cbr 600 to ninja 300

19521 Views 25 Replies 12 Participants Last post by Mike, Oct 26, 2012

gitoy

Discussion Starter · Oct 14, 2012

just got back from angeles crest for about 54 miles of canyon riding...

i was in a group with 636, honda rvf 400, ninja 300, and my 07 cbr...these guys are fast and the 300 was able to keep up...

now the one with the 300 also has an s1000rr...he keeps spouting how much he prefers the 300 to his bmw...he says it is all day comfortable, solid flickable handling, good looks, blah, blah, blah...he was just gushing over it...so i am thinking that this is just a honeymoon phase and obviously pleased with his new bike...

i need a report on 300 owners that happen to own bigger sportbikes...i know that this is a new bike and have short term saddle time...but i need, should i say, an objective report, if i would enjoy the 300 more for canyon riding than my 600...

1 - 20 of 26 Posts

drefus94

· #2 · Oct 14, 2012

gitoy said:
i need a report on 300 owners that happen to own bigger sportbikes...i know that this is a new bike and have short term saddle time...but i need, should i say, an objective report, if i would enjoy the 300 more for canyon riding than my 600...

personally i do not own a 600cc bike.. my 300 is my first bike
i have ridden my friends old school ninja 636 (2004 i believe)
there is no better thrill than the scream of a 4 cylinder between your legs, the high revving engine and the high end hp. i can't wait to move up to a 600

if you'll be canyon riding for a majority of the time on your bike, obviously it's your decision as to whether or not you'd rather a lighter more agile bike compared to a mid-weight bike to flick through the corners of the canyons
street/city riding, there is no doubt about it that the 300 is the winner
80% of the time i'm riding it is cutting between traffic and backstreets.
but the 20% of the time im on long rides with winding corners and mates, the 300 is loads of fun. you can adjust your line mid corner with a flick your legs and it's stable all the way through

i reckon you ask your friend if you're able to test out his 300, even if it's just a couple of corners. that's the only way you'll know i think

dkw12002

· #3 · Oct 14, 2012

On YouTube skyline 44512 has a video entitled "Riding the Ninja 300" He says he rides a 600rr and is a MSF instructor. It's a pretty positive review.

Torchsport

· #4 · Oct 14, 2012

If I could only have one bike, it would NOT be a Ninja 300. But it's going to be a fun addition.

My $.02

gitoy

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 14, 2012

thanks for the youtube info dkw...would have enjoyed it more if the video quality was better...

hmmm...410 lbs v 379 lbs...100 hp v 39 hp...maybe numbers don't mean much...

anybody own a bigger sportbike for comparison?...

Mike

· #6 · Oct 14, 2012

dkw12002 said:
On YouTube skyline 44512 has a video entitled "Riding the Ninja 300" He says he rides a 600rr and is a MSF instructor. It's a pretty positive review.

That's me...I have posted these all on here too

I enjoy the 300 more than my 600RR for most types of riding. The 600 is now a track bike as it really never had any business on the street with 120HP all in the upper RPM range.

Here is my 600 hangin out with the new 300. I was letting a friend try the 300 and he agrees it is a blast and if he didn't go 130 every time he got on the highway he would replace his ZX10 with it

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Mike

· #7 · Oct 14, 2012

The same thing happened when I bought my WR250R, I almost stopped riding the CBR completely. The narrower tires and reduced weight makes it turn much faster. Being able to ride the bike to its limits frequently is very rewarding. If you do that on a supersport you have to be in triple digit speeds. Having taken a sweeping turn at 160 on the CBR and nearly had my heart stop I can say its a different kind of a fun on the 300. The adrenaline rush of the speed and danger is not there, but that takes away from the actual fun factor in some ways. The 300 is pure fun and is more of a blast to ride.

Then when you take into account the 87 octane gas AND way better gas mileage/range, incredibly cheap insurance, and lower cost of the bike itself it starts to make bigger bikes seem really ridiculous.

Mike

· #8 · Oct 14, 2012

A big part to me was feeling my own mortality. I have had two near fatal high speed motorcycle accidents. I know several bikers who have died and had the misfortune of seeing a rider in pieces after a foreigner visiting the US turned into the oncoming lane in hi rental car, hitting him head on.

No matter how careful you are there are a lot of reasons that a bigger bike is more dangerous and the argument that you need the power to get out of trouble doesn't really hold up.

People often misjudge bikes and turn in front of them because of how quickly they can accelerate. I am much less tempted to break the law on a bike that can be ridden hard under the speed limit than on a bike I have to hit 73 to redline in 1st gear

To answer your actual question though, a 600 supersport is probably better in the canyons, but only if you are riding FAST. The extra grip and smoother/stronger I4 is just better for that kind of riding. When I put the power down on my RR the back end digs in and says its ready to test my skills. To push the bike I have to go really fast...it's a track bike. The big question is what speeds are riding the canyons at and do you do much regular street riding?

If you are always under 100mph the 300 will blow your mind. With stickier tires, exhaust , tune and MAYBE a damper, I could wreak havoc on much bigger bikes in the turns (I should know I have own one!)

The only disappointing thing about the 300 is the front brake but with better pads and SS lines I think they will have more bite but I would say they are adequate now- just have to get used to squeezing really hard compared to my CBR

With how nimble this thing is- it almost feels like the best kept secret in motorcycling. Everyone thinks once you know how to ride you have to get faster and faster bikes...all along the most fun to be had is with the "beginner" bikes

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Reactions: 1

gitoy

Discussion Starter · #9 · Oct 14, 2012 (Edited)

the most i have taken the cbr is 104 at 12k on a straight in the canyons...

i am thinking that i can get rid of my 600 and 250, and get a 300...one bike to do both canyon rides and commuting...

still can't get over trading 39 hp for 100+ hp...

mike...you son of a gun...you just posted before me...thanks for the input...

Mike

· #10 · Oct 14, 2012

gitoy said:
thanks for the youtube info dkw...would have enjoyed it more if the video quality was better...

hmmm...410 lbs v 379 lbs...100 hp v 39 hp...maybe numbers don't mean much...

anybody own a bigger sportbike for comparison?...

Geez I will start posting the **** things in HD. I never do just because I have to be on wifi and I post from my iPhone wherever I am.

All future videos will be HD

Mike

· #11 · Oct 14, 2012

gitoy said:
the most i have taken the cbr is 104 at 12k on a straight in the canyons...

i am thinking that i can get rid of my 600 and 250, and get a 300...one bike to do both canyon rides and commuting...

still can't get over trading 39 hp for 100+ hp...

mike...you son of a gun...you just posted before me...thanks for the input...

I have seen 105 GPS on the 300, and 162 GPS on the CBR. 300 probably would do a bit more. The speedo is pretty accurate, about 4% error.

Don't think about the HP numbers, the 300 is more fun overall. If I had to have ONe bike it would be my WR250R or BMW GS but thankfully my finances permit whatever I feel like buying lol.

The 300 has a ton of potential when you get a but more power from the top end with exhaust and a tune. Like I mentioned earlier the turn-in is much quicker on this bike also, making it feel much lighter than it actually is. I abuse it more than I do to my supersports because it is cheap and light...jumping it off curbs here and there even

Still has all the sex appeal of a bigger bike

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cbzdel

· #12 · Oct 14, 2012

I came from a 600, straight line speed is the only big difference. I am not one to get excited about straight line speed though..

gitoy

Discussion Starter · #13 · Oct 14, 2012 (Edited)

mike you are very compelling...maybe i can find someone to trade my 600 for a 300...

cbz...i agree, i barely go over 100 on the cbr...

Mike

· #14 · Oct 14, 2012

cbzdel said:
I came from a 600, straight line speed is the only big difference. I am not one to get excited about straight line speed though..

That's something called "maturity" haha

When you don't have to ride a literbike just because its a literbike...then you don't have to ride a supersport just because its a supersport.

Beginner bike=Hogwash.

cfrp

· #15 · Oct 15, 2012

Another thing I love about the 300 (or a 250) is that it is not expensive. I always worry about the 600rr being knocked down when I park at places. Not as much with a 300.

If I could only choose one I would choose the 600 but in the city the 600 is too much machine in my opinion. The 300 works well and is affordable. You definitely do notice the weight difference and the 300 has plenty power for street riding.

techboy

· #16 · Oct 15, 2012

Mike said:
A big part to me was feeling my own mortality. I have had two near fatal high speed motorcycle accidents. I know several bikers who have died and had the misfortune of seeing a rider in pieces after a foreigner visiting the US turned into the oncoming lane in hi rental car, hitting him head on.

No matter how careful you are there are a lot of reasons that a bigger bike is more dangerous and the argument that you need the power to get out of trouble doesn't really hold up.

People often misjudge bikes and turn in front of them because of how quickly they can accelerate. I am much less tempted to break the law on a bike that can be ridden hard under the speed limit than on a bike I have to hit 73 to redline in 1st gear

To answer your actual question though, a 600 supersport is probably better in the canyons, but only if you are riding FAST. The extra grip and smoother/stronger I4 is just better for that kind of riding. When I put the power down on my RR the back end digs in and says its ready to test my skills. To push the bike I have to go really fast...it's a track bike. The big question is what speeds are riding the canyons at and do you do much regular street riding?

If you are always under 100mph the 300 will blow your mind. With stickier tires, exhaust , tune and MAYBE a damper, I could wreak havoc on much bigger bikes in the turns (I should know I have own one!)

The only disappointing thing about the 300 is the front brake but with better pads and SS lines I think they will have more bite but I would say they are adequate now- just have to get used to squeezing really hard compared to my CBR

With how nimble this thing is- it almost feels like the best kept secret in motorcycling. Everyone thinks once you know how to ride you have to get faster and faster bikes...all along the most fun to be had is with the "beginner" bikes

mike kawasaki should make you a spokesperson for the ninja 300 or something XD i was already pretty certain i was going to buy the 300r as my first bike(and i never did plan to upgrade to a bigger bike.) but now i just have to get it! thanks for all the input

cbzdel

· #17 · Oct 15, 2012 (Edited)

Mike said:
That's something called "maturity" haha

When you don't have to ride a literbike just because its a literbike...then you don't have to ride a supersport just because its a supersport.

Beginner bike=Hogwash.

I bought a 600 because I heard so much trash talk about a 250R.. I would of been more than happy with a 250R and would of saved a TON of money..

I love the style of street bikes, but I dont care about the straight line speed.. I broke all kinds of laws with my 600 and in the end it never excited me I just did it because I could.. I ride because I enjoy riding, I didnt need something that goes 150mph in 10 seconds (so to speak), I just want to ride in general..

Also wanted to add this because Mike mentioned a 600 being better in the twistys because of the stronger engine.. I am trying to remember this correctly so maybe someone else here has seen it. But I think this is how it goes, but the overall idea is the same. There is a video on youtube of 3 guys on bikes at a track, all high skill level riders. The guy with the camera is on a 250R. Then there is a 600 and a 1000 also on the track. The race starts and 1000 and 600 are gone.. All of a sudden the track starts to get some turns, first he passes the 1000, then he passes the 600 and the 250R stays in the lead though all the turns.. Then they get to the straights and the 600 and 1000 are GONE again, until they get to the twistys and the 250R passes them again..

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cfrp

· #18 · Oct 16, 2012

There is a japanese video out somewhere of a 50cc motorcycle or a 100cc passing a 600cc on a technical track.

Torchsport

· #19 · Oct 16, 2012

A fiddy can be quick on a track. It's good indoor winter fun here. I'm getting some new supermoto tires on mine soon.
Here is a crappy cell videos of our local Pro Kart track taken over by fiddies.
Crude, but you get the idea...

fallingbomb

· #20 · Oct 25, 2012

Give me a month or so to judge. I just picked up the 300 so I can leave my CBR 600RR as track only.

I don't expect as much nearly as much out of the 300. I just want something that is fun to ride and get me around fine on the street. My 600 has full Ohlins, DOT tires and probably weighs about the same with the track plastics on it so it isn't a fair comparison.

I do think the 300 will still be a blast out on the canyon roads. You really can't open up a 600 or 1000 on the streets unless you like the idea of losing your license.

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