News

Sold my Kawasaki Ninja 650; what bike should I buy next

My other daily runner is a Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500 which is working perfectly fine.

BHPian Hamza123 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi all,

Hope you doing well.

The last time I was on this thread, I had sold off my Ninja 650 at a great price and had started hunting for the next big motorcycle both in terms of size as well as engine capacity. I was sure I wanted a road touring motorcycle with little or no off roading capability.

Unfortunately 2 weeks after I sold my N650 a lot of things changed in my professional life which has made me rethink the need to spend on a motorcycle ( I was to pay the entire amount and not finance it ). I will be buying the big bike for sure. Just don't know when. As per my estimate, it should be 12 to 18 months .My other daily runner is a Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500 which is working perfectly fine.

Now what I need help is in deciding what to do for the next 18 months:

Should I pick up another used N650? Plenty around and some at great prices with low mileage. Use it till the big bike comes and then make it a daily runner in place of the Enfield.

Continue using the Enfield as a daily runner plus weekend rides. I tried a couple of rides but they were not as enjoyable as the Ninja . Of course, there is no comparison but it did feel a bit of a downgrade.

Wait it out for 6 months and review the situation once more and get the Versys as planned.

A far fetched option but thought of it none the less. Sell the Thunderbird and get an Interceptor, which would be a bit more fun and then continue using it as a daily runner once the big bike comes.

P.S. Some of the N650s are cheaper than a new Interceptor.

Here's what BHPian RiderZone had to say on the matter:

My suggestion would be to get a used Interceptor. It's fun, cheap to buy, cheap to live with, plus good time pass to customize and wrench on if you're so inclined. They hold their resale value well too, if you decide to get rid of it later.

Here's what BHPian neil.jericho had to say on the matter:

Hamza123, given that the generation of Ninja 650 that you owned didn't come with ABS, I would suggest that you stay away from it as your next option. Like Riderzone, I too would suggest an option 5 of buying a low run pre-owned Interceptor 650. Prices are usually in the range of Rs 2.2 L to Rs 2.5 L though you can find some at below the Rs 2 L mark if your stars are aligned. Keep your Thunderbird for now.


Use both bikes for 6 months and see how things are. Will you feel compelled to sell one of them at that time? Possibly not, since the two bikes do different things very well in their own right. The Interceptor 650 is a deceptively capable bike that can be a great intermediate bike for someone in your situation. Possibly on my gentle persuasion, a good friend and fellow TBHPian picked up a pre-owned Interceptor 650 as a stop gap measure and he loves it.

Enjoy your riding until your finances work out in your favour and you can buy your next big motorcycle. At that time, you can sell either the Thunderbird or the Interceptor and you will still have a sweet 2 motorcycle garage.

Here's what BHPian 46TheDoctor had to say on the matter:

From your first post let me guess that you are eyeing a Versys 1000 as your upgrade to the N650.


As a supebiker myself, let me suggest you to find a good pre-owned Versys 650 till you get your perfect upgrade to Versys 1000 because:

  • Used Versys 650 wont cost you much compared to the other options and you will have to bear least amount of depreciation after 18-24 months when its time to go for the 1000. Also, power is comparable to N650 so riding experience wont be underwhelming for you.
  • Since you are trying to switch to the adventure tourer from a sport tourer, Versys 650 can serve as a good stepping stone to learn the characteristics of adv tourers before you jump to the 1000.
  • Versys 650 is good to ride with the pillion also, so no issues there.

Versys 650 will give you a good insight to understand whether you want a road biased adv tourer or off-road biased adv tourer. So, accordingly you can choose your next big bike.

Here's what BHPian GrandTourer had to say on the matter:

How about replace the TB500 with Int650 and wait for 18-24 months to get the Versys.


In the meantime, you can get the PowerTRONIC quickshifter & plug and play ECU to add that little bit more spark to the Int650. Last I checked the ECU was 22k and QS was 13K. You can also get a custom exhaust for it. That way you'll have an exciting ride for the next 18-24 months plus a beater (Avenger). When you do get the Versys, you can retire the Avenger for good, and you'll have your dream bike as well as a spruced up daily rider in the Int650.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

 
A helmet will save your life