New Kawasaki Ninja 650

[sendler]

244.9 miles / 3.264 gallonsUS = 75.03 mpgUS, 31.9 km/ L, 3.14 L/ 100km.
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On my new 2019 Kawasaki Ninja650 with the tall seat and windscreen. Excellent commuter/ sport touring bike for anyone that is too big for the R3.
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2019 Kawasaki Ninja650. Completely redesigned in 2017. 43 pounds lighter. More fuel efficient. Perfect accessory tall windscreen (that is the stock screen) for riding in the rain. 73 mpgUS from the detuned torquey twin. Perfect headlight beam with the powerful DDM Tuning Saber 50W LED's.
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Tang650 (Kawasaki EX650 Ninja 650) | Fuelly
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[Shaneajanderson]

Originally Posted by sendler

244.9 miles / 3.264 gallonsUS = 75.03 mpgUS, 31.9 km/ L, 3.14 L/ 100km.
.
On my new 2019 Kawasaki Ninja650 with the tall seat and windscreen. Excellent commuter/ sport touring bike for anyone that is too big for the R3.
.
.

.
.
2019 Kawasaki Ninja650. Completely redesigned in 2017. 43 pounds lighter. More fuel efficient. Perfect accessory tall windscreen (that is the stock screen) for riding in the rain. 73 mpgUS from the detuned torquey twin. Perfect headlight beam with the powerful DDM Tuning Saber 50W LED's.
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Tang650 (Kawasaki EX650 Ninja 650) | Fuelly
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43 pounds lighter is HUGE on a motorcycle. That must be 15-20% of total weight. Very impressive improvement. 70 MPG is dandy too.

[Daschicken]

How many bikes do you have???

I got to ride the ninja 650, Z400, Z125, and ZX6R in a demo ride.

Got like 84 mpg with the 400, 80-82(?) with the 650, and 64 with the ZX6R. That 650 has more torque than my older SV650SF and will do first gear power wheelies. Having an MPG readout on bikes is really awesome, that reminds me. I should start the process of getting one for my SV. The ZX6R was also surprisingly torquey, but it wasn't doing any power wheelies low in the rev range. I didn't get to rev it higher than 8K.

[sendler]

Originally Posted by Daschicken

How many bikes do you have???

Myself and two children all ride. I usually ride the CBR250R at 103 mpgUS. Started playing with the R3 at 82 mpg more this Spring but then my daughter took it to her house. My son is really big at 6'0 and 260 pounds so the Ninja 650 is really nice for him. He and I still use the PCX150 for errands around town. I sold the WR250R for a good price which freed up some cash to buy the Ninja which Kawasaki has been rebating $1,000 on all year. $6650 plus tax and tags with the special paint and ABS. It's a little vibey but not as pronounced as the CBR and the tall seat is comfortable. The stock seat is low and narrow. The adjustable windscreen can achieve the perfect position to get the magic blow dryer effect on your visor in the rain. The precise handling is amazing and the aerodynamics slice through dirty air with minimal disruption. I believe this is why the fairing on modern bikes tend to incorporate some kind of sharp feature on the front which is clean through straight on air but tends to break the attachment on the far side with angled air. I had it up to 105 mph while chasing up to the next group one time and it is calm and comfortable. Something you would never say about any naked bike. Not to mention an upright naked bike gets you pummeled in the rain.

[jkv357]

Originally Posted by Daschicken

How many bikes do you have???

I got to ride the ninja 650, Z400, Z125, and ZX6R in a demo ride.

Got like 84 mpg with the 400, 80-82(?) with the 650, and 64 with the ZX6R. That 650 has more torque than my older SV650SF and will do first gear power wheelies. Having an MPG readout on bikes is really awesome, that reminds me. I should start the process of getting one for my SV. The ZX6R was also surprisingly torquey, but it wasn't doing any power wheelies low in the rev range. I didn't get to rev it higher than 8K.

Do you know about this one from SVRider member TeeRiver?

https://www.svrider.com/forum/showth...ht=mileage+bot

TeeRiver really knows his s*** - and specifically the SV.

[Daschicken]

Originally Posted by jkv357

Do you know about this one from SVRider member TeeRiver?

https://www.svrider.com/forum/showth...ht=mileage+bot

TeeRiver really knows his s*** - and specifically the SV.

Yes, the TeeRiver fuel bot. That’s the one I was thinking of. Couldn’t remember the name.

[jkv357]

Originally Posted by sendler

244.9 miles / 3.264 gallonsUS = 75.03 mpgUS, 31.9 km/ L, 3.14 L/ 100km.
.
On my new 2019 Kawasaki Ninja650 with the tall seat and windscreen. Excellent commuter/ sport touring bike for anyone that is too big for the R3.
.
.

.
.
2019 Kawasaki Ninja650. Completely redesigned in 2017. 43 pounds lighter. More fuel efficient. Perfect accessory tall windscreen (that is the stock screen) for riding in the rain. 73 mpgUS from the detuned torquey twin. Perfect headlight beam with the powerful DDM Tuning Saber 50W LED's.
.
Tang650 (Kawasaki EX650 Ninja 650) | Fuelly
.

Congrats Scott!

That looks sharp. Back in '06 I was considering the Ninja 650, but went with the SVn instead. Never regretted it, but the new Ninjas really look nice. Just couldn't get excited about the original.

You know how to get the big numbers! I usually see 50 mpg out of my SV - in-town or on the hwy at 70 or so. Did a 1000 mi weekend last year, cruising right about 80 actual, and only did mid 40s. The SVn (naked) just doesn't like to go that fast even with higher gearing.

Tons of wind buffeting on the hwy at those speeds that really beats you up by the end of the day. Did the last 1.5 hours of our 12-hour day in the rain...at night...in construction...long day. Was glad to be home safe!

I was really wanting some wind protection that day!

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

The exhaust manifold on these Kawasaki 650 parallel-twins looks quite narrow. Well, it's supposed to benefit the low-end torque...

Originally Posted by sendler

On my new 2019 Kawasaki Ninja650 with the tall seat and windscreen. Excellent commuter/ sport touring bike for anyone that is too big for the R3.

After seeing a guy over 400 pounds riding a '99-'04 Honda CG 125, it changed my mind about anyone being too big for some motorcycle

[sendler]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

The exhaust manifold on these Kawasaki 650 parallel-twins looks quite narrow. Well, it's supposed to benefit the low-end torque...

Kawasaki detuned the all new engine from 65 hp to 62 hp to maximize fuel economy. Our presence is being noted. I can ride the bike through town at 35 mph in top gear at 2,800 rpm and show 85 mpgUS on the instantaneous read out. On the highway it pulses from 63 to 68 mph at 50 mpgUS and glides at something over 240 mpgUS.
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"In the engine bay, some more changes to the 649cc parallel twin have come to light since we rode the Z650. Besides the smaller 36mm (from 38mm) throttle bodies, narrower intake ports, less radical cams, different airbox, and slipper/assist clutch that we noted with the Z650, a lot more has been changed internally (and externally). For example, the cylinder assembly is now an open-deck design that utilizes plated/liner-less bores for less weight and a narrower cylinder pitch (width between cylinders). New fine-atomizing injectors provide a better fuel-air mixture at the lower rpm the new engine is designed for, while the exhaust header pipes have been shortened and the crossover pipe removed to improve midrange power."
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https://www.cycleworld.com/sport-rid...0-ride-review/
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[sendler]

Originally Posted by jkv357

Congrats Scott!

That looks sharp. Back in '06 I was considering the Ninja 650

I had an 06 Ninja 650 but I like this bike much better. 40 pounds lighter. Seat / bars/ pegs triangle much more balanced. Adjustable wind screen. Better fuel efficiency. The best I ever got with the 06 was 63 mpgUS. Big, wide mirrors which fold in narrower than the bodywork for parking.

Originally Posted by jkv357

Tons of wind buffeting on the hwy at those speeds that really beats you up by the end of the day. Did the last 1.5 hours of our 12-hour day in the rain...at night...in construction...long day. Was glad to be home safe!

I was really wanting some wind protection that day!

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I'll never understand the appeal of a naked bike like the Z650 when there is a faired version available. Weather protection, calm performance through dirty air. Mirrors out front where you can see them. Better fuel efficiency. I asked the Yamaha rep why they refused to offer a faired version of the FZ07 and he said that the price for insurance goes through the roof if you put a fairing on a bike. Makes them look like super sport bikes to the insurance companies even though the Ninja650 (and CBR250R, 500R, R3, Ninja400) is really more like a standard bike with nice, functional bodywork.