Ninja 300 on the Highway?

[quadcrazy]

Hey guys,

My name is DJ, I am brand new to this forum. I am looking into getting my first bike and just have some questions. I'll be honest, I am mainly getting a bike to commute for work. I'm sure I'll catch an itch once I start riding, but for now I found out that the amount I spend a month in gas for my truck will pay for a bike's monthly payments, the monthly insurance cost, and the monthly gas with some to spare. So yes, I work a good drive from where I live. This leads me to my first question: Would I be working the engine too hard on the Ninja 300 if I drive 40 miles highway 5 times a week, assuming an average speed of 70-80mph? My next concern is size. I have sat on the Ninja 600 and I really liked the feel of the size of the bike. I also sat on a CBR 250 (I think is what it was) and it felt too small. How does the size of the Ninja 300 compare to these?

Thanks for any info!

DJ

[tfkrocks]

Originally Posted by quadcrazy

Hey guys,

My name is DJ, I am brand new to this forum. I am looking into getting my first bike and just have some questions. I'll be honest, I am mainly getting a bike to commute for work. I'm sure I'll catch an itch once I start riding, but for now I found out that the amount I spend a month in gas for my truck will pay for a bike's monthly payments, the monthly insurance cost, and the monthly gas with some to spare. So yes, I work a good drive from where I live. This leads me to my first question: Would I be working the engine too hard on the Ninja 300 if I drive 40 miles highway 5 times a week, assuming an average speed of 70-80mph? My next concern is size. I have sat on the Ninja 600 and I really liked the feel of the size of the bike. I also sat on a CBR 250 (I think is what it was) and it felt too small. How does the size of the Ninja 300 compare to these?

Thanks for any info!

DJ

The 300 has no problem with the highway. I've easily driven more than that at about that speed. The 300 is definitely smaller than a 600.

[Tigerpaw]

The Ninja 300 will have no problem with the commuting you describe.

People come in all shapes and sizes. You will have to see if the bike fits you, personally. You "should" be fine if you are somewhere between 4'8" - 6'2" or 80lbs - 300lbs.

The biggest concern I see with your scenario is maintenance. Maintenance costs money. You will be racking up some serious miles. Bikes aren't as cheap as they appear.

Finally, the questions you have can be answered in many threads. Play with the search function.

Good Luck! I love my 300.

[Motofool]

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Motorcycle_TCO

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/New_Riders

[xSean13]

I ride 100 miles to school and back (round trip) at least 3 days a week on my 250...majority of it is highway & the little thing doesn't have any problems. The only problems that arise with the smaller bikes is lack of "get up and go" passing power when already at 70-80mph and also stability. The wind blows you around like crazy even in full tuck; I took it to class when there was an active wind advisory and I was having to lean like going through a turn just to keep going straight, lol.

[subxero]

300 would b perfect for what u describe. i ride my 250 on major highways around DC, I-95 and 495 everyday to work 80mph average speed with plenty of passing power keep in mind speed limit is 65mph. crazy windy here and i have no problem. 300 would only be better

[Jiggles]

Get a 250!

[Jiggles]

Also you're not going to be saving any money

[quadcrazy]

Thanks for all the quick responses! I appreciate all the input.

DJ

[Aurodox]

Originally Posted by quadcrazy

Hey guys,

My name is DJ, I am brand new to this forum. I am looking into getting my first bike and just have some questions. I'll be honest, I am mainly getting a bike to commute for work. I'm sure I'll catch an itch once I start riding, but for now I found out that the amount I spend a month in gas for my truck will pay for a bike's monthly payments, the monthly insurance cost, and the monthly gas with some to spare. So yes, I work a good drive from where I live. This leads me to my first question: Would I be working the engine too hard on the Ninja 300 if I drive 40 miles highway 5 times a week, assuming an average speed of 70-80mph? My next concern is size. I have sat on the Ninja 600 and I really liked the feel of the size of the bike. I also sat on a CBR 250 (I think is what it was) and it felt too small. How does the size of the Ninja 300 compare to these?

Thanks for any info!

DJ

I'm 6'4" and ~210 pounds. I've sat on both the 650 and 300. 650 definitely fits me well, but I can ride the 300 no problem. I test rode the 300 to specifically see if it could get me up to highway speeds. I got it up to an indicated 80mph pretty easy with a little tuck. It had a bit more to give, but nothing compared to my old 600rr. I was going faster than most cars mind you. Definitely a good commuter bike. I'm just waiting to get more cash on hand before I buy it.

Definitely sit on the 300, and see if you can give it a test ride. See how it fits you before you buy it.

[nickjpass]

Maybe I misunderstood, but do not buy a bike to save money. Especially don't buy it if you don't have an itch yet (It says you don't). The 300 will handle any road. Look into the older 250s as well. If you want to get a feel for biking, take MSF. PM me for lots of info.

[tnr4]

It'll certainly handle the commute just fine, but it's not the best bike for specific highway commuting. If I were getting a bike just for highway commuting and looking to save money (and didn't have a sport-riding itch), I'd look at middle-weight, detuned bikes. Not only used 650s, but also the new NC700. $7k brand new, will get better gas mileage than the 300 on the interstate, and will be a lot more comfortable with more storage space.

Obviously, I think the 300 is the bees knees; but it's not what I would buy if I had your set of needs!

Good luck.

[ally99]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Also you're not going to be saving any money

Agreed. Ride because you love it, not to save money. The money you save in gas gets eaten up quickly by tires and maintenance. Though it is a nice benefit, just realize financially it evens out...although if you love riding as much as some of us and take it to the next level, you'll end up spending way more than you thought. lol

Edit: Btw, the 250 and the 300 can easily handle the commute you described. Have fun!

[quadcrazy]

Thank you guys for the responses. As I do more research I think of more questions of course. What do people put tank pads on for? Just to protect from belts scratching it? And what do people refer to when they say "powerband?"

Thanks,

DJ

[tfkrocks]

Originally Posted by quadcrazy

Thank you guys for the responses. As I do more research I think of more questions of course. What do people put tank pads on for? Just to protect from belts scratching it? And what do people refer to when they say "powerband?"

Thanks,

DJ

Tank pads are both for preventing scratches on the tank and for aesthetic purposes. The powerband is the rpm range at which the engine has the most power.

[Jiggles]

If you want better performance you can replace your power bands

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main...products_id=36

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by quadcrazy

And what do people refer to when they say "powerband?"

Power is how much torque the engine makes at a given speed multiplied by the angular velocity (speed) that the engine is turning.

When you go to the dyno and do a run, they graph your torque and power output vs engine speed. This makes a curve. The "powerband" is where you get the quickest and most consistent increase in the power vs rpm curve, all the way until you reach the maximum power value.

For the ninja 250, the smoothest, most powerful acceleration is from about 9k-12k. In that range, the engine responds well and accelerates well out of corners (for a 250). Out of that range, the engine starts feeling less than optimal. This is why we talk about the ninja 250 being such a revvy bike. It likes to have its neck wrung.

Here's a dyno chart showing a stock ninja 250 vs one with a full exhaust system. Can you spot the 'powerband' from 9-12k that I was talking about? It is especially noticeable on the bike with a full exhaust.

[outasight20]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

If you want better performance you can replace your power bands

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main...products_id=36

Lol that is great. To the OP, don't take anything Jiggles says seriously.

[quadcrazy]

Another question, lol. I am taking my class soon for the endorsement so I'm not sure if this becomes second nature or not, but when you are riding is it easy to forget which gear you are in? I've seen some reviews of the 300 on youtube saying that they would have liked to see a gear indicator on the bike, is there no way of telling which gear you are in, in case you forget?

[tfkrocks]

I usually know which gear I'm in simply because I know what gear I tend to use for certain speeds. In the case I'm not sure and really want to know what gear I'm in, I just shift all the way up or all the way down, then go back to the gear I think I should be at, all done quickly while holding the clutch in. That's usually not really important though as it's easy to tell if you're not in an appropriate gear based on RPMs.

[Aurodox]

Originally Posted by quadcrazy

Another question, lol. I am taking my class soon for the endorsement so I'm not sure if this becomes second nature or not, but when you are riding is it easy to forget which gear you are in? I've seen some reviews of the 300 on youtube saying that they would have liked to see a gear indicator on the bike, is there no way of telling which gear you are in, in case you forget?

The truth of the matter is it doesn't matter what gear you are in. You will learn where you are with practice with the bike, but if you feel that the engine is revving to high for your liking, shift up. If the engine is being bogged down and doesn't have much power, shift down. The gear number is irrelevant. I just got my 300 and don't know what each gear feels like. Sometimes I try to shift up out of 6th only to find that I was in the max gear. Don't waste your brainpower thinking about which gear you are in, there are other more vital things to think about. Hope it helps!

[Alex]

Originally Posted by tfkrocks

In the case I'm not sure and really want to know what gear I'm in, I just shift all the way up or all the way down, then go back to the gear I think I should be at, all done quickly while holding the clutch in.

Up probably a better idea than down. Even with a slipper clutch, it wouldn't be a good idea to be in 1st gear at speeds > 30 mph. Can cause wear on the transmission / clutch even with it disengaged, and if your hand releases the clutch lever for an unexpected reason, it could lead to a scary moment.

The need to know exactly what gear you're in on the street really isn't that critical. If you give it gas and aren't accelerating as fast as you'd want, downshift. If the engine is revving higher than you'd want, upshift. Only time where it matters precisely is to make sure you're in 1st when taking off from a stop, and make sure that you make it to 6th when cruising along the highway for best mileage.

EDIT: exactly what @Aurodox said.

[SteveL]

The Ninja 300 is more than up to commuting on the highway, I bought my 250R for doing just that you to get used to seeing high RPM not a problem they were designed for it. As for saving money well that depends on many factors, my 250 gave me 65mpg on my commute, but a whole lot less when having fun. Commuting on a bike is a different experience depending a lot on the density of traffic, you have to be more alert on a bike all the time. Watch Twist of the Wrist, some good pointers in there and take it easy for the first month or so and you will enjoy your commute.

Steve

[quadcrazy]

Thanks for all the input guys! I am hopefully putting a deposit down on a ninja 300 tomorrow! My only concern is that people say the breaks are kind of cheap. If this was a problem is it possible to upgrade them? And if so, what is a rough estimate for cost?

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by quadcrazy

Thanks for all the input guys! I am hopefully putting a deposit down on a ninja 300 tomorrow! My only concern is that people say the breaks are kind of cheap. If this was a problem is it possible to upgrade them? And if so, what is a rough estimate for cost?

~$30

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[tnr4]

Originally Posted by quadcrazy

Thanks for all the input guys! I am hopefully putting a deposit down on a ninja 300 tomorrow! My only concern is that people say the breaks are kind of cheap. If this was a problem is it possible to upgrade them? And if so, what is a rough estimate for cost?

For what it's worth, after 1000 or so miles, the brakes felt a lot better to me. I've got over 3000 miles on the bike now, and don't even notice the stock brakes. A lot of folks seem to have upgraded early, so I don't know if someone pickier would agree with me; but they do the job.

[quadcrazy]

Oh, thanks tnr4. I mean this will be my first bike, so I don't have anything to compare it to. Maybe the breaks will feel just fine for me.

[quadcrazy]

Hey Jiggles, when people say the breaks feel cheap are they referring to just the break pads? If so, that is an easy fix.

[Jiggles]

break [breyk] Show IPA verb, broke or ( Archaic ) brake; bro·ken or ( Archaic ) broke; break·ing; noun
verb (used with object)
1.
to smash, split, or divide into parts violently; reduce to pieces or fragments: He broke a vase.
2.
to infringe, ignore, or act contrary to (a law, rule, promise, etc.): She broke her promise.
3.
to dissolve or annul (often followed by off ): to break off friendly relations with another country.
4.
to fracture a bone of (some part of the body): He broke his leg.
5.
to lacerate; wound: to break the skin.
verb (used without object)
34.
to shatter, burst, or become broken; separate into parts or fragments, especially suddenly and violently: The glass broke on the floor.
35.
to become suddenly discontinuous or interrupted; stop abruptly: She pulled too hard and the string broke.
36.
to become detached, separated, or disassociated (usually followed by away, off, or from ): The knob broke off in his hand.
37.
to become inoperative or to malfunction, as through wear or damage: The television set broke this afternoon.
38.
to begin suddenly or violently or change abruptly into something else: War broke over Europe.

brake1 [breyk] Show IPA noun, verb, braked, brak·ing.
noun
1.
a device for slowing or stopping a vehicle or other moving mechanism by the absorption or transfer of the energy of momentum, usually by means of friction.
2.
brakes, the drums, shoes, tubes, levers, etc., making up such a device on a vehicle.
3.
anything that has a slowing or stopping effect.
4.
Also called brakeman. a member of a bobsled team who operates the brake.
5.
Also called breaker. a tool or machine for breaking up flax or hemp, to separate the fiber.

They mean that the brake pads suck, the brakes suck due to a single rotor, the brake lines suck cuz they are rubber or something, and the master cylinder usually isn't too awesome. See @rojoracing53's easy plug and play r6 wheel swap to get some nice brakes

[rojoracing53]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

They mean that the brake pads suck, the brakes suck due to a single rotor, the brake lines suck cuz they are rubber or something, and the master cylinder usually isn't too awesome. See @rojoracing53's easy plug and play r6 wheel swap to get some nice brakes

yeah super easy and plug and play setup




















After like 40+ hour of R&D with another 20+ hours of machining time

[Racer x]

I read the 300 shakes on the highway?

[rojoracing53]

Originally Posted by Racer x

I read the 300 shakes on the highway?

Only if your right at 110lbs, if your sub 100lbs or over 130lbs then you shouldn't have any problems but 110lbs and your screwed. You 110lbs riders will need nearly $1K in suspension upgrades to fix the sever vision blurring shaking that will ensue at over 80mph(we think?).

[rojoracing53]

Originally Posted by quadcrazy

Another question, lol. I am taking my class soon for the endorsement so I'm not sure if this becomes second nature or not, but when you are riding is it easy to forget which gear you are in? I've seen some reviews of the 300 on youtube saying that they would have liked to see a gear indicator on the bike, is there no way of telling which gear you are in, in case you forget?

When people asked me at the track what gear I'm using for a certain turn I always respond with "the correct one " then they walk away think "Asshole"

Truth is I don't ever pay attention to what gear I'm in because it doesn't matter. The correct gear for any situation on the street is one you feel most comfortable with, on the track its the one you feel most comfortable with and preferably still in the the range of max HP(high RPMs) so instead of looking down at a gear indicator to make sure your selecting what you think is the correct gear, you should be focusing ahead of you and preparing for more important and possibly life threatening changes to traffic flow. This is not a soap box rant, just some friendly advise

The only gears I care to know when I'm in them is neutral and 6th. Neutral because...... will that obvious I hope and its indicated on the dash with a green light. 6th gear is nice to know because will then I know at high speeds I'm in the lowest RPMs possible and hoping I'm saving fuel by doing so. 6th is easy for me since my final drive gearing is quite a bit taller so my RPMs are about 100 time greater then my speed or in lamens terms 6th at 70mph is 7000RPMs. If you can't remember you RPMs in 6th vs your speed then a simply attempt to shift into your non existant 7th gear(I do this) will tell you your in 6th.

People will tell you need traction control and abs as well but I say learn how to ride and understand the limits(their quite high if you know what your doing) of the machine little by little and in the end you'll be a better rider for it.

Good luck with your new bike

[ChaoSS]

BTW, everyone who says you won't save money with a motorcycle is wrong, you will, if you keep your bike set up for commuting.

If you are running it for fun, you can get mileage in the 30-40 range. If you are commuting, you can get 60ish. (actually, my numbers are with the 250, but the 300 can't be too much different)

You can put some super sticky tires on it and spend 500-600 bucks on your tires, only to have to replace them after 5000 miles. Or, you could do like me, and run stock tires, I am almost to 14000 miles and will probably replace them at 15, but I already bought the new set, only paid 170 for them. That's almost as cheap, per mile, as my pick up truck.

If you do your own maintenance, it's not very expensive, I put the good oil in mine, so oil changes cost a hair more than on my truck, but I do them around the same mileage intervals. The bike doesn't have a transmission with separate oil, it doesn't have a rear differential, it doesn't have cv joints, etc, it does have a chain and sprockets that will need to be replaced after a while.


The bike is a little bit more expensive than the car, maintenance wise, but the bike is way, way, cheaper to fuel. It is cheaper to insure, it is cheaper to register.

And for awhile, I was putting miles on at 150 miles per day, 5 days a week, plus any errands I had to run, so I know what I'm talking about when it comes to the costs.


Just don't try to run your bike like a toy and expect it to be cheap.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Racer x

I read the 300 shakes on the highway?

[tnr4]

Originally Posted by quadcrazy

Oh, thanks tnr4. I mean this will be my first bike, so I don't have anything to compare it to. Maybe the breaks will feel just fine for me.

I think this is likely. A lot of us who complained about the brakes were either coming off a more expensive bike, or switching back and forth between the 300 and a more expensive bike. If this is all you've known, then you'll see that they stop the bike, they do it in such a distance and in such a way, etc, and you'll use them correctly for what they are. If I'm trying to bleed off speed from 70ish for a 30mph turn, then I find myself wishing I had better brakes occasionally, but for the most part, I just don't notice them.

Originally Posted by ChaoSS

BTW, everyone who says you won't save money with a motorcycle is wrong, you will, if you keep your bike set up for commuting.

I'm with you on this. Especially depending on your circumstances. I live in a city where it's expensive to do everything on a car: register, insure, fuel, PARK. My bike costs a fraction for all of those things. ESPECIALLY the fuel and parking. My wife's Camry gets low 20s mpg in the city, I get 58. If she parked at my university, it would be $1500/semester; it costs me $121/YEAR.

So if you want a bike as a car replacement, this can certainly be an economical choice. It saved me a lot of money for a lot of years. Of course, now I can't keep the bike out of the mountains, so the numbers may have changed.

[Jiggles]

Tell me how spending $5000 on a motorcycle saves you money

[rojoracing53]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Tell me how spending $5000 on a motorcycle saves you money

Add this to the condescending wonka

[quadcrazy]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Tell me how spending $5000 on a motorcycle saves you money

Haha well, I spend $430/month in gas alone for my truck. This will cover the montly payments, insurance, and gas with some left to spare! I got prices for everything and estimated gas, it came to about $250/month. That saves $180/month. Now I'm obviously not expecting to save that much with maintenance and all but any money saved is nice.

[tnr4]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Tell me how spending $5000 on a motorcycle saves you money

By not spending $20000 on a car!