Kawasaki Ninja 650 vs. Yamaha fj-09 precise handling

[howie333]

17 Yamaha fj-09.
I've owned and ridden a 07 Ninja 650 since new. Great handling bike all arounder for me. I'm sure there are better. In 2017 when my wife needed a bike I gave up the Ninja; and decided on a Yamaha FJ-09. the bike felt OK when demo'd @ dealer on semi straight roads. the comfort, and power was great, Bought it. In time when I rode the Ninja, I noticed how much better it cornered on mountain roads in comparison to the Yamaha. I've set up the suspension for a firmer ride, found it to be slightly better. I've been battling a decision to sell this bike, fix it, or just get a more sporty ride. I  I run Dunlop Roadsmart 3's proper air pressure and dropped front fork tubes 10mm.The FJ needs to be pushed harder thru each turn which also causes premature scalloping of the front tire. the bike feels nimble otherwise. I was told to reduce the tire pressure of both tires slightly to reduce the scalloping. In measuring; the FJ is 1" longer, rake is 1" more, and trail the same, fork tubes 2-1/2" longer all in comparison to the Ninja. if I sell; there's not much out there in the 650 -900cc sport touring class I'm interested in. no nakeds or in line 4's. I'm looking at either another Ninja 650 , Ducati 950, or the Aprilia 660RS.

Please reply'
TNX....

[1moreroad]

That wasn't my experience riding a Ninja 650 v FJ. I was surprised how budget the 650 felt. 

Couple of possibilities - FJ is a little light in the front end. Raise the forks and maybe up the preload on the rear to put more weight on the front end. The "heavier" front end should make it turn in quicker. 

Have you played with suspension settings? OE suspension has a little bit of adjustment. 

Did the 17 FJ have a narrower handlebar than the 15? A wider handlebar would give you more leverage but might not fit you as well. 

Finally there is a suspension upgrade. $1000 - $2500 is cheaper than a new bike, but you might not want to throw good money into a pit. 

[howie333]

35 minutes ago, 1moreroad said:

That wasn't my experience riding a Ninja 650 v FJ. I was surprised how budget the 650 felt. 

Couple of possibilities - FJ is a little light in the front end. Raise the forks and maybe up the preload on the rear to put more weight on the front end. The "heavier" front end should make it turn in quicker. 

Have you played with suspension settings? OE suspension has a little bit of adjustment. 

Did the 17 FJ have a narrower handlebar than the 15? A wider handlebar would give you more leverage but might not fit you as well. 

Finally there is a suspension upgrade. $1000 - $2500 is cheaper than a new bike, but you might not want to throw good money into a pit. 

1st brought fork tubes down 13mm, and will bring back up to maybe 5-10mm? not sure yet. tightened up front and rear preloads and rebounds. it was better. I'm replacing front tire now(Dunlop Roadsmart 3). The Ninja just falls right into turns easier; just need more power from it. This is probably why want a 2nd bike. Someone mentioned to just put bar triple tree cap and tall bars on the new R7 or the upcoming R9, although I wish Yamaha could make something close to that Aprilia RS660  !  

[Wintersdark]

1 hour ago, howie333 said:

1st brought fork tubes down 13mm, and will bring back up to maybe 5-10mm? not sure yet. tightened up front and rear preloads and rebounds. it was better. I'm replacing front tire now(Dunlop Roadsmart 3). The Ninja just falls right into turns easier; just need more power from it. This is probably why want a 2nd bike. Someone mentioned to just put bar triple tree cap and tall bars on the new R7 or the upcoming R9, although I wish Yamaha could make something close to that Aprilia RS660  !  

A Ninja 650 has a a wheelbase 3" shorter than an older FJ, and 5" shorter than a Tracer.  It's gonna be a lot more nimble.  

For sure I'm a huge proponent of N+1.  There are bikes that are great for One Bike People, a "do everything machine" and the Tracer is an excellent example of one, but you'll find bikes made for a specific purpose tend to just do that thing better (at the expense of other things, of course).  

Most of my life, finances have limited me to one bike at a time, but I'm MUCH happier now having two bikes in the stable, and eyeballing a third (Hey there, MT10, how you doin?)  

[1moreroad]

1 hour ago, howie333 said:

This is probably why want a 2nd bike. Someone mentioned to just put bar triple tree cap and tall bars on the new R7 or the upcoming R9, although I wish Yamaha could make something close to that Aprilia RS660 

FZ09SP or Triumph Street Triple

[Hogie]

Thread makes an interesting comparison. I rode a 650 Versys for 9 years before I bought my Tracer GT. It was (is) a brilliant all round bike and I used it for everything from commuting, touring and shopping but the Tracer is a much more developed bike, with better engine, suspension and brakes as well as the ability to carry a passenger. They are also about the same weight so comparable when pushing/ moving them around and the Yamaha is so far able to return better fuel mileage than the Kawasaki.

The Yamaha is a clear upgrade IMHO but let the debate continue 🤔

[fr8dog]

Personally I couldn't go from the FJ to a parallel twin as my only bike. I've test ridden a couple and find them boring. For a second or third bike like the T7 I'm all in. 

My son had a Multistrada 950. It was top heavy. FJ handled better. I could live with the Multi as my only bike. Lots of great things about it. The fit and finish are incredible. I could stare at that bike for days in the garage.

 

 

[howie333]

47 minutes ago, fr8dog said:

Personally I couldn't go from the FJ to a parallel twin as my only bike. I've test ridden a couple and find them boring. For a second or third bike like the T7 I'm all in. 

My son had a Multistrada 950. It was top heavy. FJ handled better. I could live with the Multi as my only bike. Lots of great things about it. The fit and finish are incredible. I could stare at that bike for days in the garage.

 

 

Then I could venture for the Aprilia RSV4 or tuono V4. I'd probably lose my license, and low range for gas mileage, but big fun factor, and wind protection.  

[Jayzonk]

Personally, I would skip the Euro bikes in your list, unless you enjoy time in the shop and money down the drain.  I'm not sure about the 950, but the RS660 has had issues right from day one.  

I'm wondering if it's coming down to seating position for you.  How tall are you?  Perhaps the 650 just feels like a tighter package overall because of the way you interact with the bike (ergonomics).  

I'm also wondering if you need to try a different set of road tires?  I'm not sure if you can get some Pirelli Diablo Rosso's on the Tracer, but they were amazing on my Speed Triple.  

Have you considered a Triumph Street Triple?  There's a reason that bike has a huge following...great ergonomics and an excellent handler.  

If you have to have a twin, I would also consider Suzuki's SV650.  It has legendary handling and is used in twin racing in the UK.  You can upgrade your suspension over time if you wish.  

I'd also give some consideration to Yamaha's new R7 or the naked version.  I rode an older version of that engine and found it a bit rattly, but I think the new version is smoother.  

[howie333]

Thanks for reply.

You may be right about the Aprilia and other euro bikes, but that RS 660 does give an exhilarating experience. I'm 5'9" tall, and like faired sport bikes for there wind protection, looks, and ability to hide components and wiring. I want more power than the 650 Ninja offers, but other than the FJ-09, most are nakeds or supersports w/ the Inline 4 whine and extreme bar and feet placement. I like the looks of the Ducati Supersport S 950, but heat issue may be a turn-off. Owners of brands in question usually wont admit to there own bike faults if they if they like them enough to keep them. I also would like the street triple if was a faired/shielded design (a more upright Daytona) !  same goes for the Yamaha MT series. If I tried to modify, I'd just be trying to make something their not designed to be.  

Howie...