just got back from angeles crest for about 54 miles of canyon riding...

i was in a group with 636, honda rvf 400, ninja 300, and my cbr...these guys are fast and the 300 was able to keep up...

now the one with the 300 also has an s1000rr...he keeps spouting how much he prefers the 300 to his bmw...he says it is all day comfortable, solid flickable handling, good looks, blah, blah, blah...he was just gushing over it...so i am thinking that this is just a honeymoon phase and obviously pleased with his new bike...

i need a report on 300 owners that happen to own bigger sportbikes...i know that this is a new bike and have short term saddle time...but i need, should i say, an objective report, if i would enjoy the 300 more for canyon riding than my 600...

paging Alex

Alex may have a more modest opinion, but here's mine. I finally admitted to my wife today something I hadn't been willing to say out loud yet: I PREFER my 300 to the Triumph Street Triple I sold for it. I was expecting to be pleased, that the virtues would outweigh the vices, and all that, but I wasn't expecting this; I count the 300 as preferred OVERALL to my Streety. Now, this is for street riding, which matters a lot; if I had been able to use more the 675 by going to the track, then maybe my opinion would be more mellow. But as it stands, the 300 is shaping up to be the ultimate street bike for me.

Gushing? Yup, that's what I've found myself doing as well. I freaking love this bike. And for reference, I have ridden lots of bikes besides my old Streety and my first ninja. Here's an assortment: Ninja 1000, zx14, Ducati Diavel, Triumph Daytona, Yamah FJR1300, almost every style Harley, Goldwing, BMW1200GS, Super Tenere, and more. For everything on the street except long-distance touring, the 300 is my current favorite. Seriously.

The 300 is the best bike ever. Except for the 250, which is also the best bike ever. Unless you're comparing it to the 300, which, as already stated, is the best bike ever. :)

All bikes are fun. The 300 is fun enough, and fast enough, to keep up with almost any street riding group as long as the average speeds stay in the double digits. If a rider can't keep up with a group while on this bike, they either have some more miles to put in to up their own capabilities, or the group they are riding with is likely moving at a pace that the vast majority of motorcyclists simply wouldn't be comfortable with on the street.

I have great fun on my 10R. As well as the BMW. But neither of them would be any more fun on a twisty couple-hour route up and over Mt. Hamilton like last weekend's ride. The combination of lightness (and feeling of lightness), manageable power, easy steering, reasonably compliant suspension, and comfortable riding position, all make for a fun twisty-road bike.

How often are you WOT and redlining on the 600 in the twisties?

Nuff said :)

not very often...the most was 12k at 100+mph...

with my slip-on i am thinking the 600 is 410 lbs fully gassed and over 100hp...

maybe i am just seeing the grass is greener on the other side of the fence?...

not very often...the most was 12k at 100+mph...

with my slip-on i am thinking the 600 is 410 lbs fully gassed and over 100hp...

maybe i am just seeing the grass is greener on the other side of the fence?...

You take turns at 100+ mph?

lol...that is on the straights...most i go is 70 on turns...

Straights are fun...

K99Pois0gkU

But the real fun is the turns, the great equalizer. What I have noticed is that on the 1000 where I have
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b276/seanvoight/244b3c76_unlimited-power_opt_zpse1b5f856.jpg
I end up slowing down more for turns because I can always just roll on that infinite acceleration at the end of the turn. Whereas with the 250 I have to enter the turn at maximum speed and accelerate through it. The 250 teaches you to take turns faster or it will punish you by making you lag way behind that 600. A 600 or 1000 let's you take the turn at any speed and then rewards you with ass puckering acceleration.

A guy on a 600 today said to me "I was almost keeping up with you at the end there!!" I was all yea, maybe you should get a 250 :Twofinger:

Now I'm not saying you can't take a turn as fast as you can on a 250 but I'm telling you its a lot more fun to be pushing the 250 all out than have the 1000 go for a brisk jog.

Holy **** an informative Jiggles post??? WTF???? Lol

if i may revamp, please pardon my st. louis language:

nvswA4EYtiI

if i may revamp, please pardon my st. louis language:

nvswA4EYtiI

Very nice...:thumbup:

Hilarious. That bike puts you in an instant good mood as seen in this video.

lol'd pretty damn good. Also, did you turn on ur led's like half way through the video?

People who know of my previous endevors would say I've riden a few powerful bikes over the years at I decent pace. Now all my 600cc and up experiance is on the track so maybe my opinion is not what your looking for but I love my 2009 250. I'm sure I can embarrass more then my fair share of 600cc+ riders out there while on my mini Gold wing/Ninja 250 :D

But there's no getting past the fact that if you like to experience quick bursts of 120mph it just isn't going to do it for you.

I prefer my Ninja 250 to my previous bike, a Ducati Monster 900i.

The proof is in the riding. I ride my 250 10x more than I did the Ducati.

lol'd pretty damn good. Also, did you turn on ur led's like half way through the video?

yep, wanted to see the kids go :happy50:

Thanks all :)

The 300 has great gas mileage, aesthetic appeal, and the new features which lend it as a perfect starter bike including ABS. Can't beat ABS -- I'll never own another bike without it. But I love learning how to improve my technique on the 600RR. Riding in DC/Northern VA often, you earn on some serious experience. I need to read up on the braking of the 300R to get a feel for how it stacks up. I can care less about power comparison. Next year, I'm making a trip back to California to ride the PCH. And next year, I'm going to have to make a decision...That decision will include the choice between an 848, a 675, a ZX6, R6, s1000RR...and a 300RR thanks to this damn post.

Alex has some input on the braking of the 300. He and tnr4 (I think it was tnr4) were discussing it a while back.

The performance of the front brake is OK, but the stock pads on the non-abs version are quite gentle and require more force to stop them quickly. The abs version of the bike is supposed to use more aggressive pads. I've changed out the stock pads to the sintered EBC's, same as used on the prior gen bike, and I think it will ultimately help. It took a little while to break the new pads in, and they still aren't exactly what I'd hope for, but they are OK. I might try the Vesrah pads next.

Yup, it was me. For what it's worth, they seem to have gotten significantly better, and/or I have gotten used to them. After 1500 miles or so, I stopped noticing the brakes altogether. They do what they're supposed to do, albeit not as violently as high-end stuff.

On a separate note, however, I have been noticing the engine vibes more. I wonder if the temp dropping can affect that? Maybe the rubber on the engine mounts and the tires conduct more of the vibrations when they're cold and hard? I'm no physics guy, but I do seem to notice it more since the weather has been in the 30s-50s. Anyway, no biggie.

Overall, I'm still having a blast!

Didn't read all the posts but I just sold my 11 r6 to pick up a 300. I put about 10k miles on the r6 with somewhere around 35-40 trackdays and absolutely loved the bike. I have to say that I have not regretted getting this tree hundred one bit. I have yet to get it on the track as I am a pretty tall guy and getting things setup to be comfy hasn't happened yet, but I have hit a few canyons and can say that I love this little bike. The fact that I'm not worried about scrubbing speed entering corners and can just pin it is awesome.
My first TD is in two weeks and I'm going with a couple of guys that are on 600's so I'll try to remember to report back. These guys are real excited to get on the track with me cause I killed them with my 6 and they want to repay the favor. I think it' gonna be a blast to try and hold them off with a third of the power.

I expect a full report, complete with pictures and videos to document you battle. hahahahaha jk Have a great time at the track!

ps - We can never really be friends because you sold your r6..... :lolsign:

just got back from angeles crest for about 54 miles of canyon riding...

i was in a group with 636, honda rvf 400, ninja 300, and my cbr...these guys are fast and the 300 was able to keep up...

.


no comment

The abs version of the bike is supposed to use more aggressive pads.

I have an ABS model and it uses Nissin pads.

http://i.imgur.com/0sG66pL.jpg

I have the OEM pads for the non-abs version sitting at home, I'll see if I remember to check the brand. It's quite possible they are Nissin as well with a different formulation, but I'l look for markings to confirm.

Here are the OEM pads on the non-abs 300; they are Nissin as well.

http://www.ciurczak.com/Motorcycles/Ninjette-Picture/2013-03-07-Brake-Pads/i-XQ5Jkkk/0/X2/0971-X2.jpg

I know this is 300 specific, but maybe I can put in a cent or two? [I also notice you have an EX250!] I had a 250R for ~14000 miles before I got in an accident. When I was riding both the 250 and the SV650, the 250 felt no different, except that it took a little more to go faster and it consumed less gas.

After my accident, the 250 sat for roughly 4 or 5 months and I did nothing but ride my SV at that time. I got around to getting the 250 up and running again and as soon as I did I felt like it wasn't right [acceleration was soooo slow and it had to scream to get up to speed.] But I rode another 250 and found it was just my brain and not my bike :D...

What this comes down to.. Once I took the 250 into the backroads of NC after a long hiatus on the SV alone, I honestly think that it was the biggest grin I've ever had on my face in a long time [off the track]. The little bikes are so nimble, so reactive, and yet to forgiving which is what makes them so much fun. The geometry on them [the Ninjas] puts them at no handling disadvantage against a supersport, while the weight gives it a huge advantage. Add that to a low cost bike [insurance, fuel, maintenance] and there are few downsides to it. In all honesty, I ended up riding the 250 on group-rides with 600's more often than the SV.

So take it for what it's worth, in my opinion, it's a lot more fun to ride a slow bike fast then a fast bike slow. Which is in part why I bought a 250 Motard while my Ninja sits in my old home waiting to be used as a racing machine :D

EDIT: Just realized the age of this thread :o

Anyone know how the performance of the 300 compares to a 250 with stage 3 jets, full exhaust, and pods?

It's better. :)

It's better. :)

Marginally better or much better?

This much.

http://thechroniclesofgeof.dunmores.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/this-much2.jpg

This much.

http://thechroniclesofgeof.dunmores.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/this-much2.jpg

I noticed you also ride a ZX10. How is it for a daily commuter? Is it uncomfortable?

The 10R is a fun bike. Not a great commuter. Suspension is setup for track, even as rare as I get it on track, making it somewhat less suited for long-term street duty.

Alex HAHAHAA! awesome pic

I expect a full report, complete with pictures and videos to document you battle. hahahahaha jk Have a great time at the track!

ps - We can never really be friends because you sold your r6..... :lolsign:

Sorry, no pic's or vids. My buddy normally brings like 20 go-pro's to every track day, but the one time I actually want him to record me, no go!

So anyway, I wish I could post up that I was able to hold off my buddies Duc749r and Triumph675 but today it didn't happen. Between sloppy lines and soft suspension, I couldn't maintain the corner speed needed to get ahead of them. Seems like once I got above 85 90mph in the corners, I couldn't hold my lines. The back end would get squishy and start squirming around which would lead me to back off and lose momentum.

Still had a blast and can't wait to get the suspension stiffened up. Also can't wait to get exhaust and tuner for a bit more power.

:werd: