[AtheK]

Yes you are right about 650 and 300, they look pretty similar, though for additional 2 lacs you get a whole lot of more bike, much more power and ABS. Akula would probably be less then 3 lacs OTR, where as 650 is around 6.66 lacs OTR in bangalore.

The question remains, when will akula launch, it has been coming for sometime now. Recently the brochure leaked, so I am guessing it is very very close to launch.

ABS for me is an absolute must in new bike, and I suggest/urge that you keep that too as one of the must have. It will just help you one day, and you will be greatful you had it in your bike. That itself puts the 302r above ninja 300 for me.

Another reason ninja 400 makes way more sense, and worth the wait.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by ach1lles

...I I've tried the R3, not the Tornado. Though, honestly, at this point I doubt I'll like it anymore than the Ninja :P

What's your comparison of the R3 vs Ninja 300?? I like the Ninja (never ridden any of those bikes but the visual appeal & reviews / feedbacks), but for the service / spare costs.

Originally Posted by ach1lles

? I mean, 20k is too low a mileage for today's machines.

When is the Akula coming out? The N300 felt just perfect to me. ?

I doubt it can be called maintenance. Its a routine service as I understand. Tyres @ 15K kms, sprocket @ 20k -- these are much different than the cars, but will still cost you that much of the service of a Swift etc etc.

Akula was supposed to be launched in Nov and the brochure scans are already leaked, but a 2018 Auto expo might be the right time for TVS to get the right attention.

Although, someone who loved a CKD/CBU? Ninja, am doubtful whether you'll be sold on a made-in-India TVS.

[ach1lles]

Okay, so I took a long, very long, and sweet test ride of the 300 today. It lasted about an hour and a half. There was traffic, there were empty stretches, and some curves. Man. I love it. I love everything it has, and everything it has to offer. The first time I ever crossed 100kmph on two wheels, and on this, it didn't even feel like I was going that fast. Given an open road and no delinquents on the there, I could go a lot higher. At this point, the only things worrying me on road are other drivers, and specially bikes. I bitterly dislike how some behave on the road, and being on a bike and more vulnerable, this dislike is amplified.

The bike though, I really, really like it. The riding position is almost perfect, the engine is just so smooth, the un-worrying engine braking is superb, and it moves where and when I want it to. And, in that, it misses a few things that I wish it had, which I believe the 400 will:

1. (Most obviously) ABS
2. LED lights (maybe can be retrofitted)
3. Gear indicator

I don't get why the 650 has the gear indicator and this doesn't. Wouldn't a beginner want to see and know which gear he's in more than an experienced biker?

I also think, even at this point (I mean, I've just started, but) that I'd outgrow the 300 soon. Or, let me put it another way. I'd want more power in the exact same package pretty soon. And that will be the 400. Probably.

I also rode the 650 for about 10 kms. This 650 wasn't as smooth, had a lot of vibrations which really felt jarring after the silk that was the 300, and there was 'play' in the throttle which made me stall the bike a few times. Also the sound was a little gruff, like a muscle car. Weird. I asked the guy about these issues, and also asked him on the mileage on the bike. It had only done about 3800kms but he said that maybe it wasn't serviced, so that could be the issue. The 650 felt more pliant, slightly softer, and ofcourse less manoeuvrable than the 300, but I'd like to have another go so I told him I'd come again to try the 650 in a week or so and they should try to sort out these issues.

I would also like to mention about the guy, Lokesh, at Kawasaki Delhi. Patient, and free. He had zero issues, and created zero fuss when I took the bike for so long. Even then he said that I could take it again if I wanted to, and that I should be sure about what I wanted. He answered everything nicely, and I did ask some very noob-ish questions.

I still feel though that the 300 would be better suited for me right now, and that the 300 is undoubtedly more fun.

Edit: I also think that they are pushing the 300 a bit, and kept on insisting that the 400 won't be here for atleast a year.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

What's your comparison of the R3 vs Ninja 300

The R3 ride was too short, and uneventful in my mind. It was a customer's bike that had come in for service that they said I could take around the block to get a feel. I was extremely cautious, and that's it, so I don't have much to say about it.

[Porschefire]

Originally Posted by ach1lles

See, that's what I'm worried about. I know nothing about bikes at this point. Something as basic as tyres is okay, but more complex stuff will fly off of my head. Though, won't these bikes be more capable? I mean, 20k is too low a mileage for today's machines.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

I doubt it can be called maintenance. Its a routine service as I understand. Tyres @ 15K kms, sprocket @ 20k -- these are much different than the cars, but will still cost you that much of the service of a Swift etc etc.

The faster one ditches the IRC tyres offered on the Ninja 300, better it is. Performance is strictly average but the advantage is they do last for a good 16-18k kms. Apart from the tyres, the chain-sprocket should last for 30k kms with good maintenance. My 4.9yr old N250 is at 25k kms and running on the first set with sufficient life left. Also, I am on the stock battery which is commendable considering I very rarely take the bike out now. As you said, one might just be replacing the tyres, maybe the Cam chain tensioner (CCT) at 20k kms and nothing else on the N300.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

What's your comparison of the R3 vs Ninja 300?? I like the Ninja (never ridden any of those bikes but the visual appeal & reviews / feedbacks), but for the service / spare costs.

Here are my pros and cons of the R3 over my N250 (posted elsewhere on the forum), which should hold good for the N300 as well -

R3 - Pros

Butter smooth engine. Rubber mountings make all the difference (note that N300 engine is smoother than the N250).
Smooth gearshifts, light clutch (N300 gets slipper clutch so should be lighter than the 250)
Awesome cockpit. Love the analog tacho – digital speedo design (N300's is also good)
Comfortable upright riding position.
Bike was equipped with Pirelli Diablo Ross IIs and the handling was positive.
Lighter and flickable than the N250.

R3 - Cons

Brakes felt spongy and lacked feel.
Rear suspension was soft. Bike squirts under acceleration.
Quality of some parts were inferior to the N250.
N250 sounds better.

Originally Posted by ach1lles

The bike though, I really, really like it. The riding position is almost perfect, the engine is just so smooth, the un-worrying engine braking is superb, and it moves where and when I want it to. And, in that, it misses a few things that I wish it had, which I believe the 400 will:

1. (Most obviously) ABS
2. LED lights (maybe can be retrofitted)
3. Gear indicator

I don't get why the 650 has the gear indicator and this doesn't. Wouldn't a beginner want to see and know which gear he's in more than an experienced biker?

Agree ABS is important but you can do without 2 & 3. The headlights on the N300 are brilliant and you don't really need LEDs unless you want to brag about them. Gear indicator is a nice to have for a new rider but he/she will anyway understand the gearing sooner than later.

I also think, even at this point (I mean, I've just started, but) that I'd outgrow the 300 soon. Or, let me put it another way. I'd want more power in the exact same package pretty soon. And that will be the 400. Probably.

If you think you'd outgrow the 300 soon then I'm sure you'll feel the same way with either the 400 or the 650. If I've to speak about myself, even after 5 years I've not been able to extract more than 40% of what the bike can offer. My suggestion is if ABS is a must for you, get the N650. It is truly a VFM proposition, else just get the N300 eyes closed. The 400 makes more power yes but then, going by the looks alone, it is bigger, heavier and will be focused towards touring rather than sports imo.

Edit: I also think that they are pushing the 300 a bit, and kept on insisting that the 400 won't be here for atleast a year.

I bought one of the last N250's on sale in Bangalore. The reason was I did not connect with the 300 as I felt the 250 had more character than the sobered down 300. You might feel the same about 400 as well so if you feel connected with the N300, just go ahead and buy it. You will not regret your decision.

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by ach1lles

The bike though, I really, really like it. The riding position is almost perfect, the engine is just so smooth, the un-worrying engine braking is superb, and it moves where and when I want it to. And, in that, it misses a few things that I wish it had, which I believe the 400 will:

1. (Most obviously) ABS
2. LED lights (maybe can be retrofitted)
3. Gear indicator

I don't get why the 650 has the gear indicator and this doesn't. Wouldn't a beginner want to see and know which gear he's in more than an experienced biker?

You are right, all these three boxes are ticked with Ninja 400. Seeing your growing love for 300, i guess you should go ahead with it, it's a very capable bike, san ABS.

Regarding Ninja 400 launch, no way it is one year away. IKM would have stopped getting the Ninja 300 now, so what we have is the stock that needs to be sold off before the 400 is launched. The ongoing discounts are a testimony to the same.

Cost of Ninja 400 in UK is already revealed, and is about to be revealed in US on 1st December (Countdown is on the website). I also read that the bikes will start getting delivered sometime in February. IKM has been pretty good with launches in india off late, i have a feeling we should have a soft launch of Ninja 400 in Mar-April, with deliveries starting almost immediately/15 days gap.

Regarding the price, we can speculate once the price for US is revealed. In UK it is starting from 5249 GBP (4.5 Lac INR). For reference Ninja 300 KRT edition starting price was around 5049 GBP. If we have to take UK prices as a benchmark, pretty good chance we might get the Ninja 400 at the same price as Ninja 300 today(which is already over priced).

[ach1lles]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

The 400 makes more power yes but then, going by the looks alone, it is bigger, heavier and will be focused towards touring rather than sports imo.

The 400 is actually lighter than the 300, and all K-Ninja's are now focussed more towards accessibility and touring with a sporty look and feel.

Originally Posted by Porschefire

You might feel the same about 400 as well so if you feel connected with the N300, just go ahead and buy it. You will not regret your decision.

Originally Posted by AtheK

You are right, all these three boxes are ticked with Ninja 400. Seeing your growing love for 300, i guess you should go ahead with it, it's a very capable bike, san ABS.

Yup, I think that too, I might not connect with the 400, and it may come with its own set of gremlins at launch.
I won't rush into it, I have a few other bikes to try (incl. an extended ride of the 650) and see what feels the best. Thanks.

Originally Posted by AtheK

The ongoing discounts are a testimony to the same.

i have a feeling we should have a soft launch of Ninja 400 in Mar-April, with deliveries starting almost immediately/15 days gap.

The discounts are only in the range of 20-30k. That's not too much at all IMO. And even if the launch is in Apr-May, that's still half a year away.

Originally Posted by AtheK

Regarding the price, we can speculate once the price for US is revealed. In UK it is starting from 5249 GBP (4.5 Lac INR). For reference Ninja 300 KRT edition starting price was around 5049 GBP. If we have to take UK prices as a benchmark, pretty good chance we might get the Ninja 400 at the same price as Ninja 300 today(which is already over priced).

That's a little reassuring. So it will be in the same ballpark as the 300, and that would make the 400 excellent value with all the extra things it offers over the 300.

[IshaanIan]

Wait for the N400 would be my suggestion, otherwise just check out the Tornado 302r with a 3 year unlimited kms warranty, you don't have much to worry about in terms of maintenance even as a noobie. The advantage of the Tornado is the engine note and more importantly, the adjustable front forks which no other bike in the class gets. This really allows you to fine tune the bike to suit your requirements. As someone who is new to bikes himself, once you learn how to rev-match, once you get accustomed to the engine's power delivery and the bikes handling characteristics, the first thing that strikes you is that you feel like you could take your riding to the next level if the suspension was more tune-able to your liking. So do give the Benelli a look.

[AtheK]

Kawasaki Launched the Ninja 400 in USA today, along with the other 2018 Lineup

Ninja 400 – Metallic Spark Black
Ninja 400 – Candy Plasma Blue
Ninja 400 ABS – Metallic Spark Black
Ninja 400 ABS – Candy Plasma Blue
Ninja 400 ABS KRT - Lime Green/Ebony
Ninja 400 ABS SE – a Pearl Solar Yellow/Pearl Storm Grey/Ebony
MSRP
Ninja 400 $4,999
Ninja 400 ABS $5,299
Ninja 400 ABS KRT Edition $5,499
Ninja 400 ABS SE: $5,499

Looking at pricing it is similar to what Ninja 300 was selling at, so i presume we should see the same price retained in India too, maybe a bit of premium added due to addition of ABS.

Link: https://www.kawasaki.com/Press/Relea...00-KRT-Edition

[AtheK]

https://youtu.be/BlrCNMmaW-M

Top speed 195 kmph

[Shumi_21]

I'm eagerly waiting for this one! It's on top of the list of possible upgrades to my Gixxer! I have some riding experience with a friend's Ninja 300 and loved it's handling and that breathtaking top end! The slipper clutch works seamlessly most of the time. The only gripes were the poor IRC tyres and the lack of ABS. IIRC, the N400 comes with Dunlop tyres and ABS. Hopes are surely sky high for this!

However I fear (especially with the exorbitant pricing of the Versys X 300) that Kawa might price the N400 way too close to the N650 (and on par with the Z650) making the N400 redundant. The bike is absolutely smashing on paper and in all probability in reality too, but I sincerely hope (pray!!) that Kawasaki does not price this into oblivion.

[AtheK]

Rushlane is reporting that kawasaki is bringing the Ninja 400 to auto Expo, with a launch in first half of year.

Must appericate how Kawasaki is treating Indian market as an important one, this will be one kick ass bike.

https://www.rushlane.com/kawasaki-ni...-12253252.html

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by AtheK

Rushlane is reporting that kawasaki is bringing the Ninja 400 to auto Expo, with a launch in first half of year.

Must appericate how Kawasaki is treating Indian market as an important one, this will be one kick ass bike.

https://www.rushlane.com/kawasaki-ni...-12253252.html

But I am afraid the price will make it irrelevant mostly - with respect to the positioning against the Ninja 650. Will be quite interesting to see how Kawasaki tackles this issue, but I don't have too much hope seeing the way the Versys X300 was launched.

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

But I am afraid the price will make it irrelevant mostly - with respect to the positioning against the Ninja 650. Will be quite interesting to see how Kawasaki tackles this issue, but I don't have too much hope seeing the way the Versys X300 was launched.

True, it's a tough cookie for them to crack, probably an OTR of around 5.3 lacs, which is the ex showroom price for ninja 650. This bike is pretty much capable of doing everything a ninja 650 can do albeit the top speed, it matches the gadgetry too. This also comes with led lights all around, which 650 lacks. That said they will be happy if it can do the same numbers as 300, which in itself is not too huge.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

https://youtu.be/ycEE5JX95UI

Motorcyclist Magazines compares the Ninja 400 against KTM RC390, Yamaha R3, Suzuki GSX250R and Honda CBR300.

Results -

- More power on the dyno than all the others.
- Faster than all on a drag strip.
- Winner of the tests, by a big margin over R3 and almost a tie but slightly ahead of the RC390.

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Motorcyclist Magazines compares the Ninja 400 against KTM RC390, Yamaha R3, Suzuki GSX250R and Honda CBR300.

Wow! Review from Ari!

I am surprised that Ninja 400 is not substantially faster than the RC390. Almost 45bhp with twin cylinders, and the performance is very similar to the single cylinder Austrian!

With the price difference in India taken into account, I am glad I chose the RC

But it is all going to boil down to these things

1. Exclusivity - Kawasaki wins here
2. Quality - Again Kawasaki
3. Hardcore handling enthusiasts - definitely KTM
4. Reliability - Kawasaki
5. Comfort & refinement - Kawasaki


But taking RR310 into comparison, it is quite a bike inspite of not so great performance figures. It is as comfortable, handles good and looks like a billion dollars and it is going to be half the price of a Kawasaki 400.