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Will I regret this?

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KingKong
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PostPosted: 14:58 - 07 May 2021    Post subject: Will I regret this? Reply with quote

Hello All

I just bought a Kwak Ninja 300. Why...? Looks lovely. Seems to be ideal in power for the London riding I do. Possibly once a year might I ride on the motorway to visit a buddy so sitting ay 80mph is bearable.

I've enjoyed 636s, GSXR 600 mostly. Last rode was 2017.

We all love power. Some of us (me) love taking the bait to race cars and win. I know I can kiss a lot of this goodbye once my Ninja 300 is delivered.

To you intelligent and experienced riders, am I going to want to sell it very soon and updgrade back to a zx6r, or will the 300 be punchy enough to satisfy my town riding?

Worth giving it a shot, or should I call the dealer cancel the sale and buy the bigger troublesome machine?
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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.
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MarJay
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PostPosted: 15:00 - 07 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Naw, small bikes rule.
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Evil Hans
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PostPosted: 15:08 - 07 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

I reckon it'll be an absolute hoot for city riding.

Only downside is, will it have enough power to carry the mahoosive chain you'll need every time you park in That London.
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Fat Angry Scotsman
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PostPosted: 15:22 - 07 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is the Ninja 300 punchy? I watched a Yammie Noob video where he said the best 300 - 400 cc motorcycle was the KTM Duke 390, he said it's the punchiest and liveliest.
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KingKong
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PostPosted: 15:30 - 07 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fat Angry Scotsman wrote:
Is the Ninja 300 punchy? I watched a Yammie Noob video where he said the best 300 - 400 cc motorcycle was the KTM Duke 390, he said it's the punchiest and liveliest.


It still doesnt mean the 300 isn't punchy, it just means there are punchier machines out there.
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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.
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KingKong
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PostPosted: 15:40 - 07 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice one - I 'll sit on my hands and give the 300 a try. If anyone is interested I'll happiy post a review of a 300 by a serial 600 rider.

Stay safe, keep it rubber side down. Thumbs Up
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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.
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redeem ouzzer
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PostPosted: 15:56 - 07 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

I love small bikes but I couldn't have one as my only bike. Even in town I prefer a bigger engine for everyday use.
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PotatoHead202...
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PostPosted: 16:22 - 07 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Depends how the torque is. Speed wise in urban places it'll be fine but I wouldn't want to be on one on any faster roads. My 500 with 56hp is the absolute minimum i'd go for.
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pepperami
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PostPosted: 17:25 - 07 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Small bikes rock!
I know it’s obvious, just remember it’s not a muscle bike, get your mindset into that and it’ll be fine Thumbs Up .

I have a couple of 250’s and have no issues in traffic.
I stick to A & B roads.
I’m not fazed to take my 250’s on the motorway if I really need to.

A 300, should cope , no problem.
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Monkeypony
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PostPosted: 17:34 - 07 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Putting the 'Ninja' prefix in on something the power of a ride on mower is a a disgraceful marketing ploy.

I'd think I'd rather walk.

Whatever floats your boat though!
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chickenstrip
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PostPosted: 18:33 - 07 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would regret it, but aside from the handling, I've never really been a fan of the small stuff, unless it was 2T.
They are good for city riding though, so you'll only miss the extra on those motorway jaunts probably if that's all you do. But if all I did was cities and motorways, I'd be missing all the things I love most about biking.
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Robby
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PostPosted: 19:00 - 07 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think you'll get bored of it.

Small bikes are fun for riding around town, but that's usually small, unfaired, cheap bikes with an upright riding position. The fun is in the lightness, and not caring too much about the bike (because cheap).

Looking at the riding position on the 300, you'll feel like you're on a seriously broken 600 sportsbike.
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Bhud
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PostPosted: 19:07 - 07 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
To you intelligent and experienced riders,


That ain't me, but I'll offer an opinion anyway.

I think it will be fun. If I wanted to get into track riding, I'd probably go for either a 300 "sports" or a CB500. Elastic engine, forgiving of error, etc.

No, it probably doesn't deserve the "Ninja" title, but that's all marketing hype from the 80s anyway. Ninjas were a movie sensation back then. Laughing

I've recently got myself a little classic bike to whizz about on, on short rides. It will be a few weeks before it works, but it's going to be set up nicely. Right tool for the job, etc. The sort of bike you buy when you know the sort of rides you usually do, and what makes you tick. More fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow, etc.
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Easy-X
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PostPosted: 23:31 - 07 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had lots of fun tearing around the City on my Rebel (basically a CB500F tweaked for a wee bit more torque) and only gave it up for something better suited to >200 mile runs.
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struan80
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PostPosted: 01:12 - 08 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Stick with the 300. More usable fun. But I'm a lightweight recently enlightened and have a new found love of totsy bikes.
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G
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PostPosted: 12:07 - 08 May 2021    Post subject: Re: Will I regret this? Reply with quote

I prefer bikes with a wide range of (lots of) power for lazy riding in town generally - while something like the 300 is not far off the sweetspot for countryside fun for me.
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KingKong
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PostPosted: 15:01 - 08 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

There views shared by all have actually been really valuable and balanced.

I think there is a high risk I could get bored- but only on motorways? I dont get on the m’way much - maybe 1 or 2 times every couple of years. I like riding like a moron on m’ways where it all gets blurry as cars I pass seem to shoot by like little tin bullets lol.

I have a car too.

Mostly, if not solely London riding. So you all may be right that the 300 will do it. Worse case I’ll keep it a year to build back a no claims.

I like Bhud’s comment: “ More fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow”.
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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.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha
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PostPosted: 15:31 - 08 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Honestly, I have more fun riding a fast bike slow than vice versa. I've no idea why, it makes no sense. When in town I'd much rather be on my 900 than my 500 or 250. It's comfy, and believe it or not, easier (or certainly as easy) to ride slowly. It's turning circle isn't bad at all, either. It's slim enough to filter as much as the smaller bikes, yet has more presence.

Then, once out of town, it's piss easy to overtake. The only time it can get difficult is tight b-roads, which admittedly is where a 300 would start to properly happen. But on lanes smaller than tight b-roads the 900 comes back again - because there's only so many liberties you can take through tight corners on lanes that're only wide enough for one vehicle. I ride a lot of those kinds of routes, not least because of where I live, but also because I now really enjoy it. A couple of years ago I did everything to avoid them - but there's such a huge network of such lanes in my area that I somehow got into it, through exploring. And now it's a regular habit.

Probably the best bike for it would be a GS, or failing that, a Tiger or similar. A twenty year old sports tourer, not so much. But one thing it does have going for it - and this is where a 300 would fail - is eminently adjustable suspension. With not much in the way of travel, it's good to be able to fiddle - even better to get a dedicated suspension guy to set it up for where and how you ride. Not sure how much fiddling can be done on lower spec'd bikes.

The long and short of it is, of course, you have to think where you're going to doing most of your riding. And - also really important - for how long. A 300 is fine for a half hour, an hour - maybe an hour and a half on good roads, if you're small, lithe and not too heavy. But it might get to be a PITA - figuratively and literally - otherwise.
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hellkat
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PostPosted: 15:44 - 08 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

My daughter had one of those 300 Ninja things and used it in and around Sydney for a while (somewhat less experienced than you, or even I, but she got about in Sydney traffic alright, and then out to the countryside. So if it can do an Aussie big city and out to the countryside (not outback, mind Laughing ) ... then it can probably do the same here.

Although yeah, it might be a bit gutless for what you're used to.
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chickenstrip
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PostPosted: 15:46 - 08 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Then there are Street Triples*, which give you some of the best of both worlds.
Sorry, but it had to be said Smile

*Apparently not in that London though, where they are seen as belonging to The Collective.
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MarJay
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PostPosted: 15:57 - 08 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

The most 'fun' I've ever had on a bike has been on a 250 two stroke. They aren't great to live with as transport though.

It is most certainly more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow. It is better to ride a big bike slow when being lazy though, when getting from A to B.

I reckon a 300cc four stroke twin is probably a decent compromise when being ridden in town. Enough torque to just about be lazy, low enough power to feel like you can thrash it. I don't think I'd go for one personally but I don't live in London and I commute 60% motorway and 40% city. If I lived right on the outskirts I'd go for a smaller bike without a doubt.

IMO, the sweet spot for fun is between 50 and 120bhp, and the Ninja 300 is a tad low for that range. A Ninja 400 might well just squeeze in.
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chickenstrip
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PostPosted: 16:08 - 08 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Small 4Ts are just too gutless and bland imo. 2Ts of small capacity at least had character in their power delivery, and enough sudden go to grab at gaps in moving traffic with a bit of judicious booting of the gear lever.
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Polarbear
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PostPosted: 16:10 - 08 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

I prefer big bikes. The smallest bike I actually enjoyed riding was a YDS7 but that's a 250 smoker.

Wifie had a GS500 for her first big bike, I hated it. I wasn't even that happy on her ER6 as that felt pretty gutless to me as well.

I think you will get bored quickly but thats because I would. Who knows, you might absolutely adore it.
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chickenstrip
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PostPosted: 16:14 - 08 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

What would a relatively highly tuned 400cc (or thereabouts) 4T triple be like? I can't think if anything like that has been tried by any manufacturer?
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chickenstrip
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PostPosted: 16:23 - 08 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

trevor saxe-coburg-gotha wrote:
Honestly, I have more fun riding a fast bike slow than vice versa. I've no idea why, it makes no sense.


I'm sort of the same, but nowadays, fast bikes can also be of relatively low weight and sharp handling. The only thing you're not doing with them is caning them in the twisties. They just require a little more control with the throttle. But the nice thing is, when the road opens out, you have all that lovely power to indulge in. It isn't like it used to be where fast bikes (other than 2Ts) were necessarily heavy and poor handling.
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