[Hells_Fury]

My wife and I were having a conversation one weekend before Valentine's day that went something like this:

Me: What are you gifting me for Valentine's day this year?
Her: I don't know, what do you want?
Me: (Jokingly) Get me a bike
Her: (Much to my surprise ) OK, let's go. Which bike do you want?

And that was that. I was pretty much left speechless for the next 10 minutes. Once I got over the initial shock, my brain slowly started functioning again. Unknown to my wife I had already planned to buy a bike during Diwali this year. After quite a bit of research I had narrowed my choices down to two bikes - The Ducati Multistrada 950 and the Kawasaki Ninja 1000. My heart was set on the Multi but my mind just could not get over how much of a value proposition the Ninja 1000 was. In a rare victory for the mind over the heart I finally decided to get the Ninja 1000 itself. Informed my wife of my decision and we decided to book the bike on Valentine's day itself.

So, on Thursday the 14th of February 2019, the two of us left our respective workplaces a little early and paid a visit to the Kawasaki showroom in Bangalore - Rideventur. We were introduced to Mr. Syed who got the test ride bike out and gave us a brief intro. My wife instantly fell in love with the bike and her love grew deeper after the short test ride. We then went on with the booking formalities. For me if it's a Ninja it has to be green and my wife preferred the green too so we went ahead and booked it in green. Rideventur had an offer where they were giving Kawasaki OEM accessories worth Rs. 48,000/- for all Ninja 1000s delivered in February. Just booking in February was not enough, the actual delivery needed to happen in February. That posed a slight problem because I would be out of the country during the last week of February. That pretty much meant that the delivery had to happen within a week. Now here is where special mention should be made of Syed. He was able to arrange for the delivery on Thursday, the 21st of February (including registration). So, thanks to him (and my wife of course) we got our Ninja 1000 home exactly one week after booking. I have named her Valentine for obvious reasons. The best Valentine's day gift that I could ever have asked for.

I have ordered the following OEM accessories from Kawasaki through the dealership:

• Frame Sliders (https://www.kawasaki-india.com/acces...lider-z1000sx/)
• Crankcase Rings (https://www.kawasaki-india.com/acces...ngs-z1000sx-2/)
• Fork protectors (https://www.kawasaki-india.com/acces...e-protector-8/)
• Smoked windshield (https://www.kawasaki-india.com/acces...hield-smoke-3/)
• Tank Pad
• Backpack

The total amount for all of these should be slightly more than 48k, which is the amount I am getting from the dealership.

I have also ordered the following online:

• Fork stem RAM mount - https://www.bikenbiker.com/collectio...p-phone-cradle
• Evotech radiator guard - https://bikegear.in/evotech-ep-radia...scription=true
• Givi ST602 tanklock tank bag (https://bikegear.in/tank-bags/givi-s...g-online-india)
• Givi BF04 tanklock flange ring (https://bikegear.in/luggage/givi-bf0...g-online-india)

Coming to my riding gear, I have the following; need to buy myself some riding pants now (suggestions welcome).

• Helmet: Caberg Duke II (modular), HJC CS-15
• Jacket: Spartan Helios (now called Aspida Helios)
• Gloves: Alpinestars SP-2
• Boots: Alpinestars Andes v2 Drystar

Special mention must be made of dkaile's thread (2018 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 - The Comprehensive Review) which has a lot of detailed pictures. The only difference between our bikes is some additional stickers on mine.

My bike ready for delivery


I have not ridden much since I had to leave town the very next day after I took delivery. I have just done a short 130KM ride to Kolar after getting back apart from a couple of city rides. Here are my initial impressions.

Likes:

• I have set the bike to low power mode and KTRC at 2 till I complete the run-in. The bike has loads of power even in low power mode. It's easy to reach triple digit speeds without realizing. Before the N1000 the most powerful bike I had ridden was the N650 but that was rented so I rode pretty sedately. The power on offer here is simply mind blowing for me.
• Seating position is almost perfect (see next section). It feels like I can ride for much longer before I need a break.
• Comfy pillion seat. This was one of my primary requirements since my wife and I love to ride together.
• The adjustable clutch and brake levers are wonderful.
• Throttle response is very crisp.
• The display console is very informative and easy to read in a glance.
• The adjustable windscreen really helps. I set it to the lowest position in the city and move it higher on the highway.
• The headlights are brilliant and offer excellent visibility even at higher speeds.
• The rear pre-load adjuster makes it really easy to set the pre-load for riding with or without a pillion.
• The build quality and paint finish are really top notch.
• The bike really pulls even at lower RPMs which makes it really easy to ride in the city.
• Mirrors give great rearward visibility though they do extend out quite a bit.
• Even though the bike is really heavy (230KG+), it is easy to manoeuvre even from standstill. When riding the weight is completely masked.
• The sound is addictive even at low RPMs.

Could be improved:

• The seat is comfortable for shorter distances but I feel that for longer distances I might need to get a gel seat or something similar.
• For my height (6') I feel like I might need to add handlebar risers, especially if the seat height increases after adding a gel seat.
• Ground clearance is pretty low. While taking the bike home post delivery I had a minor scrape on a speed breaker (though I was with a pillion at that time).
• The sari guard is definitely getting discarded during the first service.
• Kawasaki OEM accessories are expensive, there are cheaper after-market alternatives. I got some OEM stuff only because of the offer.
• The back of my shoe keeps touching the exhaust, I need to adjust the position of my legs while riding.

My 3 year old son seems to like the bike too


PS: I'm not much of a writer so please excuse any typos or grammatical errors in my post. In fact, this is my first ownership thread despite having bought multiple vehicles during my membership tenure.

[Hells_Fury]

This and the following posts contain more details than the short summary in the first post.

Background and alternatives considered:
I am currently 36 years old, living in Bangalore and working in the IT sector (Who in Bangalore doesn't ). I've been having the superbike itch for quite a while now, since mid 2015 actually (few months before my son was born). At that time I was considering only adventure tourers for the comfort that they provided for both rider and pillion. Ever since the Multistrada 950 was announced I had been eagerly waiting for the India launch. I even test rode the Multistrada 1200 in low power (urban, I believe) mode to get a feel for the bike. On the same day I also test rode the Triumph Tiger 800 XRx. For some reason I was not happy with the Tiger. I cannot pinpoint the exact reason but the bike didn't "feel right" for me. On the other hand, I was absolutely impressed by the Multistrada. I had also test ridden the Versys 650 sometime earlier and I was impressed by it too but I wanted more power even though I might end up never using it . I made up my mind then to get the Multistrada 950 once it was launched. However due to various reasons which I will not go into here I had to drop my plans of buying a bike but the itch still remained. In between then and now I had almost given up on riding thanks to various reasons. I sold my CBR 250 and was without a bike for over a year. I got a Dominar in December 2017 mainly for city duties. I still have her and will keep her for office commutes and other errands.

Towards the end of 2018 I revived my plans and decided to get the Multistrada 950 during Diwali of 2019. I wasn't even considering anything else at that time. But then somehow the Ninja 1000 caught my attention and I was then confused on what to get. I read dkaile's brilliant thread multiple times. The Ninja 1000 was more powerful and still cheaper, and it had an inline 4 engine to boot. But somehow my heart was set on the Multistrada 950. Coming to February once the plan was finalized I eventually decided to get the Ninja 1000 itself. As mentioned earlier it was a rare victory for the mind over the heart.

Booking experience, price and offers:
I have already mentioned my booking and delivery experience in the previous post. In summary, I had nothing to complain about. I had a really good experience and did not face any of the issues that a lot people have complained about regarding Kawasaki dealerships. Have to wait and see how my service experience goes.

The bike costs Rs. 9.99 lakh ex-showroom which translates to Rs. 12.71 lakhs on-road. I didn't really try asking for discounts or for waiving off the handling charges. As mentioned earlier the dealership was offering Rs. 48k worth of OEM Kawasaki accessories for all February deliveries. The list of accessories that I chose are in the above post. This offer was actually introduced for January only but was extended to February as well (lucky me!) for some reason.

Test ride experience:
I was actually surprised that I even got a test ride. I had gone there last year to book a friend's bike and at that time there were no test ride bikes available. When I went this time I saw that almost all bikes are available for test rides. They only ask for your original driver's license and you're set. My sales rep just asked me if I am familiar with the area and on replying that I am he said that I could go on my own and he would not accompany me. I was allowed to take my wife as a pillion too. The test ride itself is quite short and not really enough to gauge the bike but it'll have to do. At least they're offering test rides now. The test bike is green and it had around 400KM on the odo when I rode it.

Me preparing for the test ride


Styling, features and build quality:
I am a big fan of the design of the facelifted Ninja 1000 that was launched in 2017. They made a good looking bike even better looking. I also liked what Kawasaki did in 2018 to the green model where they added grey panels in place of the black ones. I think this really suits the bike though there are mixed opinions. I also prefer the emerald green color over the old ninja green color. That India specific sari guard is the most horrendous looking one on any bike, period!

The build quality of this bike is exemplary. The bike feels solidly put together and there isn't a single creak or loose panel. Panel gaps are consistent too. Only complaint I have is with the engine kill switch that looks cheap and out of place with the rest of the switchgear.

In terms of features the bike is pretty much fully loaded. Safety features include ABS, KTRC (Traction Control), power modes (High and Low) and the IMU (Inertia Measurement Unit). The suspension is fully adjustable, I have left the front suspension settings as stock and increased the pre-load on the rear since I will mostly ride with a pillion. Even if I'm riding without a pillion the pre-load can easily be adjusted with the provided adjustment knob. The instrument console is fully digital except for the tachometer which is analog. I actually prefer an analog tachometer. The gear shift indicator can be customized to come on at a certain engine RPM and it can be turned off too.

Pre-load adjuster knob


The headlights are full LED units and the visibility provided by them is excellent even at highway speeds. The tail light is also an LED unit but the rest of the lights are regular bulbs. I really wish Kawasaki sold the bike with a full LED setup but I guess this can easily be done. The mirrors offer a good view of what's behind but they do extend out quite a bit from the body. One needs to be careful while going through traffic. The clutch and brake levers are adjustable for reach. The windscreen can be adjusted to 3 positions. I set it to the lowest position in the city where I need the wind flowing on me to keep me cool. On the highways I find that setting it to the middle position offers me the best comfort.

[Hells_Fury]

Engine, gearbox and handling:
The Ninja 1000 has a 1043cc inline 4 cylinder engine that produces around 140 bhp at 10K RPM and 111 Nm of torque at 7300 RPM. What this translates to in the real world is more than enough power for any situation. I was really surprised by how tractable and smooth the engine is. Coming from riding mostly single cylinder bikes I was amazed by the smoothness. Power is available from really low RPMs. A couple of times I was in a higher gear that I should have while accelerating but the bike did not complain one bit. The clutch is light and easy to pull. All this makes city riding a breeze though the bike does not like it. The bike gets really hot during city riding and once the radiator fan kicks in all that hot air is directed towards your feet. I had to ride through dense traffic a couple of times and it was not comfortable at all. The gearbox feels really slick. Shifting from neutral to first happens without any drama and there is no discernable clunk. Upshifts are precise but a few times while downshifting the gearbox was sort of in between gears. Even the gear indicator was confused and went blank. Hopefully this will sort itself out with more usage.

For the running-in period Kawasaki recommends to keep the revs below 4k for the first 800 KM and then below 6k for the next 800 KM. I have currently set the engine to low power mode and traction control to 2 (1 is the least intrusive and 3 is recommended for riding in the rain and on slippery surfaces). Power modes can be switched on the fly. I did briefly try the full power mode one time and I observed a noticeable difference in throttle response; I quickly switched back to low power though.

The bike handles like a charm. It's extremely stable at highway speeds and also very easy to manage in the city. A lot of reviews that I read said that the weight poses a problem especially while trying to move the bike from standstill or in a parking lot but I felt no such thing. My home has a relatively small parking area and I was easily able to manoeuvre the bike around. I have not gone corner carving yet but from what I've read that should pose no problem for the Ninja 1000. I'm not really a track riding guy and I've never been to a track but I do see myself going on a track day or two on the Ninja. This is more to improve my riding skills than anything else. I received the bike with just 2 KM on the odometer so initially the braking was terrible and I had a minor scare while taking the bike home. I was warned about this during the delivery and thankfully nothing happened. Over time the brakes have got progressively better and offer good bite and performance now.

Ground clearance at 130 mm is quite low. I have to be really careful and slow down to almost a standstill while going over Bangalore's infamous speed breakers. When taking the bike home after delivery my wife was riding pillion and I did have a minor scrape over one of the speed breakers. This was before I adjusted the rear pre-load setting though and I haven't scraped any speed breakers post the adjustment.

Wheels and Tires:
The Ninja 1000 comes with 17 inch alloys both on the front and rear. Stock tires are Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport sized at 120/70 in the front and 190/50 at the rear. They seem to be adequate for the job at hand but I can report better once they have settled in. I will also need to test the wet grip when I get the chance.

Ergonomics:
For my height (6') the ergonomics of the Ninja 1000 are almost spot-on. The footpegs are less rearset than pure sports bikes and my feet should be comfortable over long distances. I sit slightly leaned forward on the bike and feel like I may need handlebar risers for making the position a little more comfortable. The sear is firm and a lot of reviews say that the seat is harder than required. I might get a gel seat if I find the seat to be too uncomfortable over a long distance. this would mean an increase in seat height though, and I feel that handlebar risers will become a necessity then.

Conclusion:
In conclusion I am very happy with my purchase decision and do not regret getting the Multistrada 950 one bit. The bike is perfect for me and my wife and has everything we need - power, comfort and safety. I believe that the tagline "Gentleman's sportbike" suits this bike perfectly. During the launch presentation Kawasaki mentioned that Ninja 1000 owners are experienced and know what they want.

That's all for now folks!! I will keep updating this thread with additional accessories added, service reports, our rides etc. Thanks for your patience and reading my first ownership review. Please feel free to ask me any questions either here or via PM and I will be glad to answer them to the best of my abilities.

A parting shot of my bike at home next to my Dominar


Edit:
I noticed that the LED display on my bike is a regular display and not inverted like the older models. This may be something new in the 2019 model and I need to check if it is configurable.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Superbike Section. Thanks for sharing!

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Congrats!

Ninja 1000 is a brilliant motorcycle, and the CKD pricing makes it a very sweet deal - two good friends / BHPians have the bike and that engine is sweeeeeeet! Refined, brilliant low end and sounds just right - with just the right bass and not loud either!

Originally Posted by Hells_Fury

Me: What are you gifting me for Valentine's day this year?
Her: I don't know, what do you want?
Me: (Jokingly) Get me a bike
Her: (Much to my surprise ) OK, let's go. Which bike do you want?

And that was that. I was pretty much left speechless for the next 10 minutes. Once I got over the initial shock, my brain slowly started functioning again.

Been there. And when the brain starts functioning - the next few minutes you try to figure out whether it was a joke or not.

[Hells_Fury]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Been there. And when the brain starts functioning - the next few minutes you try to figure out whether it was a joke or not.

Luckily I didn't have to go through that trauma since her first sentence after my recovery was "I'm serious!!"

[KkVaidya]

Congratulation for the new motorcycle.
Dude you are really in luck to get such an offer from the 'Western front'

Your Ninja would look more delicious without that ugly saree guard. Good that you are removing it. BTW, why are you keeping the rear view mirrors folded?

[dpaul]

Congratulations on your new purchase. Enjoy riding on your superb machine. The bike looks super cool in this shade. Even I believe that if it is a Ninja then it has to be green.. I don't know why I feel this way but it has been hardwired in my brain that Ninja and the Kawasaki green goes hand in hand.

Bytheway, I would like to ask what is that contraption on your Dominal? Looks like a pilion back rest but I am not sure. Could you please post a pic of that, although it may be off-topic requesting Dominar's pic in your Ninja thread.

[ethanhunt123]

Congrats on possible the best sports touring bike currently on sale in India. Wishing you many miles on it !

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

that engine is sweeeeeeet! Refined, brilliant low end and

Totally Agree

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

sounds just right - with just the right bass and not loud either!

Totally DONT agree That inline-4 is begging for a proper FS exhaust - Akrapovic or TBR.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by ethanhunt123

Totally DONT agree That inline-4 is begging for a proper FS exhaust - Akrapovic or TBR.

Not for me.

With an Akra, it would sound like a wannabe ZX10R, not a milemunching supersport.

Ninja1000 is more of a sleeper in my books - I love it when this thing pulls close to others in signals and people start looking around where is this inline4 hummm coming from, whereas the Akra would announce itself from the previous signal itself.

[deepfreak15]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Ninja1000 is more of a sleeper in my books - I love it when this thing pulls close to others in signals and people start looking around where is this inline4 hummm coming from...

+1. I still remember KK's N1000 in Salem, at idle no one noticed but with one blip everyone stopped and stared.

@HellsFury: Congrats on your new Steed

[bigron]

Congratulations! Always happy to see a biker get his ride.
I have not ridden these post the 2017 update but a quick look at the spec sheet tells me its a complete package. Has the looks, ergonomics, space and with about 125 at the rear wheel you should be flying past well almost anything.
Enjoy your time with her.

[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by Hells_Fury

My wife and I were having a conversation one weekend before Valentine's day that went something like this....

First, I must say that there's been a noticeable uptick in the motorcycle related threads and discussions here on Team BHP. That's a wonderful thing. No other piece of terrestrial transportation has the soul moving potential of a motorcycle.

Coming back to your purchase, huge congratulations are in order. CONGRATULATIONS!!! You hit the jackpot in both departments - motorcycle and spouse. That's an unbeatable combination.

I also think that you have been fortunate to have had an exceptional purchase experience through your dealer. There are certainly enough and more horror stories about dealership experiences here in Mumbai.

Now, about your bike; the N1000 is a strange creature. It is both an intimidating monster and a gentle giant. Paradoxical indeed. It's great that you found the ergonomics on this bike suitable for your height. I would have thought otherwise. It's also interesting that you talk about this bike as being well-suited for 2 on touring. Again, looking at that pillion seat, I would have thought otherwise. On that note, at some point, I am fairly sure that you will exchange this bike for that Multi. Nothing beats the Multis and the Tigers of the world for 2 up touring.

FYI, as someone who rides distances rather than speeds, I am tempted to consider the N1000. But, then it's visual bulk gives me pause as I typically like naked bikes that look elemental. Personally, I think Kawasaki makes wonderful machines. Now, if only they had more offerings that didn't have that God-awful green. I am sorry, I know you said that you liked Kawa Green. But, you would be interested to know that there's a big faction out there that likes Kawasaki, but just cannot get themselves to buy a bike due to that green. It really is such a polarizing color.

Happy miles to you.

P. S.

Others have rightly remarked on the technical aspects of the N1000. Frankly, despite being a bike guy for more than 2 decades, I have never been technically inclined enough to enjoy modding a machine. I believe in buying and riding. Period.

[tarik.arora]

Congrats on your acquisition.

I am sure your wife is aware that, with this gift, your valentine will change

N1000 is one of the most sensible buys out there. A true VFM product that ticks almost all the boxes. You get a proper inline 4 + 140 hp + host of electronics + killer looks + relaxed seating + relatively affordable A.S.S. What else can some one ask for on a sub 10-lac bike!

Kawasaki has read the 'mass' market pulse like no other. I say mass because, even within the super-bike segment, a lot of it is 'mass market' where buyers are looking for VFM products.

[srikanthpotluri]

Congratulations on converting the "itch" into a "reality", thats an awesome Valentines day gift for sure. Like tarik said above, she probably doesn't know what just happened

When I went to test ride the V650 at the same dealership at that point there was no test ride bike for N1000, I remember watching this awesome machine at the showroom and by then did check out few logs in here, this is the best bike in India for the money thats paid, except for the usage part which I had planned, I would have gone for it.

Enjoy and Happy Riding. Hopefully we will see you in one of the meets.