Khon Kaens first 650R

[johngooding]

Well I have decided I need to cut the cost of my motorcyling a little bit, so whats the obvious thing to do...........Yes buy a new bike!!

So yesterday I visited Yong Yontrakarn in Udon Thani, been selling the Kawa range for over 12 months now, and I was suprised to see that the 650R was there in all 3 colours, also rack and Givi panniers available.
Did not take long to decide on the black, boring old me, just don't think I will fit with bright green and the blue somehow did not look as classy as the black.
Must say I was impressed with the service, all done in 25 minutes. Free Real brand helmet and T shirt and free delivery to Khon Kaen the next day, it could have been the same day, except I did not have the cash on me.

My logic is that I will look to sell the FJR in the next 6 months and will use the 650R for all my smaller trips, save putting to many expensive km on the remaining 1200GS, and also I enjoy the flexibility of a smaller more manouverable bike around the town and local roads.
Some pics of the bike delivered today, after its first local dusty run and a quick wash.

A pretty machine and incredible value cf most other new bikes available here.
A couple of pics of the FJR to compare also taken today,

Anyone spot the differences?

So I am happy to join the Kawasaki community in Thailand, hows that Tony and guys?

 

[Marco]

John

How much you where thinking for FJR???

and conratx for the Ninja,,, remember now you have to start to dress all black body tight banana(black) leather suite like Trent :wink:

 

[Franz]

Hi John, congrats to the new one !! Two 1000++ cc bikes are costly aren't they ? I'm planning the same, one FJR1300 and one bike with around 650 cc, here the Kwaka is right now the best choice. So have much fun with the Ninja 650 !!
Anyway, 6 months and CNX plate means you are also still on leasing, bought yours only shortly before I got mine. Did you get the Kwaka also on leasing or hard cash ?

Hi Marco, go for the FJR !! Won't need to change bike in the next 10+ years again. And ol' man John :lol: didn't milk her like Rossi would.
John's got the side panniers, just get a Givi topcase and you come closer in storage capacoty to you K1200.
Cheers, Franz

 

[Ian Bungy]

Hell that was Quick John, Well Done :wink: Nice Bike, give us some feed back after You have had it for a While? I heard a Rumour this week, Kawasaki are Putting Fuel Injection on the latest Model KLR650 which means that it would be Eligible for Sale in Thailand, But Will they sell it here :?: Lets Hope so, Another Rumour is they are developing a Adventure Bike at the Factory using the ER6 Engine, Now that would be a Good Bike along the lines of the F800GS 8) I can only Hope!!! All the Best!

 

[gobs]

Well done John! Congrats...

IMHO you made a (quick!) good choice!
1200 GS for the extended rides and 650R for local or shorter rides...

:wink:

Wow! Your FJR is awesome, John! Like new from the pics... How old and how many km on it? Just curious. Me not interested in buying: I've got mines already...
If put at a fair/normal price, I think it will be a quick sale! Mmmmmh, Marco shouldn't you be interested? Better trade that some Black Goldwing from "nowhere" on the net, wouldn't it be? :lol:

Cheers to all,
Gobs

 

[johngooding]

Thanks for your input guys, If I may reply, then give some early feedback after one day and 290km.
Marco, I have pm'd you as some Kwaker guys may not be too keen on me promoting Yamaha sales here, but a couple of quick statistics for Gobs. The bike was bought in Chiang Mai on 22nd Feb 2008, the first one Chareon Motor delivered. It still looks like new because it has had loving care, new tyres just fitted and 28,000km. I will be doing something about selling it in a few weeks, not just now.
Franz, thanks for the OLD comments, true I have never scraped any pegs, or wheelied or attempted any burnouts unlike Rossi, but also unlike Rossi, I have not managed to fall off it either! As for the FJR, I paid off the lease last week, and I paid cash for the Kawasaki. Nice to know that someone else things one 1litre plus and one 650 is good combo, but thats surely too few bikes for you?
Ian, thanks for the comments: quick impressions follow:

Went on a pleasant dry hot day to Udon mainly on small roads, plus about 60km on highway.
Firstly and please remember I normally ride fairly heavy bikes, it feels very light manouverable , and small, yet was pleasingly stable in straight lines at speeds of 120 to 130kph, hardly got above that, too early in its life, but it seemed very lively getting there. Seems power to weight ratio quite good.
Im 6ft, with long back and short legs. Most things seemed to fall to hand easily, pegs a touch high and bars a touch too far away, so I was well forward on seat, but only a touch, the seat hard after what I had been used to but no discomfort after 90minutes continuous.
The mirrors are poor, stalks not long enough, too much of the hand and wrist in view and vibration over 100kph, probably the bikes worst feature
Display is neat and has everthing well displayed big digital speedometer. Time clock. Two trip meters. Clear big Fuel display, as usual does not go down much in first half of tank and then drops quickly. I got 250km in before started flashing E. Sticker on tank says 91 gasohol E10, which is what I used. Used 4.4litre per 100km today.
Acceleration seems good, but I have been gentle, redline at 11,000rpm, I was doing 100 in 6th, at just under 5000rpm.
The brakes, which include ABS, seem very soft, may be early days, again at the moment I am gentle
In town the bike is ideal, quick direction changes easy, acceleration good, its narrow, flexibility in second and third gears good. No snatchiness.
Gear change seemed heavy for about 15 minutes, but has eased up already. Neutral easy to find.
Very easy to drive around the bends, but not too many available today.
Does feel that I am going a lot faster, than the bigger bikes, not true, going slower, but wind directed towards my chin, so more windblast, a bit more vibration but not unpleasant,
Quite a bit of heat around the legs if moving slowly, more than my bigger bikes, but OK at speed. Fan comes on almost immediately when stopped. No temp indication, only warning light.

Biggest impression I got was that it will be a real fun bike, easy to ride in and out of town, yet suitable for the occasional longer trips as well. Can,t really comment on the handling at higher speeds, not that type of day.

Will update in a few weeks if anything changes from above.

 

[Franz]

Hi John, good description of your first impressions !! I think you got a point there about looking at finances ........I still have to pay some installements on my FJR leasing and no intention of selling her as she's such a good runner and most of all very comfortable. :wink:
But still I have too many bikes and they cost money which is not so plenty at this hard tiomes. :twisted:
Too many bikes in my yard ?? Right, once restored, 3 may go right away (Step 125, AX1-250 and NT400Bros) Then it must be one of the 650 Kwakas or a used F650GS again. FJR and SRX6 will stay on
I'm just thinking that selling the F650GS to you was a big mistake (not you as a buyer :lol: ) but as stated above 1300 and 650 are the perfect match.
For any future buyer of John's FJR, go for this bike it's in very good condition !

John when are you up to CNX again ?? I'm on the Chiang Mai - Hot Road just before Kad Farang, hope to see you there on the Ninja soon !! My OLD man 555555555, cheers, Franz

 

[johngooding]

Hi Franz,
Yes I initially used finance because I thought the exchange rate with the pound would move in my favour, however it went down, so its just a gamble.
I never quite got on with the 650GS, I think the twin cylinder 650R is a better match for my needs, because I really do not go offroad on this type of bike. Not to mention the huge price difference.
I will be up in CM in about 3 weeks for a couple of days and will look forward to seeing your new pad. Will contact you before I come. Cheers John.
(Now heading for 3rd 21st birthday)

 

[DavidFL]

John
Congratulations on your new bike & your decisiveness. No messing around there.
I think you've got “one of the perfect bikes" for touring the twisting mountain roads of North Thailand.
Enjoy it while you can. Happy birthday.

 

[Franz]

John, HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!! 3x21 = 63 !!! Ahem :? what's wrong with the new nickname I gave you ?? :lol: Enjoy all the three: birthday, family and motorbikes !! Cheers, Franz

 

[johngooding]

Hey guys, just to set the record straight, the birthday thing started in response to Franz's ageist comments (lucky we are not in Europe, I could have got the lawyers on it)

I said "heading for", thats in the context of the overall lifetime.
As my age resets every 21 years, I will in a few weeks, be 19 again.

If thats really puzzling the other aged GTR brains, it may become clearer after a few beers

 

[Ian Bungy]

I just watched the F1 so had the Required "few Beers" and guess Your Age given the Elusive Clues at 61 :?: :wink:

 

[johngooding]

You hit it Ian, just heading for 61. Nice to see Rubens do so well, also the oldest guy in the paddock!!!

 

[TonyBKK]

Cheers John!

Congratulations on the new Ninja 650R and on joining Team Kwackerzaki! :mrgreen:

The Black is beautiful, but I somehow feel that a Ninja should be Green :wink:

I've had a blast on my ER6n and am still running in my new Ninja 650R. Personally I find the stock Ninja 650R a bit boring- it's quite tame compared to my modified ER6n, but a new Arrow exhaust, PowerCommander PCV and Ignition Booster should take care of that.

Don't worry about the brakes- I was a bit shocked too at first at the weak bite, but after several hundred km they've improved a lot.

When are we going to hook up for a ride??? Been a LONG time!

Happy Trails!

Tony

 

[johngooding]

Hi Tony,
Thanks for that. I would like to know what the individual bits you refer too, apart from the exhaust , do for performance, is it acceleration, economy (I think not), increase powerband, increase torque??
Not sure I will be fitting any for the sort of mainly local use I have in mind, but would like to know.
I think the way they have sort of buried the exhaust under the bike is practical, does not get in the way, particularly for the pillion or rear luggage. Does it cause a lot of heat near the rear tyre? As you are changing it I assume you do not think it is a good idea as is.

I am intending to pop up to Chiang Mai probably on Wed 16th Sept for 2 or 3 days, be happy to see you up there, or on the way up or down. Will be hoping to pop in and catch up with Franz at his new pad, have to make sure it is up to the required SENIOR GT Rider status. Cheers John

 

[TonyBKK]

Cheers John,

Would be great to hook up at Franz's new place next month- assuming he's available.

The stock exhaust on the ER6/Ninja 650R is a beast- weighs about 15 pounds and really stifles the bike and makes it sound like a lawnmower.

Guess this is what they have to do to pass the Euro III emissions test these days...

The Two Bros exhaust weighs about 3 pounds and really lets the bike breath. You feel the difference in power, torque and throttle response right away. It's too loud for some, but there are many other good options such as Akrapovich, Arrow and more.

I added a Two Brothers "Juice Box" Fuel Injection module which is a simple plug and play unit that comes programmed to optimize fuel air mix with the new pipe.

An ignition booster gave another couple of horsepower, better fuel efficiency as well as more torque and still quicker throttle response.

So, all in all I'd say I've cut about 10 ppounds off the bike and gained perhaps 5 or 6 horsepower. It's not much but it's quite noticeable when I switch between the ER6n and Ninja 650R. Well worth it, IMHO.

(But then I need all the help I can get trying to keep up with you guys on liter bikes!) :mrgreen:

 

[tahaan]

Not been here for awhile but I couldn't let the occasion of another addition to your stable pass without comment, John. It's a great looking bike but I bet you'll miss the FJR when it goes. I hope you'll still have a spare to hand when I get round to a visit.

Black bikes are the way to go. My Fazers black ...and I had to pay cash - got the thumbs down by Yamaha finance on their interest free deal!

Before I left they were queuing up to give me money.

 

[Marco]

TonyBKK wrote: makes it sound like a lawnmower.

:wink: Tony..My Lawnmower sounds like screeming cat and have occasionals hick ups...like caughing,,, hope 650R dont sound anything like that...LOL :twisted:

 

[Dougal]

Congrats to all with the new Kwakas.

Right, this ageing GT Rider is well confused, so I'm asking older brother John and youngster Tony (hope that keeps Franz quiet)(some hope I know):

ERN6, 650R, Ninja 650.

Are we just talking about the same engine on 3 different designed bikes?
Any big differences. See 2 with fairing, Ninja seems an out and out sportbike, ERN6 & 650R are the same but one has a fairing?
Differences in price?

 

[Marco]

Dougal wrote: (hope that keeps Franz quiet)(some hope I know):

Peter, why you want to keep Franz quiet,, he has nice comments always, as you know....555555

but i know you might be bit confused,,,,take some pils it will help and rest with cute "nurses"around you....

 

[TonyBKK]

Dougal wrote: Congrats to all with the new Kwakas.

Right, this ageing GT Rider is well confused, so I'm asking older brother John and youngster Tony (hope that keeps Franz quiet)(some hope I know):

ERN6, 650R, Ninja 650.

Are we just talking about the same engine on 3 different designed bikes?
Any big differences. See 2 with fairing, Ninja seems an out and out sportbike, ERN6 & 650R are the same but one has a fairing?
Differences in price?

Hi Dougal,

The ER6n / ER6f / Ninja 650R all share identical frames and engines.

The ER6f (f = faired) is nearly identical to the Ninja 650R- it's really just a branding thing because apparently North Americans like to have that "Ninja" sticker, even though, the EX650 is really not a true sport bike...

Previously the only real difference between the Ninja 650R and the ER6f were that ABS was not available on the Ninja and it didn't come with the passenger grab bars.

The real super sport 600cc Kawasaki is of course the Ninja ZX6R. Why they want to call the EX650 a Ninja is a mystery to me... Seems a bit confused brand-wise, but whatever...

The Ninja 650R is dressed up to LOOK like a sport bike and that seems to be enough for some folks :wink:

For 2010 both the ER6n (n = naked) and the Ninja 650R come with ABS. Price for the 2010 ER6n is 245,000 (I think?) and for the Ninja 650R is 257,000.

The 2009 ER6n cost 225,000 and didn't have ABS and I hear that dealers that still have 2009's in stock are open to negotiation- (I know one guy just got a 2009 ER6n in Pattaya for 220,000)

Thinking about adding a Kwacker to your collection? :mrgreen:

Happy Trails!

Tony

 

[johngooding]

As usual Tony is the authority on the Thailand Kawasaki range and a good clear explanation. I would add that in Peters initial request he listed the 650R and the Ninja 650. I do not think either of these exist. Probably the fault of posters like me using part of the bikes full name. The bike is the Ninja 650R. Thats from the owners manual etc, which is in Thai, but thoughtfully Kawasaki also supplied an English ER6 manual which is mostly relevant.
Tony appreciated your comments on the function of the various addons, in particularly the weight saving of the exhaust, thats a biggie, will keep an eye on the new exhausts as they appear on 650's such as yours.
Would also like to fit a rack. Will not fit panniers. The Kawasaki pannier Givi offering is about 42K Baht for 2 fitted. An exhorbitant price.
Any rack and topbox reccomendations Tony? I know you have experience in this field :? :cry:

 

[TonyBKK]

johngooding wrote: As usual Tony is the authority on the Thailand Kawasaki range and a good clear explanation. I would add that in Peters initial request he listed the 650R and the Ninja 650. I do not think either of these exist. Probably the fault of posters like me using part of the bikes full name. The bike is the Ninja 650R. Thats from the owners manual etc, which is in Thai, but thoughtfully Kawasaki also supplied an English ER6 manual which is mostly relevant.
Tony appreciated your comments on the function of the various addons, in particularly the weight saving of the exhaust, thats a biggie, will keep an eye on the new exhausts as they appear on 650's such as yours.
Would also like to fit a rack. Will not fit panniers. The Kawasaki pannier Givi offering is about 42K Baht for 2 fitted. An exhorbitant price.
Any rack and topbox reccomendations Tony? I know you have experience in this field :? :cry:

Cheers John,

Well, you may have heard that I was almost killed by my Givi top box due to the failure of the Thai made rack that snapped as we were riding from Mae Sariang to Chiang Mai. Box got wedged under the tail and locked up the rear tire- YIKES! I was so lucky it happened on a straight!

I had that rack made because at the time Givi had not yet developed a rack for the new 2009 ER6n.

Since that experience I am not too keen to use hard luggage again. (I'd never used hard luggage before). Riding 1-up I really don't see a need for it as I travel very light and can carry everything I need in a 15 liter dive bag strapped securely to the pillion seat.

Authentic Givi is very expensive, but it's also very well made. After my experience with the Thai made rack I'm not sure I'd trust anything other than authentic Givi.

Happy Trails!

Tony

 

[Franz]

Tony & John, will be available once you let me know some 3 days before you arrive but only for Friday to Sunday nights. You are all increasing my wish for a new, additional smaller bike with your communication !! Ninja 650R should be it really, what else would I get for this money, maybe some rattling-dirty-oilleaking old F650 from Colin......... :lol: .
John you've been very polite, not like David U. who calls some of us already 'old gits'.........
Peter, no cynical comment this time I've been hard working too ................... :mrgreen:

John one more thing about the GIVI's. Well 2 years ago I got myself some cheap Givi sidecases at a local Honda dealer in Pattaya, they come with mounting brackets and bolts to fit them. They are called E21N have each 21 liters and cost THB 6.400,-. Have you ever seen my XJ750 ? I had them fitted there. Go to Givi Malaysias website: http://www.givi.com.my/e_main.aspx
and you can see all products easily available in Thailand although there's not yet a real dealer here to my knowledge.
Cheers, Franz

 

[Dougal]

Thanks Tony, very clear explanation. Thanks to John too for his road test report.
I do like the look of the Ninja 650R. Have to check one out.
Like Dave Unk said it's an ideal size, weight and power for the mountains up North.

Re the Givi box. Had a similar experience to Tony. Back rack (Thai made) broke but fortunately spotted. I've had the Givi box on now for 2 years, Got a backrest/rack for a Phantom and converted it. No problems.
Initial problem was actually the hold down bolts coming loose. Got some good ones with spring washers and rubber mounted them. Not a problem since.