I read somewhere that “you don’t find the bike – it finds you”. Turns out to be true in my case. This is my story of how the Ninja 300 found me and my story so far with it
BHPian treadscapes recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
The Ninja finds me …
Table of Contents
Prologue…
Some history and context to the whole thing – I’ve never been a motorcycle person until a year ago (Apr 2024 to be exact). Never had a family bike that I could use and learn on. Apart from a few minutes on my cousin’s Kawasaki Bajaj back in college days, I had no real experience riding geared motorcycles. Over the years, I developed a fear of using geared motorcycles because I would always fret about getting into situations where I could not handle them. So, I played it safe and chose to stick to the gearless scooters.
But last year, something changed. I decided to take the plunge and get myself one – my first geared motorcycle. My search started for a Yezdi (for nostalgia’s sake), but ended up with a Jawa 42 instead. This is a Ninja thread, so I’m not going to go into details of the Jawa – except that I had a nightmarish delivery experience, it’s a good city commuter and once I started taking the bike on longer rides, I felt the Jawa was lacking something … And so, within a year of getting a Jawa, I was out looking for slightly more powerful bike for long highway rides.
The search …
My search criteria was fairly simple – twin cylinder, manageable (seat height/weight), 300-500cc, ease of getting aftermarket accessories (something that was a bother for me with the Jawa) and comfortable for long rides.
I started spending hours looking at comparison videos, specs, etc. Being a short statured person (5’4), the height factor was against me. Tall ADVs were almost out of the equation. But every now and then, I’d relapse into the delusion of thinking -“I may be able to handle an ADV“. I would have frequent discussions with my colleagues about my search. I remember one of them asking me to try the Ninja – which I outright rejected saying – “Nah, no sports bike!“.
Every time the aforementioned delusion kicks in, I’d look at reviews of Him 450 (esp from the handling aspect), Benelli TRK 502, and Honda NX500. During saner times, the focus was on Aprilia Tuono 457 and Kawasaki Eliminator. Still, no Ninja!
The elimination …
I had to eliminate the “delusion list” first –
The first one out was Him 450. It had a lot going against it already – single cylinder and very very common on the road, so it seems to have lost the wow factor (my personal opinion). Yet, the RE service network and availability of aftermarket spares and accessories were something going for it. Additionally, with the lower seat height option, I felt that “maybe….this is something I can manage” . But, it all soon went out the window when I casually tried to move a neighbor’s 450 in the apartment’s basement. I realized that this is not a bike that I can manage to handle.
TRK502 was the next one out, and this was primarily due to various reviews and first-hand feedback from friends about the service network and availability of spares.
Now, it was down to the Honda. This was not an easy elimination. Most things I heard about this bike online were positive. I had even heard that the weight distribution of this bike was excellent (something which eliminated the 450). There was only one way to verify this – a test ride. Went to the Big Wings in Whitefield, Bangalore, and requested for a test ride. As soon as I took the bike off the stand, I realized that all the comments about the weight distribution of this bike were spot on. Unlike the Him 450, I could easily push this bike around. With hopes sky high, I sat on the bike only to realize that I can barely tip-toe on the bike – and this is with my riding boots on. Hopes came crashing down soon enough, but I was not ready to give up just yet. I still took the test ride – a short one along the busy ORR. At the end of the ride, two things were clear – One: The bike was buttery smooth and felt really good to ride. It would be great on long rides. Two: I was not confident about my ability to handle this bike in tricky situations. Traumatic images of a future me having to deal with parking in tight spaces and uphill misadventures started running through my mind. The outcome was clear – Alas! I can’t go for it! First time in a long time, I wished I was a tad taller!
Now with all the delusion list exhausted, it was time to be more realistic.
Tuono 457 – for all the right noises it’s making (pun intended) – was the first to go. Service network was one of the reasons, availability of after market accessories was the next. I was not completely taken by the looks of the bike either (beauty…eye…beholder.. you know).
With my list slowly but surely withering away, my focus shifted towards the Eliminator – the last hope. Eliminator had entered my list for purely technical reasons – lower seat height, twin cylinder, etc. I went to the Rideventur Kawasaki – a small, unassuming showroom which is not far from where I work. One look at the Eliminator and I knew that I will not buy it. The bike just did not stand out enough. I was not looking for a crowd puller bike, but I sure as hell did not want something that looked like an Avenger either. It just did not look special.
And that’s when it happened…right next to the Eliminator.. something caught me (my attention!) … the Ninja!
The selection …
Having not done any research on the Ninjas till then, I asked the Sales Exec (SE) to walk me through specs and the variants. He patiently listened to my requirements and told me to check out the 300 and 500. And of the two, his recommendation was the 300 – purely from the aftermarket accessories standpoint. The 500, being a CBU, had yet to see some love in the aftermarket space. With all the information, I headed home, but not before booking a test ride for the 300 two days later (the showroom did not have a 300 for TR that day).
Two days and many YouTube videos later, I was on the test ride Ninja 300. The first thing that I realized when I took the bike off the stand – the weight (or lack thereof). Coming from a heavyish Jawa and having only briefly tried the 190kgs bikes before, this was a pleasant surprise. The next realization was even better – my feet! They touch the ground! Comfortably even!! The stars were beginning to align …
There was one more thing to test and feel – the ride position. The one thing that always kept sports bikes off my list was the aggressive riding position. Having hit my 40s and not exactly of pristine fitness, I did not want to put my back in any position which would cause me to stop riding – not when I finally started to enjoy this!
With fingers crossed (well, not literally of course – would be difficult to ride a bike with fingers crossed, wouldn’t it?), I took the test ride. I was pleasantly surprised that the ride position was not as committed as I had feared. Of course, it was different – but definitely not in a negative way! The ride itself was smooth – I had heard so much about the refined Kawasaki engine, and I could understand why. The bike seemed to flow through traffic with ease. There was power when I needed it, and it was not grumpy while delivering it either! And most importantly, I felt in control at all times. This was it! This is what I was looking for – and it had found me!
Back in the showroom, I had the SE walk me through the details of the bike once again. The design and finish were beautiful! Had mixed feelings about the instrument cluster – one part of me telling me that the simpler it is, the less chances of things breaking (and cheaper replacement cost). The other side of me felt bad that it did not even have a gear indicator (was used to it on my Jawa). But, SE assured me that few kms on the bike and I won’t even miss the gear indicator.
Got details about accessories, Kawasaki Care, RSA and Ext Warranty. Decided to take a day before making the final decision. But, to be honest – I think sub-consciously, the decision was already made …
The buy …
With the selection and decision done, I got started with the procurement process. There was a 25K discount on the 2024 model (stock clearance in prep for the 2025 facelift (?) launch). Got to know from the SE that there were no major upgrades on the 2025 model (none that I would miss anyway). Decided not to wait for the 2025 release and take the discount instead. I had two colors to choose from (Lime Green was already out of stock) – Candy Lime Green and Metallic Moondust Gray. That was an easy decision – Candy Lime Green stood out, looked beautiful! Paid the booking amount and was promised delivery a week from then.
I chose to get the RSA and Insurance from the showroom. Decided not to go for Kawasaki-care (service care package) since it had conditions which specified that I would lose the benefits if I missed the service due date. The maximum leeway they allowed was 2-3 days from the service due date. I was not sure I could stick to such strict timelines, so I decided against getting it.
It was now time for the most tormenting part in a procurement journey – the wait! But, I was prepared – I had something planned for this duration – an accessory hunt! I was given a list of accessories and a pricelist from the showroom! However, I wanted to check for other options and kept looking for other sources. I was mainly looking to see if one place could get me everything I wanted and install it as well. More of that in the “The accessorizing” section.
Anyway – the Ninja was ready pickup – but I had to push the delivery of the bike by another week due to a personal travel.
Finally, the day came – headed to the showroom, and there she was … the beauty in black and green …
Completed the documentation and formalities. The delivery ceremony was thankfully very simple – hand over the big key, click couple of pics, the bike walkthrough by the SE, and done …
I was now a Ninja owner.
A year ago, had anyone asked me if I would buy a sports bike – I would have laughed it off! But, life works in mysterious ways
Cost Summary:
– On Road – 4.2 lacs (incl insurance and RTO)
– RSA (4 yrs) – 14K
– K-Care – Not opted
– Ext Warranty – Not opted (yet)
– Freebies – Backpack + KeyChain
Note : Shout out to the Sales Exec (Syed) and Service Advisor (Sudeep) of Rideventur Kawasaki for being extremely patient with me through the entire process. I had so many questions for them before and after booking. They were extremely nice and never once showed signs of displeasure and were always happy to help! They kept me constantly updated on the progress and were true to keeping their commitments! Kudos!
Over the past 20-odd years, I have bought various vehicles (2W and 4W) – and I truly believe that it’s not enough to just make good vehicles. How you treat your customers before and after purchase is where the real success lies! After being scarred during my Jawa purchase, I did not know what to expect. But thanks, Kawasaki for the great experience!
Stay tuned for the next update on the accessories, early rides and service …
~t.s
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