KAWASAKI ER6N OR 650R INPUT NEEDED...

[JohnGarc]

I am wondering if anyone out there has any experience or feedback on this twin? Thinking of using it as my city commuter. Any drawbacks or negatives? Also hows the motor bulletproof?

[Bartman]

John I have experience with just about all the bikes out there and the 650 Kawaki is a decent bike but there are better ones out there for sure.
The SV has more motor and weighs less.

[Jon]

The Kawasaki and the Suzuki are both great bikes. Though the SV's never won the Indy Mile, the Kawasaki has. Bill Warner has a few tricks up his sleeve that really gives the little Kawasaki a wake up call and I bet Bart does too. Though it sounds to me like he may have a preference :lol:

[JohnGarc]

Well I've had an SV before but I really like the nimble-ness (i think thats a word) of the Ninja 650. I sat on the ninja yesterday an it felt alot smaller then the SV leg wise. Being that its just a commuter, I just thought I might try something a little more tamier then my supermoto. Everytime I jump on my SM i feel I have to ride a wheelie or do a stoppie, which is worth it, but I need to keep my license since I drive for a living. haha

I guess I am just looking for the negatives of ownership since yes believe it or not, I will actually keep it... So resale value doesn't matter to much.

Thanks for your input Jon and Bart.

[Jon]

I took one of the showroom floor in 2006 installed race bodywork a shock, a fork kit, a custom map, pipe, headed down to Daytona and two friends and I practiced and then raced it for eight hours straight in the eight hours of Daytona. The bike never missed a beat and I can't say enough about it.

[JohnGarc]

That is badass... How did you guys do at Daytona?

[Jon]

5th in class, 15th overall. We were 3rd in the sixth hour but the muffler that's beneath the bike started backing off into the damn tire so we had do a tire swap. We ended up just removing the muffler and for the last two hours the thing was louder than hell.
Pretty cool race though as it started at 1 PM and ended beneath the lights. It appears though as Daytona's bagged the night time racing and the 200 will go off beneath sunlight in 2011, they probably had a hard time paying that bill!

[JohnGarc]

:D

Thanks for the story that was great... It would be nice to make a trip out to Daytona even greater to race...

:D

[Jon]

Though the spring CCS/AHRMA races won't be happening in the coming years, there's always the Race of Champions that will be returning there in October 2011 and another chance for all of you who've never ventured down to try the 31 degree banking. It is more like going around the lip of a cereal bowl than a turn and really gets ones attention the first few sessions. I've always wondered why as in the distant past that more local riders didn't team up and head down there but to each his own but something I just had to do before I died, that granted was 15 or so years ago and I can't quit going back :lol:

[JWinter]

I have had some conversations with a European GP chassis builder who has a few 650 Ninja powered GP bikes winning races in Europe. He said over there they are getting into the mid 90s for HP and the engine is so compact that the bike is literally a 250 GP set-up. He claims his Ninja 650 powered GP chassis set-up weighs 288 pounds with fuel.

Jon what all did you do to your old Ninja motor? That thing hauls the mail in a straight line. Adami leaves my ass standing still down the long straights.

Jeff

[Jon]

The only thing done to that bike is a reduction in port sizes at the choke point within the head, a small amount milled to increase the compression and degreed stock camshafts. There were no aftermarket parts within the engine, not even the sprockets as Kawasaki cam sprockets allow you to remove them and install them in slots that are milled in another part of the sprocket. I was impressed by the bike when I owed it as it handled great and was a ton of fun. I'm not sure what Randy's done to it since though?