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Originally Posted by audioholic Hello Anil, and other ninja owners out there, I felt this was an appropriate place to ask you all for some suggestions. I had been a silent reader all the while and somehow have been sold on the Ninja. Though that may sound simple, the issue here is compared to the H4WK graduating from a smaller bike to a bigger one, here I am aiming to double graduate from a gearless scooter to a Ninja. Though that might have dropped jaws to some of you here, I have always loved the way my Dio can pull away in city speeds flawlessly. Its on open and empty roads that it runs out of steam and things get boring. Hence, I thought of an upgrade. Secondly, I am interested to ride solo occasionally to nearby places out of which my native place and farm 70kms away from here is an attractive place to ride two wheels than four. This is done very frequently and most of the times I visit it in my car all alone. Hence, I want to have a different experience. Why do I want to jump into a 300cc bike(Ninja) directly? - The refined twin cylinder engine
- Its difficult for me to convince family repeatedly, suppose I should upgrade to a smaller bike, and then move on to higher classes. Though I fund the bike myself, repeatedly changing bikes will make my family feel I am blowing too much money on it though it neednt really be like that
- For the kind of usage I will be putting it to, anything bigger will be overkill, and anything lesser might be disappointing, and cause point 2.
The primary usage will be office runs once a week or two at the most(empty roads in the morning and part dense in the evening). Apart from this, a ride to my native once a month and a longer ride once a month or so. Weekends can invite a breakfast ride too. - A few years to go before I marry, I think this is the best time to invest in a bike and enjoy.
- I am not interested in a single cylinder big displacement bike, and the Yamaha R3 though is a cheaper option, is not as exclusive as a ninja.
- I know that the 300 might look overpriced, but I dont want that to be a reason to look higher. I can afford the 300 without stretching or burdening my finances, and I want to stick to the 4L bracket.
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Looks like you've done you're homework
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Originally Posted by audioholic The concerns:[list][*]The biggest concern I have is handling the ninja. I have ridden bikes occasionally only, and do have a licence for the same. But the most powerful bike I had tried was the Karizma which I used to get to ride a few times when I was in college. Apart from that, I had also rode the Apache 180. I was comfortable with both, but never used them on a daily basis. Now, I am not sure if I can even take a TD of the Ninja nor do I should take one. |
If you think you're out of touch of touch with riding a motorcycle, borrow a bike from your friend and just ride it around until you get a hang of it. The N300 isn't very different from a Karizma or Apache in terms of controlling a bike, so you should be fine. When you take the bike out for TD, take a few minutes to get comfortable with it. Learn the controls, gear and brake positions, switch controls and then take it out for a spin.
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Originally Posted by audioholic [*]Has anyone been in a similar situation? I am ok with going very slow and easy with the bike and not push it, but will this strategy work? Say, I take it out initially only in empty roads and off peak times, and then get the hang of it. |
It's not rocket science. You would get comfortable with the bike and how it handles within a matter of days. However, don't push the bike too far too soon. These are fast machines and if you don't learn to handle them properly, they can teach you a lesson or two.
Start with early morning breakfast rides. Find friends to ride with initially and then you can go solo if you'd like. Each time, increase the distance you travel and the scenery. This will help you learn how your bike handles and also will help boost your confidence. Most of all, respect the machine. She will do as you command, but you gotta know how to command.
My friends and I have a favourite route that we ride - the Anchetty Loop. We call it the Training Grounds as it has straights, curves, uphill, downhill, narrow roads, bad roads - you name it. We keep visiting this place time and again as a refresher of sorts
If you need company to ride, holler.
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Originally Posted by audioholic [*]Is buying the Ninja a good option or are there better alternatives at the same price point? |
You first need to decide whether you want a naked bike or a faired one. Then shortlist the options that are available and then whether it fits your budget and so on and so forth. This will help you narrow down your choices.
Like wangdu has mentioned, do try out the Z250 too.
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Originally Posted by audioholic [*]I see that there is no ABS version available. That is another limiting factor for me since being a newbie to bikes I will definitely end up braking the front wheels, and without ABS it might be a bad idea. Hence, eagerly waiting if there would be an ABS variant at launch. |
I've been riding the Ninja 650, which also doesn't have ABS, for more than two years and I've never felt the need for ABS. Sure, it a good thing to have, but in the absence of ABS, controlling the bike in panic situations will depend on the rider's skill and believe you me, it is a great skill to have; comes with practice.