[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Thanks Abhinav. We left Blore on 2nd morning and returned on the 4th. Left the homestay on 4th morning and reached home by afternoon.

I was in Kushalnagar over the weekend and returned on Sun night.

You pic of the namdroling monastery is very good. Specially with all the monks sitting for their prayers (?)

[Bhushanrulz]

Its great to see you guys having a blast with your rides. This is my first reply to the thread and i've gone through each and every single page of it

Great Pictures!

I have the Royal Enfield Machismo 500cc and have done trips like Mumbai - Nepal - Mumbai, Mumbai - Ladakh - Mumbai, and intend on using it for my touring purposes.

Now I am looking for a bike to satiate the Speed/Performance Part of my riding. My Budget Tops at 5lacs. Would you recommend the Ninja within this budget, or should I hold on untill my budget stretches to 6-7 and get an entry level Harley. I would want my purchase to be brand new, however i would consider used bikes which are not older than 2 years.

Also, I love the white colour of the ninja (picture attached) but sadly its not available in India. So is importing the ninja 250cc in white a wise decision? considering that it would cost nearly about the same

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by Bhushanrulz

Now I am looking for a bike to satiate the Speed/Performance Part of my riding. My Budget Tops at 5lacs. Would you recommend the Ninja within this budget, or should I hold on untill my budget stretches to 6-7 and get an entry level Harley. I would want my purchase to be brand new, however i would consider used bikes which are not older than 2 years.

The ninja and the harley are two very different bikes. While the ninja is an outright sportsbike with a high revving engine, the Harley is a torque monster.

The ninja and the HD's are available for test rides. Why dont you ride both and take a call?

Originally Posted by Bhushanrulz

Also, I love the white colour of the ninja (picture attached) but sadly its not available in India. So is importing the ninja 250cc in white a wise decision? considering that it would cost nearly about the same

IMHO importing a ninja when already available here and just for another color is too much headache. Buy the ninja here and get it repainted into white or buy the fairings/tails/cowls etc. in white. Will cost you much lesser than importing one and lesser headache too.

[Brocklock]

Originally Posted by Bhushanrulz

Now I am looking for a bike to satiate the Speed/Performance Part of my riding. My Budget Tops at 5lacs. Would you recommend the Ninja within this budget, or should I hold on untill my budget stretches to 6-7 and get an entry level Harley. I would want my purchase to be brand new, however i would consider used bikes which are not older than 2 years.

Also, I love the white colour of the ninja (picture attached) but sadly its not available in India. So is importing the ninja 250cc in white a wise decision? considering that it would cost nearly about the same

Hi! As Aditya said, and as I am sure you appreciate as well, the Ninja and the HDs are different breeds. The HD's are more about torque (as you might notice from a complete absence of BHP/PS figures in their press releases / websites), and the Ninja an excellent entry level sportsbike with more power but less torque than even a T-Bird Twinspark. So if its distances that appeal to you, I would suggest the HDs. Also, the fact that you have a Bullet makes me think that you might like the HDs better.

Having said that, in my (extremely limited) experience with HD's, the 883 Superlow (one of the 2 that are priced under 7L or so, the other being the Iron) isn't quite up there in terms of performance when you consider the price bracket its in.

I have another suggestion - the Kawasaki ER-6f (or the Ninja 650R, as it's likely to be christened in India). It's has a tallish stance, a decent engine and is likely to be within your current budget. It is a sportsbike, but has decent (and comfortable) touring ability as well. Looks are a matter of taste, so have a look at it on www.kawasaki.eu.

I'm wondering how importing a white Ninja costs the same, by the way...


@Aditya: Hi! How've you been? I've been out of the country about 3 months. Just got back with a full carbon fibre Yoshimura. Any of you guys tried one yet? And what happened with the K&N? Does it help?

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by Brocklock

@Aditya: Hi! How've you been? I've been out of the country about 3 months. Just got back with a full carbon fibre Yoshimura. Any of you guys tried one yet? And what happened with the K&N? Does it help?

I'm doing fine, thank you and hope you are too.

Nice to read about the Yoshi purchase. If i understood correctly this is a full system right? How did you manage to get it down? Did you have to mark it as cargo and pay additional charges such as duties etc.?

I've been tempted to get a slip-on but the only thing that stops me is that the bike sounds like a dirt bike at high revv's.

On another note, the AreaP is quite a hot selling product in the US. Reportedly (according to AreaP and ninjette.org) these full systems bump the performance to the maximum compared to any other full systems out there. Sorry if i posted this.

I've ridden the bike for around 2000 kms with the replacement type K&N filter and i can say that the throttle response feels a tad better. The revv's are quicker and smoother and earlier the bike used to effortlessly touch 145kmph and then the progress was gradual post this mark. Now 155kmph is effortless and the upward progress is slightly slower (like before).

Not bad considering the filter doesn't cost much.

Of yeah, and there is only a whoosh sound which is hardly noticeable in case you are wondering about the intake growl. It definitely doesn't sound like those K&N'ed activa's and dio's (they sound like they have a sore throat).

[Brocklock]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

I'm doing fine, thank you and hope you are too.

Nice to read about the Yoshi purchase. If i understood correctly this is a full system right? How did you manage to get it down? Did you have to mark it as cargo and pay additional charges such as duties etc.?

I've been tempted to get a slip-on but the only thing that stops me is that the bike sounds like a dirt bike at high revv's.

On another note, the AreaP is quite a hot selling product in the US. Reportedly (according to AreaP and ninjette.org) these full systems bump the performance to the maximum compared to any other full systems out there. Sorry if i posted this.

I've ridden the bike for around 2000 kms with the replacement type K&N filter and i can say that the throttle response feels a tad better. The revv's are quicker and smoother and earlier the bike used to effortlessly touch 145kmph and then the progress was gradual post this mark. Now 155kmph is effortless and the upward progress is slightly slower (like before).

Not bad considering the filter doesn't cost much.

This is a full system, yes. The can and the pipes separate easily and I brought it in luggage.

I decided to buy the Yoshimura after listening to a system fitted on a bike that a friend has there. Of course, his is a carburetted bike, but I dont know if that would make a difference. Listened to an AreaP as well, but liked the Yoshi better.

You got the K&N in the US, right? I made a mistake and didn't buy one there thinking that it would be available in India... Turns out they're out of stock everywhere... Any idea where I can get one?

Looking forward to running with the Yoshi and the K&N both installed...

By the way, I thought the K&N's were lifetime filters... what's a 'replacement' type?

[n_aditya]

Oops, forgot to mention earlier, congrats on your purchase.

Originally Posted by Brocklock

This is a full system, yes. The can and the pipes separate easily and I brought it in luggage.

Wow. Must have occupied quite a bit of space. How did the header pipes fit in your suitcase? Didn't the airline staff object?

Try and dyno the bike post the install. Would love to see how much a full system Yoshi can pump out.

Originally Posted by Brocklock

You got the K&N in the US, right? I made a mistake and didn't buy one there thinking that it would be available in India... Turns out they're out of stock everywhere... Any idea where I can get one?

Planet DSG in Pune sells the K&N air filter for the Ninja 250. Alternatively try this too.

Originally Posted by Brocklock

Looking forward to running with the Yoshi and the K&N both installed... By the way, I thought the K&N's were lifetime filters... what's a 'replacement' type?

Replacement filters look just like the stock filter and sit inside the air box. The universal ones look like this and are exposed. Since these are exposed they get dirty faster and require more frequent intervals of cleaning. However they are not restricted by the airbox so air flow is a tad better. No significant air filtration or performance improvement between the two though.

However i would recommend that once you fit the exhaust get a dyno run to check if the engine is running lean. Performance exhausts have lesser restriction and exhaust gases are pushed out faster. Some amount of back pressure is lost when such exhaust systems (even slip-on's) are used. This can lead to an engine running lean which is bad for the engine as it damages the valves and related parts. Normally the ECU compensates the timing and AFR (air fuel ratio) but there is a limit to it. Thats why most people use a power commander (PC III or PC 5) to ensure the bike runs optimally.

So how do you know if the bike is running lean? After the exhaust is fitted if you hear loud pop sounds from the end can then your engine could be running lean. Normally its just unburnt fuel getting expelled and hence the pop. Sometimes you will also see flames from the exhaust. This can happen when the engine is running rich too.

My exhaust has a very muted pop with the K&N but its not a cause for worry since i can barely hear it and its only heard when i crane my neck and revv at idle. If the exhaust pops when accelerating then its probably time for a remap.

BTW, i happened to speak to Karthik from Race Dynamics and he mentioned that he has ECU's for our ninja's. Might want to talk to him

[Brocklock]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Oops, forgot to mention earlier, congrats on your purchase.

Thanks buddy.

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Wow. Must have occupied quite a bit of space. How did the header pipes fit in your suitcase? Didn't the airline staff object?

Try and dyno the bike post the install. Would love to see how much a full system Yoshi can pump out.

I installed the system the day before. Seems to be working fine. I've put up some pics - you can see them on my thread.

About carrying the stuff, no it wasn't hard. It dismantles rather nicely into three 18 inch pieces and is very quick to assemble too. Looks like I certainly saved some money. I had to buy one for a friend on a recent trip to Delhi and it cost a whopping 45K!

Getting hold of a dyno won't be so easy around here, but I'll se what I can do.

Originally Posted by n_aditya

My exhaust has a very muted pop with the K&N but its not a cause for worry since i can barely hear it and its only heard when i crane my neck and revv at idle. If the exhaust pops when accelerating then its probably time for a remap.

BTW, i happened to speak to Karthik from Race Dynamics and he mentioned that he has ECU's for our ninja's. Might want to talk to him

I'm not experiencing any unusual sounds from the exhaust. I haven't put in a K&N yet, and so far, with just the Yoshimura, there's just the occasional muted pop if you rev the bike high when it's stationary. It's a transient sound, more like what the old pulsars used to make while going downhill at idle... You might hear it once as she spools up if you rev really hard.

By the way, and you and I have talked about this before - the custom exhaust sounding like a dirtbike at high revs - I don't seem to have too big a problem here. She sounds really nice all the way upto 9-10K and I haven't gone much above that in the city run I've been doing since I fitted it. Add to that the fact that the performance boost is not what you would call negligible, and I'm a happy camper.

[n_aditya]

Most sportsbikes do not have a mainstand and the task of cleaning and lubing the chain becomes difficult. Therefore people buy paddock stands or race stands which look like this:





I was contemplating buying such a stand for my ninja but spending 8k on a stand for a few mins work did not sound feasible. Also it would still need one person to hold the bike straight up while working the stand. Initially i used to move the bike few feet at a time and then dismount and spray the chain lube and move it again....but it was a cumbersome process.

I use the below method and its very easy and does not need more than one person. The bike is stable however i would advise others to use this method ONLY under extreme care. Please DO NOT leave the bike on the car jack unattended. If the bike is on the jack, lower the jack before you move away from the bike to fetch something (like the spray can of lube you forgot).

Here are the pics. Posting this bit of info as requested by some folks here.

The bike on the kick stand



This block of wood is placed under the kick stand so that the bike is slightly upright



This pic hopefully will give an idea as to how thick the block of wood is





The bike resting on the block of wood (under the kickstand)







The car jack. This one is from my Maruti Esteem.



Now you need a thin piece of wood which is placed between the rear suspension and the jack.





The wooden block under the kick stand - from another angle (shot from the right side of the bike)



Place the thin sheet of wood between the car jack and the rear shock absorber unit of the bike like shown below.



Now work the jack a few turns until the rear wheel lifts off the ground by a couple of inches. Not more than 2 inches. Care should be taken to ensure that the handle is turned to the left so that the bike does not tip over.









Now with the rear wheel off the ground, you can turn it freely and clean the chain and lube it too. I also find it easy to remove dirt and grime from the wheel and get it back to its shiny self.

These pics were taken before a wash so the bike is a bit dirty and the wheels are even more.

I have no similar solution for the front wheel as yet.

Hope this helps.

[JVH]

Thanks Adi for the wonderful illustration. I personally find it too risky though...may be because have never tried it so far.

And don't worry, everybody knows how you maintain the bike, so the dirt part can be waved off

[BulZire]

Nice illustration , I wonder how you got this car jack idea first and how you found a spot to raise the bike with jack

[ku69rd]

That was a real good pictorial depiction mate, find it a bit 'on the edge' thingy . But good out of the box thinking.

[Brocklock]

Hi Aditya... Finally able to post again to team-bhp... Seems like it was my Internet Explorer 9 all this while causing the problem....

Read the DIY... Kinda risky, don't you think?

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by Brocklock

Kinda risky, don't you think?

Not actually. This is how i have cleaned and lubed my chain and cleaned my rear wheel for almost a year.

It looks risky but the bike is stable. I dont leave the bike unattended though and generally its on the jack for not more than a few mins.

[Brocklock]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Not actually. This is how i have cleaned and lubed my chain and cleaned my rear wheel for almost a year.

It looks risky but the bike is stable. I dont leave the bike unattended though and generally its on the jack for not more than a few mins.

I guess, buddy. I'll take your word for it! .. I'll still waste some money on the paddock stand the day I get anything more expensive, though...

OT: A friend finally picked up the CB1000R we were discussing last month... She's been keeping us some exalted company on our rides since. Its an absolute beauty, that one...