[munnas0910]

Hey there

I am just about to take delivery of my new 2016 Black Ninja 1000 ABS. This is my first upgrade from a learner legal Honda CB 500x and was wondering whether any experienced N1K owners had an tips on what I can expect from my new bike and any essential modifications I might want to consider.

I have heard that the headlights are pretty ordinary and am also aware that the seat comfort is questionable. Are these concerns just from early models or is this something I might need to look into.

Am pretty excited about the new ride so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

 

[GaryK]

Welcome!

I don't actually know the changes made from the 14/15 -16. I would encourage you to get to know it a bit before making changes, especially things that are rider oriented like the seats... you may actually find that neither of these items is that bad....

With that said...

If they have not changed the gearing.. that is the must have mod for the bike. On previous versions the gears were so short that you could barely do the speed limit during break-in, because you were spinning so much rpm. Many of us changed the front sprocket (its very inexpensive) and because of the engines torque you lose very little in terms of performance. If you are a 6 footer the oe windscreen is another area I recommend.. after market screens are more solid and provide more comfort at 75mph from buffeting. The last must have mod are spools for the rear.. be careful the n1k's tend to use a smaller spool to clear the exhaust. Do a search on the forums you will find them.

 

[munnas0910]

thanks for the tips GaryK

I am trying to decipher all the opinions/information on the forums so think I will take your advice and just get to know the bike for a while.

I test rode the bike for about half an hour and got both freeway and street perspectives and am already searching for after market windscreen as I had to do the same on my Honda. On test riding on freeway after hopping off the Honda with Givi touring screen, it was a little daunting to feel he wind on the chest again ?

Will also check out further information on gearing mods.

Cheers

 

[ToNY97]

Welcome
Location? Cali?

Have they raised the msrp for '16? I don't even see '16 on their website.

 

[Jeckler]

I don't think they've even announced '16 for the US yet. That's why it's always a good idea to put your location in your profile. Since the '16 has a slipper/assist clutch in AU, for instance, it's assumed the US bikes will have it as well. Just not sure on color choice(s).
That can be fitted to a '14-'15 though, and has, using the Versus 1k parts fiche. If that's the only diff between them and you can score a good deal on a '14 or '15, like I did, not to toot my own horn (too much), you'll most likely still come out ahead, unless you don't do the swap yourself.

 

[mrsand]

Welcome

Welcome,

There is a ton of comments, advice, and how to do's on this forum and elsewhere. People are friendly and try to help when its needed.

I have a 2014 (6500 miles) and have not changed anything yet. I might get a tinted upgrade on the sport shield and some grips. The gearing or seat does not bother me.

So far no problems with the bikes mechanical's. Enjoy the ride..........

 

[munnas0910]

Thanks Guys

Apologies, I should have mentioned.. I am in Australia and yeah, I belive this model has only been out for about 6-8 weeks here ?

It does have the slipper clutch and 2 colours available here are obviously the candy green and I myself have gone with the Metallic Carbon Grey with Metallic Spark Black !
I thought I might have been picking up tomorrow but looks like it could take another day or so... I am using matchsticks to keep my eyes open as I havent slept the past few nights with excitement as this is my first upgrade after Learner legal...lol

Will post some picks up as soon as I can and thanks for the replies.

cheers

Andrew

 

[munnas0910]

from what I understand, they are retailing here for about $15.7 - 16k aud + on roads

 

[munnas0910]

Pick up

So hey

I am sitting here at home on a friday night with a massive grin on my face. Picked her up tonight with 5kms on the clock.

All I can say is she Purrrz !

Couple of questions that someone may be able to clarify before I have to ring the dealer. Riding her home, traffic was pretty crap and sitting in traffic, she got pretty hot. Funny thing is that my legs got hot and I couldnt hear a fan kick in to cool her down. Anyways, once I started moving, she cooled down but when I had my first pull up (around say 30kms)... temperature guage was sitting at 98c ?

Is this of concern ?

Once I hit the freeway, she cooled right down to 70c... Is this a break in thing or have I got a problem maybe ?

Will be posting Pix tomoroz as it was well and truly dark when I left dealer... but under lights, it looks totally f'ing awesome !

 

[Jeckler]

I went through this last night on mine. On surface streets, it was running right around 205-208F (96-98C). It would drop to around 200 (93) once in between stop lights. I'm doing a hard break-in though, so mine might be a little higher than normal, plus it's 110 (43) outside. I don't have it in front of me, but I think I read that the fan should come on around 215 (102). I forgot when it turns back off though.

 

[angelo112233]

Slipper clutch

 

[munnas0910]

yeah, apparently running hot is all good... per dealer ? Not quite as hot here but yeah, mine is running around 80-90c most of the time. She certainly Doesn't like traffic... Think shes in for a tough time !! gunna be nice in winter, but not sure about 43c mate ?

 

[munnas0910]

yep, slipper clutch is a god send... and traction control, save my bacon in a hot gear change today... soo nice !!

 

[munnas0910]

but for the life of me, can anyone explain why manufacturers of sport-bikes have this 1 headlight deal ??? It kinda doesnt make sense, I mean how much power can a headlamp suck ? Any solutions on switch fixes or replacements if necessary ?

 

[Jeckler]

Probably the best way.... bkmoto projector/HID/angel eye conversion.
Otherwise, lower the high beam reflector and just run it on high all the time. Not as efficient and you actually lose the 'normal' high beam capability. I was going to (maybe... probably not) try an H4 conversion, but it seems the reflector is different in the left light, so still wouldn't be perfect.

 

[Clint1975]

yep, slipper clutch is a god send... and traction control, save my bacon in a hot gear change today... soo nice !!

Hey Mannus0910. I trust you're enjoying the new machine. I'm working towards upgrading to the 2016 N1K early next year. Could you kindly tell me what the Slipper Clutch is like in use? Have you ridden any earlier models to compare it to? Cheers mate.

 

[rcannon409]

Sir, your fan thing is normal. The modern bikes do run around 200 degrees, all the time. Couple that with zero airflow, and the fan will come on. So does your car, but it wont blow air all over your legs.

I added the slipper clutch to my 2012 ninja 1000. Its a better clutch. You'd notice its lighter pull, smoother engagement, and a smoother sensation when shifting. Its a good upgrade.

 

[omniron]

I bought a 2015 black-on-black N1K last November. Ninja means stealth and black is the color, right? It has almost 15,000 miles on the clock now. I usually put about 300 miles on a day ride, once a week on Saturdays. The N1K is a wonderful bike that does everything well and some things great. Although 6th gear is higher from 2014 and later with this bike, I am still thinking about a change of front sprocket when that time comes for a new chain, etc.

The engine temps you are seeing are fine. I live in St. George, UT, with triple digit summer temperatures (102-110 F). It's similar to Las Vegas, but not as high as Mesa and Phoenix. This summer, three others and myself took a 5-day trip into Arizona looking for curvy roads in the Apache and Tonto National Forest areas. We went as far south as Safford, AZ and saw some pretty high ambient temps in the afternoons. The fan comes on at about 215-220 F on my bike, usually in traffic, then shuts off at about 195 F.

I use a vStream touring screen in summer and a vStream Tall in winter. I really like them. I also use heated gear for winter, plugged in through a Powerlet jack.

Regarding the single headlight issue, I have heard that comes from Kawasaki's racing bikes ...kind of a branding thing for consumers. It's dumb. Not a lot of easy conversion options and no good additional lighting mount choices, either. I try to not ride at night, but wear hi-viz gear to be seen in the daytime.

One last thing. The OEM 28L KQR saddlebags are really good. Visually, they look good on the bike but they also carry a good load. I enjoy the quick release feature that the previous bags by GIVI lacked. If you do any distance riding, they are a good choice. The list price is steep, but most dealers are discounting them ...at least in the U.S.

 

[munnas0910]

Hey Mannus0910. I trust you're enjoying the new machine. I'm working towards upgrading to the 2016 N1K early next year. Could you kindly tell me what the Slipper Clutch is like in use? Have you ridden any earlier models to compare it to? Cheers mate.

Hey Clint1975

To be honest, this is the first upgrade from my learner legal Honda CB500x. I have had the Ninja 2 weeks now and can report that the slipper clutch is great. I did a bit of research and it is living up to everything they say about them. definitely lighter pull, changing down gears is a breeze and engine breaking is hardly noticeable even when changing back to 1st at the lights... makes it so easy going into corners and bike feel effortlessly stable.

 

[Clint1975]

Thanks munnas0910. Apart from the write-up on the 2016 N1K on the Kawasaki.com.au website (which is practically the same as the previous model), there really isn't anything further I can find online about any other refinements / improvements / additions etc. Is there anything else / new about the 2016 N1K that you've noticed. It was hard to tell, but looking at the headlights, it almost looked like they've got LED bulbs now? Is that right or are still halogen?