Upgrade 300 to 636

[KingKong]

Hi All,

A little therapeutic vent, though somewhat helpful opinions are welcome :p

Have had a string of 600s in the last decade. After a few years of not riding, missus bought me a Ninja 300, which has been very fun and economical. Very agile in London traffic, and sport 600s who have tried to keep up have failed. I'm a 40 year old. The small bike slightly offends my pride/ego. Can't even fly to 100mph on the motorway to match regular cars

Ego has had me part-ex it for another Kawasaki 636 (2005). I remember how uncomfortable it was. How expensive to insure etc. The perk is the power and the lean angles, and that when I'm overtaking a car it won't be able to out-accelerate me.

Deal has been made. Monies paid to dealer. Deliver due at some point next week. Why am I not excited, and instead filled with a little sense of regret?
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Kwak 636 (2005)

Past - 2016 Ninja 300 (dark grey); K4 GSXR 600 (sexy yellow); 2002 CBR600FS; 2004 GSXR 1000; 2006 Kwak 636; 2005 Yamaha XVS 1100 Dragstar (facepalm); 2005 Kwak 636; 2011 Yamaha R125.

[xX-Alex-Xx]

If you're worried about it, just go up 20 teeth on the back sprocket and you'll be back down to 100mph max before you know it.
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DILLIGAF

[blurredman]

Because your gf/wife bought you the old bike! Not a lot of gf/wives would allow most to even look at a bike let alone buy them one.


Also, I am quite emotionally attached to my vehicles. They've taken me places far and wide, and i've done fun things in them and had good times playing chicken. Maybe that's it?
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CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S, 1979 MZ TS150.
Current: 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 18k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 10k, 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (295cc) - 40k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 51k.

[KingKong]

[c_dug]

il4 600's have mostly died out for a reason. To make a 600 feel fast you actually have to try hard and rev it out, and to make it go fast you need some skill. They're not a low-effort riding experience. They're engaging and fun, but you have to be good enough to get the best out of them.

Case in point, yesterday I was commuting out of London and alongside a guy on a 20 plate R6 for a few miles through a number of traffic lights.

I'm on a courtesy bike NC750x, hardly a rocket ship, certainly much slower than an R6 of any age, let alone the last generation to be produced.

Every single set of lights, without fail the R6 rider would rev the bike, drop the clutch, revs dip too low, pull the clutch, revs rise, drop the clutch, revs drop. Bike goes RUUUUUUUruuuuuuRUUUUUUruuuuuuRUUUUUUUUUUU, rider pulls away slowly. In comparison I let the clutch out, give it a fist full, let the engine do the work and leave the R6 20 metres behind me making noise and not moving.

Clearly an inexperienced rider, but he obviously wanted to go quickly because the moment we reached the A13 he fucked off into the distance at a worrying speed, he just didn't have the ability to do so from a stand still.

The exact same rider on your Ninja 300 would almost certainly be quicker away from the lights.

It's not a quicker bike than a sports 600 by any means, but it's an easier bike to make go quickly, and up to probably 30-40mph or so there really isn't much in it even in the hands of a properly experienced rider.

Add to that, at low speed roll-on [Read: Real world road speeds], you open the throttle wide on a 600 and you get a bunch of induction noise and not much else until the revs climb into the top 25% of the range and by that point you're way over the speed limit on most roads.

Side by side it is almost certainly still quicker than the 300, but the nature of the comparatively torquey engine in the 300 means it maybe feels quicker to the seat of the pants dyno than the 600 and is more useable at legal speeds to boot.

Don't get me wrong, I'd take the 636 any day of the week too, but the 300 has it's perks.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[KingKong]

[Bhud]

I don't think you'll regret having got rid of the 300 once you've got the 636.

[Diggs]

[c_dug]

[KingKong]

Diggs, it is true. But I guess I’ve allowed myself the upgrade back to the 636 because the darkness within yearns for the 636’s ludicrous power and its is still in my eyes a stunning beauty.

C_Dug - I had considered the 650 but couldnt take to it. A 636 addict will forever be a 636 addict

Bhud nailed it. Once I’m back on the 636 I wont look back (except when carrying out a shoulder check). yeah, bullshit
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Kwak 636 (2005)

Past - 2016 Ninja 300 (dark grey); K4 GSXR 600 (sexy yellow); 2002 CBR600FS; 2004 GSXR 1000; 2006 Kwak 636; 2005 Yamaha XVS 1100 Dragstar (facepalm); 2005 Kwak 636; 2011 Yamaha R125.

[woo]

As I have got older I find riding a slower bike fast more rewarding than trying to ride a fast bike fast.
On my wee 125cc it feels like like im riding it fast going through all the gears when in reality im prob just standing still compared to when I was on my R1.

I am tempted to get a honda cb300r but part of me feels I will regret getting rid of my honda grom as its the 3rd honda grom ive had
only sold the previous honda groms as I thought I wanted more power but when I got the power I missed the light nimbleness and being able to use all the rev range on my grom.
I barley ever took the R1 above 8k rpm

I think the perfect bike for me would be if they made a 250cc honda grom!!
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Elen sila lummen omentielvo!

[KingKong]

I rode the 636 today after delivery arrived.

The Ninja 300 was like: abuse me master, flick me around and rev my engine hard, master.

The 636 asserts in a low chilling tone Don't f**k with me.

I have a lot of re-learning to do riding the 636 as clearly I can't throw it around like the 300 - nearly low-sided leaning over the 636 on a tight line.

Feels like I would far outrace myself if I was on the 300 competing against the 636. As my riding abilities currently stand, being on the 636 I would no way be able to keep up with my former self on the 300.

It kind of feels like leaving one's loyal and devout wife in the warmth of the home you will never return to, for the super model who satiates all bedroom desires, but will leave you feeling like you shouldn't have left the missus (thankfully I am not leaving my lovely wife, but I did my ninja 300 wrong that's for sure ).

I hope in time I manage to bond with this 636 and ride it just as competently as I did on the 300 (gone but not forgotten).
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Kwak 636 (2005)

Past - 2016 Ninja 300 (dark grey); K4 GSXR 600 (sexy yellow); 2002 CBR600FS; 2004 GSXR 1000; 2006 Kwak 636; 2005 Yamaha XVS 1100 Dragstar (facepalm); 2005 Kwak 636; 2011 Yamaha R125.