250 and there’s so much torque. You can chug along like a commuter 100cc without much thought.

Only the first Service has been done till now , the next ones due in August I guess. Should be around the same mark . Service is expensive, but i I found service quality pretty good. Very prompt and accommodating, I dropped in without an appointment but they squeezed me in and delivered in under an hour !

[sasmit]

Originally Posted by kedar_GT

Congratulations !



Great questions - you should "quote" him on your reply so that @sasmit gets an email about the same :-)
On that note, I observe that he has used sliders from RetroCross (its visible in the pics). @sasmit, how much did these cost you?

@sasmit - do you have any solution for the pillion grab rail? It would be great if you can post an under-pillion-seat picture to get an idea about any possible mounting points. I wish to use this bike to ferry my son at times for his class and this sort of safety feature is a must!

I got the sliders , spools and radiator guard as a “set” from the dealer. It was around 18k for the lot.

There is a small strap built into the pillion seat which “could “ potentially be used by a pillion. But for something sturdy I guess you would have to fabricate something .

[The_Medic]

Originally Posted by dhruvafc

Congratulations @sasmit ! It’s nice to see some Ninja 500 content on these forums. Otherwise all I see on YouTube are reviews from our usual suspects like FK-R and Sarge, or the standard cynicism towards Japanese machines from Shumi.

I am not sure about looking upto FK-R for anything useful in recent years. He seems to have gone off the rails somehow. Never adds anything new to the conversation. But takes ages to get there.

Standard cynicism towards japanese machines is again a bit misplaced, I feel considering he has always loved the cb500x platform, likes the R3 but dislikes the price or that india was deprived of it for a very long time. Absolutely adores the Hayabusa. Recommends the vstrom 800. Also appreciates the suzuki 250 platform but hates that they have not updated it significantly by any stretch of imagination.

Also, no words spoken from a reviewer is gospel. Sarge is now not as sharp as he has been and his opinions seem a bit watered down except for glimpses of his former self, like when he did minor modifications to the g450 and made it better. Shumi is someone who likes his bikes to be playful and focussed on the job. Hence the Japanese scepticism. For example, the ninja 500 is a fantastic bike when you are going 7/10 on the bike. Push the envelope a little bit and the weakness creeps out. The suspension doesn't manage the weight and neither do the brakes. It's a great bike for OPs use case. Not so great for a youngster with aggressive riding. Plus the spares and service cost on a kawasaki easily compare to bmw. A guy I know had a harder time upkeeping his zx6r than he does his year old panigale V4. It's a strange mix of situation these days.

[sasmit]

The inline 4’s are notoriously expensive to maintain post the first year. The twins are a bit cheaper. For example the tires are standard 110 and 150 section fare . The chain is around 7k plus 2k labor.
Yes the suspension may not be as sharp as the 457 or the true super sports but truth be told we mostly “sport tour” on these. The compromise looks like a good choice once you tie make them on less than perfect roads. The raised clip ons are much easier on the wrists and back.

[dhruvafc]

Originally Posted by sasmit

Kawasaki accessories are outrageously priced, but you can import stuff from us where lot of aftermarket stuff is available for this platform. Some stuff is available e.g. taller screen But unless you plan to modify it extensively the only accessories needed are some sliders and may be a radiator guard . I installed the dealer pushed “retro cross” stuff ( radiator guard, spools and frame sliders ). I found the frame sliders to be good but the other stuff is just ok.

Tail bag mounting is a breeze it has the hooks on the rear foot peg mounts and the tail has hooks also. I use a via terra element which fits perfectly. The Rynox too should mount without much fuss. I added some old socks to the mounting straps to prevent paint scuffing.

Daily commuting is very much doable on this , it heats up a bit but nothing that would bother you, unless you’re crawling through an endless jam in which case the fan would switch on very frequently. I have done commutes @40 plus temperatures and it’s been fine . Clutch is lighter than my gixxer250 and there’s so much torque. You can chug along like a commuter 100cc without much thought.

Only the first Service has been done till now , the next ones due in August I guess. Should be around the same mark . Service is expensive, but i I found service quality pretty good. Very prompt and accommodating, I dropped in without an appointment but they squeezed me in and delivered in under an hour !

Thanks for the detailed answer! And yes I did notice the sock in your bag’s strap and felt wow what a nifty little idea. 😂

[dhruvafc]

Originally Posted by The_Medic

I am not sure about looking upto FK-R for anything useful in recent years.
=======
A guy I know had a harder time upkeeping his zx6r than he does his year old panigale V4. It's a strange mix of situation these days.

I usually do not go by a reviewer’s words because it’s sometimes very difficult to discern what’s paid PR and what’s not. I usually believe more in my judgement from the test ride even though I have much little experience in bikes.

Shumi and Kartikeya Singhee both had great things to say about the Ninja 400 and ZX-4R as well, along with the machines you mentioned, except for the ridiculous pricing, and keeping my fanaticism for the Japanese bikes aside, I kind of agree with them because I don’t think that their cynicism is unwarranted as the Japanese, especially Honda, keep giving them the ammo.

I feel that the Ninja would suit my needs better than the Aprilia twins and KTM as well which is why I am willing to take up the huge financial outlay.

Thanks for your response though, provided me a lot of perspective and information!