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Ninja 300 review

Discussion in 'Kawasaki Ninja 300' started by Desmo, Jan 5, 2013.

  1. Desmo

    Desmo Member Premium Member

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    Sup ladies and gents.

    My best friend finally got his ninja 300 delivered so we popped down and picked it up yesterday, putting 300k on it. Here's what i thought :p

    The bike itself is fairly tall. Somewhere between an aprilia 125 and across which is good, really comfortable ergonomics although the seat is surprisingly hard and not very comfortable. We were both dead after 120km on it, its as bad as the across in that regard. Hopefully they bring out a gel seat :).

    One other thing i didnt lke about the ergos though is the tank shape. I couldnt grip it with my legs proper as the seat gets in the way. And the fairings seem to vibrate against your knees a lot even with all the bolts tightened. Bit of a bummer there. Though i have identical thoughts about the new cbr250 too.

    Handling is amazing, despite the dealer giving it to us with 20psi in the tyres its super stable and reall inspires you to push it pretty hard (though we didnt with the quality roadwinners installed :p ). The front and rear seem pretty stiff too, even with a 70kg pillion the bike didnt squat much with the preload on two.

    Speaking of pillioning, it does a sweet job of it. Both did 100km that way and commented on it being really comfortable for both of us. Handlings still sweet with the added weight and the torque of the engine made getting going a breeze.

    The engine! FREAKING AWESOME. Even thoughg it had 0km on it you can tell it has some stomp. Passing on the freeway id look down to notice i was doing 140kmh lol, whoops, deceptively powerful indeed. Gearbox is a bit cLunky like my buggered old across but im sure it will wear in. My friend commented as a new rider that the 1st to 2nd transistion is really hard to get used too and i'd agree. Its pretty widely spaced and tricky to be smooth.

    Another real surprise is the noise. How quiet is this thing?! All that can be heard at 110k at 8k rpm is wind noise. The exhaust is pretty much inaudible whereas the across drowns out the windeven with the stock can lol. Open it up though and the note becomes much louder, its almost like it has a valve in the pipe somewhere.

    The dash is 10/10 though hard to see the lighted bits in the daylight. Maybe some high powered leds would be good there. Switchgear feels really solid and quality. Good stuff :)

    Fuel injection - this is the first fi bike ive ridden btw. Starts up right away and the bike idles super stable. The revs seem to drop really fast between changes, not sure if thats from the tight engine, the twin cylinder setup or the FI but my friends having a hard time being smooth with his changes as a result. Also we found that if you go from 2nd to 1st at a really low rpm, say, 10kmh the fi lags almost and doesnt react for a second. Thought my friend was just making excuses but no its definitely repeatable. Aside from that i like it very much.

    The clutch is the lightwst thing you will ever use. It doesnt feel connected and the friction zone is really wide. Super leaner friendly.

    headlights are very very effective too. Jealous as given how bad the across' ones are lol.

    So yeah! This is a perfect learner bike. Extremely forgiving but enough power and handling ability to keep you interested for the 3 years you will be stuck with it in nsw at least. Build quality is very nice for the money and hopefully there will be tons of accessories for it soon :)

    To all the guys getting one, you wont be disappointed :D
     
  2. Desmo

    Desmo Member Premium Member

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    Ahh! I forgot - the brakes! They.. Weren't good at all. Totally mushy and pretty devoid of power on the non abs bike after a trip i cold grip the lever back to the bar. I hope thats just because they need bleeding as i suspect.

    Annnd a pic :)

    [​IMG]
     
  3. kiffsta

    kiffsta Senior Member

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    good review Desmo, I saw one in the flesh on Boxing day and was super impressed, Im yet to ride it but Im sure I will soon. I saw Monitors Ninja 300 yesterday and he is still smitten with it. Definately think Kwasaki are onto a winner  :Thumbs_up:
     
  4. Phil

    Phil Senior Member Contributing Member

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    Nice looking bike, new bike should have excellent brakes?
    Your impressions of the bike certainly match those of others, again think Kawasaki have nailed it  :Thumbs_up:
     
  5. Desmo

    Desmo Member Premium Member

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    Definitely, as far as a bike for a new rider, cant really think of much more you could want :)

    As for the brakes, definitely need a bleed then theyll hopefully firm up. Shall see at the first service. Given the amount of loose bolts and the tyres having 19psi in them i get the feeling the dealer really didnt give it much of a once over.
     
  6. GreyImport

    GreyImport Administrator Staff Member The Chief Contributing Member

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    Did u bed them in first before u went out and ripped up the tarmac?  :icon_scratch:
     
  7. Phil

    Phil Senior Member Contributing Member

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    Don't think I would be so forgiving of the dealer. Tires under inflated, brakes not bled properly. What are these people thinking about, not your safety.
    Perhaps a quick call to remind them??? wouldn't go astray.
     
  8. GreyImport

    GreyImport Administrator Staff Member The Chief Contributing Member

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    Exactly my thoughts too......if thats how they present a new bike to a customer Id hate to think about the standard of future servicing  :o
     
  9. Desmo

    Desmo Member Premium Member

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    Okay, not typing hungover on a lounge, on an ipad now so excuse the terrible grammar previous lol.

    I did indeed, but its air in the lines or the design surely, its still just as squishy dead cold without riding. They aren't terrible by any stretch but i definitely noticed it riding my across then the ninja back to back.

    Honestly never bought anything new so not sure what the go is, but yeah given we picked it up 2 days after they opened for this year seems they just whacked it out of the box slapped the fairing and mirrors on and put it out on the lot. Bit lame eh.

    Front tyre had 19psi and the rear was 22, the manual states 28 front 32 rear and the guy that gave my friend a general rundown said use 40psi front and back (lol what) the mirror bolts were pretty much not even hand tight, some of the lower fairing bolts were the same, and the chain was totally unlubed. Friend the bike belongs to got some chain lube so we did that at the servo as well. Pretty **** they didn't give it much of a once over eh? Reckon its grounds to get the 1st service free? I think perhaps so. More than likely will go elsewhere next time though as the dealer is a fair whiles away.

    Anyone got recommendations for a good mechanic somewhere around south Sydney / the shire? I'd be happy to service it for him but i don't want to risk voiding his warranty on the thing (why i'll always buy 2nd hand lol)

    Aside from that, Everything sweet. He took it for a trip around the streets and looks super comfortable. Hopefully the start of a lifelong love of bikes!  :D Of course i also had to take it for a bit of a goodbye shake down just to get rid of the chicken strips lol. :p
     
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  10. GreyImport

    GreyImport Administrator Staff Member The Chief Contributing Member

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    Fries with that?      :police:

    :laugh:

    Sounds like u know wat your doing...... :Thumbs_up:
    I would definately push for something so at least they service it correctly at least once.
    Hit them with a bit of bike jargon so they know youre not a noob 
    Being over the festive/holiday season it was probably the water boy who unpacked it out of the crate..... :angel:
     
  11. kiffsta

    kiffsta Senior Member

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    this si what they are supposed to do before delivery
     

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  12. ozbiker

    ozbiker New Member Premium Member

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    if you look at the dimensions of the ninja 300 its very similar to the 2000 model vfr800. when i rode the ninja 300 afew weeks ago i kept thinking how it handled very much like the vfr800 i owned some years ago and when looking at the dimensions and rake angle, its so damn close its not funny.

    also on the 300, change the front sprocket. it comes with a 14tooth, goto a 15 tooth


    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/JT-Sprocket-Front-15T-Chromoly-Steel-Kawasaki-EX250-Ninja-250-R-2008-2012?item=330840893351&cmd=ViewItem&_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D4678064781576960445



    brake pads on the 300 i have read are abit of "how-you-going" heres some alternatives

    brake pads EBC- FA197HH - same front and rear


    DP Brakes - DP412 or SDP412 (front only)


    SBS - 638 HF (front) 638 LF (rear)

    Fedoro - FDB2087

    Carbone Lorraine - 2326A3 HH sintered

    Vesrah - VD250JL or SD250

    i would go the vesrah to be honest.

    this bike is highly under rated and way more then a beginner bike and once you get some riding skills under your belt in the hands of an experienced rider, it will be a formidable street weapon.

    i have been riding road bikes since 1996 and started riding road bikes when i was just 7 years old on my grandfathers farm, im now 38 years old and rode my vfr800 17,922 kilometers around australia.

    this bike is a magic bike for anyone, beginner or experienced  and wold make a great trak bike as well

    dont under estimate this bike. i can see this bike being under estimated for many years same as the vfr800 was in 1998 when released.

    theres plenty of stuff around for this bike and i have no doubt it will be here for many years to come.

    i have a heap of assorted info in this directory on my scribd account

    http://www.scribd.com/collections/4036644/Kawasaki-EX300-Ninja-info

    this is a great bike, im so looking forward to getting mine in the next few weeks
     
  13. ozbiker

    ozbiker New Member Premium Member

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    as for servicing the bike, one of the beautys of owning a kwaka, you can service it yourself

    http://www.kawasaki.com.au/company/support

    and it wont affect your warranty. about time manufacturers woke up to this, BMW has been doing this for years


    Q.) Can I contact Kawasaki Motors directly for any warranty issues? 
    All warranty issues must be dealt with by an authorised Kawasaki Dealership. 
    Q. Will my warranty be affected if the periodic service is done by a non - Kawasaki Dealer? 
    No. Warranty covers the unit for manufactured defects. The quality or lack of periodic service has no influence on whether a failure is a manufactured defect or not. Warranty does not cover failures caused by faulty workmanship. We strongly recommend you use an authorised Kawasaki Dealer as they are factory trained, have the necessary special tools and up to date technical information.
    Q. Will the fitting of additional accessories (genuine or non genuine) to my motorcycle, affect the warranty? 
    No. However, any modification from standard may affect the performance and/or durability of the unit. Failures caused as a result of an accessory or the fitting of, are not a manufactured defect and as such are not covered by warranty
     
  14. ozbiker

    ozbiker New Member Premium Member

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    tyre pressure, no matter what road bike i take for a spin, be it cruiser, sports, tourer, what ever, front tyre to 38psi, rear to 42 psi and your all good :Thumbs_up:

    get some decent tools in your shed, grab the repair manual for this bike on this forum and save yourself a fortune.

    get the 1st service included for free when you buy it and look after it yourself.be sure to hit the dealership up for the 1st service free like i did and your all good :Thumbs_up:
     
  15. Desmo

    Desmo Member Premium Member

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    Lol, I said many times this is my friends bike and not mine, but ill pass the info on :) Should get yours soon i guess. they had tons at this dealer.

    As for the first service, he was given the option but took a rather massive discount on his gear instead. If it won't really affect the warranty then i'd be happyto do it all for him! Bit cautious though cause you can bet if it threw a rod or something from a defect they'd try pin it on you. Guess I'm just a pessimist like that  :laugh:

    Definitely a sweet little machine for $7k handles sweet, goes great, pretty comfortable (aside from the horrible seat), runs off the smell of an oily rag. can't ask for more than that.

    Cheers heaps kiffsta for the pre sale guide. Bit of a surprise they have to do so much assembly eh? Would have thought that they'd just put on the fairings, bars and mirrors and some gas in there. The things you learn!  :p

    Might have to take the cbr500 for a spin when it comes out just for some comparative purposes haha!
     
  16. ozbiker

    ozbiker New Member Premium Member

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    fix the seat with a gel pad

    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/180579963745?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

    the cbr500 is a waste of time, 200 cc more then the ninja 300 and only 7HP more, ho hum boring, lol

    honda needs to get some of the kwaka engineers round to their shed and show them how its done,lol
     
  17. ozbiker

    ozbiker New Member Premium Member

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    im yet to see a geniune kwaka gel seat, but these guys in the usa make assorted ones

    http://stores.ebay.com.au/Kno-Place-Upholstery-Co

    your supposed to put these under the vinyl , trim the foam down a bit, put these on, then reattach the vinyl.
     
  18. andrew

    andrew Well-Known Member Premium Member Contributing Member

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    hey desmo. whats the power like compared to the across.
     
  19. aky141

    aky141 Well-Known Member

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    I hope it's nice to ride, i dragged one on the Mc22, left it, definitely not fast, maybe it just feels quicker because of the torque. anyway, food for thought, least they look pretty sexy, and dont have one cylinder. not looking at anyone honda...
     
  20. maelstrom

    maelstrom LiteTek Staff Member Premium Member 250cc Vendor Contributing Member

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    Suggesting to forum readers that
    *****************************************************************************************
    "tyre pressure, no matter what road bike i take for a spin, be it cruiser, sports, tourer, what ever, front tyre to 38psi, rear to 42 psi and your all good :Thumbs_up:"
    *****************************************************************************************
    is grossly irresponsible. It could lead to an accident and death.

    Those tyre pressures do NOT suit all motorcycles and all tyres. Please take the time to edit your post, quantify your statement and add a disclaimer.
    cheers
    Blair
     
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