I've been having a Ninja 1000 a little over a year now. It's a great bike. I got a 2017 left over at the dealership at a great price. My previous bike was a Ninja 400. Was an easy upgrade. My only complaint, is the stock seat starts to hurt after riding an hour. I suggest getting an aftermarket seat.
I have the 2018 and left it in L2 until it was broken in. Now F2 to keep the front wheel planted when I hammer the throttle. Love it. The Hard bags are great and come off in seconds. I take it out for long weekend runs and it's perfect even in the rain L3. I did change the seat. Now I don't keep sliding into the tank and my butt is not numb after an hour. One tip, get a radiator guard. It will save you $650 for a new radiator. not including labor.
I think sometimes people that get the ninja 1000 are coming to it from lighter weight bikes. It's price point and more road oriented powerband compared to the ZX-10r make it much more attractive to the people who are in the market for the first "Big bike". Why is that relevant? Well I think many 600 and smaller displacement bikes let you get away with bad form on bikes, especially if you come from a bike like a dual sport with those wide handlebars. They are so flickable and easy to muscle into a corner you can get away with not leaning into a corner with your body. When you get to a big bike like this you just can't use counter steering only. When I picked up mine I felt it was heavy in the corners too, but I realized I was also in the habit of not leaning into the corner, once I started leaning, it turned in no problem and I frequently don't even have to counter steer. Basically any bike with wide and high handlebars is going to let you muscle into corners using counter steering and not having to lean in as much as the lower clip on style. I suspect that's the issue.
i agree with that. My 650 being a 2012 really prepared me for the weight as my bike sits at 470lbs with a full tank. the 2018 1000 is 516lbs with full tank...so the 40lb difference was "feelable" but was not really feeling slow or delayed or out of control. I think I am in the habit of leaning for that reason. The power was more than enough as well. The 600s are lighter and faster and because you basically lay on them at speed, the entire experience is different, bringing your weight lower adds a lot to control...but the 1000sx isn't meant for that. you can have all the fun in the world on the thing, but at the end of the day it is slower than the zx10 and more comfortable for a reason...long rides, useable performance vs short rides with nothing but performance lol. I can not stand the lay down ride positions. They kill my wrists or my back in stop and go traffic which is a good chunk of what I experience. thanks for watching and commenting. I still think the 1000 is lb for lb one of the best permanent bike choices a person can make. It brings a lot to the table for a reasonable price. Ride safe!
Many riders say that putting on a 55 rear tire will help with better corner handling. Why is this? I have a 2019 N1K and am looking at the Michelin Road 6s. If the 55 rear helps with handling then I’ll go that route. Appreciate the insight!
Hello there, that's a great video. I was wondering if i could buy this bike as a first bike and keep it in Rain mode for a couple of years in order to learn riding rather than buying a 600cc and then get on the Ninja.
I think that would honestly depend on the rider. The short answer is "yes, you could". That being said, this bike was so much faster than my 650. It was heavier, took a tad more skill to maneuver it for that reason, it will seem much more massive to a new rider...but if you respect the machine and what it can do to you if you are not careful, then yeah, this would be an amazing bike to learn and grow into. One thing worth noting, the insurance costs on a 1 liter bike are going to probably be 3x what it would be on a 650.
@@716Flat4 Thank you very much for your clear and honest opinion. I am very close to what you describe, I want to learn carefully and always respect the bike. I believe in my age I feel mature and can limit myself, so this is the good part. I have been a passenger to a liter bike and basically the rider explained me that if you ride the bike until 5 to 6k rpm it's almost the same as a 600cc bike. This Ninja 1000 is one of the most beautiful bikes out there, that suits me the best as a style. Let's hope I will get soon. I really want it.
If this was your first sport bike you probably wouldn't notice it trying to stand up in the corners. I was used to sport bikes falling into the turns and yeah this Ninja 1k I was fighting I was so used to that true sportbike. I heard putting a 55 tire on the back fixes it though so doing that next on my Ninja 1000. I got one too but yes it does fight you a bit compared to a true sport bike with stock 50 rear tire on it.
I don't ride super sports, I stick to upright positions. 400, 650, 1000, mt10, mt09, rs900. I've been on them all. I've also test ride a zx6r and 600rr. Of course the last 2 performed better with cutting curves...but the 1000 was incredibly stable compared to other upright bikes. For instance, the ninja 1000 handles much better than the mt10/9. But I can understand what you are saying when compared to a SuperSport. The zx10 absolutely handles better... But it is not nearly as comfortable nor as capable in stop and go traffic. That is probably why I didn't notice it pulling up in a corner, just because I was comparing it to more similar bike class
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@@716Flat4 Hahaha. Well, I'm going to make a decision in 2020 whether to tune (suspension, seat, controls, ecu, exhaust, cosmetics) my MT-09 or trade for something else. I've been researching the new products coming. Also like the idea of the Duke 890R.
@@exothermal.sprocket The features of 2020 are nice... but all black in 2019 looks sick. I have a z900 rn that ill put some more miles on before deciding.
@@Flyingsangwich Z900 is a great bike. I had one for a year. The updates to the Z900 are also very nice. Better seat. Better display. Much better headlight style (and LED). One issue I've had is the fact they keep manufacturing the Z800 forks/brakes, and put nicer forks/brakes on the RS/RS Cafe model but stick with non-radials for the Z900.
Do you think a responsible new rider (read older and past the 2 fast 2 furious stage of life) could start on this bike safely? I plan to use the bike as a tourer (eventually 2 up). I ask because I was going to go with a new Ninja 650 with panniers but I like the fact that the newer Ninja 1000s have the IMU, KTRC (speed modes), and KIBS ABS the combination of which should help prevent high and low side crashes. I would initially ride the bike in low power mode, possibly with a mechanical throttle block just in case.
A newer one with electronic controls should be fine for a responsible rider. If you got an older one I would be concerned as the way it delivers power is deceiving and could easily get you into trouble. I test rode in low power 3. It was fast enough in that setting for me to ride outside of my skills. but low power 1 restricts a lot more. This is the ultimate starter bike for a mature person because you WILL NOT grow out of its performance abilities. Safe riding man!
This is not a good first bike. Start with a Ninja 300 or 400 for at least a year or two. Beginner bikes hold their value extremely well so you probably won’t lose much.
@@mark52111 for sure, I ended up with a CBR500R and I love it. The negative of going with a beginner bike is that I've already outgrown the power, even with the intake mod, full exhaust, and ECU tune. I'm looking to get a Ninja 1000 SX, ZX-14R, or Councours 14 within a year or so but I'll be keeping the CBR500R because if the excellent fuel economy and ergonomics.
having owned both bikes, grips definitely are more angled on the 400. seating position is more upright on the 1000. both great bikes and both very different.
Oh man it is much better than my 650. All bikes have some kind of vibration...but everything about the N1K could be described as smooth. I wasn't able to buy it yet...but I am saving. This is my dream bike. Upright ride, 1000 performance, comfort, technology and a decent exhaust sound stock.
@@716Flat4 sounds great! I came from diffent bikes already my main issue wth those bikes i had was the vibration on the hndlebar.gsxs1000 worst ever!2nd is the versys 1000 , now i am using a z900rs cafe ,just curious on the N1k..
@@CAPTAINPAUL01 I wish I could give you a comparison against those but I have only squeezed about 6 tanks so far and none of them were those models. the 400 was smooth but still had vibration. my 650 vibrates and after a couple hours your hands will have strange tingles like when we were kids on bikes. the harley I rode...forget that one lol. the N1K is hands down the best bike I have had the pleasure to ride. I did notice when I played with the gearing thet there is a range where it gives vibration...but that thing pulls in 1st the same as 3rd unless you are racing so no matter the situation you should be able to avoid that small range.
honestly probably better than any other bike I have been on. It is a sport touring bike, you can even get side saddle cases. On my 650, which is a cheaper and slower version of this bike, I have ridden for 6+ straight hours with only minor aches after. If you put long hours on the seat, the N1K is the king of choices to ride imho.
@@InsanityJoe87 I have not been on an 06 650....so I can not say for sure, but I have to imagine the N1k will be better. either way, long rides on anything but a bike with a backrest will grind on you a little.
I have been rideing on a Honda cb300f for about two years now and have been thinking about upgrading to a bigger bike for me and my gf would this be to aggressive a bike for me??
if you got a newer one it probably would be fine. The new versions have the power modes so you can restrict throttle response to make it more friendly and then allow yourself to grow into the power. that being said, it is a 1000...so unrestricted it will be very very fast. My experience riding it was on low power setting 3. It felt incredibly smooth.
@@716Flat4 ok thanks I have been looking at a 2020 Ninja 1000sx I'm kind of pulled in between it and a 2020 Honda cb650r the sales rep said that those two were my best options if me and gf was going to be riding together
@@donniesimpson4608 I ended up buying a used 650 to learn on. It is basically a larger 300, still 2 cylinders. the 1000 is a different class of bike with 4 cylinders. it will cost more on insurance but will give you more room to grow into. thankfully, the weight difference between my older 650 and the newer 1000 is very small, so I am confident you can walk into either bike safely so long as you operate them safely. I am 3 years into riding now and am in need of an upgrade now too lol.
5'9" - 5'10" depending who measures. I have short legs and while it was a smidge taller than my 2012 650, I could flat foot with my bots on. The bike was very welcoming for its size IMO.
@@716Flat4 oh ok, I was looking for something bigger and manageable, I'm 6 feet and looking into a fist bike, I'm not worried about how much power the bike has, is the power linear ? Or instant?
@@davesandroiddevice20 very linear. Smooooth as a butter. It can definitely dig down and blast off but you get power through the entire rev range so it's not like a punch to the face. It will absolutely fit someone bigger than you. I think only people maybe 6'3-6'4""+ would start feeling cramped.
I’m 6’1” and my perception is that the N1000 has a relatively tall seat, perfectly fine for my height. Shorter riders may struggle with getting feet on ground unlike something like a ninja 300/400.
