GStwin.com GS500 Message Forum

Main Area => Odds n Ends => Topic started by: Grainbelt on July 14, 2006, 02:39:32 PM

Title: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: Grainbelt on July 14, 2006, 02:39:32 PM
Kawasaki Ninja 650R. Canadian version, Silver on a champagne frame.  Picking it up
tomorrow.   :icon_mrgreen:

I'm at work today, going nuts just thinking about it.  I'll post side-by-side pics and whatnot over the weekend. Here's a teaser:

(http://www.canadianstreetbike.com/images/stories/05/06_kawi_650Ninja/06_NINJA650R_02.jpg)

also, in closing,  :flipoff: caburetors.
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: pandy on July 14, 2006, 02:46:05 PM
 :laugh: :laugh: re: Carbs!

Congrats on your new bike!! Hot, Hot, HOT!!!!!  :cheers: :thumb:
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: Grainbelt on July 14, 2006, 02:49:59 PM
Yes, 5000 miles, one carb rebuild and lots of frustration later, its that time.

Also, in case anyone is curious:

Rolled 01 Accord  :o = 98 Pathfinder  :dunno_white: + 06 Ninja 650  :icon_lol:

Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: Caffeine on July 14, 2006, 03:03:11 PM
Purty!   :thumb:
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: vengeful on July 14, 2006, 04:25:11 PM
Nice bike!!! :)

Don't be so down on the Pathfinder!  I've got a 99 and love it!

(http://www.fnd4pth.com/gallery/albums/uploads/normal_IMG_1986.JPG)

:thumb:
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: annguyen1981 on July 14, 2006, 09:00:36 PM
Quote from: vengeful on July 14, 2006, 04:25:11 PM
(http://www.fnd4pth.com/gallery/albums/uploads/normal_IMG_1986.JPG)

I love your setup on the pathfinder.  Especially the mud accents.  I'm so proud of you.  You're actually using an SUV like you're supposed to.  When I had my Blazers, I used to go mudding too.  I miss 4x4's.
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: NiceGuysFinishLast on July 14, 2006, 09:12:01 PM
I hate you. Hate you. Oh.. err.. I mean.. Congrats on the gorgeous new bike!  :laugh:
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: CirclesCenter on July 14, 2006, 10:43:10 PM
Quote from: Grainbelt on July 14, 2006, 02:39:32 PM
Kawasaki Ninja 650R. Canadian version, Silver on a champagne frame.  Picking it up
tomorrow.   :icon_mrgreen:

I'm at work today, going nuts just thinking about it.  I'll post side-by-side pics and whatnot over the weekend. Here's a teaser:

(http://www.canadianstreetbike.com/images/stories/05/06_kawi_650Ninja/06_NINJA650R_02.jpg)

also, in closing,  :flipoff: caburetors.

I love the exposed rear suspension. Makes me hawt.

I like carbs, so much fun to tinker with when you're in Auto III (To finance the class we restored cars and sold them.)

I actually really like Quadrajets, sure they're a compromise, but I love them. It's like having a ~300cfm two barrel and having a ~650cfm four barrel. I tuned my V-8 Camaro for power, and then mileage, and was getting ~22mpg combined mileage.

Sure you starve the front cylinders a bit and you get all kinds of weird flows up top, and the back cylinders can't take all the air, but once you play with the Weiand stealth manifold you learn to deal with it. As far as I'm concerned that was the best "Daily Hotrod" carb you could get, especially when modified and smoothed out. Sure you'd have trouble feeding 500 ponies, but really, if you want 500hp, you aren't thinking about gas mileage.

Ahh I loved my Quad. Until the whole car took a simulatneous shaZam! on me. :)

Mikunis are simple beasts comparitively (and much easier to tune methinks, I remember the first time with my Camaro, I got it running great, and then the f%$king secondaries kicked in at throttle and blew everything all to hell.... I loved it.) Heck I like porking around with carbs, I remember the Maserati i got to work on. Thing was a freaking gosh darned nightmare. 12 cylinders, the most beautiful tuned (and picky as shaZam!) manifold ever, and on top of that manifold........ 6 two barrel carbs, which were absolutely the most hell bent little creatures man had EVER made. They played off eachother.

But I'm telling you, when we (called in help on that evil little monster) got it all together (took FOREVER) Italian supercar took on a whole new meaning to me. That meaning was....

Symphony.

Sorry I love carbs. (Even when they don't work.)

[/END thread jack]


Anyways, sweet bike, like I said before, exposed suspension makes me wet, but I have a weird fetish for carbs.  :cookoo:
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: roguegeek on July 15, 2006, 03:33:31 AM
:flipoff: caburetors.

:thumb:
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: roguegeek on July 15, 2006, 03:39:43 AM
booo yaaaah. damn 45 second thingamabobbobbb
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: fodder650 on July 15, 2006, 06:10:35 AM
What no AJ 72 point SQUID comment?
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: Jeppy on July 15, 2006, 09:06:12 AM
Nice bike... :icon_mrgreen:
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: ajaxgs on July 15, 2006, 09:07:20 AM
 :thumb:
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: TadMC on July 15, 2006, 10:18:10 AM
x
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: Yankee Punker on July 15, 2006, 11:57:28 AM
 Yeah dont feel bad about the Pathfinder, my buddies got a 95' I think, and has been beating the crap out of it for like 10 or 11 years now! It just keep going and going.
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: ajgs500 on July 15, 2006, 11:58:13 AM
AJ bite Tad in the ass.
Title: Re: Moving on - it is MINE!!!
Post by: Grainbelt on July 15, 2006, 04:08:49 PM
Picked up the 650R today. Break-in periods suck.

That being said, this bike is exactly what wanted. Light, narrow, fuel injected, reasonable power, luggage friendly. have 200km on it, loving every minute. I'll post up some pics after I have them resized and uploaded.

I might be the happiest man in the world.  :icon_mrgreen:
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: NiceGuysFinishLast on July 15, 2006, 04:13:44 PM
Quote from: ajgs500 on July 15, 2006, 11:58:13 AM
AJ bite Tad in the ass.

I'd want to be put down after that too.. you'd NEVER be able to get the taste out of your mouth...
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: Grainbelt on July 15, 2006, 05:03:09 PM
The GS is jealous :oops:

(http://grainbelt.smugmug.com/photos/81859507-M.jpg)
Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: CirclesCenter on July 15, 2006, 05:25:28 PM
How's the suspension?
Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: Grainbelt on July 15, 2006, 05:39:56 PM
Quote from: CirclesCenter on July 15, 2006, 05:25:28 PM
How's the suspension?

Hard to tell with 150km on it.  I'd say the rear is a little stiff for bad roads, front is fine. Will have to find some twisties before I can comment too much. nearest good roads are about 6 hours away. Seriously, go look up Saskatoon on a map. Brutal.
Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: ajgs500 on July 15, 2006, 06:09:44 PM
Very Very nice!!  :thumb:
Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: groff22 on July 15, 2006, 10:29:34 PM
Wow, nice move Grainbelt! The 650R is a killer cool looking ride! However, it looks too clean in that picture; you need to go out there and get her dirty :)
Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: Grainbelt on July 16, 2006, 08:48:37 AM
Quote from: groff22 on July 15, 2006, 10:29:34 PM
Wow, nice move Grainbelt! The 650R is a killer cool looking ride! However, it looks too clean in that picture; you need to go out there and get her dirty :)

Like riding it down a gravel road next to a canola field, within the first 200 clicks?

(http://grainbelt.smugmug.com/photos/81900485-L.jpg)

So far, I'm in love.  :oops:
Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: roguegeek on July 16, 2006, 12:54:21 PM
That's a sweet scheme we don't get here in the states with the gold frame, forks, shock, and swingarm. It's very nice. Still wish Kawi would have sent North America the naked version also.
Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: Yankee Punker on July 16, 2006, 01:12:28 PM
  Thats a sweet bike you've got there, but be nice to her for that break-in period, you still have the GS to get friskey with for a little while!   :cheers:
Title: Re: Moving on
Post by: yamahonkawazuki on July 16, 2006, 02:06:00 PM
Quote from: NiceGuysFinishLast on July 15, 2006, 04:13:44 PM
Quote from: ajgs500 on July 15, 2006, 11:58:13 AM
AJ bite Tad in the ass.

I'd want to be put down after that too.. you'd NEVER be able to get the taste out of your mouth...
that would never work or happen. 1. tads a male, and 2. aj plays for the other team, and 3. pastrami would get hella jealous/pissed
Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: blue05twin on July 16, 2006, 06:25:39 PM
Really nice bike, wish they had that color down here.
Break in periods suck, my wife is haveing a hard time keeping her gixr under 7k  :laugh:
Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: Yankee Punker on July 17, 2006, 01:47:48 PM
  By the way have you cut that fender off yet ?  :thumb:
Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: baco99 on July 19, 2006, 05:47:26 AM
nice looking bike!
Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: Jake D on July 19, 2006, 06:39:43 AM
The Canadian color is better.  In the U.S., you can get them in black too.  That frame and rear suspension would look awsome with the black body work.  Congrats!  That is supposed to be a great bike (it won't touch the SV though!  Ha hahaa).
Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: GS Jenn on July 19, 2006, 12:42:21 PM
Very nice looking bike. Come on out to Alberta and let it play in the mountains!
Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: Grainbelt on July 19, 2006, 02:33:47 PM
All in good time. Once its broken in and I get luggage, I will def. be out there. Hoping late aug/september timeframe.

its so flat here that my chicken strips are OSTRICH strips.  :mad:
Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: metallic5spd on July 20, 2006, 04:42:34 AM
h0ws the power compared to the 500, and also, how is it sitting on it, are they more race handlebarrs, or more stupid raised bars, like the gs.   are you leaning forward more on it or not?
Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: Jake D on July 20, 2006, 09:45:08 AM
It pretty much has the same handle bars as the GS (at least the U.S. version does).
Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: Grainbelt on July 20, 2006, 10:40:11 AM
Quote from: metallic5spd on July 20, 2006, 04:42:34 AM
How is the power compared to the 500? How is the seating position, does it have clipons or tubular bars like the GS?  Are you leaning forward more on it or not?

My apologies, I had to edit your post -- I have spelling and grammar OCD.

Break-in is pretty much over, and I've done a few WFO runs to 8-9k. Pulls clean from 2k, fuel injection is very well sorted. Midrange is very healthy, quite a bit more torque than the GS. Feels different in that my GS screamed from 7k up -- the Ninja has a more linear delivery AND more power across the entire range.

The Ninja 650R has tubular bars. The ergonomics are identical to my 93 GS500.  Stupid? Not IMHO.

Title: Re: Moving on - Its MINE!! - Pics added
Post by: scratch on July 20, 2006, 12:49:52 PM
Awesome!  :thumb: Nice pictures!  Glad you enjoy the bike!  :thumb: