Really fascinating discussion but I am going to need a picture here pretty soon. Kudos to the first person to post a picture of their R3 with a hot chick on it, (I don't have either.) Navin going stock, that's a huge endorsement. How quick is this bike from 0-60mph?
Stock is relative.... I shock shopped today and am painting a red speed block stripe as I type! Emulators are the minimum I'll do up front. Might try a fully adjustable leg from an older 600 at some point. Renazco date for my seat is already booked! I'm looking at rack options to get my luggage sorted again. Might go with custom fabbed or mod a Ninjette rack. Paint dried, time to shoot another coat!
That's pretty cool looking but I thought it was blue, looks like a shark about to take a bite, a little aggressive but I would still like to see if you will be able to entice a pretty girl up there for a picture
Thanks nugs! https://scontent-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/h...=2bf0e3d097e81918e5570d547db0e33a&oe=5608AADD Under the seat. Near zero room under there. A sammich will be a tight fit.
Flushies mounted today. https://scontent-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/h...=d54e00f9d82f9b6738378aa5e1bc56e6&oe=55CECA5D
For an entry level machine, that's really "clean" under the seat (I don't mean in the context of cleanliness). Since I like to tinker with the battery and ignition, I do appreciate how the battery is secured, and the routing of the wires. Also, that's a big heat sink, regardless of class of bike. The ones on my big bikes are tiny in comparison. I don't think the engineers are counting on forced-convective cooling. It is more like whatever turbulence gets in there, would be a bonus.
Yep, not much getting thru there in terms of cooling. It's open underneath too so that reg/red gets some good air. I'll caution anyone who buys, just like the ninja, the frame steel is basically Kraft cheese. Be super careful threading in any bolts cause it'd just as soon strip as thread in. None stripped yet, but I was being careful or I'd have been bitten. Again, just like the Thai ninja, about five different heads for the basically same bolt. 5 and 6 mm threads and wood screw threads with Allen, J IS, 8mm or 10 and iirc two different aliens. Pita. Everything will be 8mm or maybe this one will be KTM 6mm heads at some point. So stupid.
I think they look like crap in stock form on the showroom. You clean one up with a fender kit, pipe and some other little mods and they're just super pretty. Very capable motorcycle for a little 300. I really like them.
A little confused here. Is the big heatsink not for cooling the rect/reg unit. If it is, why wouldn't the heatsink be exposed to some good air? Also, being opened underneath doesn't sound right either because the dirt and grime would cake up and reduce cooling with time. But aren't nuts under the metal? Are you saying the nuts are soft? By wood screw threads, you mean sheet metal screws. If one is a little more careful, it's not so bad. But I know what you mean. What got me with soft fasteners, happened with the Ninja 300. Unfortunately, the dealer has to touch the bike before delivery, at least for this case. Since the dealer has to put in a battery for PDI, somebody from the dealer stripped the head of one of the bolts which fasten the seat to the frame. In addition, this incompetent fool, damaged the rubber grommets for which the pins of side panels are pushed into. All this person had to do was to put on a dab of silicone grease, and the rubber grommets would worked as designed, saving himself a lot of grief and headache. With regards to the stripped allen-key head, all this fool had to do was to push the allen wrench into the head with force, and making sure the allen key stays perpendicular while turning. Since common mechanic's knowledge is not so common at dealerships, at least for PDI, manufacturers really should not put in soft fasteners where they would be "touched" during PDI.
I think that finned area is what your referring to? That's the reg/rec by my estimation and the bottom cooling fins are to open air under the fender. It's behind the huge stock DOT tail turn sig monster so as designed, no protection from debris. I doubt it'll be an issue getting clogged up. Easy area to keep clean but it will get spooged up. The soft threads are cut into the frame, like in the front seat mounting bolts. There are J nuts here and there too, but a few threaded holes in the frame. They might be welded in nuts, I don't have it in front of me now. Still, typical soft crap like the ninja. Yeah, sheet metal/wood style screws into J nuts with open slices in them to catch the screw. I think the KTM plastic style shroud screws might fit it that spot, and they are 6mm heads so I'd shoot to do all 6mm head hardware if they work. One tool instead of five made life with my converted .ninja much easier. The fairings were designed by a mad man btw. Itll be great fun to pull it all apart down the road. Tabs, screws, bolts, grommets, hooks, slots and snaps. Oh yeah, the push pin fastners too!
Actually, after having taken another look at the R3, Ninja 300, CBR300R and the RC390 side by side, my perception of quality of the Ninja 300 is that it still looks competitive, (all of this is without any actual riding the other bikes. Unfortunately, for me, I missed out on the demo days). If it wasn't for what I have read on the Internet, the RC390 could have looked compelling. I have to change my tune regarding the R3 though, unless new data suggests otherwise after a test ride. IMO, the CBR300R looks the most refined. But it needs more engine performance. Those crummy levers on the RC390 are a little bit sub-standard compared to the other bikes. Mind you, it is not a show stopper for me. Additionally, damping does appear to be weak, and the exhaust pipe could be potentially heating up the rad or rear shock undesirably. But there were a lot other stuff that looked good on it though. Without haven ridden new models, upgrading from the Ninja 300 is far from a "no-brainer". Having said that, I would say on the show room floor, the RC390 hits most of the buttons for me. If only, KTM can work out the bugs. On a side note, I found a lot of air in the front brakes of the RC390. No wonder people are complaining about lack of stopping power. If the owner can get rid of the air, my bet is that the brakes would be transformed. Too bad it is not that easy to get a test ride. It looks like I have to wait for the next model year after all.
Eh, quality is subjective I guess. In my pecking order from the bottom of the gene pool, I'd say Honda "wins" since I haven't seen the Hero yet, then the Hyosung, the Kawi, the R3 at the top and the KTM a big question mark so I went R3. I sit on the Honda and think cheap AND slow and wobbly. I owned the Ninja and think cheap and wobbly, the R3 rides less cheap and better planted, more hot rod. The KTM I think cheap and not up to the level that it looks like it should have, a KTM skin over a scooter company's first motorcycle. The Hyosung slow, but actually not terribly built. Shoots above the current class in some regards. I hope I eat those words and the 390 is a flawless, high performing and tough bike and I'll be selling the R3 next year to get one.
Subjective quality perceptions aside, if you haven't already, have you test ridden the RC390 since the cornering dynamics has been reportedly to be the closest to what you have been wishing for compared its competitors? Regarding the R3, for city riding, would you rate the R3 to be significantly more maneuverable than the Ninja 300?
No test ride yet. What I've read is it needs a full boot suspension upgrade ASAP. Brakes are marginal and cornering clearance isn't great due to stock spring rates under even light riders. I want to try one, I just don't want to own one today. Several have reported mystery throttle lock at WFO now too. Maybe cable routing but the cause hadn't been found yet. One was a track guy, had it several times. Tore the bike down but couldn't find a cause. I played the test monkey for them with a Husaberg sloper. Never again. 300 vs 320, just as easy to move around in tight spaces, the R3 doesn't feel like it's falling apart yet at 650 miles. The Ninja did at 800. We will see. I'd call it a draw in city maneuvering. Higher speeds with choppy NJ/NY roads the R3 clearly ahead. I can't think of anything in any dynamic that the 300 does better except range on the bigger full tank of fuel. If that ends up being the only upside to a Ninja, well, good riddance!
Since the RC390 is being used as a racing platform, solutions for issues such as ground clearance, or suspension inadequacy would surely be readily available. I suppose it would mean sinking more money into it. But since premium suspension bits are expensive, such outlay would seem reasonable for the serious riders. Regarding the throttle lock, if it is indeed a design or manufacturing defect, once the NHTSA (DOT), or Road and Motor Vehicle Traffic Safety Branch (Transport Canada) find out about it (all it takes is a few complaints and a time period for them to investigate the complaints), a safety recall be issued in short order. It does sucks to be forced to become a beta tester for them, when one has paid good money. But I would think a model year should do the trick. I am somewhat puzzled because the Duke 390 have been out in the UK for a couple of years now. Thanks.
Yeah, the Ninja 250 is a racing platform too, still a shitty lil bike, excepting "for the price". Since I'm not tracking this, but want acceptable (to me) performance from it, suspension upgrades are already in the works. I've written to my KTM suspension guru to see if he wants to try to fab up a shock from PDFs parts. I'll mention more if he is on board with that or chopping open the stocker and converting it to serviceable, if that's possible. Aside from more rebound damping I'd like to try more height in the rear, like the N300 received in my care. Sharpened it up nicely.
Napa oil filter 1365 is a no go on these bikes. A buddy gave me a case of them to use but the filter face bottoms on the nut on the center threaded shaft before the gasket crushes. Fram and stockers have concave face to clear. Just something to watch for. It mechanically stopped threading on before the usual squish of the gasket. Leaked immediately so be sure to get a good seal when trying different filters.
http://youtu.be/kkmZPq4jIKE I watched this not so much for the exhaust but for the fairing removal. Yeah, it works but this is just silly. Similar fate awaits you skinning a Ninja 300. Not much fun to be had in this task. I'd have bought this as a naked or quarter faired bike if given the choice. Looks like a home fairing delete will look like crap, again like the Ninja. Ugh, I hate to see the actual muffler, what a lump! Wish I could forget that! I'm expecting the head pipes to rust all to shit ASAP. I don't want a loud bike again, maybe I'll buy a take off header and look it over for a jet coating. This is where a guy like me cringes. SS exhausts aren't that hard or expensive to include. I guess most here will swap it out anyway.