ninjette.org - View Single Post - kawasaki shows how lame a stock 650 sounds!

adouglas · June 28th, 2012, 08:28 AM

I test rode the 650 at this year's Kawi Demo Day. I was seriously considering it as my next bike for all kinds of logical reasons.

Note that I say "was." I came away underwhelmed. My 250R has tons more soul than that bike. Admittedly, my ninjette is modified with full exhaust, jetted, K&N, clip-ons, rearset adjusters.... It's entirely possible that with appropriate tweaks the 650 would wake up, but I'm not so sure.

The whole time I was riding the 650 I couldn't help but think how appliance-like it is. It was like operating a sewing machine (and yes, I have operated a sewing machine). Competent for getting from point A to point B with minimum fuss. Very polite. Very smooth. Very quiet. Very dull. Kind of like a scooter in terms of the riding experience.

I also rode a ZX6R, which was my first experience on a supersport. Much more what I personally think motorcycling is about. To me, riding isn't just transportation. That's what I've got a car for. Riding a bike is an exercise in skill, aesthetics and in-the-moment experiences.

I should note here that I rode the 650 first and had those thoughts BEFORE I rode the ZX6R. It wasn't that the 650 was pale by comparison, it's that it didn't do it for me in the first place.

The 650 is a fine bike for its intended purpose. I didn't really notice anything wrong with it. But it didn't move me.

We're all different in what we want from a motorcycle. I ride hard but safe. I get my jollies not from speed, power or noise, but from perfectly executed riding. That can be as much fun 45 mph as at 100. If I hit that exit ramp exactly right, nail my braking and turn-in points, blip-downshift flawlessly and ride the perfect line, I'm a happy guy. So the whole sport-bike experience for me isn't about going fast or having huge horsepower.

But it very much is about how the bike feels -- what it's like to ride. I'd LOVE it if Kawi made a true sportbike with a 250 or 400 in it.

June 28th, 2012, 08:28 AM	#34
adouglas Cat herder Name: Gort Location: A secret lair which, being secret, has an undisclosed location Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): Aprilia RS660 Posts: A lot. Blog Entries: 6 MOTM - Jul '18, Nov '16, Aug '14, May '13	I test rode the 650 at this year's Kawi Demo Day. I was seriously considering it as my next bike for all kinds of logical reasons. Note that I say "was." I came away underwhelmed. My 250R has tons more soul than that bike. Admittedly, my ninjette is modified with full exhaust, jetted, K&N, clip-ons, rearset adjusters.... It's entirely possible that with appropriate tweaks the 650 would wake up, but I'm not so sure. The whole time I was riding the 650 I couldn't help but think how appliance-like it is. It was like operating a sewing machine (and yes, I have operated a sewing machine). Competent for getting from point A to point B with minimum fuss. Very polite. Very smooth. Very quiet. Very dull. Kind of like a scooter in terms of the riding experience. I also rode a ZX6R, which was my first experience on a supersport. Much more what I personally think motorcycling is about. To me, riding isn't just transportation. That's what I've got a car for. Riding a bike is an exercise in skill, aesthetics and in-the-moment experiences. I should note here that I rode the 650 first and had those thoughts BEFORE I rode the ZX6R. It wasn't that the 650 was pale by comparison, it's that it didn't do it for me in the first place. The 650 is a fine bike for its intended purpose. I didn't really notice anything wrong with it. But it didn't *move* me. We're all different in what we want from a motorcycle. I ride hard but safe. I get my jollies not from speed, power or noise, but from perfectly executed riding. That can be as much fun 45 mph as at 100. If I hit that exit ramp exactly right, nail my braking and turn-in points, blip-downshift flawlessly and ride the perfect line, I'm a happy guy. So the whole sport-bike experience for me isn't about going fast or having huge horsepower. But it *very* much is about how the bike feels -- what it's like to ride. I'd LOVE it if Kawi made a true sportbike with a 250 or 400 in it.