Ninja 1000/Z1000SX Owners' Thread (or wanna be's)

As ferrix said, a gear indicator would be nice, but I think it would be less important if the gears were spaced further apart. I feel like I hardly ever use gears 3-5.

Also, as mentioned, the seat sucks after an hour. Still waiting on Sargent's replacement to be released. Pre-registration for that's ending soon, so they must be close to releasing it http://www.sargentcycle.com/kawwsz1000ninja.htm

The windshield is adjustable, but not great. I replaced it with the touring screen from CalSci, and it works a lot better, but doesn't look as nice.




Realy starting to grab at straws if you want more complaints than that. Oh, probably the last one from me. The handlebars being tall clip-ons instead of a solid bar cuts down on the options for mounting stuff. I got one of these and it works fine for my GPS, but I would have preferred using one of the ones I already had. http://www.ram-mount.com/CatalogRes...65077045066045051048057045049085/Default.aspx

Our man ZigZag on RDS.

It's a great bike but it's more sport than tour. So some things require a little accommodation. IMO it's worth it.

Buy one of these for 10 bucks and put it under the seat. You can hang your helmet on one of the grab rails and loop the cable through the d-ring. You can even lock your coat with it.



I bought a PitBull stand for maintenance at home and a QuickStand to keep under the seat if I need one when I'm not there.

I emailed RAM mount since the Ninja 1000 wasn't listed on their page. I received a reply saying that the RAM-B-174U would work best. They even sent an attachment with the diagram of the RAM-B-174U so I could take my own measurements to ensure it would work. And just like they said, it will. That is the one I think I'm going to order. I will try and upload some pictures of the bike loaded for the GP trip as well as the outlet install.

Yeah, that's the kit I wound up getting, but I had to also buy a double RAM ball and another extension to get the GPS closer to the center and where it didn't hit the windshield so much.

Here she is. First 2 pics at the showroom before I made the deal & the next 2 after a heavy rain commute.

I think that windshield actually looks pretty nice! Another thing about the ninja 1000 I like is you can easily bolt a new screen on because everything is on the outside within easy reach...

+1

For the person who said there is not a helmet lock, I take the back seat off and put the helmet strap under it and then put the back seat back on. Takes 15 seconds and is a good enough helmet lock for me.

Seats are a problem on almost every bike - if that is enough of an issue, stop being a cheap bastard and get the new corbin!

As for the gear indicator - I am a dumbass when it comes to most things but I can count from 1 to 6

660 miles on my Ninja now and it suits me to a T. Wasn't anxious to buy a new bike in this economy, but I'm glad I did.

Yesterday Sargent emailed the people that preregistered that the Ninja 1000/Z1000 seat will be released Monday. Pricing isn't too bad, $280 for the standard black front seat, another $20 for non-standard colored trim. They don't do the rear seat, but they sell a do it yourself cover, maybe $30 extra for that. Preregistered people get $50 off.

I'm going to try the Sargent seat before the special pricing runs out. Rode a few hours today and the boys were numb in about 40 miles...

Same here. Tried the coupon code they emailed with online ordering and it said expired, so I guess I'll call in my order Monday.

I'll probably wait until next month so maybe they'll have it straight by then and have shipped a few to people on the boards. I'd buy right now but my toy fund is currently depleted. I also need to put tires on soon.

The more I ride this bike the more I love it. And the more I HATE the seat.

So, how's the reliability on the Ninja/Z1000 so far ? Anyone got a feel for it's dependability yet ? Any issues ? Surprisingly trouble free ?

Having a problem starting engine when hot, it dies after releasing switch. But if I hold it a few seconds longer it will start, die, start again, then stay running. Have heard if I hit the start button instantly after turning the key on, it will start fine. I haven't remembered to try it yet. I'm use to letting the fuel pump start up before hitting start button. The steering lock is difficult to use at times. Hate where they decided to locate the key hole for the ignition. This is with the Z1000.

Only 4K miles on mine but no real issues. The rear brake takes a lot of pedal but maybe it's not 100% bedded in yet. Or it's Mama Kaw's version of ABS for the states. I geared mine up one on the c/s sprocket and that's the only chain adjustment it's had. Some guys had issues with header nuts but I checked mine last oil change and they were all tight. My stock tires, BT-016's, are right at the markers but the handling on them has been funky for the last 1000 miles. I'm just too cheap to replace them so soon and they were great in the beginning so the change is more noticeable. I had what i thought was some pinging early on but that's gone. We'll see if it comes back once it gets colder. I'm underwhelmed with the fuel economy since I've never seen 40MPG and I don't ride that hard. The seat sucks but the aftermarket has other choices available now.

Overall it's a typical Japanese street bike. You'll get tired of it and want something new long before you wear it out.

I've been wondering about the rear brake myself. None of the reviews I read said anything about it, but it definitely take some serious pressure on it to feel like it's doing anything. Like you said, maybe it's unintentional ABS. I keep meaning to ask my dealer, but haven't been by there since I got it. I've got a little under 2000 miles on mine. I've averaged 35.5mpg, but somehow managed 45.8 yesterday riding back roads with some friends.

I think this would make a great stand-alone discussion!

I completed the 600 miles break in last week but haven't had a chance to change the oil because of a new dog we adopted this weekend.

Anyway, I am surprised with mpg has been good. I didnt break in like manual asked & instead rode like I would ride a broken in bike. I didnt take it above 7K rpm, I didn't redline it, I didn't lug the engine & I made sure to not hold the throttle steady when on the highway. That is all I did to break-in.

I have gradually seen the engine free up, spins quicker & the mpg has been going up. The vibs have been disappearing. The brakes are now bedding in & almost done.

The brakes need good amount of heat for them to bed in, so while on the highway I would gently apply the rear brake till I get some resistance this is while holding the throttle. Let it rub for some and then gently let go. In time your rear brake will work the way its supposed to.

I am really looking fwd to riding it after the oil change & see much free it really gets. Its an excellent street bike with decent track prowess & in stock form the power delivery is excellent. No need to change exhausts.

Ordered the Sargent seat today. After the $50 off it came to $250 shipped. I should have it this time next week so I'll report back then.