Tuesday, July 7, 2009

First Ride on the Ninja 500

Late this afternoon, I put the final touches on the 2002 Ninja 500 that would make it roadworthy. This included adding a high performance K&N air filter, installing the gas tank and adding new fuel, topping up the oil and a final inspection of cables, lights, etc.

This past weekend, the bike looked like this...



And after installing the tank today, it looked like this...





The Ninja fired up and sounded good. I let it run for a bit and then rechecked the oil...all was good. Next, the inaugural road test! I took the bike for a short run around town, monitoring all the systems and getting used to the feel of the bike...remember, I drive a cruiser! I did have to make a quick stop to adjust the clutch cable linkage.

I proceeded on about an 80km cruise, a combination of city driving and highway driving. The Ninja worked extremely well and I was very surprised at the power that it had, considering it is a 500cc twin. Cruising at 100km was not a problem and it was quite comfortable. I did notice that the bike likes high rpm's prior to shifting much better than low rpm's.

Overall, I am pleased with the way the "new to me" Ninja 500 turned out! Until next time, ride safe!

2 comments: