[deerhunter]

Prologue

The Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX is the do it all bike for me. The one bike to conquer all my biking dreams.

It is good looking.


Can do a fast sunday morning ride.


Can do my kind of off-roading (read minimal).


Can do a solo weekend trip.


And can do a multi-day two-up trip too.


Before I continue further, my huge thanks to bhpian KarthikK, whose ownership review is the Bible for everything related to the Ninja 1000. Also, my gratitude to bhpian dkaile, whose review (2018 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 - The Comprehensive Review) has helped me tide over many of the conundrums in an otherwise blissful ownership experience.

[deerhunter]

The Story

I have been into automobiles, especially motorcycles, for as long as I can remember. Being from a middle-class salaried family from rural Kerala, with not much in terms of generational wealth, there was no vehicle at home. My parents were more concerned with giving me the best education possible, and not so much with the convenience that a vehicle could provide for them. Because of that, I never really got a chance to ride or experience the thrill of being on a motorcycle during my childhood. But the love for bikes never faded, and the pictures of R1 and Fireblade adorned my bedroom wall, as well as the covers of my notebooks.

I still have those notebooks.


The turning point came after I finished my 12th. I cracked the entrance exams and had the option of going to any of the top colleges in the country, all of which had negligible fees. With that out of the way, my parents were relieved by the fact that the educational expenses they were expecting, for which they were saving up, was not there. They bought their first car shortly afterwards. And me being me, pestered them for a bike, and thus got my first bike ever.

Didn't take a picture during delivery. The first picture I took was from my hostel parking lot.
The 2010 Yamaha YZF R15.


I had never ridden a bike until that point. I learned the theoretical aspects of riding from a few friends and went and took delivery of the bike. I learnt to ride properly only after I got the bike. I already took a learner's license a week before I took delivery of the bike, went for the test after a month with the R15 and got my license. Almost every weekend, a 100km trip was the rule. She served as my main commuter all through my college years. The R15 has been with me for nearly 13 years now, with over 1 lakh kms covered (not sure about the exact number because the console was changed twice).

On a trip to Valparai, sometime in early 2013.


The thought of an upgrade had crossed my mind several times over the past decade. When the CBR250 and the first gen Duke 390 came out, I had serious thoughts about upgrading. But nothing came to fruition due to various professional and personal reasons. My running had decreased drastically after the 5th year of ownership, with professional commitments forcing me to use my car more often. Meanwhile, I got a Vespa for the local runs, which further reduced R15’s mileage. The runs were limited to a couple of kms every few months. All the short solo commutes have now shifted to the Vespa.

The 2016 Vespa SXL 150.


2018 and 2019 were quite challenging for me, both personally and professionally. As I was slowly trying to build back, 2020 came and the pandemic struck. With people dying like flies and the realization of the impermanence of life, I had sort of an enlightenment. I started enjoying motorcycling again and the R15 got a new lease of life.

Sunday ride in between the lockdowns and the restrictions.

[deerhunter]

The Big Step

The R15 was already a decade old by 2020 and the age was showing. The bike which hit 135+ km/h,when new, was struggling to hit even 110 km/h. Overtaking fast cars became impossible. Long distance touring became a chore. My 10 year old bike was struggling to keep pace with a much faster world than she was used to. The upgrade became a necessity for me. Nevertheless, I plan to keep the R15 in running condition as long as I am able to.

My view about the perfect bike has also changed over the years. Even though I enjoyed looking at the R1s and Fireblades, I realized that I don’t really want to ride them, given their impracticality. Even though the R15 v1 was considered a sports bike when launched, the ergonomics were more like a sports tourer and nowhere nearly as aggressive as the R15 v3/v4 or the KTM RCs. So I wanted something similar to my R15, but bigger.

It was around this time, in early December 2020, that I came across bhpian KarthikK’s thread about his Ninja 1000. I decided to get the Ninja and didn’t really consider any other bike. The ergonomics of the Ninja was similar to my R15 v1, and it had the inline 4 engine which I wanted. The next day, I went to Kawasaki Kochi and booked the bike. The delivery was on the 17th of December, 2020.

Ready for the unveil.


Finally, mine.


Price details
Ex showroom (including KL flood cess): Rs 11,19,753
Insurance: 27,500
RTO charges: 2,37,482

[deerhunter]

The Journey

The specs and all the other details about buying and maintaining a Ninja 1000 are beautifully covered in bhpian KarthikK’s thread. So I will only be covering the issues and the observations concerning my particular bike.

The Ninja 1000SX has a few key differences from the older Ninja 1000, even though much of the bike is the same. Some of the notable differences:

• Single exhaust vs twin exhausts, and the 1000SX is 4kg lighter.
• TFT console.
• Seat height - 835mm for the 1000SX vs 815mm for the 1000.
• Fairing design.
• LED indicators.
• New visor with more adjustments.
• Rake angle reduced by 0.5 degrees.
• Up and down quick shifter.
• Cruise control.
• Switch gear.
• Brake levers are different. More on this later.
• Connectors for accessory power outlets and heated grips use Sumitomo HM090 connectors, while the older Ninja used bullet connectors.

Favourite angle of the bike.


Least favourite angle of the bike. The exhaust is not good looking.


Front visor has a new design. This picture was taken when the odo was around 12500 kms. Note the almost bald stock front tyre.


Quick shifter.


The new console is shared with many other Kawasaki models, from Ninja 650 to ZH2. It has two different UIs, namely Mode 1 and Mode 2, each of which has a light and a dark mode. Mode 2 is more track oriented with lean angle, throttle and brake modulation displayed prominently.

Mode 1 on light mode.


Mode 1 on dark mode.


Mode 2 on light mode.


Mode 2 on dark mode.


The switch gear is different from the older Ninja 1000, and is also shared with multiple Kawasaki models.
Cruise and menu buttons.


Flasher and high beam on the same switch.


Engine start and engine kill on the same switch.



Likes

• Tractability of the motor. Power is available all through the rev range. The bike can pick up cleanly from as low as 30 km/h in 6th gear. Overtakes, especially in 2 lane Kerala roads, are much easier and safer.

• Comfort. Supremely comfortable ergonomics for someone of my size and build. Very composed suspension. Both the rider and pillion seats are wide and comfortable.

• Braking was a revelation for someone not used to a premium motorcycle. Small tap on the lever can shed a lot of speed. Brake calipers by are made by Tokico, and master cylinder and levers by Nissin.

• Headlights are car like in illumination. All lights, including indicators, are LEDs.

• Fuel consumption of 20kmpl is the norm with my style of riding, and anything less is an exception. With a 19 litre fuel tank, that's a range of almost 400 kms.

• Reasonably good handler. Quick change of direction is not cumbersome at all, given how heavy it is.

• Quick shifter - I use it all the time. It is one of those things that I didn't know I wanted, until I got one.

Dislikes

• Weight – Coming from the R15 v1 which has a dry weight of 120kg to something that weighs over 230 kg, the thought of the weight was more challenging for me than the real weight was. Once I started riding the bike, realised that the weight was easily manageable and most of the issues were in my head. But weight can still be felt while moving it in the parking lot and while taking tight U turns.

• Seat height of 835mm - I am 5'9" tall with a 32” inseam and I am able to flat foot when the surface is flat. But when there is a slope or banking on one side, flat footing on both sides become impossible. Ninja 1000 has a seat height of 815mm, which is 20mm lower than the 1000SX.

• Pathetic stock horn. Even my Vespa has a better stock horn.

• Hit or miss service experience.

• Ground clearance of just 135 mm. The cat-con scrapes most of the older speed breakers.

• Saree guard - Looks ridiculous, but an improvement in design from the atrocious saree guard of the older Ninja 1000. It was removed within a week of delivery.

Ninja 1000SX saree guard is ugly. (pic from the internet)


The older Ninja 1000 saree guard, the most horrible looking saree guard ever. 1000SX definitely has an improved design over this. (pic from the internet)



Issues faced

• Stalling issue - A month after the first service (1000 kms service), the bike started having a stalling issue. The issue occured when the throttle is released on the move. The engine rpm falls and the engine dies. Contacted the service center and they mentioned some issue with the throttle body, and said a recall was forthcoming. Got a call from them the next week and took it for the recall. Post that, the issue never occurred.

• Brake lever incompatibility - While returning after the recall, I had to take a U turn near the service center. The road was sloping to the right at the U turn and there was also some gravel on the slope. While standing still for the traffic to clear, I lost footing due to gravel, with the slope contributing to it. There was a divider wall on my right and I leaned the bike on to it. The front brake lever hit the wall and broke off. I called the service advisor, who promptly came and took the bike to the service center. The brake lever was changed within 5 mins. There was no other damage, no scratches etc. Everything was going well on the braking front after that, or so I thought. After 6 months, took the bike for the 2nd service. While inspecting the bike, service advisor noticed that the brake lights are always at max brightness (as if the lever is pressed all the time). They diagnosed the issue to the brake lever. Earlier, while replacing the lever, the SA used the Ninja 1000 lever instead of the 1000SX one. The 1000SX has a cruise control cut off switch and the brake light switch, both controlled using the lever. So the brake lever was pressing on the brake light switch all the time, even though the braking itself was perfectly fine. I did not notice it because I never used the cruise control. They didn’t have the brake lever in stock, but promised to mail me the same once it’s available. It’s been more than a year, and multiple visits and calls, and they have not made it available to me yet. Decided to order the same from cmsnl.com, even though it’s priced slightly higher there.

• Stock horn died after around a year. Even though the bike was still under warranty, I didn’t want it to be replaced with the same OEM horn. So ordered Bosch symphony and did a DIY installation as explained in bhpian dkaile’s thread.

Mods/Accessories

• OEM frame sliders

• Radiator guard - from the service center. Brand unknown,probably Chinese.

• OEM Low seat - After the lever broke off, I became paranoid about scenarios where I won’t be able to flat foot on both sides. This led me to look for low seat options. Modifying the stock seat by removing the padding was considered, but dropped the idea due to concerns about loss of comfort. Checked the showroom about the OEM low seat option and they quoted a price of Rs. 35000. Googled a bit and found out about cmsnl.com. Ordered from them to Dubai for about Rs.19000 and a friend carried it here. The low seat lowered the seat height by 28mm, from 835mm to 807mm.

• Tanklock tank bag and tank ring from Givi. While researching for a tank bag, found out that the 1000SX has a different fuel tank cap compared to the 1000. As a result, the compatible Givi tank ring is also different. The compatible tank ring for the older 1000 is the BF 04 and for the 1000SX is the BF 29. The bag chosen was ST603B, with a very practical 15 litre capacity.

• Horn upgrade to Bosch symphony.

• Dual USB charging socket. As mentioned in bhpian dkaile’s thread, ordered bullet connectors and a charging socket from ebay. Jonathan Long’s YouTube video about charging socket installation also came in handy. Once all the ordered items were here, I proceeded to remove the fairing and tried finding the bullet connectors, which was nowhere to be seen. Google was of no help as there were very few 1000SX mods/accessories threads in the internet then. A look into the owner’s manual showed a new type of proprietary-ish connectors. I later found out that these were called Sumitomo HM090. Since I couldn’t find a compatible connector to buy online, decided to strip the connector and connected the wire directly to the charging socket.

• Kriega fork seal covers.

• Phone mount – Wanted a fork stem mount. But the 1000 and 1000SX has a 12mm hex hole fork stem bolt. The usual fork stem mounts can be used, but only after some jugaad, which I didn’t want to do. A compatible hex hole mount was difficult to come by for a reasonable price, so decided to go for a cheaper Bobo phone holder. I use my secondary phone on it, so no worries about the vibrations affecting the camera.

• Grip puppies.

• PPF done at Aucust, Kochi.

OEM frame slider.


OEM low seat has a different contour than the stock seat. The front part of the low seat has much lesser cushion than the stock seat. The rear part has similar cushioning.


Low seat vs Stock seat. (pic from the internet)


Fuel tank cap.


With Givi BF29 tank ring installed.


HM090 connector. All three accessory sockets in the Ninja 1000SX (2 in the front and 1 under the seat) are these. Forgot to take a picture while installing. (pic from the internet)


Charging port with the engine off.


And on, displaying the voltage.


With cap open.


Bosch symphony installed at the new location.


Kriega fork seal cover.


Fork stem bolt with hex hole. The usual screw type phone mounts (RAM mount, Quadlock etc.) can be installed after some jugaad.


The compatible 12mm hexagonal mount. It is ridiculously priced.


Bobo phone holder. Relatively cheap, but very durable.


It is mounted on the left accessory mirror hole using an extension, to make it as close to the center as possible.



The stock Bridgestone battlax lasted for around 13000 kms. Chose Vredestein Centauro ST from The Tyre Guys, Kochi. Paid Rs. 25600 for a set, including wheel balancing and installation.

The Vredesteins. Only covered around 500kms in this. Grip feels good as of now.


The Bridgestones were a little more attractive to look at, compared to this.

[deerhunter]

The Life and Times

Three months after I took delivery of the bike, the deadly 2nd wave of Covid started. Other than a few runs in my neighbourhood and a couple of runs to the gym, the bike didn’t run for a period of 6 months. Once the restrictions were lifted, sunday runs and short trips started again. Sunday runs are not missed for the most part, each time covering a couple of 100 kms. The bike has covered nearly 13500 kms as of now. Three routine services were done, the first one at 1000 kms and the next two after 6000 kms each.

The past two years have been phenomenal. Never have I ever imagined that something so fast and furious can be this docile and calm. Even though multi day trips have been few and far between, innumerable day trips have been done. Some trips/distances that I thought was impossible to cover in a single day were easily done in half as much time.

Not too far from home.


On a trip to Ooty.


On a trip to Pondicherry.


Somewhere on the highway to Thrissur.


On the Pamban bridge.


Did the Palakkad-Wayanad-Gundlupet-Ooty-Coimbatore-Palakkad circuit on a single day.


Sunday ride to the ancient port city of Muziris/Kottapuram.


Did the Palakkad-Angamaly-Munnar-Udumalaipet-Pollachi-Palakkad circuit as a day trip.


At the base of Anamudi, the tallest peak in India outside the Himalayas.


Me and her.


I will be updating this thread as and when anything worth mentioning happens. Thanks for reading.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Superbikes section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage today

[bhardwhu]

Wonderful machine, pictures and it is engaging to read your journeys. Wondering how do you manage to keep the speeds in check especially the ridiculously low speed limits on our highways ( excluding expressways which may have 120 limit but bikes are not allowed)?

[vinay5795]

I have the same exact bike. Very fast and comfortable tourer. Was a blissful experience of 16000km in under 2 years.Bike now slips in 4th gear and not in any other gear. Worn or missing teeth of the 4th gear seem to be the issue. Have given it to kawasaki for warranty claim. Hope it gets resolved soon.

[dkaile]

Congratulations deerhunter on the fantastic bike. It will serve you well for years. And even though I have now moved on to a 1250GSA, I do miss the acceleration of this super smooth inline 4 at times. Would have loved to keep it in the stable but just didn't have space or wife's permission for 3 superbikes...lolz

Ride safe and ATGATT.

Cheers...

[n_aditya]

Enjoyed reading your thread. The refinement in these Japanese machines is something to admire. Any plans to replace that exhaust which you don't fancy and get an aftermarket one?

As you said, those saree guards are hideous but may work well for weekend BBQ parties

Originally Posted by deerhunter

The Life and Times

Not too far from home.
Attachment 2429488

This is my favorite pic. KL is my one of my favorite places to ride. Riding in the midst of the greenery, waterfalls, tea plantations, etc. is so relaxing and rejuvenating. Thank you for sharing your experiences. Wishing you many happy and safe rides.

[Saurabh Lahiri]

Congratulations Deerhunter! It's a wonderful bike and is amazing in all aspects. Mine is the 2019 version with the older console and exhausts. This one is a keeper

[loki]

Originally Posted by deerhunter

My view about the perfect bike has also changed over the years. Even though I enjoyed looking at the R1s and Fireblades, I realized that I don’t really want to ride them, given their impracticality.

+100. Can totally relate to what you are saying here. I had a poster of a Yam R1 on my wall in my college hostel and used to salivate over all the pics of Superbikes / Supersports in Mags (Overdrive, BS Motoring etc...) Over time, I've come to realize that I'm never going to be in proper shape to ever enjoy that committed riding position. Sport-Tourers and Nakeds make a more practical choice.

Congrats and Ride safe! I've got a friend picking up the SX next week and am hoping to do some rides with him.

[ads295]

Great write-up.
The N1000 is such a versatile bike.
Quick question, though - how good or bad is the engine heat in heavy traffic?
It's my impression that inline 4s heat up a lot more than say twins.

[Sachin_Nair]

Congratulations @deerhunter on owning one of the best sport tourer's money can buy. Great pics and equally good write up. Keep the updates flowing.

I own a 2017 Ninja 1000 and Ninja 1000SX is a great step up from the previous generation. I wish I had the QuickShifter and Cruise Control on my bike, those are definitely great add on's in the current model. The bike's a keeper and it will keep you happy for many years to come. The only major issue I faced in last 5 years so far is I had to replace one of my front fork's inner tube as it developed few scratches which damaged the fork seals.

Ride Safe!

[gitartha]

Lo behold my Ninja 1000sx - The Green Hornet. Definately the thinking man's Ninja. My earlier bike was a HD Street 750. Coming from a Vtwin to a Inline 4 is like going to a different world altogether, the smoothness and the soundtrack of an inline 4 is something that needs to be experienced first hand to appreciate. No need to put an aftermarket exhaust on this one. Infinitely comfortable, insanely fast and really sweet handling. The bike is DEFINITELY a keeper. Highly recommended for anyone who wishes to upgrade to a litre class. And did I mention, it's also excellent value for money
Excellent writeup by deerhunter. Wish I had the time and patience to create a similar thread for my Green Hornet. Someday<sigh>