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Kawasaki VS. Suzuki
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June 16, 2009 at 3:50 am #3012hawkeye206649Participant
Hey guys I need some help picking out my next bike. To start let me say that I am upgrading from a Ninja 250 that I have been riding for about a year now. It has been a really good bike to start on on but I’m ready for something bigger.
I have narrowed my choices down to a 2004 Kawasaki Ninja 500R with only 135 miles or a 2001 Suzuki Katana 600 with about 8k miles. I have had the ability to sit on both and they fit me nicely. As far as styling I like the Katana better. The only disadvantage I can find with the Katana is its weight.
With the Kawasaki there are no major cons other then the aesthetics. My main concern is that is this a bike that i”m going to be content with for another four or five years or will it leave me wanting to upgrade within another year or two.
Thanks for the help
DavidJune 16, 2009 at 4:12 am #19760zeppelinfromledParticipantThe first thing that comes to my mind is that you’ll find a pretty significant power difference between the two bikes. The Katana has four cylinders (and a larger displacement) while the Ninja only has two cylinders. There’s definitely no consensus that one is a “better bike” than the other.
As long as it’s in good mechanical condition, and you’re comfortable handling a more powerful bike, I’d go for the Suzuki myself.
June 16, 2009 at 1:11 pm #19787AParticipantI think the Suzuki Katana is a better bike that’s will last a long long time over the Ninja 500.
If you can get comfortable with its riding position, weight and engine performance.. Katana is rock solid.June 16, 2009 at 1:37 pm #19789dohimerParticipanti think theyre around the 227Kg or 500 pound mark
June 16, 2009 at 4:24 pm #19798MattParticipant“…Katana is a better bike that’s will last a long long time over the Ninja 500.”
I think you’ll find both are famous for going for pretty much forever. The Ninja 500 is an incredibly reliable water cooled twin. The Katana, is an air cooled four.
The Katana is more expensive to own. It drinks more, insurance is more, and costs more to maintain (4 cylinders vs 2, lots of fairing vs just a little to remove, bigger more expensive tires). It is also famous for its vibes.
At 135 miles, the Ninja is brand new. At 8k the Kat is not much more than broken in.
Both are great bikes.
I think it really should come down to a matter of comfort for you. The Kat is a nicer highway ride, and will “keep up” with the big boys a bit better. If those are your goals, it is the way to go. If you like the lightness and narrowness of your 250, but want some more power, the Ninja is a steal. On public roads with considerations for real world things like road conditions and traffic, it isn’t significantly slower than the Kat, but will feel much lighter (the Kat feels like a big bike, at least to me). If lower running cost or working on the bike yourself are important to you, the Ninja is the better deal.
You’re chosing between a V6 Mustang and a V6 Camero. Both are loads of fun, which you chose only comes down to personal taste – and either way the “real man” on the “real” ride is going point and laugh (at it’ll be entirely to his loss).
June 16, 2009 at 8:25 pm #19805hawkeye206649ParticipantThanks for the input guys. Mostly I do inner city riding so the Ninja will most likely be my choice
June 16, 2009 at 8:28 pm #19807zeppelinfromledParticipantI didn’t realize the Katana is air-cooled. That was a big factor when I bought my bike, and would probably swing this decision for me.
June 18, 2009 at 3:11 pm #19896AParticipantKatana may be air cooled, but it has a tried and proven engine, less maintenance require, no coolant to overflow or replace.
June 18, 2009 at 6:24 pm #19904MattParticipantNot to be too argumentative, but the Ninja 500’s engine is 20 years old, just like the Katana. It has been used on several bikes (ER-5 series in europe, including a dual sport).
Yes, it has coolant that needs to be replaced every two years, but that really isn’t a big deal – cars manage.The Kat has more complicated fairings, which adds time to the shop labour costs.
And while the valves are screw adjuster (pretty easy to do) there are four sets, versus the Ninja’s pair. The big question is how often do those valves need to be inspected and adjusted?
I can’t say. I can find a maintenance schedule for the ninja on EX-500.com, but I can’t find something similar for the Kat.But I think the fact that the bike will primarily be a city runabout is really important here. Riding any air cooled engine in traffic is uncomfortable. It can really cook your leg on an already hot day. The Kat’s fairing are supposed to be pretty good at deflecting that heat, but they aren’t perfect. And riding a 480 pound bike in the city is a very different game from riding a 400 pound bike in the city.
I’m not calling the Kat anything but an awesome reliable sport touring rig. I’m just saying don’t discount the Ninja 500 as unproven, unreliable, or maintenance heavy, because it is none of those things.
As an aside, maintenance costs are a really good thing to look into when buying a bike. My ZZR-250 required valve adjustments every 5000kms (once a season for me). This maintenance cost me $300 at the dealership. My new bike, an SV650N, doesn’t need valve adjustments at all. In fact, it’s maintenance schedule is basically just oil changes (which I can do myself in 20 minutes for $45 using synthetic). So, despite the fact that my ZZR-250 would cost me $300 more per season in insurance, the maintenance savings nearly balance that out. I like it when things like that happen
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