[Shubz]

bluenicotine - First of all congrats on your new mean green machine! A tad late in congratulating though!

Secondly - there is a lot of confusion about the run-in. Keeping the bike under 4k throughout your 800 km first break-in period. I have been going through different threads/forums of different bikes (all Indian). I am not sure if the manual says "Do not cross 4000 rpm in the first 800 kms". I think crossing 4k is quite ok - occassional gradually and decelerating gradually would seat the rings much better than just restricting to 4k and less through the entire 800 km period. Sudden revving (racing of the engine) and sudden decelerating is strongly advised against though.

Just my thoughts. not inducing/instigating you to rev harder!

Happy riding though. Please keep updating this thread with pics too. Threads like this and many others are addictive! I will also be entering the premium bike segment soon! ;-)

[bluenicotine]

Originally Posted by Shubz

bluenicotine - First of all congrats on your new mean green machine! A tad late in congratulating though!

Secondly - there is a lot of confusion about the run-in. Keeping the bike under 4k throughout your 800 km first break-in period. I am not sure if the manual says "Do not cross 4000 rpm in the first 800 kms". I think crossing 4k is quite ok - occassional gradually and decelerating gradually would seat the rings much better than just restricting to 4k and less through the entire 800 km period. Sudden revving (racing of the engine) and sudden decelerating is strongly advised against though.

Just my thoughts. not inducing/instigating you to rev harder!

Thanks Shubz....In a way you are right. Gradual accelerating and decelerating is always good and thats what I was doing, although not crossing the 4k mark. I did go to the 5k mark initially a couple of times but not beyond that. I can actually feel the engine much better in terms of smoothness and pickup as compared to Day 1. Like you said, maybe this time I probably won't retrict myself to the 6k mark and will work on it gradually

[djay99]

I can see from the pictures that your ninja's instrument cluster dials are white coloured where as aditya's are black. Is it changed in 2011 model?

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by djay99

I can see from the pictures that your ninja's instrument cluster dials are white coloured where as aditya's are black. Is it changed in 2011 model?

Yes, the 2011 models have green tails, white dials and a black pillion seat while the 2010 ones have black tails, black dials and green pillion seat.

[downsouth]

Congrats Bluenicotine. Looks like you got the delivery without a test ride or did you get one. You just cant resist looking at the Green Ninja, so far have seen mostly Green in Hyderabad except one black, it is definitely the right choice, Black has a different charm altogether. You will get used to the attention, esp the kids who get all hyper.

I guess there are a lot more Ninja's at the dealership. I pass the pro-biking everyday, they have 2 green Ninja's on display. Who's the new SA out there now? I guess Ramesh has left. Nice to see Arif in the pic keep in touch with him, he is not half as bad as people think he is.

Ride long...Ride safe...

[bluenicotine]

Originally Posted by djay99

I can see from the pictures that your ninja's instrument cluster dials are white coloured where as aditya's are black. Is it changed in 2011 model?

You are right djay . Even the tail color has been changed to green. Earlier it used to come with a black tail and green seat. Now its a green tail with black seat.

Originally Posted by downsouth

Congrats Bluenicotine. Looks like you got the delivery without a test ride or did you get one. You just cant resist looking at the Green Ninja, so far have seen mostly Green in Hyderabad except one black, it is definitely the right choice, Black has a different charm altogether. You will get used to the attention, esp the kids who get all hyper.

I guess there are a lot more Ninja's at the dealership. I pass the pro-biking everyday, they have 2 green Ninja's on display. Who's the new SA out there now? I guess Ramesh has left. Nice to see Arif in the pic keep in touch with him, he is not half as bad as people think he is.

Ride long...Ride safe...

Hey Chetan, my friend! I thought I lost you. Nice to talk to again. Yeah, I did get a TD from Ashfaq who is the new sales guy now. He had one Ninja that was in the showroom which was on second's sale. He is the same colleague of mine who I had mentioned in my first post. But even before the TD I had booked the vehicle. Thanks to your own review, n_aditya, isodope, balenopower, sammyboy and all those who contributed to the Ninja posts which gave me the confidence to go ahead and book it.

Arif is the Ninja man! I did ask him about the bike's performance and maintenance and he gave a

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Please use the "edit" button if posting within 30 minutes of the first post, instead of creating another back-to-back post.

Also use "Multi Quote" option for quoting Multiple posts.

[bluenicotine]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Do give us a shout if you need any help.

Hey Aditya, my bike is due for first servicing soon. What engine oil would you recommend? Will it be available at the service center or should I purchase one outside? Please give me the name and type of engine oil. Thanks in advance.

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by bluenicotine

Hey Aditya, my bike is due for first servicing soon. What engine oil would you recommend? Will it be available at the service center or should I purchase one outside? Please give me the name and type of engine oil. Thanks in advance.

Hi there,

I would recommend you to go with Motul. AFAIK, PBK fills Bajaj dtsi mineral oil in the engine at first service and frankly IMO, this oil breaks down much faster and is not very good for the high revving nature of the ninja engine. The engine feels very rough after 2k - 3k kms with this oil.

Do refer to my ownership thread for details on engine oil.

In a nutshell i would recommend you to go with Motul Mineral for now. Change the oil once every 5k kms and the oil filter once every 10k kms. After 10k kms you can switch to fully synthetic, such as Motul 7100 or 300v. You might want to switch to semi synthetic earlier like around 5k kms like i did.

This might help.

P.S. Ensure the oil meets the recommended specifications such as JASO MA1 or MA2, API SJ, SL and is suited for wet clutch. Refer to the owners manual for exact details.

[bluenicotine]

Went for a Hyd TBHP Maiden Motorbike yesterday. Had a great time with the group. Some pics from the event.

[bluenicotine]

First servicing finally done. Oil and oil filter changed and the bike runs real smooth. No issues reported at all except that the chain was loose.

Also got myself a LS2 Dragon helmet. Waiting to get the jacket now. Might get a DSG Nero, unless anyone makes a better suggestion. Anyone vouches for Cramster Breezer?

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by bluenicotine

Waiting to get the jacket now. Might get a DSG Nero, unless anyone makes a better suggestion. Anyone vouches for Cramster Breezer?

The DSG Nero will be very uncomfortable in the hyderabad heat. The jacket is heavy and from what i have heard, its quite waterproof too. Good jacket nevertheless.

What you need is a mesh jacket. I would suggest the RJays or the Joe Rocket brand. I personally did not have a good experience with Cramster products.

Do take a look at this for more info.

[bluenicotine]

Last two weeks have been riding on highways with a friend of mine, Nicholas, who own a Honda CBR250.

15th Jan - 8:30 AM we headed towards Bangalore highway. We reached Ghasimiyaguda at around 9:00 AM which marks the beginning of the Bangalore highway. Here we started racing our bikes. This was the first time I was pushing my bike after servicing and run in. This was a much awaited moment for me after doing the run in. Just like all the Ninja owners have put in, its a high revving bike and I effortlessly reached 150 kmph within seconds. The bike sounds a lot different post 7k RPM. The LS2 was so snug around my head I couldn't really enjoy the 'actual' sound as it entered the helmet muffled. I didn't want to take a chance without the helmet, just to listen to the sound. well, I couldn't go beyond 150 as the weather was very windy and wind deflection was very high. Even at that speed the bike did not feel out of breath and wanted to go further. The bike was absolutely stable and did not move a bit out of line. We finally reached Jedcherla, 75kms away from the city by 10:00 AM. Had tea and took couple of pics. At about 10:30 AM we headed back to Hyderabad. This time we stopped couple of times en route for pics.


































21st Jan - This time we started early at 6:30 AM and headed towards Nagpur Highway. Weather was just perfect for a long drive. We reached the end of Medchal road and stopped for few pics. Here started the Nagpur highway. The road was twisty, unlike the Bangalore highway, which is was straight with less curves (atleast till Jedcherla). Again effortlessly touched 150 kmph. Road being very curvy had to be very cautious. Nevertheless, even at high speeds the bike was handling the twisties with elegance. No sign of being unstable or falling out of line. We clocked 100 kms on our ODO and decided to head back. We stopped at a roadside restaurant for breakfast and tea. Time was 8:00 AM when we had stopped. Post breakfast, we took some pics and answered the FAQs by the travelers who had stopped there. At 8:30 we headed back to Hyderabad, stopping en route for pics. This time I carried a voice recorder in my jeans. Turned it on and put it in my right back pocket. (You know why ) At one time, Nick and I had a doubt if we were fast or the other vehicles were slow. On both the trips, we overtook few vehicles, stopped for pics, and then again overtook the same vehicles which we had crossed earlier!!!!! Reached home by 10:30 AM and the first thing was to plug the voice recorder to my laptop. I got what I was yearning to hear!!! Sound of a Sportsbike which sings!!























Overall impression: High revving bike which inspires a lot of confidence both is a straight line and curves. Effortless biking with no shoulder, back or palm pain. Super stable at high speeds and like my good friend and fellow bhpian downsouth tells me " Its truly addictive and there is no turning back". Cheers!

[Shubz]

Awesome write up! and pics For a moment I thought you rode 150's in your t'shirt and wanted to put up a sad face, only later I realized you were indeed wearing a jacket! Good stuff!

[bluenicotine]

Ordered a DSG Nero jacket and mesh gloves from DSG Planet. Must say the jacket is 'awesome'.

Waiting for weekend to put it to the road test

Ashfaq from KTM said there was a ride planned towards Bangalore Highway this Sunday, the 5th of Feb @ 7AM. Might join them. Anyone interested in more details may please PM me.

Cheers!

[bluenicotine]

Went for the ride organised by the probiking guys towards the Bangalore highway. It was a fun meet (with an untoward learning incident) with 7 Ninjas, 1 CBR (Nosfreak's) and the center of attraction "The KTM Duke" (TD bike from the showroom). The group started at 7AM from the Begumpet showroom. I however could not join at the starting point as I had to go to church. Informed Manish, who is the manager of the showroom that Nosfreak and I would be joining them on the way.

Around 7:30 AM, while I was waiting for Nick, I met downsouth. It was a pleasant surprise for both of us. I thought he too was heading for the meet but he said he was heading towards Dilsukhnagar to meet his relatives and would not be able to make it. This is why he also skipped a drive meet organised by the Hyd TBHP folks

Meanwhile Nick arrived and we headed towards rendezvous point. The morning was unexpectedly very foggy. The ECIL road stretch towards Nagaram was thickly covered in fog (the road is a midst trees on both sides). Nevertheless the drive was fun. I was wearing my new DSG Nero jacket and it did an excellent job in keeping me warm in the fog, even though I removed the inner lining.

We stopped again near Ghansiyamguda like last time and called Ashfaq who informed me that they had already reached the venue which was a dhaba after the Jedcherla checkpost. Informed him we would be there in 15 minutes and we did reach the point in 15 minutes. Nick and I gave a complexion to one Vento and an Octavia guys who thought we were racing them. Obviously they could not digest the fact we overtaking them at triple digits and started racing us. We let them go ahead in peace. Fact: We were not racing anyone!!!

When we reached the point we were greeted by Manish and Ashfaq who were courteous enough to wait for us to join them for breakfast. Met some cool guys who shared their funny anecdotes and incidents with the Ninja. Some info on how and where to get some really good accessories and other stuff for the ride and the rider. Talks about other super bikes cherished with hot onion pakodas and aloo parathas. Meanwhile Manish was giving a demo to bystanders who were looking interested in the bike and also gave them a TD.

I did a TD of Duke myself. Must say it is a peppy and fun machine to ride with an aggressive seating position. The gears were a tad hard to change and the bike would not come to neutral easily. Had to tap hard for the gear changes.

Took some pics and we started heading towards the city at around 11AM. And here comes the incident. I am a religious person and hence would start first by thanking my guardian angel for protecting me. Also thanks to downsouth for sharing 'Twist of the Wrist' video by Keith Code which helped a lot in the crucial moment. And ofcourse some presence of mind from my side as well

We were riding in an orderly manner with me on the left side of the road. There was a traffic barricade about quarter km ahead. 2 Ninjas went straight through followed by a truck which kinda slowed down/stopped after crossing the barricade. There were 2 more Ninjas waiting to cross, when I suddenly realized that I wouldn't be able to cross the barricade unless the 2 waiting Ninjas got through. My speedo was showing 120 kmph and my idea was bring the bike to 40-60 kmph to cross the barricade as it would be free. But as that was not happening anymore and I eventually had to brake hard to bring the bike to either a standstill or hit the barricade head on!!! 75% of the front and 25% of the rear brake were not good enough. I applied a further pressure on the rear brake making the wheels lock but to no avail. The bike was still on a straight line without skidding but would slide ahead because of the momentum. Still continuing to apply brakes, this time I let the rear brake go and squeezed the front brake. For a moment I thought I gave in to the about 5 feet tall and 5 inches thick barricade. WHOA!!! The bike stopped in front of the barricade with just 3 feet gap doing a small stoppie. The mistake that I did here was, the moment I knew my bike stopped, i relaxed but little did I know that immediately after stopping it would tilt towards my left slowly and I eventually had to let it go down gently controlling its fall to the best I could. The 2 ninjas who were still waiting to cross the barricade turn towards me first not understanding what happened and then rush after standing their bikes. Meanwhile, Manish who was following me on the Duke, saw what happened and by the time I was on my foot he was picking up the bike. He started accessing for any possible damages. So what happened? The coolant spilled a bit because the bike was lying on the left. The gear lever slightly went bending in but that did not hinder the up and down motion of gear changing (A slight tug with a pair of pliers got it back in place when I was back at home). No scratches whatsoever! Indeed a lucky day I must say. There were other 2 ninjas who were following me with Duke. Amar who was on one of the Ninjas was telling the others, "I was wondering why he was braking so hard. I was watching him and when I saw this stopper ahead, I thought he would ram into it straight but he smartly managed to brake."

I am only imagining what would have happened had I rammed into the barricade at the original decided speed of 40-60 for passing the stopper. I still sit and contemplate how the bike stopped 3 feet away from the hurdle! Keith Code's survival reaction actually helped me a lot. People who are reading this and have not seen Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist video, please do so when you get time. Helps a lot in emergency.

All satisfied knowing that nothing happened, we started our ride back. I was shaken but not stirred! Regained confidence back in a few miles and was enjoying the ride again doing 150 kmph in formation. Midway Nick and I parted ways with the group and headed home in a different direction. The DSG jacket was holding good. Did not feel very uncomfortable wearing it during the afternoon.

All's well that ends well. Indeed it was a day of fun and learning. Looking forward eagerly for my next exciting ride.

Cheers!!!