Good points, thanks. I enjoyed riding freeways and roads for 15 years on the Ninja 250s, where they could keep up with traffic and pass it often as needed. The only weakness was going up hills, where it needed momentum if going to pass other vehicles at a good pace. Moving up to the '21 Ninja 650, it would have absolutely gotten me into trouble if it was my first bike, as the power is much greater than my 250s and I was saved by them for having less power a few times when speed would've gotten me into big trouble with road enforcement or road conditions. I agree, for public roads where rules are set, the Ninja 650 excels and is a great motorcycle, agile, fuel efficient, long-lasting and fun to ride.
Started my street career on the 1985 600r Ninja and I have it still. I didn’t die. I respected the bike and built my skills. The only time I ever dropped it was at a stand still when the front wheel went into a small pothole that turned it sideways facing downhill. Been through a lot of bikes in 40 yrs but this would be a good choice at this point. Love the paint and the seat hight the old back ain’t what it used to be. I honestly don’t see anything I’d change from stock including the exhaust which is rare for me but a gold tinted windscreen would be swapped out to complete the Master Chief look
Nice review of the 2024 Ninja 650. I have a '21, and a fun bike overall and fully capable on freeways and backroads too. I graduated up from the Ninja 250s, which I had a blast with for 15+ years of riding, again on freeways and backroads. This has that extra power I was hoping for though going up hills, which it handles without any struggle, compared to my prior traded in 250s. But I'll say, if you're not in a race, the Ninja 250 is a ton of fun for many years in my opinion too.
So dope that you’re in the Bellevue area. I was debating on getting this bike at Bellevue Motorsports so it’s cool to see you test drive around where I live haha
I've had my 2009 Ninja 650 since 2012. Still runs great, and it's comfortable. Was a fantastic beginner bike with enough power to have fun and get out of situations like you said, but not so much that I could really get in tons of trouble as a young 17/18 year old. Only downside of mine I'm glad Kawasaki has changed is you have to basically take the majority of fairings off to change the oil on mine. I still have it keep around for nostalgia and fun relaxed rides now. Great review!
I've gone on a binge of motorcycle reviews, honda cb650r, mt 07, triumph trident 660 and so on, and you are making me want to buy this bike because your review is so much fucking better.
It only revs to about 8000rpm so it gives up the ghost at the top end. And in my opinion, it sounds like a 125. I wanted a ninja 650 but now I’ve diverted my search for CBR650Rs or CBR650Fs
Just discovered this channel!!! Love your content! You gained a new subscriber …. Looking forward to more great reviews and watching your channel grow!!!
Excellent review! I agree with 99% of what you said, except I absolutely hate the look of the stock muffler but I won't change it because I like quiet bikes, and hate the sound of the exhausts that fit on this bike. I've had mine since 2018 and absolutely love it ! I been riding since 1985 (62 yo).. most of which were 600 & 750cc track bikes. I may invest in the upcoming Ninja 7 in 2024 as a novelty to add to my stable. ( a Hybrid built on the Ninja 650 and 400 platform )
Just got my 650 a couple of months ago as my first bike. 2020 KRT edition with 6500 kilometers on it. Super happy with it. Fast, but not scary fast, easy to drive, reliable, light, comfortable and works well on poorly maintained Norwegian roads. Would highly recommend this as a first bike.
Idk why they put traction control on this bike. I own a 22 and have never spun the back wheel without trying. This is a perfect bike for a beginner or someone wanting fun/cheap transportation. As a beginner, this is great weekend toy. For an experienced rider, it’s cheap/fun transportation. Owning one, I can say this is a great video representing the bike.
I’ve only ever found it handy in the rain. 40 yrs of riding never needed anything like that but after a long wet ride you get sloppy when tired so that’s when I find it handy. Things like gear indicators and antilock brakes never existed hell we had to swish the tank back and forth to figure out how much gas we had. I have still not found a use for a gear indicator anywhere off the track
i only ride i am going from an r3 to this mostly to build credit while i save the cash to get a zx10r for the track but also the traction control helps in the rain and on ahit utah roads
Bike DOES have range estimate, easily accessed by left bar "down" button. Scrolls through 5 or 6 parameters. (Also accessed by right side button of TFT, which is all you had before '23 model got traction control and selector button.)
Enjoy your reviews (most notably - this one and the GSX 8R)! I would note that the Ninja is not just for beginners, I'll be 57 this year and have had a few bikes in my lifetime. I am now selling my 2018 Vstrom 650 so I can reduce my inventory to a bike of 1 (garage space limitations etc), that being my current 2023 Ninja 650 KTR edition w/ABS. Fun bike with plenty of zest, enough not to get into trouble. I have honestly considered swapping for the 8R but not sure I'm yet convinced (love the quick shifter and reversed front forks, the HP and torque - but is it enough to part ways with the reliable and venerable Ninja 650. Keep up the great work!
i am annexperienced rider and after selling a 2005 sv650 i am torn between me 3 bikes, z650, hornet 750 or gsx8s. z650 looks the best, its the cheapest in my country but i am just affraid 68hp isn't enough even though i am a relaxed rider and daily use a 27hp scooter.
@@farmoboy83 I think the Ninja 650 has adequate power - it's a lot of fun on the road. IMO the downside is the vibration effects once you are at 5,000 rpm and above for sustained periods (highway speeds for longer duration). I can do btw 1.5/2 hrs of highway speeds and then need a break. I think it just comes down to what's most important to you, how you intend to ride most of the time and what bike fulfills those needs and fits you best.
We really needed a Doug Demuro biker twin. I got my Z650 2023 in september, I'm very happy with it. First bike ever at 39 years old. Though I'm more of a commuter I couldn't resist remapping and changing the exhaust. It was really painful to me because the original exhaust was glorious. The roadsitalia special isn't on par but is sounds far better. Now the map tells me something. This engine hides it's power, because without even trying if you accelerate in 2nd gear it wants to look at the sky and good thing I still use it on KRTC2 because it lifts the tire without me even trying to do a wheelie, as I am not experienced enough and also not that much of a daredevil.
Great review mate. I was torn between the Ninja 400 (soon to be 500) or the CBR650R for upgrading from my XSR 125. The Ninja 650 fits in as the perfect bike for me. There are a couple of important issues though. One is the looks, I don't like'em and the CBR looks like Marilyn Monroe in comparison. The second one is the sound vs the inline 4. But to be fair, this earns the title of beginner bike, the CBR does not, probably not a fair comparison.
Yeah Ninja 650 is probably the highest power plant that I’d recommend as a beginner/intermediate friendly bike. Anything higher and it’s definitely going to be a pro level bike.
I've been riding 250cc & 300cc for 15 years, 0 accidents 0 scratches. Never got into a trouble I needed to escape with speed. Don't ever take advice from a fast rider, especially one that's trying to sell you one. Everything on the road will get you off the bike when you go fast: running cat, running dog, pothole, broken chain, rubber from a car's tire and the list goes on... try escaping that with speed. Whatever you choose to ride with, just stay safe and ride smart
the throttle vibrates like crazy tho! specially in high revs. Tried the Moto 650 and the comfort is night and day. But that bike is heavy and the very torquey
Guys I’m 6,5, you think I would have trouble ? I already don’t fit my friends bicycles, gonna have same problem with motorbike ? Does it come just 1 size ? Nice vid :)
hey i wanna get the 650 as my first bike. but im kinda tall 6`7 (202cm) so would you say the bike is good for tall riders or should i look for something different?? great review btw!!!
Hmm that’s probably a bit too tall for this category of bike in general no matter the brand. I’d recommend a cruiser for your kind of height. Thanks for watching!
Scale of 1-10 what would rate this bike? I’m thinking bout grabbing this one as my first bike same color and all, only thing is I think the KRT is the only one with Abs right?
The army green can be in ABS or non-ABS, the KRT is only ABS, the gray colors are all non-ABS at the time of writing this comment per Kawi’s configurator tool on their website.
I dunno, I have a 2023 model I picked up in April, and on the country lanes for the Midlands of England, it's an amazing amount of fun and I'm yet to get bored. (I've ridden for 27 years and this is my 28th bike, I've ridden all thing from super sports, to classics, to hacks, but this bike is fun!)
Watch gixxer brah video on the 650 it’s got plenty, it’s all about the rider. I also just bought a 2024 650 KRT and rode it 110 miles away from home to pick it up and I’ve loved every mile of it
Inline 4's have no character. V-Twins do. My friends Ducati Monster Dark with Delavic shorties had an exhaust note that I loved. Maybe even just a little better than my 1600cc Harley Twin Cam. I was considering an Ninja 650 as a second bike. Something light and Flickable yet comfy enough to ride all day. I was ready to pull the trigger but the only bike I could find in stock was the white one. I wanted the black or maybe even Kawasaki green. Since then I reinjured my knee and am thinking about getting one as a primary bike as the ol Hog is a bit heavy and the primary on the twin cam is wider than every other generation of Harley and makes it hard to back out in dirt, grass, and loose gravel.
Ninja 400 is close enough to the power and general specs of this 650 that I’d say the upgrade isn’t really worth the price difference between selling your bike used and buying this new. I’d recommend a BMW F900R if you want to go to the next level!
Im missing something here. I been riding a 2005 kawasaki classic 1700 for 20 years and never went down . 3 months ago i bought a 2024 ninja 650 and took it out last week for first time, rode 1/4 mile to stop sign, turned right and went down , bike went right out from under me .
‼️PLEASE HELP‼️ i bought this exact bike. same color same year everything. i cracked my fairings and i CAN NOT FIND ANY. please someone help me find a set of fairings in this color!!!
Thanks for watching! Comfort is relative. You’ll be more comfortable on this than a ZX10R, but less comfy than on a Vulcan. Test ride it to see how comfortable it is. Cheers!
@@emadreviews i do t ride nor can i yet but if i did i would like this bike it seems very sleek and the headlights remind me of a ant or another bug which makes it look a little aggressive too
It makes sense as a first bike only if you are a heavy person that weights more than 80kg. For light riders, the 400 is a much better bike, 40kg lighter, and with a few modifications, can become even lighter and faster. Weight is king. I myself weight 65kg, and my 400 with mods, is under 150kg and 56HP, does 0~100km/h in less than 4s. That is a rock solid combination!
I came to the comments for this. I will say the ninja is between the two Hondas. Honda makes the 500 to make the maximum power for an A2 licence, and the 650 as the maximum allowed for an A2 with the bike restricted. The cbr650r is probably borderline not a begginer bike, where the Ninja definitely is.
It’s essentially the same as this bike. Comes down to preference. Same price, same power output, same etc. The only reason I didn’t include it in this video is because there doesn’t seem to be a 2024 model for CBR650R just yet.
14.05 I disagree with this opinion of the ninja 300 it's faster than 90% ofncars out there. Highest my speedo has shown is 115 (whilst still accelerating) but yes, a 650 is faster!
Imho and in my inexperienced opinion, the 650s are already too powerful for best beginner bike, because not anyone can hop on it with no exp and it would be easy to learn on, but it mught be best for someone who knows what they want and it does have perfect amount of power and not too little or too much. So it's best beginner bike if you want to stick with it for a while and it can do a lot of things without going crazy.
@@chrispekel5709 The ninja 650 can fit someone who's as short as 5'4 and go up to people who are 5'8. If you're taller than get naked bikes the Yamaha Mt-07 or the Suzuki GSXR-750.
