Kawasaki sold more Z900 motorcycles than the manufacturer with the second-largest market share - Triumph.

BHPian CrAzY dRiVeR recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The low-volume market for Superbikes and Imports in the country doesn’t allow for a meaningful monthly analysis of their sales data. However, the same over a longer period of a full year makes for a healthy discussion - and with that goal in mind, below is the 2023 Annual report and analysis of the premium two-wheeler market in India.

3311 premium motorcycles were dispatched in the year 2023 with the market seeing a 11% decrease in dispatches compared to 2022.

Note:

All data has been compiled from the data presented by Auto Punditz.

These manufacturer-reported sales numbers are factory dispatches to dealerships. They are NOT retail sales figures to end customers.

Manufacturers like BMW Motorrad, Ducati, Benelli etc are not included because the data is not available.

• 2018 report can be seen here
• 2019 report can be seen here
• 2020 report can be seen here
• 2021 report can be seen here
• 2022 report can be seen here

Click any picture to open a larger higher-resolution version in a new window/tab.

• A sole Triumph breaks the Japanese monopoly in the Top-5!
• Kawasaki Z900 is (once again!) India's highest-selling premium motorcycle with 947 units dispatched in 2023. Kawasaki sold more Z900 motorcycles than the manufacturer with the second largest market share - Triumph!
• Triumph hit a jackpot with the all-new Street Triple 765RS, the motorcycle shooting to second place despite dispatches starting only by August 2023.
• Suzuki's all-time favourite hyperbike - the 3rd generation Hayabusa retains 3rd place - dispatching 271 units.
• Two Kawasaki 650 machines take up the 4th and 5th places. Surprisingly, it's their litre-class flagship that beats the sport tourers for a spot in the Top 5 this year - the mighty ZX10R dispatching 238 units.
• Versys 650 sales picked up last year post the facelift and the run continues this year as well - ends up in 5th spot with 191 units.

• Kawasaki had their best-ever year in 2023 - and increased their market share well above 50%. Excellent pricing, followed by the availability of most of their international models contributed to these figures.
• Triumph concentrated more on the launch of the 400s this year and it shows - the numbers are down even though they still retain second place with 29% market share. The Bajaj transition has not been very smooth either!
• Suzuki can do no wrong with the Hayabusa, even if they can't sell anything else!
• Harley Davidson continues to decline further, this time under the Hero distribution network - possibly due to the focus on the launch of the X440.
• Honda had their worst year - and almost no supply of big bikes throughout the year. Ends up with 1% marketshare.

Continue reading BHPian CrAzY dRiVeR's report for more insights and information.

He teamed up with a very famous design house in Italy that works with Ducati

BHPian no_fear recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

2024 - time to grow.

It is now exactly one year since the 1199R was torn apart and rebuilding commenced. Now that the bike is up and running, I decided to mod it a bit more. I was brainstorming ideas with my brother and wanted to add a few bits and pieces to keep myself sated. Well, I was steamrolled over. I am sure there are many of you who have an older sibling who listens to you and then decides to do whatever they think is best, taking you along for the ride and turning you into a spectator

Well, to keep matters short, my brother produced his aces and went overboard on this 1199R project.

He teamed up with a very famous design house in Italy that works with Ducati and sent out sketches of the front and rear fairings he penned for the bike. He sketched it out in MS paint and then worked with the designer to craft the fairings in carbon fiber and get them custom painted. Concurrently, one of Japan's biggest aftermarket parts maker heard of this 1199R story and decided to throw their hats into the ring. Over the past 6 months, after several iterations, everything was manufactured and then shipped. After all the pieces were installed, I am glad to say the 1199R has turned out to be something far more crazier than I ever expected. Let the pictures do the talking. I will comment on each picture and explain the rationale of the mods.

Working up from the bottom

The first thing to get updated was the entire tail section of the 1199R. The ABS plastic fairings were in good condition but needed fresh paint and clear coating. My brother simply got rid of everything and installed brand-new carbon fiber fairings. When I say everything - I literally mean every plastic bit.

Rear tail cowl, fairings, and air vents were removed. Carbon fiber rear vent attached.

Carbon fiber tail ends and seat rest cowl attached.

Rear seat cowl is attached The whole tail section is now custom carbon fiber. It's manufactured by Fullsix and custom painted in Italy. The number 23 inscribed on it signifies the rebirth of the bike in 2023 and also my brother's favorite number. You can see my brother is a controlling egomaniac. The fit and finish is perfect to the nearest millimeter. Designing decals on three separate pieces that are not mounted on the bike speaks volumes about how crazy good Italian painters can be.

Next on the list were the rear sets. Years of abuse on the existing pegs meant they were in need of a serious upgrade. I have covered rear sets before in my V4S thread and always liked the Italian makers. Well, my brother proved me wrong. There is one company in Japan that does sublime stuff. They are the true godfathers of customization and each part they make is the stuff of dreams if you are into machining, lathing, or cnc. They were piqued about this bike and decided to collaborate on a one-off piece. The red color on the rearsets comes from "alumite" which is anodic oxidation of aluminum that is done in Japan. The stuff is just drool-worthy.

Aella - a company in Japan that makes manufactures magic

Along with this - small bits, like the oil filler plastic cap were swapped with a CNC Racing aluminum cap. Ducabike frame plugs were also added.

The tank cap also had aged considerably and was in need of a serious re-paint and reconditioning. Well, that was what I wanted but I was overruled. Enter CNC Pramac Racing quick-release tank cap. It has no key - means joy and fun for thieves, only if they can figure out how to operate it.

Brake caliper cooler ducts

I personally think brake caliper ducts prolong brake life plus they look super cool. This was something I wanted and got them.

Piece de resistance

The final flourish for the 1199 was the front fairing. The OEM one had too many swirl marks, and scratches and again needed a full repaint and polish. Also, it looked dated. I wanted something that kept the element of 1199 back in 2014 but would be modern and reflect 2024. The design was meticulously chosen and created by my brother who has worked on the fairings for both my V4S and V4R. Well, after many months of ideas, the final product was created.

Front fairing removed

New custom carbon fiber fairing attached.

The decals signify the WSBK paint scheme used by Ducati back in 2014-18. It flows with the rest of the bike, creating three sections - a white fairing, red body, and black tail. The color combo breaks up the monotony of a red Ducati but keeps the looks of the 1199R exactly the same. You will not mistake it for any other bike.

The final icing was a ginormous WRS sticker on the windscreen. Why not - they are the world's best windscreen makers and if they are on VR46 and Pramac MotoGP bikes, they are welcome on mine.

The full package put together, we took it out for a spin on a cold Delhi afternoon. There is no sunlight so the pictures are not the best, but I am quite glad with the final look of the bike. Might do some more work, but for now I am feeling rather smug.

Having picked up the bike in early 2021 and starting in 2024, in a span of 3 years, it has been a wild ride with this machine. It has been a lesson in humility, learning, forgiving, staring at an abyss, and looking up at a mountain. But the key to all this - is never to give up, and never stop dreaming.

A few snapshots to end this post. Till next time

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The bike is plenty powerful and can be quite dangerous if you are not careful.

BHPian starjohn123 recently shared this with other enthusiasts

I really missed riding my RR 310 and felt like this is probably the right time to get another bike but the Aprilia RS 660 was never ever on my radar.

The usual contenders where from Kawasaki ,Honda and Triumph. The Ninja 650 , Z900 , Ninja 1000 and Honda's CBR 650R. I was even seriously considering the Triumph Street Triple 765 RS.

My requirements were as below:

• Less weight , lower the better. Ideally below 180 Kgs. My RR 310 was 174 Kgs and I was barely able to manage it's weight.
• Less heat. If heat dissipation is good , it does not matter.
• Feature laden bike , TFT screen , LED headlights. The RR310 really spoiled me here.
• Super Sport looks(fairings), not a deal breaker if the first 3 requirements are satisfied.
• In-line 4 noise, not a must. I know I'll have to compromise on a lot of things like safety , heat and weight for this.

So with my first requirement I had to drop the Z900 ( 209 kgs ) ,CBR 650R ( 206 kgs ) and the Ninja 650 ( 193 kgs ) as they weighed a lot. Though I think I could have managed with the Ninja 650 as it was a highly practical bike in every other aspect.

So I was finally contemplating buying the ballistic but practical 765 RS. It ticked all the boxes perfectly , except the full fairing. It weighed just 166 kgs , had power of about 123 Bhp and 77 Nm torque , giving it an astounding 728 Bhp/ Ton power to weight ratio.

Not to forget the sweet sounding triple. This was the bike for me, certainly nothing else can beat this British beauty. I also want to point out that Triumph is probably loosing a few customers by not making the Daytona 765 RS. I believe they made one last in 2020 but at a very limited run just for USA.

So I started the usual Team BHPian ritual, watching ton's of Youtube videos on the 765RS , reading our own pages for ownership reviews. Then one day I saw a comparison video of the 765RS and the Aprilia RS 660. There were pros and cons for both as in fairings on the RS 660 but the power on the 765 RS was much better. The RS 660 weighed 169 kgs had 100 bhp and 67 Nm of torque giving it a power to weight ratio of 591 Bhp/Ton, no slouch this one but with lesser weight( 166 kgs ) and more power ( 121 Bhp and 77 Nm ) the 765 RS was more powerful 728 Bhp/Ton. What's also more interesting to note is that the 765 RS does 0-100 kmph in 3.1 seconds ( claimed ) while the RS 660 does the same in 3.3 seconds ( claimed ) , that's already Porsche GT 3 territory. Realistically owners have got up to 3.7 seconds with the RS 660 and that's not slow by any stretch of the imagination.

But it was too late , my mind wasn't working straight after watching the RS 660. I didn't care that it had less power than the 765 RS anymore. The other reviewers also started praising the Aprilia RS 660 for it's nonchalant ability to be the best of both worlds. It was a great comfortable road bike as well as great on the track. It looked aggressive but it wasn't punishing on the rider. It started brining flashbacks of my RR310 for being a similarly versatile bike.

The reviewers main comparison of the RS 660 was with the Yamaha R7 , Honda CBR 650R and MV agusta Brutale and even there they said the only drawback was the RS 660s pricing. I feel the high tech electronics have to be blamed for that.

Anyways I walked into the dealership here in Australia Peter Stevens just to have a look. My jaw literally dropped seeing it. I mean what would you do if you saw something similar to this.

I didn't tell anyone at home and just booked the bike then and there itself. Got it within few day's and I don't regret buying it at all. The bike is simply stunning from all angles.

The bike is really exclusive and get's attention wherever it goes. Lot of thumps up from strangers and many enquiring about what bike it is.

Cons:

No distance to empty reading on the dash.

Can you believe it ? Such a feature laden bike and Aprilia does not have this vital info on the dashboard. They haven't even made a firmware update for it yet.
Aprilia owners on the other hand were ridiculing me for such a request. They were like , be happy that you atleast got 6 fuel bars on the dash. Guess these are
just Italian motorcycle ownership things.

Seat height is a bit high.

One issue I have though is that the seat height is higher than my RR 310. RR 310 was 790 mm while the Aprilia's is 820 mm. So me being 5'7" I can't put both my feets on the floor while siting on the bike. I can only put one feet on the floor comfortably or I have to tip toe.

Engine Oil Consumption and procedure to check engine oil level is horrible.

To check engine oil level I literally need to plan a long ride. I kid you not. As per the manual , you can't just idle the bike to warm it up. You need to ride it for 15 kms to warm it up and then come back home , turn it off. Hold the bike steady on a level ground and ask my daughter or wife to come help remove the dip stick. Wipe it clean and insert it back without screwing it and remove it again and check the dipstick level.

Another huge problem is that you just can't read the dipstick. Aprilia owners had suggested to sand the dipstick so that the oil level is readable , but this didn't work for me. I just place the dipstick flat on a white sheet of paper or thick 4 ply tissue paper , to get the reading.

To make matters worse , I think the engine is consuming some amount of oil. So it's going to be really tough doing this continuously.

No proper rear rocker panel cover.

From factory we get only a small plastic sheet as cover to protect it from scratches. Though I have not got any scratches , over time when the plastic sheet peels off, dirt gets stuck in it and it looks really very ugly. Luckily there is an easy fix for this as you can buy the cover for it separately.

Pros:

Loads of Electronic Gizmos.

The bike has next level electronics like wheelie control, 3 Levels of Control for AEM ( Aprilia Engine Map ) , 3 Levels of AEB ( Aprilia Engine Braking ) , 8 Levels of ATC ( Aprilia Traction Control ) and 3 Levels of ABS. All the above can be individually controlled in Individual Mode as seen below. There are 3 riding modes Commute , Dynamic and Individual. Initially I used to ride only in Commute mode , now after gaining some confidence that I can control the bike I ride it in Dynamic mode. I'm still not confident enough to fiddle with Individual settings , so no Individual mode for the time being.

Super Light weight for a fully faired Motorcycle. Just 169 Kgs.

Powerful Twin Cylinder Engine.

100 bhp and 67 Nm of torque giving it a power to weight ratio of 591 Bhp/Ton. 0-100 Kmph in 3.3 to 3.7 Seconds.

Stunning looks. An Italian Exotic , turns heads everywhere.

Excellent Braking System with ABS.

The front brakes are Dual 320 mm Brembo Radial Calipers with metal braided brake hose. They are top spec Stylemmas as well.

The rear brake is a single 220 mm disc brake.

The bike is plenty powerful and can be quite dangerous if you are not careful. Luckily here in Australia you can't ride this bike without an R-date license. Unfortunately in India we don't have such a concept as bike specific Licenses and that's why we see a lot of young rider deaths in these powerful motorcycles. A 650 Interceptor and an RS 660 are not same bikes just because they are twin cylinders and have the same cc's. They are poles apart.

Apart from the above Pro's , the bike also has Bi-directional Quick Shifter which works seamlessly , but I don't use it often.

Both front and rear suspension are fully adjustable.

Front is a Kayaba 41 mm upside down fork. Adjustable for Rebound , Compression and spring pre-load. I honestly don't understand this and probably will never play with these settings unless I hit a track.

The rear suspension is a mono-shock adjustable with counter spring, rebound and spring preload.

The Tyres are quite special.

Front Tyres are Pirellis Rosso Corsa 2's 120 / 70 R17 , super sticky on the road.

Rear are the same Rosso Corsa 2's but 180 / 55 R17.

A very important feature on my bike is Cruise Control. It can be activated by pushing the button in the pic to the left for 2 seconds and then pushing it once again to set the desired speed. It only works when the rpm is 3000 and above.

The bike can run on Minimum 95 Octane fuel.

Reliability is a question mark as this is a fairly new bike and there are reports of few owners having their engines replaced. Fortunately being a 2022 model , some of the chinks might have been ironed out. Also being a higher compression engine , this is a bit more reliable than the KTMs engine as per a reliability report shared by Fort9 on his channel. So that's kind of a relief.

The bike has been good fun so far and I am enjoying it a lot but have to keep reminding myself to control the throttle as it could get me into trouble here as laws are much stricter.

I have shared 2 vlogs here , one as soon as I purchased and another one of a long trip I had with a friend of mine in his Triumph Bonnie.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I normally ride only 1 bike in a day with the exception of the two strokes for a short under 10 km spin.

BHPian SnS_12 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Took Bianca for a short spin to Bandra and back and it was the first time I could make an immediate comparison between Bluebird (Busa) and Bianca as earlier I rode the Busa within the city for a round trip of 80+ kms. As it was it's first outing post monsoon took it gentle for a few kms to confirm the bike was functioning as desired. Post jumping on to Bianca the first thing you notice is the seat is really firm which eventually settles down and doesn't bother you much after a few minutes of riding. Second thing I noticed is that my speeds are much higher on Bianca as even in running period it can't be ridden gently as the L twin motor hates being ridden slow and starts acting up. Also since I took out the bike post 9:30 am the engine temperature was always in the high 80's/90's depending on the speeds I could maintain with traffic around.

I normally ride only 1 bike in a day with the exception of the two strokes for a short under 10 km spin. But since it has been two weeks since I last rode started up Bianca and wanted to ride the Busa too so it just happened to be so.

Just one day of riding in the week is why I keep telling myself no more bikes to be added in the collection but still ended up going to Kawasaki showroom to checkout the ZX 4R. It's good they told me the next lot will be available for delivery in March/April or might have ended putting down a deposit to book the bike

Some pictures:

While I was in Bandra I picked up another scale model:

25% of the running in is done:

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Had a test ride of the S1000RR a few days back, engine response was good so far. Will try it out a second time to get a better feel.

BHPian raja_ys recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi Folks,

Am looking to purchase a 4 cylinder sports bike and will be extra happy if it has two exhausts. Please suggest which brand and model to look for. Have been riding a 500 STD Bullet for the past 9 years in Delhi-NCR and sold it off recently.

Online search has resulted in shortlisting the following:

• Kawasaki ZX10R (Rs 16.50)
• Honda CBR1000RR-R (Rs 23.12)
• BMW S1000RR Pro (Rs 23.00)
• Aprillia RSV4 (Rs 25.11)
• Ducati Panigale V4 (Rs 27.41)

Visited the Kawasaki showroom but sadly they neither have a bike in display nor a test ride facility for any of their products. Was informed that a to be customer delivered vehicle will be coming next week and I can see it in flesh. ZX10R is a plain Jane on the external looks factor but the pricing is very attractive due to its CKD route.

Upon visiting the Honda showroom in Gurugram last month, the sales person informed me that no big bike is available and offers me to consider a 300F . The Honda is in a total sleep mode.

Had a test ride of the S1000RR a few days back, engine response was good so far. Will try it out a second time to get a better feel. Out of the three variants, the mid one i. e. Pro model is in my consideration due to its normal cast alloys. The top model M Sport Pro has the M brakes and carbon alloys and has the better looks but skeptical of the carbon wheels cracking.

Regards the Aprilia neither there is showroom in NCR that sells motorcycles nor there is any response from the website after expressing interest.

Ducati has the best looks along with the V4 but also the most exorbitant pricing. There’s a 7 lakh difference over the BMW in a variant to variant basis. Will be checking out the bike today.

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say on the matter:

@Raja_YS: You haven’t mentioned what you want the bike for. That should be instructive in providing some guidance on which is the best bike for “your proposed use case”.

As a side note, (and I don’t know the totality of your riding experience from your post) but if all of your riding experience has been on a standard bullet, I’d recommend at least one intermediate stepping stone sort of bike which is sub litre class before making the jump to the options shortlisted in your post.

If I were to respond from a pure product standpoint, (judging by MotoGP or otherwise) its the V4S engines that are ruling the roost currently so its the Panigale followed by the Aprilia which are a clear 1 and 2 in that shortlist followed by whichever other bike suits your fancy. Ducati and Aprilia are a notch above in this segment without a doubt.

From an India dealer footprint and active desire to sell bikes here, I’d peg the Ducati, BMW and the Kawasaki as the shortlist worth considering.

BHPian raja_ys replied:

Looking for Super Sports; Power around or above 200 hp, Weight around or below 200 kgs. Had some experience with other bikes and categories and last nine years primarily with the Bullet 500cc, so looking to double the cc now. Currently have 2 smaller bikes for city commute as I travel 60kms to & fro daily to work. Ducati is pro active on sales with various models while Aprilia is in a complete coma and doesn't even bother to reply to any queries.  Kawasaki not offering a test ride so last option for now.

Apart from the above my criteria for a bike purchase also has to meet the following:

• Display Vehicle
• Test Ride
• No handling/logistics charges
• No compulsory dealer Insurance or any forced accessories
• A little extra discount if vehicle is more than 4-6 months
• No extra charges for preferred colour choice
• Primary Showroom and workshop within 50kms from home
• Minimum customer parking in front of showroom/workshop
• Decent range of accessories

Here's what BHPian deepfreak15 had to say on the matter:

You might want to consider going down the used bike market. If you are looking for a new bike with the above criteria get ready for a whole lot of frustration. Try to get involved with your local biking community, you might end up tempering your expectations. As much as I hate to admit it, our market isn’t mature enough to cater to your list. Most dealers are and will continue to sell to people who walk in knowing what they want or “think they know what they want”.

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

I believe you already bought a Ducati Monster SP from NSA Ducati Delhi. If you had a pleasant experience with them, and they held up to your administrative standards, best would be to stick with them (tried and tested).

In your list, you have mentioned the 1000cc. I might even consider adding the Ducati V2 to the mix - its 955 cc and probably the best bike suited for India's roads. May not fit your 200 BHP criteria, but it's a subjective matter.

+1 to what Axe77 said. The forum may not be the best place for your specific needs. Best if you join several of the Whatsapp riding groups in Delhi, and have a discussion.

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

Among the choices you have listed, I'd say just go for the S1000. While the other options do have their advantages over the Beemer, the S1000 is a motorcycle that you just can't go wrong with.

If budget isn't an issue and you like the feeling of an exotica, go for the Ducati.

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

Hi Raja, I currently own both a 2014 RSV4 APRC and a new 2023 s1000rr Msport so thought of adding my views here:

• Ignore the Japs if this is a 'get hold of the last lot of the ICE chapter' kind of a bike. There are 3 that sit on top of the litre bike pile - the Duc v4s, RSV4 and S1000rr. Stick with one of them.
• Aprilia service coverage is non existent. But if you can find a good neighbourhood garage, parts availability is not a problem. Note that you will need to get into the details on your own - help in root causing any issues, find correct part numbers, order them and get them fitted. Parts come within a few weeks from Italy. But if you want a full fledged SVC experience then this is not the bike for you.
• BMW has the best service for me here in Blore. In general, I4s are less complex than V4s and BMW has a slightly better reliability track record than the Italians. Your point 7 will be well satisfied here I think.
• Duc has good service coverage but parts availability and lead times can be unpredictable. My friend's Multi sat in the SVC for 6 months while they figured out an oil weep issue and ordered parts one by one. Not sure if it is much better in Delhi.

That said, all the 3 bikes are chalk and cheese in character.

The RSV4 is in my opinion, the most satisfying bike to ride of the 3, especially the post 2021 models. Its handling is telepathic like nothing else out there. It has the best sounding engine of any motorcycle - at full revs, that v4 is as close as it gets to sounding like a full blown race bike. But it is also the smallest and most cramped of the 3. The riding posture is more track focused with high raise pegs that won't be comfortable for long road riding.

The Duc is the hardest accelerating and best looking of the 3. I can't tell you the number of times I have struggled to keep up with one of these on the straights at MMRT. But it is also quite temperamental and requires you to adjust to the bike rather than the other way around. It takes a bit more to get the bike setup to how you like it for the handling part as well. I hear that the newer 2022/2023 ones are far more rider friendly but I haven't ridden the newer ones yet.

The S1000rr is the most balanced of the 3 - and till the 2023 version, was considered a little too 'friendly' in character compared to the other 2 V4s here. The 2023 model has had significant tweaks to make the power delivery far less linear and more engaging- there is now a proper kick post 6k rpm and with a Brentune, it will be as fast or faster than the other 2. It has the best ergos, best electronics and the most neutral handling of the 3 here.

I picked the S1000rr Msport over the Pro version for two simple reasons - carbon wheels reduce unsprung mass and improve agility very noticeably. And you get Msport carbon adjustable rear sets. Well worth the 2L difference IMHO. And if you do crack the carbon wheels, you can get insurance coverage for it.

Having said all that - I graduated to these bikes after riding ~100bhp middle weights like the Street triples of the world for 10s of 1000s of Kms. I did a lot of track time on these middle weights apart from completing school sessions like CSS. And yet, these litre bikes at full pelt scared the hell out of me. An RSV4/Duc v4 at 11k RPM is the hardest accelerating thing one can ever experience. With nothing but crazy electronics to keep them from somersaulting off. With electronics completely off, all 3 bikes will power wheelie on all the gears with even minimal throttle - that is how crazy 200+bhp on a motorcycle is. As a comparison - I have another litre, a Ninja1000, which almost feels like a commuter bike when ridden back to back against any of these 3. So please, do consider if you want to spend more time with middle weights for a year or two, get some track training school time if you haven't done yet, and then grab one of these 3. Apologies on the unsolicited advice here but just wanted to point out that these 3 will be available into the foreseeable future and EVs will take there time to replace litre class super sports. So, imho, you need not hurry into buying one of them and can instead take your time so that you will truly enjoy one when you get it.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The low-speed behaviour of the bike is really great and the bike is happy to go at 55 km/h in 6th gear.

BHPian RodRowdyBiker recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Let me just start off by saying that this post has been delayed by 3 years. I wanted to do an initial buying experience thread and had written down a detailed thread in the assembly line but it has languished there for the last three years since I never found the motivation to click good pictures of my bike. As I am typing this now I am fearing the same might happen to this one (EDIT: it did languish for about 5 months but I decided to just publish it anyways and add some pics later). Luckily my initial review still holds and a lot of this is actually copy-pasted from the old one.

It was 2004 when I was 13 years of age when my parents bought a Kinetic Honda. I immediately took a liking to it and started using it around my very large apartment complex when my working parents were off trying to pay my excessive school fees. Fast forward to 2009 when I completed my first year of engineering, I asked my parents for a bike, hoping that the Rs. 36000 I had saved by tutoring for the 2 summer months would be used to good effect. My father graciously agreed to pay half and alas my partner for the next decade appeared, a brand new Yamaha FZ16. It has now completed over 1 lakh kilometres and still going strong. I love it, the reliability, the comfort, the handling, ease of maintenance - everything. On 31st May 2019, I got my FZ16 serviced properly to celebrate its 10th birthday and decided that I want a new bike.

The bike had to have reliability, daily usability and speed. I didn't care much about the design as long as the bike wasn't particularly ugly. I didn't have a budget and I wanted to see what was on the market trying to see the least I could spend to get what I wanted. I tried the lower end first, hoping that I would like something. I tried the:

• Bajaj Dominar -very unrefined, poor build
• KTM RC/Duke 390 - liked both, and was almost ready to buy the RC390
• Yamaha R3 - liked it very much good but I was done with Yamaha's awful everything after sales
• BMW 310 - very expensive, under-powered

After wasting a few weekends, testing these bikes, I decided that what I wanted most was more power in these bikes. I do not upgrade often and I was buying something that would get me through the next decade so I shifted to the next tier thinking that I would regret it if I didn't buy a properly fast bike now. The number of bikes that were up for sale was overwhelming, more than 50. I removed the cruisers, the super sports and the adventure touring motorbikes as what I wanted was a daily bike.

Here is how I went about choosing the bike I wanted

1. Ducati - The Scrambler and the Monster are brilliant bikes but I had a few concerns regarding the reliability and service costs of the Ducati, especially with so many electronics, so I decided to drop it without even going to the showroom.
2. Benelli - The 600i was appealing with its low price but the future viability of the brand was a concern. Put it on the back burner and decided to reject it after test-driving it as it felt slightly unrefined.
3. Triumph - The Street Triple RS is one of my favourite bikes and its brilliant engine, low weight and awesome electronics package was the bike I had set my eyes on. However, the price is too high and the low-spec Street Triple S is undesirable. I thought about the Street Twin and the Speed Twin but they weren't my style if I may say so. Some rumours (afterwards confirmed true) started spilling out about the very poor service centre.
4. Suzuki - The GSX S750 is a great bike and fits all my requirements but the overall Z900 package is better in my opinion.
5. Yamaha - I decided to basically punish Yamaha for not treating its customers well by not buying their bikes. The MT09 would have been a close contender and may have even won out. Too bad for them I decided to vote with my wallet.
6. The Kawasaki Z900 stood out as the most value-for-money option and the Kawasaki's reliability, and its being a CBU from Kawasaki's own Thailand plant sealed the deal. The showroom experience unfortunately was an utter nightmare (How to Buy and Live with a Superbike in India) (How to Buy and live with a Superbike in India) and I finally got it delivered in August paying an on-road price of approximately INR 9L. I forgave the dealership as they showed me that they tried their best and were open and honest to me, they did offer a full refund of the booking amount as well. However, this should have been a warning of the incompetence to come.

Anyways, let me get the meat of the post out of the way,

THE ISSUES.

• The Gearbox is not confidence inspiring and lacks feel on the up-shifts. I have gone into false neutrals when I did not up-shift with the required force. It is not like it is dangerous or un-driveable but it never feels good in normal driving. When ridden hard and I up-shift at 6k+ RPM, it feels alright. The gearing is a bit short in my opinion.
• The Hyderabad service centre is atrocious and that is an understatement. During the first service, they forgot to put the seal on the oil filler causing oil leaks and a repeat visit. I got a few accessories installed with the first service, one of them being the Zana crash guard. While installing the guard, they stripped the nut due to negligent use of the power screwdriver. I only found that out when I got them removed a few months ago. My clutch cable was frayed and when I complained, they just put it in the most extreme adjustment and the cable snapped on one of my rides only a few weeks later. I had to ride close to 100 km clutchless, it was a nightmare. They are just a bunch of incompetent and useless baboons.
• The suspension settings seem to change on their own somehow. I have no proof that it isn't some sort of mischief but every 6 months I find myself re-adjusting to my preferred settings, especially on the front which becomes stiffer and the rear which becomes softer. I verified it by counting the clicks of the screw of the damping.
• The engine vibrations became worse since I bought it. There is a marked improvement once it is serviced. It gradually degrades till the next service but on the whole, it is not as buttery as when I first bought it. However it is still smooth compared to its rivals.
• There is a big problem with the idling which gradually reduces over time. This causes engine overheating issues, poor ride-ability and jerkiness. This issue has been confirmed by multiple people in their respective Z900s making it EXTREMELY common in the Z900. Using high-octane fuel didn't help at all.
• The Indicators are poor quality. Three of the original indicators (both rear and one front) have broken off around the same time (July 22). I got them replaced with the OEM indicators one of which broke again. So I decided to replace them with the Honda CB 350 RS indicators.
• Now that the issues I've faced over the last 3 years are out of the way, let's get back to the review.

WHAT I LIKE

• Excellent engine - both low and high speeds are a blast
• Good handling and adjustable suspension.
• Excellent price
• The ride is pretty good and the ergonomics are well thought out
• Build quality is great (in general, other than the indicators)
• The engine doesn't overheat
• Wheelies
• Surprisingly fuel efficient (22 highways, 17 cities)
• The after-market scene is pretty good

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

• The gearbox, especially up-shifts. The gearing is too short.
• The rear brakes are utter crap. Front ABS comes on too early, ABS is non-switchable
• Luggage mounting is hard
• Lack of traction control
• Stock tires are very slippery when wet. Even mild dampness requires caution
• The stock rider seat is only good for short riders
• The Hyderabad service centre is just a scam and they have no idea what they are doing.
• Here are some personal opinions about the various aspects of the bike

ENGINE and FUELING

A very smooth and linear engine that has very good low-end torque and easy driveability. The low-speed behaviour of the bike is really great and the bike is happy to go at 55 km/h in 6th gear. The top end of the engine is really something as well and unless you are coming from a 200 BHP supersport, you won't have any complaints. The only thing I would have liked more would have been a higher red line as I find myself hitting the rev-limiter often when I am accelerating hard, especially in the first 3 gears.

Fueling is spot on at all RPMs and there are no jerks rolling on/off the throttle but there is a little snatch in the very beginning which I thought was an issue with the throttle free-play but seems like I'll just have to live with it. There is a slight buzz above 7k RPM but it is much more refined than the Suzuki 750 or the Triumph ST RS.

Vibrations and low-end jerkiness have come into play since year 2 but the low-end jerkiness is solved by using XP95 fuel. The vibrations are somewhat solved after a full service.

Rating - 9/10.

GEARBOX, CLUTCH and SHIFTS

The worst part of the driving experience is up-shifts - which are very clunky and lack feel. The bike hates lazy up-shifts. Even when shifting quickly, there is a profound jerkiness. Downshifts are smooth but lack a good feel. It really takes getting used to the shifting and if you don't shift exactly the way the bike wants it, the bike will make its displeasure very very apparent to you.

The clutch is both slipper and assisted making it extremely light, probably the lightest clutch on any bike. However, I think having a hydraulic clutch instead of the assisted clutch would have been better.

The ratios are quite short and I am considering going up a tooth on the front sprocket.

Rating - 5/10 (I would have given it a 4 but I reserve ratings less than 5 for dangerously bad gearboxes which upset the handling of the bike. The gearbox is bad but far from dangerous.)

HANDLING and SUSPENSION

The bike has a slightly vague front end at stock settings but with some tweaks later, the bike seems good. Lean-in is quick and responsive. At the limit, the bike does not punish you but loses grip gradually. I have tried slamming the brakes mid-corner and the ABS kicks in to stop the rear from skidding and the front from washing away. However, I think that people who are not deliberate with their counter-steer might find the bike to be lazy. One concerning aspect is that the stock rear tire is very bad in the rain. Even in slightly damp conditions, the rear tire starts spinning at 1/3 throttle. In the dry, there are no complaints. The bike can corner at any speed in the dry at massive lean angles.

Another thing to note is that the bike wheelies a lot. It is stupidly easy to wheelie the bike, dangerous even. If you have a pillion, do not go over half throttle or else your heads and wheels will exchange positions quickly and spectacularly. I like it now but it was scary at first.

Rating - 8/10

BRAKING

The front brakes lack initial bite but are progressive which makes it easy to use in city riding. The rear brakes are utter crap and make gymkhana-style riding difficult. Under 10 km/h, the rear brakes make a very disturbing noise if you use too much pressure. ABS kicks in early, especially at the front. At the limit, the brakes are not confidence inspiring and have a slight vagueness to them. Everywhere else, it is adequate and does its job. Threshold braking is easy but it is hard to get a good feel for trail braking and mid-corner braking if the need ever arises. I would have definitely loved an ABS off switch to get a feel of the brakes without ABS and explore the limits of the bike even further. Apparently, you can turn off the ABS by removing the fuse but I'll leave that for another day.

Rating - 6/10

ERGONOMICS and RIDE

The ergonomics with the tall seat are very good and comfortable. Small bumps and flyover joints are soaked very well. I had the unfortunate experience of having to ride over a dog at 60 km/h. The worst day of its life for the dog, but the bike did excellent. The body position is slightly sporty which I like. I may install riser bars in the future for more comfort. The mirrors are amazing with great visibility, and the quality of the glass is exceptional. Engine heating isn't an issue. Overall, a great package for me.

Rating - 8/10

Accessories I bought

1. Zana Engine Crash Guard - I always liked doing gymkhana and didn't want a cracked engine case in case of a fall. However, I never did any Gymkhana and these are quite wide so I got them removed after two years. Refer to the stripped chassis bolt incident in the issues. However, they are a good buy and saved my dad's leg when he fell at low speed and saved the bike as well.
2. Zana Front fork protectors, Rear spools and Radiator guard - many times cheaper than the international counterparts, look fine, and well worth the money in my opinion.
3. Ram phone mount
4. Puig windscreen - The wind blast was too much above certain speeds.
5. Kawasaki Tall seat - The stock seat is really hard and low for me (185 cm height). I felt cramped. Even though it cost INR 14800, it is 100% worth it. I can travel almost 250 km in a single stretch without any issues now. With the stock seat, my behind started complaining after 70kms. I really can't explain how much better this seat is compared to the stock one. In other news, if anyone wants to buy my stock seat, do message me.
6. Vaterra Claw Mini - A half-decent saddle bag, fits my purpose of carrying stuff but is less than adequate. I should have spent more time and money and gotten something better.

Accessories I initially thought of buying but decided against:

1. Tail tidy - The bike flings mud better than an excavator, I don't like being covered in mud. I am now considering a rear fender extender.
2. Exhaust - The bike is loud enough and since I use it as a daily bike, I felt that it is better to not annoy everyone in a 100m radius around me. It is also better for the environment ... I think.
3. LED headlights - They are just worse in the dark. Immediately got the stock ones back in. I will try to get brighter halogens since the stock bulbs are not great either.

Accessories I would like in the future:

1. SW-Motech Blaze Saddlebags - These are pretty expensive but their mounting system is really good.
2. Aux lights for better lighting in the dark. The stock ones are poor and it is a struggle at speeds more than 80 km/h.

I get my bike serviced at home by an FNG and thought that you lot might be interested in some naked pictures

The first step almost always is to remove the side panels and fuel tank so that the air filter and throttle body can be accessed. Here the rear fenders have also been removed to replace the indicators. Oil is drained by opening a nut in the bottom of the engine.

Basically, the list of work items are:

• The chain is adjusted, cleaned and lubricated
• Clutch is adjusted
• The oil and oil filters changed
• Throttle body cleaned
• Air filter cleaned
• Brake callipers and pads cleaned
• Coolant flush and refill
• Checking error codes from the laptop using a Kawasaki device of some sort
• Suspension reset to factory settings
• A general check-up on the nuts/bolts and for anything unusual

It is quite expensive at Rs. 18000 (parts and labour) but going to the service centre is even more horrifying. The indicators replacement cost of about Rs 6000 is extra this time.

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It’s the second model built in collaboration with Brough Superior.

Aston Martin recently showcased the AMB 001 Pro superbike at EICMA 2022 in Milan. It’s the second model built in collaboration with Brough Superior.

The AMB 001 Pro takes inspiration from the Valkyrie AMR Pro hypercar. Like the 2019 AMB 001, the new model will be produced in limited numbers, 88 to be precise.

The AMB 001 Pro looks super aggressive and futuristic. It features a fixed front fairing made from carbon fibre and other composites. As a result, the bike weighs just 175 kg (dry).

Powering the AMG 001 Pro is a 997cc V-twin engine. Unlike its predecessor, the new engine is naturally aspirated and delivers 225 BHP. It is mated to a 6-speed gearbox via a slipper clutch.

The bike rides on a Fior-type aluminium fork front suspension and a die-cast aluminium swingarm at the rear. It is equipped with carbon fibre wheels, and stopping power is provided by dual 320 mm front discs and a single 230 mm disc brake at the rear.

Post-service, I did one breakfast ride to Yelagiri just to ensure everything was fine.

BHPian KarthikK recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Fifth Service / 46 months Update (~17,000 km up)

As we hit the month of August, it was time for the annual service visit to Rideventur Kawasaki. I didn't have any complaints whatsoever in the past ~6000km of service interval, so this was just another routine service visit.

I usually visit the service centre early in the morning so as to get Kawasaki service, Guru Unni, to look at the bike. He really is a wizard and even adjusts and calibrates the nitty gritty of the bike, paying close attention to detail to check for issues and fix anything untoward. He usually reaches the service centre very early and gets them to open it before the listed timings, it is indeed a delight to visit the Kawasaki service centre now under his leadership. One more thing is the Kawasaki service folks don't mind us customers standing next to the bike the whole day and asking pesky doubts.

Luckily I could get Unni to service the bike himself since he was free

The bike goes on the anvil

This time, the bike needed a new air filter and on account of exceeding 3 years, Unni suggested I get the coolant replaced completely. The bike was still ready by 2 PM as promised.

Attaching the service bill copies. Normally the oil change services cost around 7000 INR. This time the total bill came to 11,000 INR on account of air filter replacement and coolant replacement.

After the fifth service update, the overall maintenance timeline looks like this

Slowly, as Covid paranoia has been receding, the better half and I have resumed our late-night dessert indulgences on weekends, when most of the roads are empty and parking spaces are safe. The Ninja is also fun to ride in the night for these midnight jaunts for some quick snacks.

The Ninja is enjoyable even for weekend midnight boredom-beating dessert runs

Post-service, I did one breakfast ride to Yelagiri just to ensure everything was fine. Nothing much to write about, so I'll just dump some random snaps clicked during the journey.

Trying out a new lid and some riding gear refresh (more on that in a separate post)

Other miscellaneous group shots

After July's Tanjore update we hadn't done any overnight trips as such, barring one to Strelitzia Villas, a luxury homestay we had visited on the Ninja in September 2021 (I had posted about that last year in this thread). The owners were opening a new Villa on the same property and invited us to try the new villa. It was at the peak of monsoons, raining cats and dogs the whole time and we couldn't really do much outdoors there after riding to the place. We just enjoyed some amazing food, enjoyed the villa, made good use of the Jacuzzi and got back home. Posting some snaps of Strelitzia's new villa here, didn't even take the camera along this time and didn't click too many pictures either.

Meanwhile the Ninja's garage sibling, the Honda CB 500X has been racking up some miles and stealing a few overnight trips too.

That's all for now!

There were a couple of trips planned on the Ninja for September's first and second weeks, but we had to call them off due to the horrible weather and flooding reports. Those should happen in October and November to some lovely offbeat destinations, so some more trip updates are lined up for the days to come! Thanks for reading!

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I love the way the power bands are distributed and how sane and composed this bike is, making you feel very confident and connected. Typical Japanese bike characteristics.

BHPian abhisheksircar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Year one saw continued Covid lock downs, the end of lock downs, things getting back to normal, offices resuming, floods in Bangalore making news and that one thing that kept me in the same relaxed temperament was this bike. Mission Accomplished !!

One year back when I got determined to get back to riding, I was thinking of various meditations online to stay calm and handle the changes one has to face in these recent years, every now and then. Nothing like being inside the helmet for hours listening to the sound of an in-line-4. 5200 kms and still enjoying every km on this.

The Honda CBR 650R is turning out to be a very good choice of bike as a middle weight even though it has a relatively steep price tag. I might have enjoyed the Ninja 1000 SX a well as the other choice. So what's it like after 1 year.

What do I like after a year:

The Engine and handling surely tops the list. Extremely smooth. The braking is another thing that I love in this bike. Precise. I also love the way the power bands are distributed and how sane and composed this bike is, making you feel very confident and connected. Typical Japanese bike characteristics. The rider sitting stance is quite decent. Not too committed, nor upright for sure. I have just gone for one short tour of around 1200+ kms, to and fro and it's been quite okay. It's nowhere close to a Goldwing comfort level but it can match up to any good sports tourer. CB vs CBR, if upright stance is not a necessity, I would always recommend the CBR over the CB. It helps quite a bit in higher speeds. This is vouched by a CB owner too who rode my bike. The headlights are good, if not great. Some CBR owners rely on Aux light setups for long tours. Mileage, although not a topic of discussion, has been a surprising 22 km/ltr. Perfect for a weekend ride with a 15 ltr tank. Pillion comfort is quite good in this one if one can handle the posture. The seat is quite wide and comfortable.

What do I not like after a year:

It's been a year and about 5200 kms and I am still not very used to the switch controls. I struggle when I do not want to. At this price point, I still wish it had some good riding modes. Quick shifter and an Akra should have been a stock setup. No other issues worth mentioning out there.

Accessories:

The ones I recommend:

• Evotech Radiator Guard
• Evotech Front Fork Crash Bobbins
• Evotech Engine Guard
• PUIG Shorty Levers (Much more easier to handle compared to the stock long ones)
• PUIG Spools
• PUIG Front mudguard extender
• Honda Quick Shifter
• Akra Exhaust (This is absolutely amazing. Let's you really hear the In-line-4)
• Phone Mount
• Extended USB Charger

The ones which did not make any or much of a difference:

• PUIG rear mudguard extender
• PUIG bar-end weights
• Hepco Side Stand Extender (This came off and I do not have it now)
• BMC Stock Air Filter (This could be in the recommend list for peace of mind of just washing one away if it gets dirty but that's more like it)

The "want" ones:

• PPF on painted surface (This was not needed considering the wrap, but wrap was an after thought)
• Ceramic coating on non painted surface
• Wrap
• Evotech Tail Tidy (This looks good but creates a MESS on rainy days)
• Rear Seat Cowl

I always think, this is the last I am spending on the bike but I end up with something or the other. A good set of tyres is next on the line, when needed. I could go for some sticky ones as the mileage I clock in a year is not too much.

Now for the Services:

• First Free Service : Rs. 3341/-
• Second Free Service : Rs. 3010/- (Did not need chain lubing. Got it done at home)
• Third Free Service : Rs. 3695/- (Engine Oil cost has gone up by few hundreds)

here is one service center in Bangalore that is authorized to service a 650R and that's about 52 kms away if I take the good roads around but nothing to complain here. I enjoy the ride to the location and I am happy that at least there is one service center in the city. Service experience has been quite seamless. The most complicated task has probably been cleaning the air filter in regular services and installing an Akra otherwise. The pricing has been quite reasonable. The cost of the Engine oil has gone up by few hundreds, else rest of it is more or less the same. I have completed the free services and it will be interesting to see how it goes from here on.

Before I end, a quick look at the BMC air filter after a year. Dirty and then washed off:

One year completion also calls for the renewal of Insurance and RSA (Road Side Handling)

When we buy this bike, the insurance available is 5 years Third Party and 1 year comprehensive. Hence, it's recommended to renew comprehensive every year. I had reached out to the Insurance agent linked to the dealer as their association helps but the agent was quite unavailable and what he quoted was an IDV which was a lakh lesser and priced at around 4k more than what ICICI Lombard personals from their call center provided. I still would have preferred the dealer associated one for ease of claims and all but he was just not available and my insurance expiry was fast approaching. So finally I ended up with an IDV of 8.47 Lakhs with a premium of 20,576 INR with ICICI Lombard employees directly. This includes Zero Dep, Return to Invoice and RSA.

Next is RSA from Honda. Road side assistance is another one of those things which you would wish you would not use, but it's good to have it. The revised RSA that includes something called Unlimited RSA is what I opted for which allows towing from anywhere in India, unlimited kms. This costed Rs. 7,999/-. Mentioned below is what you get for Unlimited RSA.

Unlimited RSA:

• Minor Mechanical or electrical breakdowns – In case your vehicle suffers a mechanical or electrical breakdown causing sudden stoppage, suitable support shall be provided on the spot to mobilize the vehicle. This service covers minor adjustments and repairs which do not need change of any spare parts. In case vehicle needs replacement of spares cost of such spares has to be paid in cash by you, on the spot.
• Major breakdown or accident – In the unfortunate event of a major breakdown or accident where the vehicle cannot be mobilized on the spot, we shall arrange to transfer or tow the vehicle to nearest authorized HMSI workshop. In case of the covered towing distance exceeds (300 Kms for motorcycles beyond the capacity of 250CC and 50 Kms for capacity less than or equal to 250CC) additional cost of Rs.30/km will be levied. While the aforesaid condition will not be applicable for the Unlimited KMS RSA Package. Note: Interstate charges and toll-charges as well as all other government taxes shall be borne by customer directly on the spot.
• Puncture / Flat tyre – In case of a punctured or flat tyre the service shall enable you to get the puncture repaired at the nearest puncture repair shop. In such a case you shall have to directly bear the expenses of such repairs and we shall not be responsible for its workmanship.
• Running out of fuel – In case the vehicle which is <= 250 CC runs out of fuel you shall be provided with 1L of fuel enabling you to reach the nearest petrol station. However, Fuel charges shall be applicable at actuals and has to be paid beforehand. For vehicles > 250 CC 5L shall be provided free of cost once in a year only. Note: This service is applicable within a radius of 50 km from nearest HMSI workshop, or any other city in India covered under this program.
• Taxi Assistance – For premium motorcycles i.e., vehicles > 250 CC free taxi up to 50km shall be provided once in a year provided the vehicle is towed by us due to breakdown and if you wish to travel to the nearest HMSI dealership or place of your convenience. In case you wish to use taxi beyond 50Kms then the same can be done by paying directly to the service provider the prevailing charges.

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I had done a coolant flush last year and used Engine Ice, but had very quickly realized it probably is not the best choice for the 959, it heats up very quickly

BHPian AtheK recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

It's been a year last servicing was done, and that meant it was time for yearly service and try to make some tweaks to some of current consumables to see if they make some difference.

The bike has been running well and hence did not need any special service, so what we did was the basic servicing with usual fluids change and replacing consumables. It was a straight forward exercise and we were done in few hours. One thing that anyone who has been reading this thread knows, is the heat from the bike. I had done a coolant flush last year and used Engine Ice, but had very quickly realized it probably is not the best choice for 959, it heats up very quickly and cools down quickly too, but the bike gets very very hot in city traffic.

Add to it, Engine Ice needs to be replaced every year, so I decided to change it. Coolant was flushed and I have decided to try Maxima Coolanol this time:

Now it's raining and I did not get a chance to take the bike out, so review about this is on hold.

Next major change was the air filter, I have been running stock air filter and wanted to change it. I decided to go with Sprint air filter this time, the best thing about the Sprint air filter is that you don't need to oil it every year, you can just blow dry air and fit it back, so it is literally zero maintenance.

Notice how the stock paper one is crumpled and reduces air flow, this should make air flow better and make the engine run better. Again, review to be published in due course of time after some rides.

Other then that it was run of the mill stuff with new engine oil, I retained shell which is OEM, oil filter used was hiflo followed by cleaning of brake pads and internal components.

This concluded the yearly maintenance, and bike was ready for phase 2, which was to drop it to friend place and get it detailed.

I will let the pics do the talking from here.

A mandatory wash:

Looks nice:

Bit of paint correction job:

Before:

After:

Some buffing and ceramic coats later...

This took care of the bike and got it back to it's own shiny shelf, to my credit, not much work was needed and things were easier for my friend. I won't let go of a chance to win some brownie points!!

This though brings us to most difficult part of the ordeal, since it has been raining non stop in Bangalore, we had to figure out a way to get bike back to my home, this while making sure that the bike does not get dirty again. We got a window after three days when we got some dry roads in the morning and bike was ridden back in early hours back home. Now I am itching to take it for a long ride, but the weather keeps playing spoilsport, hopefully it clears up soon and I can take it out to test how is the bike performing with new coolant and the air filter.

The earlier upgrade to get an underbelly exhaust is getting a bit tough, so what I am thinking instead is to get a decat pipe and remove the catcon altogether, this I have heard helps with reducing the heat as well. This is something which I am actively exploring.

In the meantime I ended up picking another partner for Mark 13, details about which I will pen down in another thread soon.

Signing off for now, with couple of final pics, and will write about my experience with coolant soon:

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