Team-BHP - Kawasaki Ninja 650R : Test Ride & Review

The Kawasaki Probiking center at Wakdewadi is the most pathetic premium bike dealership I have ever seen in Pune.

My friend wanted to test ride the ZX14R while I wanted to test ride the Ninja 300. So he called up at 11 am in the morning asking if test rides for both the models are available. We mentioned the specific models so that there is no confusion.

The dealer is at Wakdewadi while our office is in Aundh. So the dealer asked us to come over at 4 pm. There is a single young girl handling all customer queries. She wont know the difference between KB100 and zx14r if questioned. But then she doles out test rides as if we are beggars.

The first thing she told my friend is that test rides are only available in the dealer compound!!!
Does the dealer think a guy buying a superbike can ride the superbike properly in 200 meters of parking space? This rule applied both to the ninja 300 and zx14r.

When we asked what are the requirements for riding gear, i.e. helmet, shoes, etc, she had no clue. Imagine a salesgirl arranging test rides for zx14r does not know whether the customer should bring a helmet along.

The bikes were ready, and I said we are not interested in test rides unless they allow us on public roads. The next shock was Kawasaki offers unregistered and uninsured bikes for test ride for both these models. The bikes don't even have a number.

We are then supposed to sign an indemnity form. I took the form and wrote a clause on it "SNK Bajaj has ensured that the bike has proper insurance for demo and test rides", knowing fully well that the bike does not have a number so the insurance is impossible, but I need to protect myself in case I drop the Ninja 300.

Then another shock, that the dealer wanted us to deposit our driving licence with them till the time we come back. So Kawasaki officially wants me to ride an unregistered bike on public roads without my driving licence on me.

Ok I took a small spin of 1 km around the dealership, mindful that if a police asks me, I can easily go to the dealer and retrieve my licence.

After the test ride of the Ninja 300, my friend starts for the zx14r parked alongside. But then the salesgirl tells him, if the bike is damaged, he has to pay for all damages. This inspite of we writing on the indemnity form that insurance for test rides is the responsibility of Bajaj.

The logic is that the Ninja 300 is cheaper to repair than the zx14r, so they dont give out the zx14r unless the customer accepts full responsibility. That too the zx14r is only to be ridden within the dealers compound for 200 meters. We gave up and came back without a testride of the zx14r.

Anyone goes to Kawasaki probiking Wakdewadi please be aware of this comedy of errors.

Quote:

Originally Posted by abeerbagul (Post 3543927)

She wont know the difference between KB100 and zx14r if questioned. But then she doles out test rides as if we are beggars.

The first thing she told my friend is that test rides are only available in the dealer compound!!!
Does the dealer think a guy buying a superbike can ride the superbike properly in 200 meters of parking space? This rule applied both to the ninja 300 and zx14r.

Yeah, that's just what I found and wrote in my Daytona thread. How does one really expect customers to put down 13-18 lac for a bike without a test ride, or a 200m ride where you barely have room to accelerate past 2nd/3rd.

I had asked them this and the response was : SBK customers know what they're buying, so they don't need to test-ride them !

I told them that was only if they had a biking circle where their friends has one of the Ninjas to offer a ride, but what about those outside such biker communities ? No answer to that.

And they have neither 650 nor the 300 for display for very long, even the ZX14 was not there for long - the exact same bike given to media btw, I saw some marks giving away the same.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricci (Post 3543974)

This is a reality we have to accept.

How do dealers filter out the average joe who walks in and demands a test ride without knowing the capabilities and associated dangers of riding a big bad powerful bike?

At the Kawasaki Blore showroom, the Z800 test bike was dropped by a "prospective" customer. Same case with the Ninja 650 and the 300. Now they are very selective in offering test rides.

Bad news for prospective customers but the market is not mature. To top it all, if anyone riding the test bike, crashed and died, the dealer faces the flak, negative publicity, legal issues, rap on the knuckles from the company, etc. etc. They are given strict instructions from the company to not provide test rides unless really necessary.

I'm not taking sides but just posting my views in a neutral manner.

Quote:

Originally Posted by abeerbagul (Post 3543927)

The Kawasaki Probiking center at Wakdewadi is the most pathetic premium bike dealership I have ever seen in Pune.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricci (Post 3543974)

How does one really expect customers to put down 13-18 lac for a bike without a test ride, or a 200m ride where you barely have room to accelerate past 2nd/3rd.

This is the same across all showrooms except Triumph who offer test rides of most of their models barring a few top of the line ones & HD. And i agree with Aditya's comment below. Dealership is responsible for each and every act of the person test riding the bike. So nothing surprising if they are posing some conditions to the guys test riding the bike. But in most cases, if you are a serious buyer, an honest talk with the sales person letting them know your intent of buying the bike should do the trick to take out the bike for longer ride.

Suppose I am an average joe, who has ridden only 150cc or 250cc single cylinder bikes till now, and I see the advertisement for Ninja 650.

Now Kawasaki India in its market research must know that most of its customers for 650, 800 cc will be upgrading from either the Bullet or Pulsar category of bike. It is hardly .5% of the prospective customers who have ridden a bike of similar nature in India or abroad.

So if a average joe says hey I own a Pulsar 150, but want to test ride a Ninja 650 or Z 800, it is upto Kawasaki to educate the person about the risks of riding such bikes, but having a blanket policy of refusing test rides until the person "convinces" Kawasaki that he is really serious is not going to help them get market share.

India is a new market which they have entered voluntarily, and if other brands like Triumph can give me keys to a Bonneville after just taking a photocopy of my driving license and allow me to take it for a spin alone for 15 mins, then frankly I would stop chasing Kawasaki.

A premium bike purchase deserves a premium sales experience and that starts with respecting whoever walks into the showroom and not judging whether he is an average joe or Tata / Birla / Ambani.

Need a good tank bag for my Green Hornet. So checked out the web, forums and local outlets and found that Rynox Optimus ticked most of the boxes. Good capacity, 21 lit expandable to 29 (some sites quote 22 expandable to 31), Good fit and finish, 3 options to attach to tank, magnetic, suction and by straps. It can also be used as a tail bag with straps.

Any 650 owners use this bag and what is the feedback on it. Should I go for the magnets or suction?

The Viaterra fly magnetic is the closest to this in terms of capacity, 16 expandable to 20, so that is why I'm not considering it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by goandude (Post 3619568)

Yours is a 2014 model so great riding to clock 5k. Any mods? No frame sliders I see. And what is that written on the fairing?

Yep frame sliders are very costly in my opinion so saved it for later, presently counting on the huge 0% depreciation insurance I am paying lol:.

Well the 5k on the ODO came on just 3 rides to Bangalore, otherwise the bike is pretty much dormant. There is just too much to own a big bike and on top finding time to use it for the right reason.

Yep it says Ninja, I thought it looked cool and personalized the way I like it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shan_ned (Post 3619916)

How many months old is your N650 ?

I don't have a big maintenance routine as much as I want to, like most of the other owners. Its 10+ months old.
I believe there is a price increase of the Ninja 650 to 6L+, that is a huge difference in a matter of 6 months.
The ninja naked version is also out and lately it appeals more to me than the fared one, hope they provide conversion kit.
Exhaust sound is non motivating for you to go crazy, and it behaves unfriendly in traffic / constant gear change.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Visaster (Post 3619913)

Yep frame sliders are very costly in my opinion so saved it for later, presently counting on the huge 0% depreciation insurance I am paying lol:.

Quote:

Originally Posted by killjoy (Post 3621474)

thats a nice way to look at it :) The 100% coverage with 0% dep is like all guards put together

All the insurance in the world won't be able to cover the period of time that the bike gets grounded at the workshop waiting for spares. Frame sliders, fork sliders, swingarm sliders, lever protectors (or spare levers) sometimes make all the difference in the world. The difference between picking up the bike and riding on after a minor slide/drop, OR having to wait for a truck to cart it back instead.

Stay safe, ride hard.
Sriku