[neil.jericho]

This thread is a tough one to weigh in on because it pits two very sensible bikes (ones that I have happily recommended to many other motorcyclists, both on and off the forum) against each other. Lets get this out of the way, you cant go wrong with either one. Both are brilliantly engineered, will easily last you for tens of thousands of kilometers and will leave you with a big grin on your face after every ride. The CBR and the Ninja 1000 are very capable and balanced sports tourers. One leans a bit more towards sports and the other towards touring.

Having been through a big bike purchase myself and helped others with their purchases, here are some points to consider
- Dont fall into the value trap. Just dont. Fix a firm budget. Shortlist your options. Close your mind to the what more do I get for X% more thought process. Also ignore the overpriced for what it offers mindset. Look at your options for what they are. One is a middleweight sports tourer and the other is a litre class sports tourer. You can afford either bike, so dont get into analysis paralysis on the price.
- Service center availability and pricing. Yes, Kawasaki has a SVC in Pune but are they good? There was a thread on the forum that detailed how Kawasaki Pune damaged the fairings of a customer's bike and he had to struggle to get things sorted out. Have things changed? Or are they the same? If it is the same, then you will want to take your Kawasaki N1000 (for discussions sake) to Bombay, which negates the entire premise of ignoring the Honda.
- Who do you ride with? Will you ride with your old buddies? Will you want to ride with Kawasaki / Honda riders after your upgrade? If you are going to ride with people having mixed bikes, an extra 40 horsepower isnt going to make a difference. If you see KarthikK's threads, he rides with TBHPians who own bikes like the Ninja 1000, Versys 650 and CBR650F, among others. I havent heard of the lower capacity bikes slowing down the pace of the group, when they are on rides. In the end, the rider is always the limiting factor.
- Logically, buy the middleweight. I agree with Manson's words of wisdom. Build your skillset, open your riding horizons. Also as Rachit.K.Dogra has rightly explained, you can use more of a middleweight more of the time. You might never outgrown a middleweight (like me) or you may know what flavour of motorcycling you want after owning a middleweight, like RohanDheman has elaborated on here (Triumph Street Triple RS launched at Rs. 10.55 lakh). Im an advocate for buying a middleweight bike but these are not logical purchases.

At the end of the day, asking forum members which superbike is a better choice for you, is like asking which band is better - Pink Floyd or the Rolling Stones. Some of us love only one, some love only the other and many love both bands. Ask yourself, 5 years from now, which bike will keep you happiest? That is the one that you should buy today.

[shaikhmimran]

Hello Aneesh. There are no more new points from my side to bring in for your decision but I would like to delve into a few points a bit deeper. Rachit & Neil have put-forth good perspective.
I saw your sheet & while it is indeed meticulous, I think it is with some pre -conceived notions that you have for the CBR. My humble take :
1. Riding modes & Electronics: Please do not write them off. Coming from a smaller displacement motorcycle, you could actually use the Ninja's riding modes & electronics progressively to develop your skills. You could lower the technology intervention as your confidence & abilities grow. The CBR does not offer you this advantage.
2. Upgrade in true sense : The CBR 650 is literally the elder brother of the CBR 250. You will actually feel that you are riding a bigger CBR 250. The biggest difference is that the engine pulls from lower RPMs cleanly without downshifts. So the overall feel is very familiar. That is a good thing but has a flip side too. It should not happen that you outgrow that novelty factor very quickly. With the Ninja, you are already at or close to the zenith of sports touring in India.
3. Costs : Breaking down the post sales costs.
i) Accidental damage : If you buy a new bike, you will be covered by zero dep insurance. So you should not really worry about accidental damages.
ii) Service costs : While oil change etc are routine, many of the other costs like tires, chain, brake pads are a factor of how you ride. Also with Honda, you are paying a big premium upfront for that delta saving in service. Lastly an aggressive rider can burn through the components twice as fasts but he will also a have grin on the face. So there is nothing right or wrong here as it all depends on how & how much you ride.
iii) Insurance : While higher vehicle price means higher insurance costs, you can get good deals & narrow down the difference between a 650 & a 1000.
4. Value : Motorcycles are essentially emotional decisions but I would bring in a value mindset to suggest that instead of looking at a new Honda 650 vs a new Ninja1k, you should look at a new Honda 650 vs a preowned Ninja 1k. You will be surprised at the compelling value proposition of the Ninja. If you get one which is 2 years old, you can enjoy zero dep insurance for another 3 years.
5. Sports Touring : If you are really looking at doing casual weekend rides, it is not a factor but if you are serious about touring then the Ninja offers better ergos, a good touring luggage setup & wind protection.
It would be good to hear your views after you study the points put forward by the community here. All the best.

[vignesh.cv]

Originally Posted by aneesh2M

I am creating this thread to seek advice and help from you guys on purchase of new superbike.

I would like to throw in another option here - the Triumph Street Triple 765 RS. It has a capable and torquey motor and I've seen quite a few folks use it for highway riding. The electronics (ABS/TC/riding modes/quick shifter) and chassis are top class as well. When you are looking at moving from a ~25hp single to a multi-cylinder ~100-120+hp bike, those electronic aids do matter a lot. The dry weight is also a lot lighter than both the CBR and Ninja 1000, and that should make for a better riding experience. If you at any point of time want to take it to the track, the Triumph would feel a lot more at home than the CBR or Ninja 1000 by a big margin.

[sunilch]

Originally Posted by aneesh2M

So friends here I am with a great confusion in my mind seeking your valuable advice on the big purchase. To make matter easier I have made a comparison matrix for both the bikes considering my usage. Please go through it. Yellow shows the advantages of Ninja but which can be lived over happily in CBR as those are not a big deal for my riding style. Green are definite advantages of CBR650R and Orange is definite disadvantage of CBR650R.

Thanks in advance.

Your opening post, my friend, tells me that you are convinced that you want the Honda by heart.

My only advice is that you should take test ride of both and only then decide on the bike. All other factors are not really make or break factors. Services at Honda will have to be done only during the warranty period. Otherwise, there are good independent garages in Pune and some folks from Mumbai get their super bikes serviced in Pune despite having ASS centers here.

Rest all other factors are not really something that will help in picking or rejecting a bike. Ride experience (an extended one) will be the best factor to take into account.

On personal note - I would buy the Ninja 1000 and to get rid of that issue of the extra 3.5L - I would get myself a recent (2019+) used Ninja 1000

[bj96]

Originally Posted by aneesh2M

…second was the stupid policy of HONDA not selling it in my city Pune. So I have to buy it and get it serviced from Big Wing Mumbai. Around 150 Kms away one way from my home. …

There is a new Honda BigWing dealer near Ruby Hall in Pune. I took test ride of 500x from them last month. Have you checked with them for sales & services?

-BJ

[aneesh2M]

Hello all, Thanks a lot for your informative and detailed suggestions on my post. To elaborate further, my riding style would be 70% weekend rides with mix of bikes in a group /or solo and one day returns and 30% touring. The bike would hardly see the track and also only occasionally be ridden for city commute.

Yes and as many guessed it right, being a CBR Fan and Honda lover my initial choice was CBR 650R, this was fixed and as I said I was waiting for its launch for almost an year. Only thing made me consider Ninja 1000 is the price of CBR and all the dealership goof-up in Pune.

I have taken test rides of both and yes Ninja has several advantages over CBR for sure in terms for features and power. It's just that whether all those advantages will be put to good use by me if I stretch my budget? (initially I had set my budget to 9.5L looking at BS4 CBR price. So looking at this it would be almost 4 Lacs over that and 3 Lacs over current CBR price)

As suggested by few, I have seen preowned Ninjas but nothing good came across from genuine seller / owner and I am avoiding dealers.

[aneesh2M]

Originally Posted by bj96

There is a new Honda BigWing dealer near Ruby Hall in Pune. I took test ride of 500x from them last month. Have you checked with them for sales & services?

Yes I checked with them long back. Its owned by Pashankar Honda, in fact few guys over there are known to me but they are not Top line Big Wing and hence can sell and service only bikes till 500cc and not beyond that. This is a recent stupid policy of Honda as earlier they were selling and servicing all the bikes.

Someone should really educate Honda about this. Pune is a biggest riding base and getting such a treatment to Pune is unacceptable. May be Tbhp can take this up with Honda officials.

[Nitish.arnold]

Although almost all the points have been mentioned,
just adding my 2 cents.

1. Both are sports tourers with detuned engines with N1k being a little more relaxed.
The 600cc & 1000cc sports versions churn out 130-140 & 190-200 bhp respectively.
Here, Honda has a better character, while Ninja is a just tad bit more refined.

2. Honda has a better stance, and is a looker compared to the bloated N1k,
no offence to the respective owners, I too own a bloated machine ('busa) & love it.

3. 5 years warranty, WOOOOOOOOW!

I have extensively ridden the 650f & loved it, have taken short rides on N1k,
loved the CBR in the new Avatar overcoming all previous minor shortcomings.
Just ride both back to back & book one same day.

Cheers & Happy fast miles,
Nitish.

[Tanmay007]

Go with the litre class bike. I'm currently in the same dilemma as you and I have decided if I'm to spend anything above 10L it has to be a litre class bike. I too keep bikes for more than 7 years, never selling them. For such people after a couple of years I'm sure to get the itch for a litre class bike.

Another thing going for the Kawasaki is the comfort. I've had a chance to ride both and the Kawasaki felt way more comfortable to me. Quickshifter, blipper and cruise control are sure to come handy in long tours and just add to the already great comfort.

[Tuborog]

I was in the same dilemma a year back!!

I was picking from Ducati Supersport S, Ninja 1k SX and CBR 650R. Found Triumph Triple RS a bit boring (my personal opinion, no offence meant!). I plan to tour and leisure city riding.

I ultimately ordered them as:
1. Ducati Supersport S. It is now very expensive, so might not make sense. I was getting a very sparingly used under company warranty. Otherwise, a looker, very light, easy to drive, top of the line features (Ohlins, Brembos and awesome electronics). Cost of ownership is very high though.

2. Ninja 1000 SX. A great bike putting you up with all the electronics and features. A good and formidable tourer for sure. A bit heavy for the city, but a great engine. QS is awesome to use (never underestimate it in the city as well). Good torque. Looks were a downside for me.

2. CBR 650R. A lot of things you mentioned, like looks, entry price, but severely lacks features and is highly over priced. Torque is high up in the rev range (compared to Kawa or Ducati).

I ultimately chose Ducati, due to an awesome deal I was getting, but I was almost down for a new ninja.

So, ultimately, you have to choose between form (it is subjective, but plays a vital role in owning a superbike) and function (Features really make a lot of difference in long term ownership).

One thing I am sure of is, you will not regret getting either one of them. Keep us posted on your decision

[contact.nitin7]

I know you may call me crazy after reading this!

DO NOT BUY A NEW ONE!

I understand you are already in a difficult situation to buy between the Honda or KAWI, but I have had super-bike for long enough and enough riding experience to suggest you this.

Buy a used HONDA CBR 650 for thee primary reasons:

• It is a very practical bike, you will most likely be able to use it everyday.
• Ninja's extra BHP is of no use if you are someone who is not a crazy rider, I bet some few fellow biker's here can say I am still a crazy rider.
• Only the ABS is the most imp electronic aid used 95% of the times
• CBR 650 - the trust and support from HONDA is unbelievably good and to the best even cheaper than KAWI (also the service costs)
• Last but not the least you save a truck load of money buying a used, the upkeep will not cost as much as buying a new
• There are tonne of good bikes available for sale in around your location.
• You'll get to get a hands on an sbk and learn the things you need to do on your own, and trust me doing things on your own will be needed if you plan to keep a big bike, there are dozens of threads here that suggest how the SBK owner's manage to keep bikes

The practicality of buying a used CBR will beat any other bike by lengths.

My best wishes, ride safe!
- Nitin

[abhisheksircar]

Originally Posted by aneesh2M

I was almost in the mood of booking the same and here comes a review of ‘abhisheksircar’ on his 2021 CBR 650R. After reading it my mind again stated swinging and telling me ‘Go for the CBR650 as after all HONDA is your 1st love and what will you do with 1000cc on Indian roads, CBR650 is your bike’.

This was my plight few months back but the difference is that I was sold to the CBR beforehand. The 1000 was a plan B. Why, for me, I am making a gradual progression. 150>300>650>?? To add to that, I am sold to the finesse and maintenance of the Hondas as heard from riders who have been with Hondas for ages and now I can see that.

Take the 650R, soup it up (akra+protectors), wrap it up and you will still have enough to fill in to ride down to Bangalore where we can catch up. One question you asked in PM is will you lag out when riding with ltr classes. Answer is no cause, one this bike is fast and second, we do not have Autobahn in India And no I do not miss the electronics although I would have liked to have some riding modes in the 650R to be spoilt !!

You will not regret the souped up 650R for years to go !

Before, I end my post, must say, both are wonderful bikes and either way, you will not regret. See if you can ride them, you will take no time after that to take a call, either way.

[S.A.N.]

I understand your heart is all sold on the Honda CBR 650R, so this thread is more like getting a affirmation from fellow BHPians.

But IMO, as a couple of members rightly suggested, multiple test-drives on both the machines will help you decide
Though an experienced rider, having electronic aids are always better.

[ameyfire]

Hi, if I were you I would go for the Honda, reasons being -

1. You're coming from a 250cc, next logical jump would be 650cc provided you plan to own a litre class in the future. If not, that's still fine. 650 cc is powerful enough. You have a long life ahead and plenty of options if your mind changes.

2. I had the same dilemma while choosing rr310 or rc390. On paper rc390 beats rr310 almost everywhere. I was also outpaced by rc390 many times. But at the end of the day, when i park my beautiful red bike and look back at it, I'm content and happy. Go for the bike which will make you turn your head back and look at it after parking. That will keep you really happy instead of a better product on paper.

3. You like me, are fond of the colour red. So Honda is the way for you. I can assuredly say I would not be getting the same feeling if I purchased the rc390. Yes, I would have got some bragging points, a missile like acceleration, but in reality I would only be compensating. What's the use of buying a bike to 'look' happy and feeling praised and accepted when inside you will get a thought 'Ah maybe I should have gone for my heart'. The bling of a new powerful bike will last only for few months. But after that you will realize it doesn't make much difference and you'd rather have purchased what you originally wanted.

4. Pune and Mumbai are not really far away. Consider service trips like a picnic, it'll be fun actually.

[Peri_patetic99]

I'd say go with the Ninja 1000 since it's a litre class bike and has much more torque than the Honda, and you will notice this even in the city when you overtake or require short boosts of power on the road. It has more features and is a VFM product whereas the Honda is overpriced by 2 lakhs (imo). After sales will eventually cost almost the same and you can get the ninja serviced in Pune only, so that's an added advantage

However, it looks like your heart is set on the CB650R, and I'd say that go with the bike you like and enjoy riding the most because you might look back later at another Honda on the road and grovel about not getting it when you had the opportunity.