Got myself a baby Ninja! My Ninja500 story.

A babe Ninja it is!

Never thought I?d ain a sports motorcycle and that excessively a Kawasaki. I had a Gixxer250 which was bought successful 2021 station pandemic. Had plentifulness of powerfulness was utterly reliable was susceptible of touring 200-300 kms easily, determination was nary request to bargain a caller motorcycle astatine all. It each started erstwhile I took a relatives Interceptor 650 for a ride. The quantum of alteration you consciousness from a azygous to a larger displacement duplicate is hard to explain. Though I was inactive not convinced with the value and handling of Interceptor. Kept connected chugging with my 250 but successful the backmost of my caput the duplicate cylinder itch had got planted. A twelvemonth down the enactment started looking astatine the Nx500, watched a batch of YouTube contented and astir paid an beforehand to the Bigwing. Then retired of obscurity came the RS457. Took a trial thrust and was amazed by the powerfulness connected pat and the not truthful committed riding posture. Before this I had a precise incorrect representation of each faired sports bikes of having a precise uncomfortable and committed riding posture. Since I started looking up contented connected the 457, the Kawasaki Ninja500 besides was dilatory pushed into my feeds by the ?algorithm?, visited the lone Kawasaki trader conscionable to find retired that they don?t person a trial thrust motorcycle for the 500, Just had to marque bid with sitting connected the motorcycle and having a consciousness for the riding posture. Lot of questions from the wifey and household arsenic to wherefore successful my close caput I would bargain a Ninja connected the incorrect broadside of 40, marque maine person rethink and enactment the thought connected clasp for a portion but yet decided to instrumentality the plunge.

The elimination process

Nx500

Was astir going to bargain this unsighted without adjacent having a trial thrust since determination were nary trial thrust bikes with smaller bigwings. What enactment maine disconnected nevertheless was the dealership experience, adjacent earlier I bought it. I had visited the showroom astatine slightest 5 times to conscionable to beryllium capable to beryllium connected and person a consciousness of the Nx500 earlier I publication it. The dealership nevertheless ne'er had the courtesy of calling maine backmost adjacent once. I had requested them aggregate times to telephone maine up whenever they person 1 for transportation for maine to person a beryllium and feel. I besides felt that these dealerships were lone funny successful selling 350 and its variants and determination was beauteous overmuch thing other connected the showroom level but for a lone 300R. I had adjacent asked them for an update connected the adjacent shipment of Nx500 which they ne'er came backmost connected this also. I figured if this is the effect of the dealership adjacent earlier I buy, was frightened to deliberation of the station income response. Some of the youtubers I watched who had the Nx500 and Cb500x besides complained of parts scarcity adjacent successful cities similar Delhi and Pune for thing arsenic basal arsenic a brake pad. For parts similar concatenation and sprocket the hold times were 15-20 days! In smaller metropolis dealerships similar Bhubaneswar this would surely beryllium a nightmare! This enactment the Nx disconnected my database sadly.

RS457

This was 2nd connected my database aft the Nx500 went disconnected the list, had a trial thrust visited the lone trader for Aprilia present successful Bhubaneswar! The riding presumption though not arsenic committed arsenic accidental an R15 was inactive connected the assertive broadside and not thing you would bask connected a commute successful the city. The suspension was besides connected a stiffer side, you tin consciousness each tiny bump connected the road. Mind you this is coming from idiosyncratic who rides a roadworthy bicycle pumped up to 55psi each day. Although the parts availability concern was decidedly not going to beryllium similar the Nx500 but the dealership was subpar. There was 1 trader who was truthful atrocious they got achromatic listed and removed by Piaggio and the caller trader is simply a Yamaha trader who shares fractional the showroom with Yamaha bikes. The aforesaid trader besides doesn?t person a large estimation erstwhile it comes to the Yamaha itself. The trial thrust motorcycle besides had a precise poorly adjusted clutch with deterioration adjacent the lever pivot starring to a precise awkward feeling erstwhile moving from standstill oregon dilatory speeds. The gearbox though affirmative shifting felt precise clunky successful each gears. All this coupled with Aprilia reliability enactment maine off. I had astir enactment my upgrade to support aft this and decided to hold a while.

Triumph? Niinja500

The rubric is not wrong, aft the RS457 1 of the weekends conscionable went to person a look and consciousness of the 400 twins to spot what the hype is each about. Took a trial thrust of the velocity 400, but to beryllium frank did not consciousness similar an ?upgrade? from my Gixxer250. Conveyed this to the income rep and helium was laughing until I handed him the keys of my 250 and told him to person a round. He did person 1 for 5 kms and came backmost amused astatine what Suzuki motorcycle is this! This is 1 of the blunders that Suzuki did, mediocre marketing. The higher up Triumphs were conscionable retired of my league, mode excessively large and pricey.
The Kawaski showroom is conscionable connected the other broadside of the road from the Triumph and you ?have to? walk done it. So, I thought let?s conscionable person a look, the dealership acquisition adjacent with nary volition of buying was amazing. Very anxious to speech astir immoderate motorcycle anything. I was fixed a trial thrust of the Ninja650! Although the powerfulness was wonderful, I was not convinced by the debased GC of the 650 and the property of the level and it was connected the borderline of my fund too. A fewer days spell by and I astir gave up connected the thought of an upgrade and decided to instrumentality with the 250. Out of the bluish get a telephone from the Kawasaki income idiosyncratic that helium has arranged for a trial thrust of the 500 and determination was a 15k discount also! Went determination connected a play and took a abbreviated trial thrust of astir 5 kms connected a brand-new motorcycle with 2 kms connected the Odo. The trial thrust was a revelation! Since I already had trial thrust of the 457, I could instantly constituent retired the differences. Ninja500 had a overmuch much relaxed riding posture, nary strain connected the wrists and back. Engine is mode much refined than the 457, it astir is similar inline 4 creaseless beneath 5000 rpm. It had capable low-end grunt to bash a 40ish km/hr connected 6th without immoderate complaints. Post 5k the propulsion is amazing! astatine slightest to maine who comes from a 250 single. What convinced maine much is the dealership is precise nonrecreational and the reliability of the 400.aka 500 platform. The level has proved itself internationally to beryllium precise reliable and casual to maintain.

Booking, PDI and delivery!

The booking process if you tin telephone it that was conscionable maine transferring the magnitude to the dealership account. The precise motorcycle I trial rode is the 1 they would merchantability maine of people arsenic this is the lone 500 that they had successful stock, which not atrocious since I already trial rode it and everything seemed fine. Still, I went determination 1 much clip excessively person a look astatine the cosmetic aspects and get the manufacturing details. Turned retired it was an August 2024 Thailand manufactured portion that the dealership had received successful October 24. So was with them for astir 4 months, not excessively bad. Only happening was I was disquieted astir the artillery to which the dealership responded that it was not a interest since they complaint it with their trickle charger ? not precise convincing to me. However, artillery besides would person warranty for a twelvemonth truthful nary worries arsenic per dealer. Even erstwhile I trial rode it started with fractional crank truthful I thought it indispensable beryllium fine. No cosmetic defects but for immoderate numbers scribbled connected the seats with a marker. Paid them the afloat magnitude and was told it volition instrumentality 2-3 days for the registration and hsrp plates.
Took transportation connected a Tuesday the adjacent week, not a believer successful dates and days truthful told the trader fto maine cognize whenever you person the HSRP fitted volition driblet successful and instrumentality transportation connected immoderate weekday I person time. To their recognition the dealership arranged for barroom and transportation Instagram sprout connected an hours? announcement which I gave them connected the time of delivery!

The bully bits

Some of the finer points I noticed, which you bash erstwhile you?re looking astatine particularly a caller car oregon a bike.

• The acceptable and finish, overgarment prime is simply a measurement supra Aprilia and of precise bully quality. The overgarment decorativeness particularly is amazing. I mean determination is zero ?orange peel? successful the overgarment and the wide overgarment feels of a precise precocious quality. There?s zero prime of colors however, since India gets lone the Carbon metallic grey. To maine this colour is thing I would person gone with anyhow arsenic the signature Kawasaki greenish is excessively lould and attracts excessively overmuch attention.
• Finish connected immoderate of the parts similar the Nissin calipers oregon the KYB beforehand forks is precise antithetic from the decorativeness I americium utilized to seeing connected the likes of accidental my Suzuki, the Aprilia oregon the 400 twins. I deliberation the callipers are formed retired of a pulverization metallic oregon person a sintered decorativeness precise antithetic from the dice formed decorativeness for the Bybre callipers. May beryllium for vigor dissipation, conscionable my guess. Same is the lawsuit with the forks, the decorativeness seems precise durable.
• The grip bars look to beryllium a spot thicker successful dia compared to some my Suzuki and the Aprilia. This I noticed since I had occupation holding the throttle with gloves connected particularly connected longer rides. The thicker throttle felt vey casual to clasp adjacent with gloves.
  
• The spot is connected the firmer broadside but did not consciousness uncomfortable astatine each connected a meal thrust of astir 100kms and besides successful my bureau commutes. One happening I announcement is the ergonomics are spot on, everything feels successful place.
  
• The gearbox has precise abbreviated and precis shifts. Positive neutral finder besides unsocial to Kawasaki is simply a bully thing.
• Although the 500 misses retired connected the electronics and TFT display, I consciousness the engineering connected the motorcycle is precise good done.
  
• The show has each the info you would ever request down to a region to empty, is precise legible successful each airy situations and that?s each I privation from it.
  
• The airy setup though not exceptional similar the caller KTM 390?s is not bad. Has 2 projectors for debased beams, 2 reflectors for precocious breams and 2 DRL?s. Looks precise bully and show is good, I would not accidental fantabulous though.
  
• The clutch is feather airy and is precise casual to usage successful traffic, coupled with the torquey centrifugal is precise forgiving.

Some dislikes.

• I would person loved adjustable levers; the motorcycle misses retired connected them. The lever scope for the brake is thing I wished I could adjust. Especially connected downshifts wherever you request to blip and person the brake applied would person been easier with an adjustable lever.
  
• The horn placement is truly bad, it ends up deafening the rider much than the postulation ahead.
  
• The mirrors are precise hard to set connected the move, they scope retired acold excessively wide to beryllium comfortably adjusted connected the move.
  
• Pillion spot is unusable for thing different than abbreviated hops. Not that you expect to person idiosyncratic connected the pillion seat.
  
• One annoying broadside effect of being a CBU is does not person drawback rails, which are mandated I deliberation for India built motorcycles. I saw them connected the Ninja650 excessively but not connected this. Its precise hard to determination astir the motorcycle manually if you privation to clasp it from rear.
  
• The motorcycle has a proviso for the USB socket, but its not fitted successful India spec bikes nor is disposable arsenic an OEM accessory. Plenty of different options though but if you privation to instrumentality to OEM hard luck!

Some clicks of my babe Ninja!