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

[RideDualSport.com]

N8, I am glad you enjoyed the 900 Ninja, it has been a very rewarding project... riding it is much like an older Italian bike as far as handling.

With, I got my new 1000 Ninja on Kawasaki credit, which is with HSBC, and they do not require full comprehensive insurance even though HSBC is the lien holder. So, I only ride with minimum liability - $69 a year. Needless to say, I will be outfitting the Ninja with crash protection, to minimize any damage should I go down.

[arshishb]

Originally Posted by RideDualSport.com

N8, I am glad you enjoyed the 900 Ninja, it has been a very rewarding project... riding it is much like an older Italian bike as far as handling.

With, I got my new 1000 Ninja on Kawasaki credit, which is with HSBC, and they do not require full comprehensive insurance even though HSBC is the lien holder. So, I only ride with minimum liability - $69 a year. Needless to say, I will be outfitting the Ninja with crash protection, to minimize any damage should I go down.

Don't you want to protect yourself against theft?

I understand to not get collision to save some bucks but I think comprehensive on a 10K bike is must.

[Cos]

Originally Posted by arshishb

Don't you want to protect yourself against theft?

I understand to not get collision to save some bucks but I think comprehensive on a 10K bike is must.

10k? 10 freakin thou???

It's 16 thousand Euro here

[RideDualSport.com]

Originally Posted by arshishb

Don't you want to protect yourself against theft?
I understand to not get collision to save some bucks but I think comprehensive on a 10K bike is must.

Wow, good reminder about theft. A bike like the Ninja 1000 is a prime target. I will travel with a good lock.
Plus all my bikes are stored in a locked man-cave behind a fence.
Cheers!

[SyRexx]

Originally Posted by spoilsport

I like the bags, the ergos and the power. MCN loves it, too. How come EU gets ABS, and USA not. Probably because kawasquids don't need no stinking abs (but I do).

there was something i read that EU government was going to push through compulsary ABS on all euro spec bikes

[arshishb]

I pulled the trigger today on an all black one. I am picking it up tomorrow.

Currently drowning myself in beer because of buyers remorse

Can't wait for Thursday to pass.

[CrashDummy]

Originally Posted by arshishb

I pulled the trigger today on an all black one. I am picking it up tomorrow.

Currently drowning myself in beer because of buyers remorse

Can't wait for Thursday to pass.

Yeah, I'm regretting my purchase too, I can hardly force myself to ride the damn thing more than 5-6 days a week.

[RideDualSport.com]

I did the first oil change on the Ninja 1000.
At 246 miles I put Motul 10-40 non-synthetic with a K&N oil filter.
The original oil filter was a bear to remove, due to not having a small enough oil filter wrench. The K&N filter has a handy hex-head on it and I torqued it to 15 ft lbs and the oil drain plug to 25 ft lbs.

Also, even though I filled the oil filter with some oil before installing it, my oil warning light would not go off. So, I loosened the oil filter till a little oil dribbled out, and tightened it. The oil warning light turned off. Good thing I read about the air lock at the oil filter on the web, or I would have been very perplexed about the oil light staying on!
Cheers!

[TomZachary]

I am up over 1300 miles now and still couldn't be happier, well except for maybe a different seat. I'm not sure if it's the seat or if I'm just a wuss. I rode 180 miles straight last Friday, roughly 60 miles Saturday, and another 150 on Sunday. The last 30-50 miles on Sunday were pretty uncomfortable for me. My ass was just really sore and my legs were starting to get cramped up. It was definitely light years ahead of the DR that I did the same thing on last year, but I'd really like to be able to do ~500 miles in a weekend and not be all that sore. It probably doesn't help that I really only ride that much once a year currently so I don't exactly have a "tolerance" built up.

I did achieve a 39mpg/tank and a 41mpg/tank on the trip. The others were the normal 36-38mpg/tank. I also installed a Powerlet socket this week and am a huge fan. Now I'm just looking for a RAM mount that will fit. Oh, I also completed my first camping trip with the bike and even without any luggage I was really pleasantly surprised at how much I could strap on to the back seat. I had a bag with clothes and gear, a tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad and it was all safe, secure, and an overall success. I can't wait to do more!

[JSharp]

It's not just you. The seat is bad. It's the most complained about item on the bike.

RideDualsport: Try refilling the engine with oil before you pull the filter and replace it. I've done 2 changes on my bike and did it that way both times. I've never had the airlock problem.

[RideDualSport.com]

JSharp, thanks for the oil changing tip, will do!

TomZ congratulations on your first long road ride! I am itching to do the same with mine. Nice to hear you could carry all you needed on the seat. I am debating various luggage options for the Ninja 1000, I may get the Ventura rack system, because I use Ventura on my Buell and can share the tail packs I already own. Or, I may get a Wolfman Beta Bag, because I could also use it on my KLR too. I am trying to avoid having buying luggage that I can only use on one bike.
And yes, I am fairly certain the stock Ninja seat will only be good for about 150 miles before butt-burn sets in.
My first upgrade will be a Sargent Seat, oh and new grips. The stock grips are fairly hard.
Plus I will be getting engine guards and axle sliders too.
Cheers!

[arshishb]

Originally Posted by RideDualSport.com

JSharp, thanks for the oil changing tip, will do!

TomZ congratulations on your first long road ride! I am itching to do the same with mine. Nice to hear you could carry all you needed on the seat. I am debating various luggage options for the Ninja 1000, I may get the Ventura rack system, because I use Ventura on my Buell and can share the tail packs I already own. Or, I may get a Wolfman Beta Bag, because I could also use it on my KLR too. I am trying to avoid having buying luggage that I can only use on one bike.
And yes, I am fairly certain the stock Ninja seat will only be good for about 150 miles before butt-burn sets in.
My first upgrade will be a Sargent Seat, oh and new grips. The stock grips are fairly hard.
Plus I will be getting engine guards and axle sliders too.
Cheers!

More than butt burn, I am getting thigh burn. The sharp angle cuts at the sides of the seat really don't help.

And wtf is up with the butt tingle at highway speeds?? Hope it might smooth out after my first oil change.

[rhinoWERX]

Just a thought regarding the seat; has anyone considered using the seat off the Z1000? I know the Z1000 has a little less padding, but the shape is also slightly different - sometimes it's more about the position rather than the amount of padding. The Z1000 seat seems to be flatter toward the rear and therefor could prove to be more comfortable.

I suspect the seats are interchangeable.

Just a thought.

PS - this thread needs more pictures

[RobbieAG]

Oh, I also completed my first camping trip with the bike and even without any luggage I was really pleasantly surprised at how much I could strap on to the back seat. I had a bag with clothes and gear, a tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad and it was all safe, secure, and an overall success. I can't wait to do more!

Any pictures of the bike loaded down? I'd love to see it.

I demo rode this bike at the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days at mid Ohio. Fantastic bike! I'd love to get one.

[JSharp]

I thought the grips were not just too hard but too small in diameter. A set of Grip Puppies fixed that.

I'm sure a late model Z1000 seat will fit but I can't imagine it being better. It has even less padding and I don't think the slightly different shape will make up for it.