Embrace the Lessons of Small Displacement Motorcycles: Size Doesn't Define Skill
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- There seems to be a stigma when it comes to Small Displacement Motorcycles. Many people see them as Beginner Bikes and overlook the unique lessons they offer to riders of all skill levels.
In this video, I take a ride on my 2023 Kawasaki Ninja 400 and discuss why you shouldn't be embarrassed about riding your small bike. The most important advice I can offer is this - ride your own ride, and don't feel pressured to go bigger just because "small displacement bikes are for beginners."
Just because it is a small motorcycle doesn't mean it is small fun!
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Thank you for this video. I recently purchased a Ninja 400. After riding a grom for a year I was concerned about not having enough power to keep up with traffic. I came from the car world where a small engine means you're the slow one in traffic. Most of the Ninja 400 reviews I watched came from people that have ridden a 600 or 100cc bike. So of course the 400 will be small and slow. I was very surprised when I rode the 400 at how fast it is. I have zero problems keeping up with traffic. I have a problem staying under the speed limit. Small displacement bikes are slow when compared to other bikes, but the Ninja 400 is faster than most cars on the road. You will definitely have tons of on the 400.
I do feel a little shame when people ask about my bike. It’s my first one. And I just say oh it’s just a 300 “r3”. I don’t know why I feel like that. Its extremely affordable and can rip. Fastest thing I’ve ever driven. This video made me feel better and I not gonna be embarrassed anymore. It’s a beautiful bike to boot.
Man, you shouldn't feel any shame in it. You have something you like that's within your power/grasp. In a group we're just cruising anyways, we're not trying to hit mach speeds. Be proud of that sexy R3
My first bike was a Z650. I've had a number of bikes since then, with my consistent daily driver being a Ninja 1000. Some of the best fun I've ever had on a bike was on my buddy's R3. If I had room for another bike it would unquestionably be an R3 or N400
I love the way you encourage others to be confident and proud regardless of the bike they're riding. Great advice all around but especially to seek out additional training with our own bikes. Passing a course on a bike provided by most BRC facilities is one thing. Learning your bike's handling and performance abilities is a whole other ball of wax. Thanks for sharing.
New gas station up the road had a Ninja 400 as a grand opening give away and my best friend won it. He loves it. 😎👍
My first experience with two wheelers were 50cc and 125cc scooters in Vietnam. So when I got my 163cc Kymco scooter and now my 250cc Kawasaki VN250 cruiser to me it feels big. Its 24Nm of torque and 35 HP @12,500 RPM, weighing 170kg and me only 60kg, it has enough power even for highway speeds and quite fun to ride.
I have a suzuki gs500f and love the little bike. Sure it's not the fastest but it's comfy, reliable and still fun. Still can beat most people with bigger bikes on the twisty mountain roads where I live.
If there is shame associated with a little bike, I should get one immediately. I usually just feel shame in every other area of my life; this would allow for consistency. Current ride actually is a 107” cruiser, but I’ve been eyeballing a 400 or 650 to play at being sporty, and I also want something more approachable to teach family members to ride on.
Yep, small displacement bikes get a bad rap, but they're a ton of fun to toss around, that's for sure! That's why I have my "small displacement" KZ650SR [which probably has less power than a new 300, if I'm behind honest]. If you're out on a bike, no judgement from me! Great video, Walt!
I also have a MT09SP. If I were to own a second bike, would be a Rebel 500. Your 400 looks nice.
Sometimes when I am out riding, I will shout "WALT IN PA!" inside my helmet. Just cuz we are MT09SP brothers.
Love the ninja 400 tbh
Too many people are overly concerned with impressing others or avoiding being ridiculed by people whose opinions shouldn't matter.
I rode powerful 600s and 750s in the 90s/early 2000s, and am now looking to get back on two wheels on either a 300 or 400.
Then again, I've no problem driving an MX-5 Miata or 500 Abarth. If what I ride/drive brings me enjoyment, what other people think is inconsequential.
Nothing wrong with smaller bikes. they are actually alot more fun depending on where you are. Not many places beside the track that you can fully unwind a 1000cc bike.
In other parts of the world, the 400 is king among the 150's.
I've been riding for 1 year and after getting my certification everyone was telling me get a 600 because I'd get bored of my 400 in a few months but I got it anyway I'm happy with my 400 it's comfortable, very light and nimble, I can easily hit 120 which I never need to do I just do it late at night on the empty freeway, and it can hit wheelies and burnout. I don't see myself getting anything bigger than a 600 but I feel like that's still going to be a few years from now I have no problem representing my 400 I use to say "oh it's only a 400" but not anymore.
I think it's funny when people say something like "You're going to get bored with a 400" or "I got bored with a 600 and got a liter bike".
More often than not, people who say stuff like that are only good in straight-line speed. They accelerate hard on the straights and are throwing out anchors in the curves.
Here in India, we consider 400 as niche bikes 😭 usually 150 Is a good starting point for alot of bikes here
Too bad our import tax doesn't allow most of us to enjoy what the bike world has to offer
Here I am with my first bike at 500cc, but im a definitely an exception because I bought it second hand and got very very lucky too.
@@anantprakashsingh8777what is it?
People in the USA need to get over the big d##k, I got to impress you thing. I have been ridding the So Cal roads for thirty seven years. My first street bike was a 1985 RZ350. Back then that was the stuff dreams were made of. I have owned fourteen bikes and ridden about 250,000 road miles. I have owned five 1000cc bikes ending with a Aprilia V4. With out a doubt the fastest most stupid bike I have ever owned. At 57 years old I traded it for a Tuono 660 with "only" 100 claimed hp. At 405lbs wet and a comfort level that will let my old ass ride 250 mile on a Sunday. I am way happier then riding my big d##k bike to impress people I don't even know. Don't buy in to the I need a big bad bike so I can smoke the world. Because if you come across me on the right road chances are you will see the back end of my 660 for about a second.
Nice video. Your opinions demonstrate a maturity and understanding of technical track motorcycle riding. Particularly, in the pennsylvania countryside, a Ninja 400 far more fun and pragmatic than a Kawasaki H2, in my opinion. Have you test ridden the KTM Duke 200? It really seems to push the limits of small bore, small displacement performance.. I think it would make for a fun video review and your thoughts and opinions. In my opinion motorcyclists who criticize other motorcyclists for their smaller motorcycles, have some kind of infiority/ dysfunctional ego complex. Good motorcyclists share positivity and experience, not 💩 talk. The pros celebrate each other. Thank you for doing what you do. .
I'm currently on my 3rd year with my Ninja 400, and I absolutely love the thing. Would a ZX-6R be nice to have? Absolutely, but I don't want to pay the $1-2k/yr insurance hike for a 600cc supersport over the 400. So I just slapped some Woodcraft clip-ons on the 400 and will do rearsets this year, and boom budget supersport lmao
Mind you, my first bike was an old Bandit 600S (still own it, it's just been sitting for 5+ years now), and honestly I blame the 400 for why I haven't started rebuilding the damn thing yet. The 400 is just so much fun that I'm perfectly fine sticking with it for a while longer
The United States sounds a bit like Australia where big bikes are king. However this Aussie has a Royal Enfield 350 Classic and it's a blast. Moreover I am planning to buy a sporty second bike and I have my eye on the Ninja 400.
Back in the day I owned heavy, large capacity bikes but I have embraced mid sized bikes for their light weight, versatility and fun. Some moto-snobs and the ubiquitous Boomer-Harley "bad boys" might look down on something like a Ninja 400 but the Ninja is easily capable of doing The Ton (160km/h, 100mph) and is much more agile than a squid on a bigger sport bike or a good ol' boy on a Hog.
The keyword is fun. I've always owned super sport bikes. Finally switched to a 2017 Yamaha FZ-07. I knew I made the right choice when I had a smile on my face after one hour of riding and my neck, shoulders, elbows, back, and knees weren't sore. Or maybe this just means I'm old?
The reason a lot of foreigners ride low displacement bikes is because they make a lot of sense in stop and go city traffic. The heat coming off a liter bike doing that would bake a person. That and Americans have a lot more disposable income than most.
Conversely, the reason big twins are popular here is they can carry another person/luggage and munch miles with ease. And the US has a lot of space to ride them. Listening to a smaller engine scream and buzz at highway speeds gets old quick.
For short, sporty backroad rides the smaller bikes are great. I think the 2021 R3 in teal was one of the best looking sportbikes made. And the ergonomics aren't as ridiculous as on the repli-racers. I've never been a straight line speed demon. The fun of riding is in throwing a bike into the corners. Angular acceleration. Lighter bikes tend to do that better.
Personally, I'd like to get a Royal Enfield 350 Classic. Another drop dead gorgeous bike and it supposedly gets better than 80 mpg. What's not to like?
yeah..any cc doesnt matter as long we enjoyed it.
Hey man that's a nice bike they're fun to ride thanks for sharing that ride safe keep the rubber side down my friend
No shame here. :D I love my bike; All 348cc of it. I need to get on my bike's level. 🤣
Ok let us be fair here..
If you went out and bought a Brand New Corvette you would be Super Excited... but someone with a Lambo or a Ferrari would of course be like.. damn, that Vette is Slow.
Same with Motorcycles.
You can buy a 400 and its pretty much a FAST FRIGGIN CAR in Comparison.. but Of Course a Larger CC bike will be Faster.. but that is because they are better compared to Exotics.
You can have FUN on Almost Any Bike, and Still be Going Fast Enough to be Happy.
Started with a Z300 and still owns it to this day, I ride that thing like I'm riding a Z900/Z1000. The thing is, I equipped my bike with a knock-off SC Project that now sounds like an MT-07🤣🤣 People would question me if my bike is a sub liter or a liter bike because of how it sounds. Though there are a lot of people riding with an R3 and Ninja 400 here in the Philippines, some love the sound of my Z300 more than they love hearing an R3/N4 ripping the streets.
Like you mentioned, 300cc+ is way more than the majority of the world rides. If you were to tally all the bikes across the globe, I wonder what the actual average would be. I ride a 1kw ebike and I wouldn't snob on anyone for riding a 250w. Fun is fun
I own and ride several bikes from a ZX14R clear down to 390 Duke. They are all fun to ride. But the Duke is probably the hardest bike to ride. It is high strung and requires a lot of rider input. That also makes a lot fun, but not a very relaxing ride.
I have never owned a so called small displacement bike. I think it might be fun to hit some back roads on a smaller bike though.
Great starter bike 👍👍
I would love to get the Honda XR150L, cheap small dual sport. Just seems like it would be a fun bike, even the KTM Duke 200 looks like it would be fun to have as a second bike.
After riding all the big displacement bikes. Smaller bikes are much funner if your trying to stay legal...
I been riding bike for 4 years, tried over 20-30 different bikes, never had anything larger then 250cc XD, thought it was an cbr250rr and a 250cc 2T trail bike. Still a lot of power, but maybe cause im a pussy, i don't care i ride every day
So the reward for not being a beginner anymore is.....
The opportunity to spend quite a bit more on buying and running a motorcycle.
Said motorcycle's full capabilities cannot be used legally on the road anyway.
If a few knuckleheads call you a beginner for having a perfectly satisfactory motorcycle, just stay away from the knuckleheads and have a better bank balance than them.
People who buy motorcycles with ridicilously huge engines because they seriously think they have outgrown their 400 cc, 600 cc or whatever are just like the people who keep buying more expensive cameras because they believe thats going to enable them to take photos like a national geographic photographer. Save your money and focus on developing your skills people. If you dont believe me, consider this: Moto3 bikes have 250 cc engines with 60 hp... still think you have outgrown your 400, 600, 800 cc bike?
What happen to ur MT09?
It is in the shop getting repaired - I got rear-ended at a traffic light. No injuries to me but the bike got pretty banged up.
@@WaltInPA damn that’s sucks, I’m actually upgrading from a ninja 400 to the MT09 SP. what are u thoughts so far from that jump?
@@WaltInPA also I’ve been riding for about 2 years and wanted to jump into something a lil more faster, I’m getting old so I don’t really want to get into 636 or 600 sports.
FIRST!
@Texas Blues typical... always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
@Texas Blues If I love all 3 of your comments, does that make me a polygamist? :D
@Texas Blues More like an orphan.
@Texas Blues dude, I comment on so many channels!
@Texas Blues [insert Austin Powers: Oh, behave! meme here]