Author Topic: Ninja 1000  (Read 17837 times)

Offline TJ

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #20 on: July 11, 2012, 12:16:43 AM »
How does the Ninja handlebar position compare to the C14?
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Offline pistole

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #21 on: July 11, 2012, 01:26:10 AM »
.

- how's the Z1000's engine ? Buzzy ? Smooth ?

- still being broken in ?

.

Offline martin_14

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #22 on: July 11, 2012, 01:42:26 AM »
I can offer a very limited opinion about how the C14 and the ninja 1000 compare because I drove it a few times when toying with the idea of getting rid of my 1400GTR and getting something lighter without loosing much in the sense of performance.
First things first: the 1400 engine has 2 balance shafts, the 1000 has 1, and it shows. Whereas my 1400 had that dreadful buzz at 4500 rpm (that I got rid off with the washer trick on the handlebar weights), the 1000 buzzes all over the place. I-DO-NOT-LIKE-IT. On the other hand, that's about all that I can critizise from that bike. Engine response seems better than that of the 1400, without the stupid hesitation at low revs, and the weight difference and gearing make up for the disadvantage in torque. Comfort wise I can't really authoritatively comment, but it looked to me in a different (lower) league than the Concours. Not bad, just not the kind of bike I'd choose to cover serious mileage (>500 miles in one go).
A different bike and, for somebody who travels less than I do, definitely the better option. I'd recommend it without reservations.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2012, 06:50:16 AM by martin_14 »
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Offline rcannon409

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #23 on: July 11, 2012, 01:51:45 AM »
How does the Ninja handlebar position compare to the C14?

The bar position is more leaned forward, but not enough to be uncomfortable like the ss bikes I've ridden.  The pegs are also higher, and further back, but comfortable.  The bars do sit closer than the c14 bars and do not have the odd angle at the end.

Offline uspmike

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #24 on: July 11, 2012, 04:59:13 AM »
Just bought a 2011 Ninja 1000 and its been fun so far. The riding position is comfortable for me but the thing is pretty vibey. Its geared a bit low but it pulls good in any gear and there's not a lot of need to be shifting all the time. Its a very nimble machine and my pick when the wife isn't with me.

Offline Fretka

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #25 on: July 11, 2012, 10:40:10 AM »
Kaw kept the chain adjusters first found on the old 1984 Ninja 900. They look great and are easy to use.

Very nice.
Wretched excess visited upon an innocent C-14

Offline rcannon409

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #26 on: July 11, 2012, 06:16:15 PM »
Fretka, if I'm not mistaken, I can use the adjusters as a ride height adjust, right?  Shifting them 180 degrees should be higher, but the same tension????

The engine is not smooth, but not v twin rough either.  Its nto bad, actually.  I love the low end torque, though.

Offline jjsC6

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #27 on: July 11, 2012, 07:06:17 PM »
Congrats Roland! Now starts the slight guilt feelings when one bike gets used more than the other!
Are you gonna tune it now that you have fuel injection mapping figured out?

And Jim..... that 'vette lurking over in the corner of the garage looks like it might be some serious "kit".

Is it a Z06 or ZR-1?

Fretka

It is a Z06 that I had for three and half years.  It kills me to say this, but I sold it about a week after I took that picture. It was a weekend car, and after owning six Corvettes in the past ten years I decided it was time to take the money and invest in something that would grow for my retirement (about seven years away).  I love the car, but just decided it was time.  I made myself feel a little better by trading my then daily driver for a new BMW 550 M-Sport.  Still hard to think about the Corvette though.
Jim
2010 Concours - Sold Feb 2013
Current bikes....
2011 Ninja 1000, 2013 BMW 1600 GT, 2012 Ducati Panigale

Offline jjsC6

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #28 on: July 11, 2012, 07:09:15 PM »
So, I got the first 50 miles out of the way. I really like the bike.  BUT, its no c 14.   I believe my c14 with files removed and the pcv added is faster.  Its certainly smoother.   Low end torque is very good.   Its nto very smooth, although that coudl change as break-in happens.  Smooth enough, but those who say the c14 is rough woudl hate it.

The little windshield is good, though.  It smooths the air more so than blocking it.  Heres the first picture.

I should have mentioned, my Ninja 1000 has a full Akrapovik and PCV.  It dynod at  122 hp stock and now 140.  I don't think your Concours will stay with mine.
Jim
2010 Concours - Sold Feb 2013
Current bikes....
2011 Ninja 1000, 2013 BMW 1600 GT, 2012 Ducati Panigale

Offline jjsC6

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #29 on: July 11, 2012, 07:12:22 PM »
How does the Ninja handlebar position compare to the C14?

I'm not sure if rcannon has risers on his Concours or not.  I can tell you absolutely, both being stock, that the reach to the bars is noticeably further on the Concours.  I'm always surprised by that when I get on the Concours.  Also, your hands will not go as numb on the Ninja 1000.  BTW, the guy I ride with who also has both bikes completely agrees with my comments here.  The Ninja actually has better ergos for me than the Concours.  Obviously it will vary by rider.
Jim
2010 Concours - Sold Feb 2013
Current bikes....
2011 Ninja 1000, 2013 BMW 1600 GT, 2012 Ducati Panigale

Offline Jeremy Mitchell

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #30 on: July 11, 2012, 07:22:55 PM »
I would definitely take the Ninja 1000 for around town/shorter rides.  I sat on one a couple weeks ago and it was a very comfortable bike.  My legs would probably feel cramped after 30-45 minutes but the seating position and bars seemed to fit me very well, which surprised me.  I still want to take one for a ride but I know a second bike won't be in the cards for at least a year or so. 
Keeping the economy going, one tank of fuel and two tires at a time.

Offline rcannon409

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #31 on: July 11, 2012, 09:28:11 PM »
My c14 has the wedges only, but a low sargent seat. This meant the bars ended up feeling higher, by a little anyway.  But, as Jeremy said, the ninja bars are way closer.

I'll take a side by side pic of both bikes so you can see the size difference between them. The ninja is tiny.  I wish the ninja windshield guys woudl take over the c14 fairing. 103 degrees tonight and no heat issues on the ninja, and the goofy little windshield is amazing.
I took the ninja up on the freeway tonight and really enjoyed it. Great midrange power and it felt fairly smooth at normal cruising speeds...70-80.  Very stable, surprisingly so. I dont think the stock tires are good and cannot wait until they wear out.

It was funny, though. The c14 has that tall 6th gear that makes things feel calm and relaxed at felony speeding levels.  The ninja does not have  a gear indicator, which is fine, but i kept looking for 7th or 8th gear.   



JJS6, Your ninja sounds fun and I totally get hopping one up and adding 20hp on top.

..Now, as of today, heres is where I'm at with mine..The ninja would be fun to hop up, I suppose, but I'm not trying to race it.  I could have spent the same money and ended up with 180hp to be honest as the shop had a killer deal on a used BMW s1000rr.

  Its always been easy to get high peak hp, btu I dont want that on the street since its not usable.  If you look at  a dyno chart, a c14 (with files removed) has almost twice as much torque as the ninja 1000. For street riding, thats much more fun,   and useful.  I'll probably add an exhaust, though, since the stock exhaust on the ninja is goofy.

Plus, if you look at dyno charts, a full on supersport only pullls ahead of a ninja 1000 after 10,000 rpm's, so its not slow.



« Last Edit: July 11, 2012, 10:27:56 PM by rcannon409 »

Offline jjsC6

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #32 on: July 12, 2012, 05:52:50 AM »
My c14 has the wedges only, but a low sargent seat. This meant the bars ended up feeling higher, by a little anyway.  But, as Jeremy said, the ninja bars are way closer.

I'll take a side by side pic of both bikes so you can see the size difference between them. The ninja is tiny.  I wish the ninja windshield guys woudl take over the c14 fairing. 103 degrees tonight and no heat issues on the ninja, and the goofy little windshield is amazing.
I took the ninja up on the freeway tonight and really enjoyed it. Great midrange power and it felt fairly smooth at normal cruising speeds...70-80.  Very stable, surprisingly so. I dont think the stock tires are good and cannot wait until they wear out.

It was funny, though. The c14 has that tall 6th gear that makes things feel calm and relaxed at felony speeding levels.  The ninja does not have  a gear indicator, which is fine, but i kept looking for 7th or 8th gear.   



JJS6, Your ninja sounds fun and I totally get hopping one up and adding 20hp on top.

..Now, as of today, heres is where I'm at with mine..The ninja would be fun to hop up, I suppose, but I'm not trying to race it.  I could have spent the same money and ended up with 180hp to be honest as the shop had a killer deal on a used BMW s1000rr.

  Its always been easy to get high peak hp, btu I dont want that on the street since its not usable.  If you look at  a dyno chart, a c14 (with files removed) has almost twice as much torque as the ninja 1000. For street riding, thats much more fun,   and useful.  I'll probably add an exhaust, though, since the stock exhaust on the ninja is goofy.

Plus, if you look at dyno charts, a full on supersport only pullls ahead of a ninja 1000 after 10,000 rpm's, so its not slow.

I have not ridden a Concours set up like yours, but I cannot even fathom that the Concours could have more response than the Ninja.  No need talking about how much torque there is because that is only a part of it.  Lighter weight and gearing make up a huge amount of why the Ninja is more responsive.  I have not tried it, but I would bet money that in a 60mph roll on, my Ninja (even stock) would pull away from the Concours in sixth gear even if I downshifted the Concours to fourth.  The guy I ride with agrees.   I would not think that any mods to the Concours short of a turbo would make up the difference. 

It's a nice conversation to have between the two bikes though, isn't it  :chugbeer:
Jim
2010 Concours - Sold Feb 2013
Current bikes....
2011 Ninja 1000, 2013 BMW 1600 GT, 2012 Ducati Panigale

Offline martin_14

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #33 on: July 12, 2012, 06:00:35 AM »
I just came from a short test drive with an Aprilia Tuono Factory, and being such a radically different bike from the C14 I can't help wondering what a shorter gearing would do for everything we're saying here  :popcorn:
Build bridges, not walls.

Education is important. Riding my bike is importanter.

Offline rcannon409

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #34 on: July 12, 2012, 06:21:07 AM »
I have not ridden a Concours set up like yours, but I cannot even fathom that the Concours could have more response than the Ninja.  No need talking about how much torque there is because that is only a part of it.  Lighter weight and gearing make up a huge amount of why the Ninja is more responsive.  I have not tried it, but I would bet money that in a 60mph roll on, my Ninja (even stock) would pull away from the Concours in sixth gear even if I downshifted the Concours to fourth.  The guy I ride with agrees.   I would not think that any mods to the Concours short of a turbo would make up the difference. 

It's a nice conversation to have between the two bikes though, isn't it  :chugbeer:

It is a fun conversation to have because they are both so different, yet theres  still a feeling abotu them where you know they are related.  Sort of like the Kardashians, maybe. The Ninja 1000 is Kim, and the c14 is Khloe.   

You might be right about this. It would be a fun test to do, for sure.  The Ninja is responsive..two stroke dirt bike like responsive, and a whole lot lighter.   How does the pipe sound, because it sure is beautiful?  I'm really in a position where I cannot make this bike loud.

 It looks like a slip on system wont do much since that cat would stay behind.  Actually, that needs to go. Sorry Mr Gore. 

I saw the"official" Kawasaki dealer rebate book.  ALL bikes, except 2 , have nice rebates this month.   Yep..thats right. The Ninja 1000 and the Concours 14 have no rebate.  They do offer 60 month, zero percent finiancing, though. 

Offline jjsC6

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #35 on: July 12, 2012, 08:41:21 AM »
It's not really that loud with the silencers in. Louder than stock, but I frequently ride it out of my neighborhood at 7:00 on Sunday mornings and never feel like I'm going to **** off the neighbors.  With the silencers out it is wicked sounding, but even too loud for me (I like a little loud, but not to where it becomes an irritant to others in normal cruising).
Jim
2010 Concours - Sold Feb 2013
Current bikes....
2011 Ninja 1000, 2013 BMW 1600 GT, 2012 Ducati Panigale

Offline Kazairl

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #36 on: July 12, 2012, 10:01:46 AM »
I always thought of the Ninja 1k as a baby Concours anyways. When I decided to trade off my C14 it came down to either the 1k or a zx14. There were a lot of things I liked about the 1k namely the light weight. Plus the simplicity of the windshield. The manually adjustable just makes sense. My electric one was nice but it was either all the way up or all the way down. I never did get a chance to ride the 1k just sat on several at dealerships.

 The dealer I was at let me ride a used zx14 and all thoughts of any other bike promptly left my head. lol

Offline lt1

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #37 on: July 12, 2012, 10:21:32 AM »
I have not ridden a Concours set up like yours, but I cannot even fathom that the Concours could have more response than the Ninja.  No need talking about how much torque there is because that is only a part of it.  Lighter weight and gearing make up a huge amount of why the Ninja is more responsive.  I have not tried it, but I would bet money that in a 60mph roll on, my Ninja (even stock) would pull away from the Concours in sixth gear even if I downshifted the Concours to fourth.  The guy I ride with agrees.   I would not think that any mods to the Concours short of a turbo would make up the difference. 

It's a nice conversation to have between the two bikes though, isn't it  :chugbeer:
Jim, why not just run the test?  You have simultaneous access to both bikes and a (willing?) tester.  If the nearest "closed course" isn't too far away, we'd love to hear the actual test results.  My willing tester for such activities has move to OR for a couple of years, and the rest of the guys I ride with are less "scientifically inclined".  :)
Eyes, Brain, Hands.  Repeat.

Offline Fretka

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #38 on: July 12, 2012, 11:27:09 AM »
Fretka, if I'm not mistaken, I can use the adjusters as a ride height adjust, right?  Shifting them 180 degrees should be higher, but the same tension????

The engine is not smooth, but not v twin rough either.  Its nto bad, actually.  I love the low end torque, though.

Yes, you can.... at least the old bike you could, I ran mine that way almost 30 years ago!!!   :o

Should make it steer faster as you know, maybe drop the front 5 or 10 mm's as well.

Thanks for the compliment on tuning injection but as I remember any questions that I answered were just to confirm what you already knew!

Did you get the idle-2% throttle issue cleared-up? If so, you might think about posting what you did as it seems others have some of the same issues.  Just a thought.

Have fun Roland

Fretka
Wretched excess visited upon an innocent C-14

Offline TJ

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Re: Ninja 1000
« Reply #39 on: July 12, 2012, 11:33:54 AM »

I saw the"official" Kawasaki dealer rebate book.  ALL bikes, except 2 , have nice rebates this month.   Yep..thats right. The Ninja 1000 and the Concours 14 have no rebate.  They do offer 60 month, zero percent finiancing, though.

Visited Kawasaki's web site and they have not updated it yet. Could you find out the rebate for the KLR 650?
Thanks
2012 Black Kawasaki Concours