Angel-be-Good
April 22nd, 2018, 06:06 PM
For the Ninja 400, Kawasaki makes available an Ergo-Fit Extended Reach Seat (kawasaki.com (https://www.kawasaki.com/accessories/item/2018-ninja-400-abs/ergo-fit-extended-reach-seat/EX400GJF/999941041)). One of the YouTube reviews I was watching mentioned the availability of the seat, but didn't have the opportunity to test it.
I just got mine yesterday. The seat height of the 400 feels identical to the 250 I had, which is to say very comfortable and easy to ride, but definitely feeling a bit small. I'm not huge, just 5'10", but I do like the extra space of other bikes I've ridden. Loved loved the 36" seat height of the Yamaha WR250R I had for a while. I wasn't sure how much difference the Kawasaki Ergo-Fit seat would make, but I took the plunge.
Installing the seat is a breeze -- pull off the stock seat, and plug in the new one. The Ergo-Fit seat does ship with two small 2" x 0.25" adhesive pads that the instructions indicate should be affixed to the bike, where the bike's plastic and the seat meet. The instructions aren't clear about what the pads do, but my guess is that they cover up the sharp plastic edge of the under-seat compartment to avoid wearing on the seat upholstery 🤷*♀️
In terms of build / shape / material, it's nearly identical to the stock seat, but with an extra inch of foam padding. Same texture to the upholstery
Alright, what's it like to use? Today I took it for 150 miles of some of the best roads I know, from San Francisco to Bodega Bay and back. Some freeway, but mostly narrow backroads, almost none of which are perfectly paved.
The extra 1" of seat height makes a big difference in the perceived size of the bike. It now fits like a bigger bike -- longer reach to the ground, slightly reduced angle of knee bend, and the reach to the handlebars is a bit steeper. I'm a fan. Apart from the reach to the ground, consider it a trade between reducing knee bend and increasing back bend. If your back is the weak point in your endurance, the Ergo-Fit probably won't help. If your legs get sore first, you might like the seat.
Apart from geometry, I didn't expect improvement in comfort...but the extra padding on the Ergo-Fit is a huge benefit. I mentioned before, in my post about my first ride with the Ninja 400, that the suspension is surprisingly stiff. Better than bouncy, but it's not plush. The extra padding in the seat makes a big difference in comfort over rough pavement. It's a bit squidgy, the extra foam reduces the connection I feel to the bike through my butt. But when I'm riding hard, when I want all the connection and feel I can get, I'm not sitting in the seat anyway, I'm standing on the pegs. When I'm lazily cruising, my ass is enjoying the extra comfort.
I'll post some pictures later when I pull them off my camera. Should have a good before and after view, which may or may not be useful at all. I'm very satisfied with the purchase. The fact the Ninja 400 is a small bike that fits like a bigger bike, can be ridden fast like a slow bike but has all the power for passing and heavy winds, makes me want to call it daywalker -- all of the strengths of a small bike, none of the weaknesses.
I just got mine yesterday. The seat height of the 400 feels identical to the 250 I had, which is to say very comfortable and easy to ride, but definitely feeling a bit small. I'm not huge, just 5'10", but I do like the extra space of other bikes I've ridden. Loved loved the 36" seat height of the Yamaha WR250R I had for a while. I wasn't sure how much difference the Kawasaki Ergo-Fit seat would make, but I took the plunge.
Installing the seat is a breeze -- pull off the stock seat, and plug in the new one. The Ergo-Fit seat does ship with two small 2" x 0.25" adhesive pads that the instructions indicate should be affixed to the bike, where the bike's plastic and the seat meet. The instructions aren't clear about what the pads do, but my guess is that they cover up the sharp plastic edge of the under-seat compartment to avoid wearing on the seat upholstery 🤷*♀️
In terms of build / shape / material, it's nearly identical to the stock seat, but with an extra inch of foam padding. Same texture to the upholstery
Alright, what's it like to use? Today I took it for 150 miles of some of the best roads I know, from San Francisco to Bodega Bay and back. Some freeway, but mostly narrow backroads, almost none of which are perfectly paved.
The extra 1" of seat height makes a big difference in the perceived size of the bike. It now fits like a bigger bike -- longer reach to the ground, slightly reduced angle of knee bend, and the reach to the handlebars is a bit steeper. I'm a fan. Apart from the reach to the ground, consider it a trade between reducing knee bend and increasing back bend. If your back is the weak point in your endurance, the Ergo-Fit probably won't help. If your legs get sore first, you might like the seat.
Apart from geometry, I didn't expect improvement in comfort...but the extra padding on the Ergo-Fit is a huge benefit. I mentioned before, in my post about my first ride with the Ninja 400, that the suspension is surprisingly stiff. Better than bouncy, but it's not plush. The extra padding in the seat makes a big difference in comfort over rough pavement. It's a bit squidgy, the extra foam reduces the connection I feel to the bike through my butt. But when I'm riding hard, when I want all the connection and feel I can get, I'm not sitting in the seat anyway, I'm standing on the pegs. When I'm lazily cruising, my ass is enjoying the extra comfort.
I'll post some pictures later when I pull them off my camera. Should have a good before and after view, which may or may not be useful at all. I'm very satisfied with the purchase. The fact the Ninja 400 is a small bike that fits like a bigger bike, can be ridden fast like a slow bike but has all the power for passing and heavy winds, makes me want to call it daywalker -- all of the strengths of a small bike, none of the weaknesses.