Coworker bought one. Picked it up on Saturday. Comes in just now and throws me the keys. Said it's making a funny noise and can I ride it and check it out. See ya in a little bit!
This a fun little ride video me & my wife did on one of her first rides on the Ninja about 5-6 months ago. <iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/37968935" width="750" height="422" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/37968935">She's a Renegade!!!</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user4224783">G.R.</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
Website updated again and now they are showing the 2013's with the nifty and useless seat strap. Bye bye grabhandles, we hardly knew ya...
What a bunch of tools. Anybody take the rear seat off one to verify whether the mounts are there, and you just have to drill a hole in the plastics? Either way it is colossally stupid.
Bought a 2011 a few weeks ago, and this makes me really glad that I bought it when I did. The inability to mount a luggage rack steered me away from the 2012.
I missed it the first time I read the specs on the new 650R. I just re-read the Rider review of the bike. One of the major changes was a new perimeter frame that is narrower and stronger and: They eliminated the twin tube rear subframe in favor of a central "backbone" subframe. There is no place to mount grab rails or panier frames because all of the supporting metal is down the centerline of the seat. Sometime I wish I knew how to read! Duh! Bungie cord hooks are supposed to be back there somewhere, for what it is worth. I hope that this helps, and that someone in the aftermarket comes up with a solution for luggage. You can't just weld on some bungs, because there is nothing to weld to along the outside edge. Those of you who own the bike, please keep us posted on what you end up doing. So far, Cortech soft luggage is on the top of my list. The specs say that there are bungie cord hooks under the rear to help stabilize a load. It remains to be seen how well they will function.
I'm doing some research on this bike as I'm contemplating buying it before next season. The grab rail issue, while not imperative, is a bit important for luggage and passenger comfort. I found these pictures of the the frame and bike without body work which may help you get creative and figure out how to mount up some hard luggage. You may need to source a new rear cowl from a non-us market but it is possible to do. The pics! Notice that the back bone frame DOES expand to the perimeter at the rear of the bike, and could be used to mount stuff if you cut a hole or swapped the rear bodywork. And for your dirty bastards wondering what the bike looks like with it's clothes off... Enjoy. Other side... It would make a lovely naked if that radiator coolant tank wasn't so big and eye-catching.... Anyway hope this helps you guys around your 'no place to hold on in the back' fixation.
Yet another bike moving down my list as manufacturers seems oblivious to the concept that some of us actually want to carry more than a tank bag with us. That seat strap is beyond useless. A set of grab rails or some unobtrusive studs/hooks would in no way ruin the look of the bike, and they would increase its utility immensely. The only rear attachment points I see in the updated images are some little loops on what is undoubtedly a plastic rear fender. God how I wish the new CBR500R was a 650 twin.
True.. but most buyers of 650R IMHO don't carry more.. From what I've seen on 3 different 650R forums (one of them is RIP I believe) most owners who bought the 650R in 2006/07 when it came out were kids wanting the 636 (ZX6R) who couldn't afford it. 3/4 of threads about modifications were about fitting ZX-R front ends & brakes, and hundreds were about clipons. :huh Made me sick, and just confirmed that I bought the wrong kind of bike. Considering how bad the rear shock was, even a mid sized topcase made it wallow like mad. For people who want to travel with 3 cases, there are better, smoother choices (GSX650F/Bandit 650S, CBF600SA, even the FZ6).
Even the aftermarket have shunned the 650R - SW motech isn't even offering the soft, Bags-connection sidecases. Kawi seems to think people hauling luggage and/or passengers will opt for the Versys, Ninja 1000, or Concours 14. In the USA, the only middleweight offering out of your list is the FZ6R, your XJ6 Diversion F. Though we do have the DL650, Tiger 800, NC700, etc that seem to have taken over the 'utility' middleweight class. A shame, really. Makes the CB500F even more attractive by comparison, even with the power deficit.
