[kingofmyworld]

Back in my childhood, The only BIG bike I knew was the hayabusa and I used to think, One day after I become like my dad, I would get one come what may. But after I started growing up and knowing how things actually happen, I realized that it's not so easy for a 9-5 working common man to afford a superbike. There were not many options in india either. It was either pulsar or karizma which were affordable. Year by year indian motorbiking scene started improving and all the big players started appearing in india and the most interesting one for me was kawasaki.

Was keen on the 250 but my mind wasn't ready to shell out 3.5 lakh gandhijis for a 250 when honda is offering a cbr250 with ABS for a little less than 2 lakhs. That seemed like a fair deal. It indeed is so I bought it. But right when I was feeling good about the CBR and its riding comfort and it's handling, I rode my friends ninja and things changed. I was now confused if I did a mistake listening to my mind over heart. But both had pros and cons. I was happy with the cbr end of the day. It never let me down, It took me to kanyakumari and back in 35 straight hours and then 21 days of getting leh'd journey and my usual runs with fellow biker buds. After all the fun I had on the CBR, I was feeling the lack of power, Maybe because I was used to it.

So the thought process begun.

Since I was promoted and moved to a different company, I was having enough to afford a bigger bike.

My plan was to pick a liter class bike upfront and live with it for the rest of my life. Things were going pretty well till the time I got this thought " Why not go for a long ride (>1000 KMS) on a bike that has a very sporty riding position and see how practical it is ". There's just one friend of mine who already has a bike that has a sporty riding position and who knew me very well and could give me his bike for a long ride. One message and he blindly gave me the bike. No questions asked. So I took it for a ride the following day and I must say,

Long distance + sporty position = guaranteed bed rest over a period of time.

Your back will take severe beating if you're not fit. So again the thought process!

Loads of discussions, arguments and hunting later I decided to get a naked superbike and my eyes were on the FZ1 which has the heart from a 06 r1. After the 2013 budget, the OTR hyderabad of the FZ1 was 13.xx

All the options were fading. I was low because all my options and wishes were far from reality. I almost quit the upgrade plan and decided to wait for a couple of years, accumulate the balance and pick a bike later. I indeed quit my plans.

Out of the blue, I overheard someone talking about the ninja 650 and that's when I realized that yes, that's on sale in India right? How could I miss it? Reviews online were pretty good but I just wasn't ready to pick one without riding it. PBK guys were hopeless because nobody has a testride vehicle with them. I remember seeing a picture on fb where my friend was posing with a 650. So gave him a buzz and asked if he could arrange for a Testride. Soon after a couple of days he did arrange for one. So I went there over the weekend and rode it. I was worried about the windblast as the 650 has an upright riding position. But after the testride, It turned out to be amazingly good. I was blown away. It was a very nimble, practical, powerful bike. Most of all, It's a ka-wa-sa-ki!

The bike I rode was just 6 months old, worshiped and with just 1200 kms on the odo. The owner was ready to sell the bike as he had an upgrade coming in soon. Got a fair deal.

My main purpose of getting an upgrade was to have a comfortable effortless tourer which is not so hard on my back plus a bike that can be pushed into corners.

So looked no further and picked it.

So here it is, The Green Goblin.







Along side my CBR.



Happy ME



An early morning spin with the hammer!



Bikes Bikes Bikes!




And this is why I love pushing a bike into corners.




It's been a lil over a week and it has clocked 500 kms already in my hands.

So how good was my choice? Did I do the right thing by getting a twin cylinder 650cc mill against the inline 4 liter class?

The simple answer is YES!

Here are my impressions on the bike after doing a highway run and loads of city running.

Ride and handling :

Kawasaki knows how to make the bikes stick to the ground. They did so with the 2012 N650 too. This thing loves corners, bumpy roads and uneven roads. Be it any surface, it does justice to it's category - Sports tourer.

Performance :

There's power everywhere till 9000 RPM. One twist of throttle and off you go. The engine makes a good sound but not loud which is how a tourer must behave. Effortless cruising even above 120 kmph.

Breaking :


With twin petal blades upfront and a single petal brakes on the rear, IT does it's job pretty well. Not as sharp as it's younger twin the N250 but yes, It does it's job well. The earlier 2011 model had some issues with the brakes and kawasaki changed some pads and something to make the brakes feel better.

Looks and styling :

Well, That's subjective. I personally like the n250r's looks more than the 650. But that said, N650 aint silly looking, It has that character and it grabs attention on the road big time!

Economy/Pocket friendly :

It is very pocket friendly considering the segment. It gives me nothing less than 20 Kmpl in city conditions and 25+ Kmpl on the highways. Isn't that economical for a 650cc mill?

Service backup :

The closest kawasaki outlet to me is 1 km away from my place. And the people who work there are very friendly. Service is not a problem at all. I would give a 10/10 on that front.

Practicality :

The most practical bike money can buy at this point of time in india is what I can in short. Why?

1. You don't have to be worried about high octane petrol not being available while touring.

2. It costs more or less the same as maintaining the ninja 250.

3. Spares come in in a nominal amount of time.

4. Riding position as so good that you just keep going on and on and on and so on.

5. One full tank lasts for a minimum of 300 kms when you ride it sanely so less fuel stops.

6. Very flickable in traffic. Thanks to the handle bars.

7. Saddle is very comfortable. It's like sitting in a couch.

8. The multi-display shows you AVG KMPL, Realtime KMPL, DTE and 2 trip meters. Makes it easy to estimate and calculate fuel stops.

Need I say more? For a mid segment super bike, These are more than just enough to say it's the most practical superbike money can buy at this point of time in India. Not to forget the price point.

More to come over a period of time as I clock more kilometers.







EDIT : I forgot to mention that this is my 23rd birthday gift that I gifted to me. The most expensive gift that I bought for myself so far.

[ba$h]

Dont we all like birthday presents!!! Congratulations on the N650! A couple of my mates have it and they love it! Do keep us posted with rides and reviews. Ride safe bro!

[Octane_Power]

Brother, you are "literally" living my dream!

Congratulations on the Goblin!
I am just in awe with the bike, its practicality, its power, its looks, and everything I can think about it.

Its the best "middle-weight" you can buy

On a lighter note, just yesterday night I had a dream of owning the Ninja 650 that's why the emphasis on the word "literally".

-Bhargav

[dZired]

Congratulations on getting the Goblin mate. The bike looks spectacular.

First a CBR and now a ninja! Man you are one guy I would want to live like.

Enjoy your rides and keep pushing it into corners, it is indeed great fun.

[dinyaar]

Hi
Congratulations!
Very practical & sensible buy if I may say. Damn comfortable on longish ride with or without a pillion. An engine thats really robust and takes abuse and PBK as a back up who at least in Mumbai bend over backward to please you. A great bike for india and in my opinion at a great price.

I personally prefer the 2012 color scheme to the 2013. I dont much care for the matt black in the current years avatar.

I had this bike for 6 months and it was everything I thought it would be. The only reason I parted with it was because of a 'craze' for an inline 4.

Rgds

[kingofmyworld]

Originally Posted by ba$h

Dont we all like birthday presents!!! Congratulations on the N650! A couple of my mates have it and they love it! Do keep us posted with rides and reviews. Ride safe bro!

We indeed do and thank you

Originally Posted by Octane_Power

Brother, you are "literally" living my dream!

Congratulations on the Goblin!
I am just in awe with the bike, its practicality, its power, its looks, and everything I can think about it.

Its the best "middle-weight" you can buy

On a lighter note, just yesterday night I had a dream of owning the Ninja 650 that's why the emphasis on the word "literally".

-Bhargav

LOL! I like the way you used the term " Middle weight " . Hope you get the 650 soon. It's good to have a powerful "Middle weight " you see.

Originally Posted by dZired

Congratulations on getting the Goblin mate. The bike looks spectacular.

First a CBR and now a ninja! Man you are one guy I would want to live like.

Enjoy your rides and keep pushing it into corners, it is indeed great fun.

Thank you dzired.

Originally Posted by dinyaar

Hi
Congratulations!
Very practical & sensible buy if I may say. Damn comfortable on longish ride with or without a pillion. An engine thats really robust and takes abuse and PBK as a back up who at least in Mumbai bend over backward to please you. A great bike for india and in my opinion at a great price.

I personally prefer the 2012 color scheme to the 2013. I dont much care for the matt black in the current years avatar.

I had this bike for 6 months and it was everything I thought it would be. The only reason I parted with it was because of a 'craze' for an inline 4.

Rgds

It indeed is a very practical bike. Easy on the body and easy on the pocket. And I personally do not like the 2013 color scheme too. Kawasaki here opened a new outlet just meters away from my house and the mechanic who does ninjas there worked on my P220 years ago and on my friends ninjas and he does a good job always. Since the showroom being a new one, they are super attentive. Had been there today to get the front number plate removed and to get some minor rattling sounds removed. Job was done ASAP and I was charged 0 Rupees. Plus, They let me stay right next to the bike throughout.

I have the craze for an inline 4 too. Infact I was planning for an inline four before settling on the n650. cb1000r was also in my consideration list but the price at which it was placed was not so reachable for me. CB1000 beats the fz1 to death in the looks department for sure! And if I'm not wrong, I see that you own one. Am I right?

[manolin]

really liked your review, and the selection of photos. happy riding!

[Ford5]

Awesome ! May you be blessed with another Kawasaki soon (translated- need a review on the recently launched 300 too!)

That the 650 is not very expensive to maintain is good to hear.

[kingofmyworld]

Originally Posted by manolin

really liked your review, and the selection of photos. happy riding!

Thank you manolin.

Originally Posted by Ford5

Awesome ! May you be blessed with another Kawasaki soon (translated- need a review on the recently launched 300 too!)

That the 650 is not very expensive to maintain is good to hear.

Haha. I wish i could own both the 650 and 300. I wouldn't mind owning both given that i get another salary hike asap :-D

A review is something i can still give once the bike hits the showroom floor though ;-)

[dinyaar]

Hi
Yes I have the CB1. Its a bike I have wanted ever since its launch 3/4 years ago! Finally after the last budget & the duty increase on any bike over 800 CC I thought I better move fast or be prepared to fork out another 2/2.5L. Luckily for me Honda had a new 2012 lying in a crate, zero kms which I now have.

In theory the FZ1 is a contender but not so for me. It is also a liter naked but its just too different from the CB. If one goes by the specs then FZ1 has more but one ride on a CB should tell you exactly what it can do. I like the look of both bikes but the build & fit and finish of a Honda are always brilliant. Its the butter smooth engine of most Honda s that appeals to me the most.

You have got yourself a super comfy and practical ride. The only issue I had with the ninja was a buzz from below the speedo which I managed to solve by sticking a rubber sheet on the metal bracket that supports it and removing the 3 metal washers & replacing them with cork/ neoprene.

Just keep riding and you too will love this no fuss, reliable twin cylinder hornet!!!!

There is a Ninja 650 bought in sept 2012 for sale with a friend of mine. Hardly clocked 2500Kms and the guy wants to buy a used FZ1 so if anyone in Mumbai is impatient and is open to a pre owned machine please give me a buzz. The owner is not on TBHP or any forum. Bike is immaculate with quite a few aftermarkets like sliders,levers etc

Rgds

[kingofmyworld]

Originally Posted by dinyaar

Hi
Yes I have the CB1. Its a bike I have wanted ever since its launch 3/4 years ago! Finally after the last budget & the duty increase on any bike over 800 CC I thought I better move fast or be prepared to fork out another 2/2.5L. Luckily for me Honda had a new 2012 lying in a crate, zero kms which I now have.

In theory the FZ1 is a contender but not so for me. It is also a liter naked but its just too different from the CB. If one goes by the specs then FZ1 has more but one ride on a CB should tell you exactly what it can do. I like the look of both bikes but the build & fit and finish of a Honda are always brilliant. Its the butter smooth engine of most Honda s that appeals to me the most.

You have got yourself a super comfy and practical ride. The only issue I had with the ninja was a buzz from below the speedo which I managed to solve by sticking a rubber sheet on the metal bracket that supports it and removing the 3 metal washers & replacing them with cork/ neoprene.

Just keep riding and you too will love this no fuss, reliable twin cylinder hornet!!!!

There is a Ninja 650 bought in sept 2012 for sale with a friend of mine. Hardly clocked 2500Kms and the guy wants to buy a used FZ1 so if anyone in Mumbai is impatient and is open to a pre owned machine please give me a buzz. The owner is not on TBHP or any forum. Bike is immaculate with quite a few aftermarkets like sliders,levers etc

Rgds

Agreed. Hondas have way better finish compared to Yamahas. I had the rattle from underneath the speedo too. I filled the gap between the speedo and the bracket underneath it with double sided tape plus used a rubber lining where the speedo bolts on to its mounts. Result - 0 rattling.

Having used a n250 extensively, i can be sure that kawasakis are built to last and take some serious beating :-)

[SDP]

Congratulations kingofmyworld for the Green Goblin!
As Octane_power has mentioned, you are really living the dream of a lot of bike enthusiasts.

Originally Posted by kingofmyworld

...
...
Happy ME
...

For all these years that I have been reading stuff on Team-BHP, I had always wondered why the "Big Grin" smiley is Green (whereas most others are Yellow). Call me 'tubelight' if you want, but today 2 entirely different interpretations hit me:
1. "Grin" and "Green". Play of words.
2. Only a Green monster like a N650 can bring that kind of big toothy smile on someone's face! So that's why the smiley is Green. Now I get it!

Enjoy it, have fun! Would look forward to long-trip reports and travelogues from you.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Congrats!

As someone emphasized earlier, you are 'literally' living a dream. N650 is a fantastic bike and I'm sure you'll enjoy every minute with it.

I hope I'll be able to upgrade to a 300 soon. Thats my idea of a powerful bike for Indian conditions - I'm looking for a purchase 2 years down the line when i am done with my car loan.

[n_aditya]

Congratulations and wishing you many happy miles on this one.

I've been toying with the idea of upgrading my Ninja 250 to the 650 but finding it hard to let go.

I've heard from the Kawasaki service folks that the maintenance cost (service, consumables and spares) is cheaper in the long run on the 650 compared to the 250R.

Hope you've invested in a good set of riding gears.

All the best again and ride safe.

[kingofmyworld]

Originally Posted by SDP

Congratulations kingofmyworld for the Green Goblin!
As Octane_power has mentioned, you are really living the dream of a lot of bike enthusiasts.



For all these years that I have been reading stuff on Team-BHP, I had always wondered why the "Big Grin" smiley is Green (whereas most others are Yellow). Call me 'tubelight' if you want, but today 2 entirely different interpretations hit me:
1. "Grin" and "Green". Play of words.
2. Only a Green monster like a N650 can bring that kind of big toothy smile on someone's face! So that's why the smiley is Green. Now I get it!

Enjoy it, have fun! Would look forward to long-trip reports and travelogues from you.

You just made me realize why the grin smiley is green against all other yellow smileys. Your theory really makes more sense to me.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Congrats!

As someone emphasized earlier, you are 'literally' living a dream. N650 is a fantastic bike and I'm sure you'll enjoy every minute with it.

I hope I'll be able to upgrade to a 300 soon. Thats my idea of a powerful bike for Indian conditions - I'm looking for a purchase 2 years down the line when i am done with my car loan.

Hey thank you. And I hope you get the bike asap. It's good to see more superbikes on indian roads. I just hope more racetracks are established in india so that these machines can be pushed to their limits.

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Congratulations and wishing you many happy miles on this one.

I've been toying with the idea of upgrading my Ninja 250 to the 650 but finding it hard to let go.

I've heard from the Kawasaki service folks that the maintenance cost (service, consumables and spares) is cheaper in the long run on the 650 compared to the 250R.

Hope you've invested in a good set of riding gears.

All the best again and ride safe.

I heard the same thing from PBK guys too. N650 is cheaper to maintain compared to n250. My friend who has the n250 is in the same dilemma as you are. He badly wants to upgrade to n650 for touring purposes but he is not able to let go off the 250 and cant keep both the bikes. Wife troubles you see

Yes I did invest on riding gear. Having done quite a lot of touring and endurance runs plus having seen some deadly crashes and loosing a couple of friends, I know the importance of having riding gear and I keep spreading the word.

I request everyone to spread the word about riding gear and it's importance.