Ninja 1000 Windscreen? and other questions.

[jeffreyjames]

Hi All,

To those that own, or have ridden the Ninja 1000.. How's the windscreen?  Tell me about your experience with it.. How is the wind bubble?  

I'd love to hear where the wind hits, in the different positions.. Do you like it?  I won't be riding in a crouched down position too often..

Also, have you noticed the seat being as uncomfortable as some have said?  

Any aftermarket parts yet? (ie: screen, seat, exhaust?

[jeffreyjames]

Also.. ARE YOU GLAD YOU BOUGHT IT?!

[jbird666]

low is typical sport bike......and all the way up gives good protection. I'm 6' and the wind pretty much hits the very top of my helmet. There will be better screens offered I'm sure......and I'll get one.....about 50-50 on a little more coverage and I'd like a light smoke color.

I've always owned standards and naked's. I'm really happy with mine.

[jeffreyjames]

I noticed that the screen is oddly shaped on the sides. Does anyone know why this is, and what the effect, or any negative is because of it?

[ray916mn]

Cut outs are to accommodate the bars at full lock.

I'm 5'6". Low is sportbike comfortable. Blast hits me across the shoulder level. High position relieves some pressure but leaves my head in a little turbulence. I prefer to leave it in the low position.

For me it is the most upright bike I've probably ever owned. If lower bars become available I'll probably try them. It is a very good bike. Easier for me to go fast on than my '08 CBR1000RR, especially on less than perfect pavement, but not as capable when really pressed. Great combination of stability and agility, but not sportbike sharp and agile.

The seat isn't too bad. I've done a 600 mi. twisty day and it was tolerable. If Sargeant made a seat for it, I'd probably buy it. I weigh 175. I'd imagine that heavier folks might fight it less tolerable than me.

[Jetpilot5]

Akrapovic is making slip-ons for it.

[JSharp]

I have 1000+ miles on mine now and yes, I'm glad I bought it. I was in the local shop yesterday and checked out a few more bikes that I didn't look at this winter. That just confirmed I made the right choice. The riding position works great for me and is about as sporty as I can deal with anymore.

As others have said the windshield when low is like a sportbike. High offers the most protection but you'll get buffeting in certain wind conditions. That's a lot of the time in Illinois. I run mine in the middle pretty much all the time.  The screen and fairing are narrow. No big deal if you came off a naked bike, but it won't feel like much protection if you had something larger.

The stock seat is crap. Hard as a board and it pushes you forward all the time. Corbin and Baldwin are making seats for it now and Sargent is working on one.  That'll be my next purchase once I decide what brand I want.

I did a fender eliminator and ordered a 1 tooth larger countershaft sprocket since the bike is geared pretty low stock. 4K RPM at 60MPH. Given how tractable the engine is it sure doesn't need that much gear to be fun.

The brake pads aren't very aggressive either. It has plenty of braking power, it just takes a bit of lever pressure to get it. I thought they'd get better as they wore in but I'm still underwhelmed. So better pads and braided lines are also on my list.

[marklawrence]

Mine has 3000 miles on it. Here's my review:

http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Ninja1000.html

[squeezer]

Mine has 3000 miles on it. Here's my review:

http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Ninja1000.html

Primo review.  

[FALCONSEYE]

Mine has 3000 miles on it. Here's my review:

http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Ninja1000.html

Nice review. Funny that I moved to Denver from Sacramento driving an 87 toyota celica gt for 1727 miles in 3 days. Had a great time in Sacramento.

What was your mpg in that trip? Did you feel like you get pushed around a lot in those strong side winds?

[blkrabit]

Ditto on the seat. I found myself sliding forward if I didn't pay attention. I like the fact that it's narrow at the front, but that's only comfortable if you're in the twisties. I'm still breaking the motor in (thanks M. Lawrence), so I've only got 50 miles on it so far. Still, I'd really like to put a new saddle on ASAP. I have a Corbin on the VFR, but I've always liked the look of Sargent seats. I've never spent any significant time on a Sargent, so I'd be interested in hearing your collective opinion before I buy.

The first thing I'm going to get are some swingarm spools and a rear stand. The stock grips also feel like they're about 1mm thick, so a set of ProGrips is also on the horizon. Future upgrades will include stainless front lines and perhaps a set of Leo Vince pipes.

Re: the windscreen, I've only ridden with it in its lowest position up to now. I'm 6'1", and in that position the wind going past my helmet is pretty smooth. I imagine raising the screen is only going to make things noisier. This bike is much more sporty than "tour-ey", so don't expect an R1200RT-type experience.

In case anyone's wondering about heat issues, I can say that I haven't felt any significant heat on either leg so far. My right shin does rub on the clutch cover with my foot down, but that's a minor issue. Perhaps those who live in warmer climes may have some concern about engine heat. but here in western Oregon, I don't think it will be a problem.

Another note: if you replace your stock filter with a Purolator PL14610 (thanks M. Lawrence), there's not a lot of clearance between the front of the filter and the lower cowling - roughly an eighth of an inch. I was able to wiggle a strap wrench past the cowl, but I had to be very careful not to scratch it.

[ray916mn]

Ditto on the seat. I found myself sliding forward if I didn't pay attention. I like the fact that it's narrow at the front, but that's only comfortable if you're in the twisties. I'm still breaking the motor in (thanks M. Lawrence), so I've only got 50 miles on it so far. Still, I'd really like to put a new saddle on ASAP. I have a Corbin on the VFR, but I've always liked the look of Sargent seats. I've never spent any significant time on a Sargent, so I'd be interested in hearing your collective opinion before I buy.

The first thing I'm going to get are some swingarm spools and a rear stand. The stock grips also feel like they're about 1mm thick, so a set of ProGrips is also on the horizon. Future upgrades will include stainless front lines and perhaps a set of Leo Vince pipes.

Re: the windscreen, I've only ridden with it in its lowest position up to now. I'm 6'1", and in that position the wind going past my helmet is pretty smooth. I imagine raising the screen is only going to make things noisier. This bike is much more sporty than "tour-ey", so don't expect an R1200RT-type experience.

....

Another note: if you replace your stock filter with a Purolator PL14610 (thanks M. Lawrence), there's not a lot of clearance between the front of the filter and the lower cowling - roughly an eighth of an inch. I was able to wiggle a strap wrench past the cowl, but I had to be very careful not to scratch it.

The Sargent seat is still in development so who knows how good it will be. You can pre-register for free. When it becomes available "late summer" they'll let you know and send you a discount coupon. http://www.sargentcycle.com/kawwsz1000ninja.htm . You want one now, Corbin and Baldwin Motorbike Saddles http://www.motorbikesaddles.com/Kawasaki%20Ninja%201000.htm are the only choices right now. Personally, I'm waiting for the Sargent seat.

The stock mufflers sit low enough and close enough that swingarm spools foul the mufflers when the suspension is fully compressed. Apparently even the Kawasaki factory spools come with instructions which indicate that the spools need to be removed before the bike is ridden. I've used a padded land type stand, although it was a pain to fit due to the rear brake caliper getting in the way. The Akro slip ons solve the problem and are supposed to as quiet as stock with the quiet baffle in. A measly $1k. I have to give some credit to those who bitch and moan about the bike not having a center stand. Lack of a center stand coupled with whack mufflers make this much more of a PITA than it needs to be.

A cap style filter wrench works fine on the factory filter and the end of it is easily accessible with a socket extension and ratchet. Zero risk of fouling the bodywork. Turns out the one I have for my CBR fits perfectly.

[jbird666]

Here's a link to a post I wrote...........

http://www.riderforums.com/showthread.php?64510-Baldwin-Seats

The Baldwin has cured the seat problem for me......and my wife likes her's also. I guess the real test will be in a few weeks when we ride up to PEI. It will be a 1500 mile run or so.