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My Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX: Service, accessories & road trip updates

27th January 2025, 08:27 by Deepankar Sadekar

Shopping just before a ride hits a different high, the excitement to use new gears is through the roof, I am sure you must have also experienced it

BHPian N1Krider_R recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Happy Diwali to Team BHP Family

I am sure by now you must have gorged on all those festive sweets and loaded up good amount of calories.

Hat Tip : Easiest way to burn these calories off ? Put up some extra mileage on your 2 wheeled beauties this winter, and log more trips on the forum.

Lets Go !!

Updates post June

Got my bike serviced in June for the rides that were upcoming in monsoons. It was the usual affair, basic service with a air filter change, below are the details. Plus some gear, accessories, tyre update and luggage purchase details.

Spares Cost - 6,935.20
Labour Cost - 4,363.64
Total Service Cost - 11,298.84

Air filter had accumulated a good amount of dust, thanks to our riding conditions here in and around Mumbai - the construction madness is never ending. Don't even bother asking about the AQI. Do let me know if there are even so effective airfilters for the Ninja. The usual suspects I know off are BMC and K&N, but are the better than OEM ?

Pre-ride shopping:

Shopping just before a ride hits a different high, the excitement to use new gears is through the roof, I am sure you must have also experienced it - the smell of the cushions in a new helmet, the ultra clear new visor, feel of the new gloves, you just can't forget.

After using the MT and SMK helmets for quite a while I decided to switch to better helmets, primary use is touring so I started searching and zeroed in upon the LS2 from a shop in Mumbai after failing to get an import. Never the less, I loved how light the LS2 Challenger HPFC is and it feels premium compared to MT or SMK helmets. Amazing cushions and comfort, and absolutely amazing internal and external visor. The internal visor is optically correct and is large enought to cover up a good amount of area, you do not see any line demarcating clear vs dark, which is a big plus in touring as that line can get irritating. Airflow control is good and the windnoise is minimal compared to MT or SMK. This came with a Pinlock 100 which was absolutely amazing in the monsoons, never though I would get such an amazing performance. All in all it costed me a cool 18,500/-, not bad I would say. The only problem I see is sourcing another clear visor.

I don't like using leathers in monsoon, so got myself a Raida textile glove. Nothing much to write home about as the protection is adequate with more focus on comfort. I won't lie, I love these gloves more as the feel on the throttle is much better through them and gives more control compared to a Race glove like the Viaterra GRID that i own. But there are no questions on the race glove when it comes to protection, so it is just a matter of getting used to. Cost - 3000/-

Since this was a long ride after a long time, I though about getting a tyre pressure gauge to check the cold tyre pressures in mornings. This particular aspect always played on my mind since I switched to Verdenstines, more on that later. This tiny instrument is worth the money, accurate reading, fits in the space just need to press a little hard to get the reading in PSI or BAR, also has a tyre depth gauge, all in all a good gadget. Cost - 1,600/-

The quintessential bachelors ride to Goa

A ride was planned to Goa with the boys, however me and one of the group member were not able to plan the leaves, so we both decided to cut short the trip and return on day 3 itself. It was a beautiful ride, the route we took was staple (Mumbai - Karad - Malkapur - Anuskura - Oni - Goa). Loved riding in the rains, it was a proper monsoon "Aaj kuch toofani karte hai ride" post hitting the NH66. But before that, boy it was amazing - just loved the Malkapur section.

The feeling was very different riding through the Sahyadris and it did not feel like MH, more like KA - the interior roads were so good. I would risk it anyhow say it - this was the closest I would ever get to the "Isle of Man TT" kind of experience blasting through Anuskura ghat, with 4 riders along with me ripping it through and to top it all - non existent traffic (we barely spotted a couple of cars, that's it).

Moving on to next big ticket item, Helmet !!

With birthday approaching quick (2nd Oct - No Drishyam references pls, bored of them), I had already identified a shop which had opened in our vicinity called RoaringToyz33 in Dahisar, they stocked the AGV's and Nolan's. A couple of visits had already been made and the day just before I had visited it and found out that they had the AGV K1 Element VR46 edition in exact size Asian Fit M56 . It was kind of a done deal, I was returning from the gym and it was already 9 pm i.e. closing time, however the sales rep Mr.Kareem was more than happy to open the shop at 12 midnight on knowing that it was a special occasion. I politely declined, and informed my wife about the Helmet being available at the store. She quickly dialed my brother and voila - both of them decided to gift me. I was secretly hoping for the same

Next day all decked up we went to the shop together as it was kind of an occasion for me - I just loved that helmet so much + the middle class rider dream of owning a AGV, won't deny that. Got the helmet, ogled at it for a couple of hours and stacked it in the showcase - used it only once during a breakfast ride and it is back in the showcase.

Feel of the Helmet - 8/10 - Premium, period. the padding is soft and comfy, even better than my comfortable LS2 Challenger HPFC. Padding is packed in so neatly that i did not want to disturb it, so did not install the Bluarmor speaker kit which I had purchased.

The vents work good, noise levels are similar to the LS2 - you will need to wear ear plugs. No whining or whistle noises, silent under 80kmph, but if you want to protect your hearing best would be to use plugs.

This one does not feature to sun visor which drops down on the SV versions of AGV, to be fran the Sun visors on SV versions are not at all good, only cover upto half point on your nose. Love the spec friendly version of the padding, I am back to using goggles.

AGV K1 Element - Cost - 29,500/-

Bluarmour additional helmet kit for the AGV which is still not installed (Cost 3,500/-) and the Bluarmour HS1 for the daily duties on the local SMK helmet. My take on the HS1, avoid !! Just not worth the 3,000/- price tag as the speakers are weak, button operation is a mess.

Moving on - next up is Luggage.

Tail Bag - For the June Goa trip I had purchased the Viaterra Element tail bag. 40ltr and you are good for 4-5 days worth of luggage. This is a relatively old product as most you must have moved on to Mod packs. I decided to stick to this simple version, does the job, nothing fancy.

ViaTerra Element - 2,700/-

Tank Bag - For the Oct Tapola trip I got the GIVI 602-B 5 ltr tank bag with the BF29 flange. Installation was simple and boy I must say the Italians make fine products. Looks, design, simplicity 10/10. First the AGV helmet and now this tank bag, man I am in love with the designs and materials used by these Italians.

GIVI 602B + Flange Costed - 9000/-

Tyre Inflator:

After the Tapola ride tyre nightmare I got myself a Qubo Tyre inflator as well. There were multiple options, however I stuck to this brand due to the warranty and Hero backing this product. Got myself the MAX version as it operates on 5200 MaH battery as well as direct connection from a 12V port. On the last ride we observed that a tyre inflator that a fellow team member was using did not hold much juice and also did not have external input. Plus when we used it recently, we found out that the Qubo is much much faster compared to its other counterpart. It works as a Power Bank and has a Torch as well. So a 10/10 from me for the amazing product.

Mind you it has -2 psi error so keep a +2 target while punching in your desired pressure. But it keeps my tyre pressure worries away as I just have to spend 5-10 mins late night or early morning setting up the correct tyre pressure and enjoy a worry free ride.

Qubo Smart Tyre Inflator MAX - Cost - 2,700/-

Up next is the Kriega fork seal/sleeve protectors.

Well this is a bit of a grey area, but to be frank I have been using the MotoTrendz version for more than 18 months, no issues. Ideally it should be opened up cleaned and repacked frequently, so that the accumulated dirt does not seep in and damage the tubes.

So when I removed them for the first time I saw a considerable amount of much which could have seeped in, threw them instead of washing and ordered myself a pair of Kriega's. Man I must say, the quality on these imported products is top notch. There is no going back to other options, be it luggage, helmet, tyres, or small and simple thing such as a fork seal protector or handle bar grips from GripPuppies. Take my money.

Kriega fork seal/sleeve protectors - Cost - 1,700/-

Got my bike detailed post monsoons, same folks at ProCare Dahisar got it done for 800/-, this has by far been the best VFM workshop when it comes to detailing your ride. Highly recommend.

Also decided to get a good paddock and spools for Nimbus, these are locally made. The Paddock came from GA Engineering for big bikes is called "Heavy Duty" strengthened for the weight that these bikes have. Comes with 2 types of adaptors - rubber L stand and conventional U shaped forks. That called for new swing arm spools purchase as well, you know the story it never ends. Spools were purchased from Motofusion and both the quality of both the products is top notch and I highly recommend them. Motofusion was recommended by our inhouse TeamBhp master of resources Mr. Hiren who has sold off his Imran Hashmi Special Edition Z900RR and moved to the US of A since the Charoti GP aka Circuit of De'Ahuras is no longer operational - courtesy ? Govt deciding to mess up a beautiful tarmac strip and replacing it with a Uber Poor Quality white top, the work seems to be never ending but that topic is another thread altogether. Anyway, coming back, both products are made in India and are of good quality/spec, my only gripe is with the paddock - we tried multiple times, multiple angles but we are just not able to mount it on the spools, either the paddock length needs to shortened or elongated, the current length smacks it right into the rear number plate. Wonder if a Tail Tidy could solve this problem now that I think of it heading over to motofusion website right away.

Last but not the least, while upgrading all the other things, this monsoon break lead me to the biggest and best upgrade ever that no amount of money can buy. These last 3 months it has been raining crazy in this part of the coast, due to which the garage time increased and we could not do much of riding. The FZ did handle some duties in terms of touring, but not much riding was done. So to keep my mind sane I joined a local Gym, my brother is a regular feature there and knows almost everybody. As everybody has done or will do in theri lives, I too had paid my membership fee last year itself but did not go to the gym more than a month or two. But this year it was a different feel altogether - 2 Months of training with my brother on and off and 2 solid months with a Personal Trainer. Boy I was surprised what the body can do if you are focused, put your mind to it and maintain discipline to see through your daily schedule. Happy to report that all the strength gained has translated to an even better riding posture, grip on the bike, and general lightness felt as I put on more miles on this beautiful machine. (Body & Bike)

I urge you to watch some podcasts from Mr.Shumi on MotorInc (which for some reason are to be subscribe monthly now), I am sure you too would jump on the fitness wagon if you have not.

Earlier the shelf used to be stocked with bottles, now there are different kind of containers in it and yes you do start to count Macros - mostly protein and fiber.

Some more pics from a breakfast ride. What's special ? Younger brother got bit by the touring bug, honing his skills on the trusty KTM Duke 200. And my brother in law also got into touring on his trusty RE Interceptor 650. Kids learning and growing, good to see them riding. And yes Misus back on Nimbus after a long break, so ek photo to banta hai !!

Me and Misus on weekender to Pawna Lake