[BANDHAV]

Originally Posted by YC.BALENO.CHD

yes A.s.s needs to be seen

Even this wont be a matter of concern, as there are number of ninjas which has done high mileages (read 8000+ kms), and probiking SCs have provided top notch service and backup support till.

[MurtazaGhiya]

Originally Posted by YC.BALENO.CHD

a faulty bajaj ? does bajaj sell Ninja in Usa also ? FYI the faults in us ninjas does not in any way relate to bajaj. There is no major problems faced by any Ninja owner in India so far, and Bajaj has nothing to do with it, they just assemble the bike and sell it, and i do not think a bike manufacturer with quite a bit of experience can go wrong with this small task, yes A.s.s needs to be seen, but that altogether is a different issue.
Just because yours or any of your known friends/relatives bajaj used to break down a lot, does not mean every bajaj bike in this country is faulty.


Wow, removing the numberplate does wonders to the looks !
And i think the rear skids because you might be applying more than required pressure on the rear brake.

Rev hard !

+1. Just because one out of a 1000 bike was faulty does not make the rest 999 faulty as well. And as far as the A.S.S. is concerned, its better to keep an eye on the person working on the bike and make sure they do the work well. Otherwise there are many SBK mechanics around to have the Ninja serviced. I believe there are many old Ninja's that have come to India through the export route than Bajaj has sold

[Mr. Nobody]

Originally Posted by veyron1

Ok. I really, truly, hate to be the bearer of foul news, but all current Ninja owners, please keep an eye out and verify if you guys are facing the CDI error as spoken about here:
==========
better safe than sorry for a prospective buyer, that's all..

Ninja 250 in india is FI , so no CDI here

[veyron1]

Originally Posted by balenopower

looks like, Veyron is hunting for reasons to why not buy the Ninja. The Karizma that you own and i owned had a multitude of issues as well, weak plastics, faulty chain tensioner and an exhaust, all very expensive items which needed frequent replacement. But the karizma still sold well didnt it and its still a good bike to own. Niggles are present in almost everything you buy, and if you dont learn to accept it i think you wont be able to buy anything out there. Anyways where are you these days, long time no see.

Oh, nonono....trust me, I REALLY wanted to get the Ninja...was just weighing pros and cons, see...I do agree about the niggles being present on the Hondas..but mechanical reliability is something I do not wish to compromise on.. especially when 300,000 valuable reasons are involved...and yea, long time no see here too...meet up bro. Phone got formatted, lost a few numbers...PM me your current one, eh...and yes, sorry, congrats on your new wheels...forgot...

Originally Posted by YC.BALENO.CHD

a faulty bajaj ? does bajaj sell Ninja in Usa also ? FYI the faults in us ninjas does not in any way relate to bajaj. There is no major problems faced by any Ninja owner in India so far, and Bajaj has nothing to do with it, they just assemble the bike and sell it, and i do not think a bike manufacturer with quite a bit of experience can go wrong with this small task, yes A.s.s needs to be seen, but that altogether is a different issue.
Just because yours or any of your known friends/relatives bajaj used to break down a lot, does not mean every bajaj bike in this country is faulty.

Well, Bajaj does the marketing and sales here, hence my 'faulty Bajaj' remark. No offence meant to ANY Bajaj owners, as I myself used to be the proud owner of two 180s. Classic & DTSi type 1. Had bought both of them, one after the other before their 'official launch', and since then, have been apprehensive of Bajaj products; just like TATA products, I've learnt the "wait & watch" policy the hard way.

The task doesn't lie in assembling and selling the bikes, my friend...just look at the number of grey imports. It's the AFTER sales and support that matters when it comes to premium offerings. Forget the Ninja, I remember when I had bought the 180 DTSi and the CDI turned out to be faulty, refusing to pulse above 7000 RPM with the ignition curve going haywire in high gears (post 3rd), restricting top whack to about 100 kays with disappointing acceleration. Since no parts were available in the showrooms when I had got the bike, I had to wait about 2 months to get my hands on a replacement, after convincing the engineer; heck, even he couldn't make out the glitch. I had to compare the bike to another similar one in the showroom by riding both hard (with him as pillion) to point out the difference.

Yes, the new lot of Pulsars are wonderfully improved, but I still beg to differ that the base engineering is faulty. Keep any pre-2005 Pulsar on a centre stand, and compress the rear suspension. The chain is supposed to tighten up on a test like this, on say, a ZMA. The Pulsar's chain slack remains the same. Try counter steering on a Pulsar on a light curve (say, 15 degrees), while decelerating, and you'll find the bike resisting lean (no, it's not due to the 56:44 weight bias). On the contrary, a Honda would take the centripetal force and lean as you want it to. I haven't yet figured out if the rake/trail is causing this or the overall geometry itself. Try riding a Bajaj hard right after you do a Honda, and you'll find that the bike requires a lot more effort into and out of corners. Of course, I'm speaking of only Pulsars here, and not the Ninja.

I've no doubt that the Ninja is a beatifully engineered machine, owing to Kawasaki genes...but I need a definitive verdict on the pros and cons before I plonk in for one...

Originally Posted by Mr.Nobody

Ninja 250 in india is FI , so no CDI here

Er...a small correction, buddy. Capacitive Discharge Ignition modules are used irrespective of carb/fuel injection. The ECU is just the trigger for the ignition pulse. But now that you've brought it up...I actually don't know if the FI Ninja is CDI or TCI...? Any idea?

[YC.BALENO.CHD]

Originally Posted by veyron1

Oh, nonono....trust me, I REALLY wanted to get the Ninja...was just weighing pros and cons, see...I do agree about the niggles being present on the Hondas..but mechanical reliability is something I do not wish to compromise on.. especially when 300,000 valuable reasons are involved...and yea, long time no see here too...meet up bro. Phone got formatted, lost a few numbers...PM me your current one, eh...and yes, sorry, congrats on your new wheels...forgot...



Well, Bajaj does the marketing and sales here, hence my 'faulty Bajaj' remark. No offence meant to ANY Bajaj owners, as I myself used to be the proud owner of two 180s. Classic & DTSi type 1. Had bought both of them, one after the other before their 'official launch', and since then, have been apprehensive of Bajaj products; just like TATA products, I've learnt the "wait & watch" policy the hard way.

The task doesn't lie in assembling and selling the bikes, my friend...just look at the number of grey imports. It's the AFTER sales and support that matters when it comes to premium offerings. Forget the Ninja, I remember when I had bought the 180 DTSi and the CDI turned out to be faulty, refusing to pulse above 7000 RPM with the ignition curve going haywire in high gears (post 3rd), restricting top whack to about 100 kays with disappointing acceleration. Since no parts were available in the showrooms when I had got the bike, I had to wait about 2 months to get my hands on a replacement, after convincing the engineer; heck, even he couldn't make out the glitch. I had to compare the bike to another similar one in the showroom by riding both hard (with him as pillion) to point out the difference.

Yes, the new lot of Pulsars are wonderfully improved, but I still beg to differ that the base engineering is faulty. Keep any pre-2005 Pulsar on a centre stand, and compress the rear suspension. The chain is supposed to tighten up on a test like this, on say, a ZMA. The Pulsar's chain slack remains the same. Try counter steering on a Pulsar on a light curve (say, 15 degrees), while decelerating, and you'll find the bike resisting lean (no, it's not due to the 56:44 weight bias). On the contrary, a Honda would take the centripetal force and lean as you want it to. I haven't yet figured out if the rake/trail is causing this or the overall geometry itself. Try riding a Bajaj hard right after you do a Honda, and you'll find that the bike requires a lot more effort into and out of corners. Of course, I'm speaking of only Pulsars here, and not the Ninja.

I've no doubt that the Ninja is a beatifully engineered machine, owing to Kawasaki genes...but I need a definitive verdict on the pros and cons before I plonk in for one...

I think you are drifting away from the topic, when and how did Handling come in ? IMO , my pulsar ug3, with the rear suspension on stiffest handles pretty well, and i have had a lot of uphill/downhill fun on it and putting my knee down on many downhill corners. Somehow i Do no feel that Honda/HH bikes handle that great except for the unicorn, Since most of them have weird "commuter-ish" sitting positions.
Plus i think the newest range of pulsars handle very well !

Coming to the CDI problem with your bike, as someone on this thread said, if 1/1000 bikes are faulty, does not mean that the rest of the 999 are also faulty, A.S.S varies from City to city, you need to stick something 'up theirs, to get your work done, and that applies to all other manufacturers.

And as Bandhav said, PB showroooms are doing a good job in servicing the Ninja, one ninja i know of has done about 10K on the clock, is on an all India tour, and still going strong, without any niggles !

[BANDHAV]

Originally Posted by YC.BALENO.CHD

one ninja i know of has done about 10K on the clock, is on an all India tour, and still going strong, without any niggles !

It was on GQ ride, now the bike and rider both are back to banglore, but the point here is that Ninja is proving itself to be a relaible and sturdy bike. And one just can write it off just on the basis of hypothetical realibility issues.

[Proxima]

sat on the Ninja for the first time today and it felt very comfortable. It was less sporty than the 220 which I test rode and a little more sporty than my 180.

The 220 F will not work because my leg hits against the fairing. The 220 S will be fine I guess. The fairing issue was not there with the Ninja.

I'm actually planning to get a bike that is good for city rides plus for a trip to Leh later this year.

Since I will not want to risk 3lacs on Leh roads, I may get a 220 S for the next 2 years and get a Ninja or equivalent after that. But I'm afraid Ill be too old then. I'm confused.

Any other suggestions?

[YC.BALENO.CHD]

Originally Posted by Proxima

sat on the Ninja for the first time today and it felt very comfortable. It was less sporty than the 220 which I test rode and a little more sporty than my 180.

The 220 F will not work because my leg hits against the fairing. The 220 S will be fine I guess. The fairing issue was not there with the Ninja.

I'm actually planning to get a bike that is good for city rides plus for a trip to Leh later this year.

Since I will not want to risk 3lacs on Leh roads, I may get a 220 S for the next 2 years and get a Ninja or equivalent after that. But I'm afraid Ill be too old then. I'm confused.

Any other suggestions?

You can take your Ninja to Leh

[veyron1]

Originally Posted by YC.BALENO.CHD

think you are drifting away from the topic, when and how did Handling come in ?

Er..not quite veering away from the topic, my friend... my explanation on Pulsars was my reply to this particular comment of yours..

Originally Posted by YC.BALENO.CHD

Just because yours or any of your known friends/relatives bajaj used to break down a lot, does not mean every bajaj bike in this country is faulty.

I never said that Hondas don't have any niggles. They most certainly do. There's no harm in being a loyalist, and I've done a bit of footpeg scraping myself on my Pulsars, but the fact of the matter is that you need to try back-to-back riding on a ZMA and Pulsar to really spot the differences. Pulsars are great bikes, and it's just a matter of individual preference when it comes to street riding...all I'm trying to say is that if you ride a 200/220 with the same effort as you would a ZMA, you'd find that you are slower in any part of the road...

Regarding the CDI issue. Quite a few of my friends' 150s and 180s have had similar issues. Its just that the non-discerning ones didn't find out about it...there are other mechanical flaws (engine-wise as well) that I could speak of, but with moot point. As they say, no proof is necessary for believers, and no proof shall suffice for the non-believers....but please do believe that the mechanical integrity of a Honda is far better than that of a Bajaj; they have far less faults per 10/100/1000 bikes sold. For now. I do believe Bajaj could surpass or beat that sometime in the future, but that day hasn't come yet.

But coming back to the Ninja. It's quite interesting when you say that somebody has completed 10K on a Ninja already over here with no niggles....and pleasantly surprising that the pro-biking has been able to meet expectations..hmm...very interesting indeed..

[balenopower]

Just had my first 200 km ride on the baby Ninja. Its a whole new dimension of biking guys. Im soooo in love. cant wait to finish the run-in and let her rip!!

[Proxima]

Great to hear balenopower. Please keep us updated regularly on the progress. Why don't you start an ownership thread?

And do post pics regularly too. Would also love to get detailed feedback of every little thing - Power, Comfort, Mileage, Handling etc etc

Drive safe.

[Technocrat]

Originally Posted by veyron1

I myself used to be the proud owner of two 180s. Classic & DTSi type 1. Had bought both of them, one after the other before their 'official launch',

Originally Posted by veyron1

Since no parts were available in the showrooms when I had got the bike, I had to wait about 2 months to get my hands on a replacement,

Hmm So you expected that a brand new bike would have spares like CDI available off the shelf that too when it wasnt even launched all over India?

Anyways to each his own. If I could, I would have surely bought the Ninja irrespective of it being launched by Bajaj.

@Balenopower - Please do post a detailed Write up on the ownership experience in a separate thread

[YC.BALENO.CHD]

Originally Posted by veyron1

Er..not quite veering away from the topic, my friend... my explanation on Pulsars was my reply to this particular comment of yours..



I never said that Hondas don't have any niggles. They most certainly do. There's no harm in being a loyalist, and I've done a bit of footpeg scraping myself on my Pulsars, but the fact of the matter is that you need to try back-to-back riding on a ZMA and Pulsar to really spot the differences. Pulsars are great bikes, and it's just a matter of individual preference when it comes to street riding...all I'm trying to say is that if you ride a 200/220 with the same effort as you would a ZMA, you'd find that you are slower in any part of the road...

I rode a friends zma for 8 months + my pulsar, almost everyday, back to back
A bike behaves how you treat it, and how you maintain it.

Originally Posted by veyron1

But coming back to the Ninja. It's quite interesting when you say that somebody has completed 10K on a Ninja already over here with no niggles....and pleasantly surprising that the pro-biking has been able to meet expectations..hmm...very interesting indeed..

Please check your PM for a link, might 'interest' you.

[veyron1]

Originally Posted by Technocrat

Hmm So you expected that a brand new bike would have spares like CDI available off the shelf that too when it wasnt even launched all over India?

Not quite, techno...I was not expecting the bike to have those problems in the first place....parts availability is a common grouse, irrespective of manufacturer...

Besides, I haven't turned the Kwacker down yet...more of a wait 'n' watch policy...

@YC: True...my ZMA's 18K kms done since 5 years of inception (pleasure riding only; no commute), and pretty close to mint condition...but thanks for that linky...I'm slowly getting inspired again...

[Speed-Freak]

Originally Posted by Speed-Freak

Guys, i have now clocked a successful and fun loving 2.5k on my baby. She is such a fun ride, At times i hate the attention she gets because of which parking her in a typical lot is very scary.

I have been changing the engine oil every 500kms till 2k now i plan to change it at 3k. The bike is revving much freely now. Have clocked amazing speeds on this baby ( 160+ on GPS). One observation with the IRC soles, on hard braking the rear tends to skid a bit, Can some one tell me if they face similar issue on the Ninja ?

Some slight mods / changes done.

1. Rear Cowl
2. Removed Number plate bracket - Number pasted on Fender
3. Progrip Tank Pads
4. Osram - Night Breakers

Also posting some pics of the bike.

Some more pics with the cowl installed and tank pads