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[Dougald]

Hows the 800GS to ride?

The only problem I had with the older 800 I rode is that it just felt like it lacked... character. It was a fine bike but the boxer twin 1200GS just gave it more "feel". It's kind of a hard thing to get right.


Funnily I felt this is something that the "not a clone, honest guv" Triumph Tiger 800 does have, but the engine on that *is* derived from the Daytona/Street Triple triple.

 

[maxheadwound]

Hows the 800GS to ride?

The only problem I had with the older 800 I rode is that it just felt like it lacked... character. It was a fine bike but the boxer twin 1200GS just gave it more "feel". It's kind of a hard thing to get right.


Funnily I felt this is something that the "not a clone, honest guv" Triumph Tiger 800 does have, but the engine on that *is* derived from the Daytona/Street Triple triple.

I have not been on the Triumph but from the reviews the engine on the Tiger 800 is much better. But its also more geared for road use than the 800GS. I found the ride to be nice.... it does not have the same sound and vibrations at the 1200GS but then for one up touring that 800GS is nice. If I had some options to go ride gravel or a bit of greenlaning then the 800GS would be for me. The 1200 is way to expensive and heavy for throwing around.

 

[Dougald]

The BMW is certainly built better, and handles fine, nice and comfortable, etc. It just doesn't have "that" feel that the 1200 does. It would be the 800 or the Triumph for actual offroading though, I agree. I did feel though that the Tiger also doesn't feel quite as fun as perhaps it could, Triumph went a little overboard de-tuning that triple engine. I'd still take it over the BMW though, but there is no way you'd convince me to have a Triumph Explorer over a 1200GS in an even choice.


I could probably use a 1200GS now, Summer has been gone for 2 weeks now in the UK. Though I really, really did appreciate my "arse warmer" of an exhaust when I made an early run last week. Riding in the rain is depressing.

 

[maxheadwound]

The BMW is certainly built better, and handles fine, nice and comfortable, etc. It just doesn't have "that" feel that the 1200 does. It would be the 800 or the Triumph for actual offroading though, I agree. I did feel though that the Tiger also doesn't feel quite as fun as perhaps it could, Triumph went a little overboard de-tuning that triple engine. I'd still take it over the BMW though, but there is no way you'd convince me to have a Triumph Explorer over a 1200GS in an even choice.


I could probably use a 1200GS now, Summer has been gone for 2 weeks now in the UK. Though I really, really did appreciate my "arse warmer" of an exhaust when I made an early run last week. Riding in the rain is depressing.

Spoke to the guys there and one of them test rode the 800Triumph and liked it more than the BMW but he went for the speed triple as it was just a way better bike. He is loving his triple. The BMW is good but man that seat is a killer. My ass was sore just from jct 12 to jct 8-9.

 

[Drinky Crow]

test rode a 1200gs and it is ZERO fun in urban settings -- motherfucker is top heavy as hell. even a fatass goldwing seems more nimble in stop-and-go. i don't get the appeal of big adventure bikes. i'd rather have two bikes: a 400 dual-sport and a decent touring rig than JUST the heavy, ugly-ass 1200gs. (the 800gs's better and a rock-solid commuter, but no spot on a proper dual-sport for even single track.) i suppose it's essential if you have delusions of being ewan macgregor...

 

[Drinky Crow]

I have a 300 ABS and bought the OEM gel seat... It helps, but it's a bit pricey.

that's our kawi! my z1000 has a hellishly harsh seat. gonna grab a sargeant replacement here...

 

[StuKen]

test rode a 1200gs and it is ZERO fun in urban settings -- motherfucker is top heavy as hell. even a fatass goldwing seems more nimble in stop-and-go. i don't get the appeal of big adventure bikes. i'd rather have two bikes: a 400 dual-sport and a decent touring rig than JUST the heavy, ugly-ass 1200gs. (the 800gs's better and a rock-solid commuter, but no spot on a proper dual-sport for even single track.) i suppose it's essential if you have delusions of being ewan macgregor...

I commute on the gsa every day and thats bigger, heavier and even more stupid. Its obviously a bit wider with those cylinder heads sticking out but but the bars are above the mirrors of just about any car, the turning circle is stupidly small so you can throw it into tighter gaps much quicker than you would think. Its a surprisingly agile bike at any speed, you just need time to get used to throwing something that big around. That takes time and its not something you would be comfortable doing after a quick test drive.

 

[opticalmace]

Any thoughts on engine configuration for street riding? Parallel twin, v-twin, triple, I4, thumper?

I have a small parallel twin right now and I hate how gutless it is at low RPMs. I love winding it out on twisty roads and keeping the revs high, but around the city it's a PITA. Very little torque.

 

[Dougald]

If you want torque, a triple is great, though I may be a little biased... The inline 4 I had wasn't bad either

 

[Fallout-NL]

Any thoughts on engine configuration for street riding? Parallel twin, v-twin, triple, I4, thumper?

I have a small parallel twin right now and I hate how gutless it is at low RPMs. I love winding it out on twisty roads and keeping the revs high, but around the city it's a PITA. Very little torque.

Either the triple or bigger v-twins (anywhere between 800 and 1200 cc will do for an air cooled bike) are perfect for street riding imho.

test rode a 1200gs and it is ZERO fun in urban settings -- motherfucker is top heavy as hell. even a fatass goldwing seems more nimble in stop-and-go. i don't get the appeal of big adventure bikes. i'd rather have two bikes: a 400 dual-sport and a decent touring rig than JUST the heavy, ugly-ass 1200gs. (the 800gs's better and a rock-solid commuter, but no spot on a proper dual-sport for even single track.) i suppose it's essential if you have delusions of being ewan macgregor...

Rode one for about an hour or so as well and came to the same conclusion. Interesting bike... in the way it kind of failed (for me) in all the things it's supposed to be great at. That engine needs quite a lot of time to spin up as well, completely different power delivery than the 1100 Monster.

I do love the look of it though, it's a very pretty bike. And if I look at the mileage those things can do they certainly appear to be bulletproof in a mechanical sense.

 

[Jackson]

So.... I tasted blood and now I'm completely screwed....

I currently have a '14 Ninja 300, which I enjoy a lot. It's just a bike for weekend fun. But I rode my friend's HP4 over the weekend for just a bit and it's really hard to go back to the 300, especially on highways.

Since that fateful day (4 days ago lol) I test drove a bunch of bikes and am currently in love with the Ducati Panigali 899 (the looks, the sound, the power...) I found it confidence inspiring and fun, not scary at all. It's kind of a high revving bike though, not a ton of low end torque for city driving (though my 300 is way worse lol). I will say the heat on my butt for a 45 min test drive was kinda insane. Do a lot of super bikes suffer from this? Strangely enough I test drove a Monster 796 and I hated it (even though I've wanted one for years simply based off its looks), but the feel and the engine was all wrong for me.

Anyway... I don't want an intervention... I want recommendations for test drives!

Also do you think I should wait for 2015 models since the summer is winding down (I'm in Seattle)?

 

[opticalmace]

So.... I tasted blood and now I'm completely screwed....

I currently have a '14 Ninja 300, which I enjoy a lot. It's just a bike for weekend fun. But I rode my friend's HP4 over the weekend for just a bit and it's really hard to go back to the 300, especially on highways.

Since that fateful day (4 days ago lol) I test drove a bunch of bikes and am currently in love with the Ducati Panigali 899 (the looks, the sound, the power...) I found it confidence inspiring and fun, not scary at all. It's kind of a high revving bike though, not a ton of low end torque for city driving (though my 300 is way worse lol). I will say the heat on my butt for a 45 min test drive was kinda insane. Do a lot of super bikes suffer from this? Strangely enough I test drove a Monster 796 and I hated it (even though I've wanted one for years simply based off its looks), but the feel and the engine was all wrong for me.

Anyway... I don't want an intervention... I want recommendations for test drives!

Also do you think I should wait for 2015 models since the summer is winding down (I'm in Seattle)?

Damn. How many miles do you have on your 300 now?

 

[Jackson]

Damn. How many miles do you have on your 300 now?

1,500 (it'd be more, but I broke my hand playing basketball and was out for 6 weeks). Do you think I should get more practice on it or something?

 

[opticalmace]

1,500. Do you think I should get more practice on it or something?

Definitely, too soon. If I were you I would put another 5k on it first.

edit: just saw the 899 has 148hp.. damn yo. That would be a crazy jump imho. Just ride the 300 for now and worry about it later. I'm about 14000km into my first bike and I'm still learning a lot.

 

[Jackson]

Definitely, too soon. If I were you I would put another 5k on it first.

edit: just saw the 899 has 148hp.. damn yo. That would be a crazy jump imho. Just ride the 300 for now and worry about it later. I'm about 14000km into my first bike and I'm still learning a lot.

It does have 148hp, but it's kind of meant to be a middleweight+. I definitely don't want the 1199, too much power. The reviews I've read online are that the 899 is built to be a "user-friendly" 1199. My buddy wanted to sell me his used HP4. lol

I dunno when I was on the test drive I didn't feel out of control or worried. I felt like "this is how bikes should be." Ya know?

You have a Ninja 650 no? Have you ridden any other bigger bikes for any length of time?

It's funny all my friends told me I'd do this, and urged me to buy something beefier because the 300 would lose its luster in a few months. But I wanted the 300 to learn control and confidence on before doing anything stupid on a bigger bike. So I'm happy I put some miles on the 300. I like my 300 a lot, but I dunno... tasted blood and all that haha.

Maybe you're right, maybe I should learn more. I totally agree I can learn a lot and I haven't reached the 300's peak performance. I dunno. I'll think about it.

 

[Dougald]

I would echo that it's probably too soon, but you're the one who best knows your skills and limits, not me

Have you considered trying maybe a 600ish sportbike? Still a lot of power but more around the 100bhp mark than the 150.. Yamaha R6, CBR600R, Triumph Daytona? Owning a Street Triple I can definitely recommend the Daytona engine..


As for buying it, if you are set on new, why not wait until the 2015 bikes are out, then get a new, discounted 2014 from a dealer who ordered too many? Should be able to cut a nice deal, if you're willing to wait 4-6months.

 

[Jackson]

Have you considered trying maybe a 600ish sportbike? Still a lot of power but more around the 100bhp mark than the 150.. Yamaha R6, CBR600R, Triumph Daytona? Owning a Street Triple I can definitely recommend the Daytona engine.

I have considered sticking in the 600 range! I'm going to test drive a Daytona 675(r?) later this week actually. I'm stoked to try that. I don't like the (idea) of the lack of electronics (no ABS, TC, EBC, etc.) on the R6 though.

 

[Dougald]

I have considered sticking in the 600 range! I'm going to test drive a Daytona 675(r?) later this week actually. I'm stoked to try that. I don't like the (idea) of the lack of electronics (no ABS, TC, EBC, etc.) on the R6 though.

I'll be interested in hearing what you think. It's basically the same bike as my Street Triple, but iirc the engine is tuned down on the Street (plus the different riding position and of course fairings).

Pretty bike:

 

[Fallout-NL]

Haven't ridden the 899, but I would guess that even though it has about 20 more hp than the R6, it might be more manageable due to the predictable (linear) power curve that is typical for v-twins.

Still, it is crazy powerful (does it really have 148hp?). Like I said earlier, I once owned a 998 (with a measly 125hp), but that was already way too much for street use imho. I much prefer a truckload of torque -> fun and usability at lower speeds. Breaking every speed limit there is in first gear just isn't fun. Well you know, it actually is a lot of fun, but how long till you lose your license to some guy in an unmarked car?

You also see a lot of low mileage used 899s 1199s because of a lot of people come to same conclusion after owning one for a short while. Might either be a warning to you, or a boon if you pick one of those up for a couple thousand less than the new price.

Interesting that you didn't like the 796 by the way. Extremely nimble bike and it provides a lot more power than the 300 you're used to. Though maybe not after you've been messing around with a fucking HP4, haha.

Anyway, my advice would be: at least try a couple of bikes that go for torque instead of hp if you intend to ride on public roads a lot.

For another perspective perhaps Soapster can chime in on crazy superbike ownership, he's got that '09 R1 after all.

 

[Dougald]

At the end of the day I don't think it's really possible to quantify when you are able to ride x bike, even as a total beginner (though at least then you can discount the big, big bikes). Different people have a different skillset, I know I would be anxious about sitting down on say, an R1 or a Paningale, even though I have 4 years and 20 odd thousand miles behind me. Whereas I know a guy who jumped straight from a 125cc to an R6 without skipping a beat.


My wife really wants to go for a CBR600 when she's passed her test, but the main reason I've actually warned her about sportbikes is the smaller amount of steering lock. But she might be absolutely fine with that, there will be a lot of test rides once that letter A is on her driving license. All we can really say here is "don't be stupid, test it first, only buy what you're comfortable on"

 

[maxheadwound]

At the end of the day I don't think it's really possible to quantify when you are able to ride x bike, even as a total beginner (though at least then you can discount the big, big bikes). Different people have a different skillset, I know I would be anxious about sitting down on say, an R1 or a Paningale, even though I have 4 years and 20 odd thousand miles behind me. Whereas I know a guy who jumped straight from a 125cc to an R6 without skipping a beat.


My wife really wants to go for a CBR600 when she's passed her test, but the main reason I've actually warned her about sportbikes is the smaller amount of steering lock. But she might be absolutely fine with that, there will be a lot of test rides once that letter A is on her driving license. All we can really say here is "don't be stupid, test it first, only buy what you're comfortable on"

Very true... buy what you like and feel that you can be able to live with.

 

[maxheadwound]

This is a good looking scrambler

 

[Dougald]

I do like the Scrambler, it's must more "fun" than the regular Bonneville

Eager to see the Ducati Scrambler...

 

[StueyRowls]

I have considered sticking in the 600 range! I'm going to test drive a Daytona 675(r?) later this week actually. I'm stoked to try that. I don't like the (idea) of the lack of electronics (no ABS, TC, EBC, etc.) on the R6 though.

The 675r is an amazing bike but the suspension is very stiff for the road. I've had two mates who have owned one and were never able to get the compliance right. Brilliant track bike though.

 

[Dougald]

Good point on the suspension, that's partly why I went for a Street Triple instead of a Street Triple R (that and the fact the suspension on the R makes it nearly an inch taller, and I only have a 29 inch inseam as it is)

 

[opticalmace]

Good point on the suspension, that's partly why I went for a Street Triple instead of a Street Triple R (that and the fact the suspension on the R makes it nearly an inch taller, and I only have a 29 inch inseam as it is)

Huh, didn't know that. I sat on a STR and it was a tad high, but not too bad. I kind of want to sit on a non-R model now.

 

[Dougald]

Huh, didn't know that. I sat on a STR and it was a tad high, but not too bad. I kind of want to sit on a non-R model now.

I test-rode a 2014 R and I could only tiptoe it. Asked the sales guy whether the seat could be dropped down a bit and he told me the standard is lower. Sure enough, I can flat-foot my 2010 S3. Actually, it's the only bike I've owned that I could flat-foot.

 

[opticalmace]

I test-rode a 2014 R and I could only tiptoe it. Asked the sales guy whether the seat could be dropped down a bit and he told me the standard is lower. Sure enough, I can flat-foot my 2010 S3. Actually, it's the only bike I've owned that I could flat-foot.

I would love to pick up a Striple but there are very few used ones here, and the new ones are out of my budget (start at $10k I think?).

Lovely looking bikes though, and every comparo seems to favour them. I even like the funky front end.

 

[Dougald]

New they are pretty pricey, really the only comparative naked bike you can spend more money on is a Ducati Monster. One of the few advantages of being in England, there are quite a few Triumphs about..

 

[Fallout-NL]

That is indeed something else to keep in mind (suspension).

Riding that 998 on the road (with all the bumps and cracks) was like taming a wild horse sometimes. A bike with a more even tempered suspension will often actually be much faster than the 'faster' bike

 

[Drinky Crow]

i test rode an 899 and it's a sharp-handling, street-friendly bike -- BUT the heat really is insane. try the diavel instead -- it handles WAY better than the fat-ass rear tire might suggest, it's all-day comfortable, it has GOBS of torque down low for the street (the early acceleration is barking fucking mad), and it sounds like a holy terror.

also give yamaha's fz-07 a shot. it's sooooo smooth, and lightning quick! (in the same vein, i'd favor the street triple over the daytona 675.) honestly, and in my opinion, i wouldn't bother with a supersport unless i planned to track it regularly. in fact, you can track naked/streetfighters just fine -- i track my z1000 and for my skills (mediocre), i pull down decent lap times and have gotten up to 135 regularly in the straights, which is more than enough for my thinning middle-aged blood.

i don't like the fz-09. it's amazing on paper, but that throttle in "A" mode is notchy as fuck. yama needs to clean up the ride-by-wire mappings BAD. not particularly pleasant in town.

other good bikes for the "second seasoner": aprilia's shiver or dorsoduro 750, ducati's multistrada, bmw's 800 roadsters and adv line, any street-tuned naked liter bike (cb1000r, z1000, suzuki's new gsr1000, speed triple).

and rather than the hp4 (or the s1000rr), look at the s1000r -- it's so stupid-easy to ride, and has loads of settings for the street. it's definitely my next bike after i put down 20K miles on the z1000.

but what do i know? i'm so old, i added THIS to the garage:

(the bmw f800st's in the shop after getting sideswiped. <weeps>)

 

[Fallout-NL]

Yeah, if I'm ever going to trade in my Duc, it's going to be for a Diavel.


/edit: what, how did that happen?!

 

[Drinky Crow]

Also do you think I should wait for 2015 models since the summer is winding down (I'm in Seattle)?

rather, wait for massively discounted 2013/2014 models now that riding season is ending. you can save 10-20% at LEAST.

 

[Drinky Crow]

Yeah, if I'm ever going to trade in my Duc, it's going to be for a Diavel.


/edit: what, how did that happen?!

the accident? i was making a left turn across traffic, and the dude behind me got impatient and thumped my pannier while trying to edge around. went down. frame slider ate most of the damage, but since his insurance is paying, i decided to get it all nice and cleaned up instead of just buffing out the scratches and replacing the lever and signal myself. annoying, because that's the bike i ride the most. i've put almost 10k on it this year alone.

if you mean the cruiser, well, uhhhhhhh. ha ha! <scratches head nervously> sold my vespa and wanted something lazy to take my daughter on rides with, plus the coworkers i ride with are all on harleys and y'know, peer pressure, heeeeeeeeeh

mods help

 

[Dougald]

Is that a thunderbird????

Glad to hear you didn't take any serious damage yourself.

 

[Drinky Crow]

that's the bonneville america lt. basically a detuned bonnie 865. 60hp, 60 ft. lb. of torque. it'll beat sportsters and that's about it, but it sounds so nice and it handles wonderfully (for a cruiser), and the daughter just DIES she gets so excited to ride on it. <3

i sprained my foot all nasty-like (i was clicking from 1st to neutral when he smacked me), which kept me offa two wheels for a couple weeks, but other than that and a lingering tendency to triple-check my mirrors, i'm good.

 

[opticalmace]

What do y'all think of the Ninja 650? My favourite (local) shop has a used one for a good price. Only thing I'm unsure of is how it feels kind of upright, I prefer a bit more lean (like my 250) but the guy at the shop said they could put some sport handlebars on for me.

Thinking about it, as I'd really like to get my next bike from these guys (less hassle than private party, few shops in town, and they've always been really good to me).

 

[Drinky Crow]

hate the parallel twin in the ninja 650. too vibey at high revs, and is just kinda chattery overall. i'd go for one of the 600/650 inline 4s -- suzuki's older bandit, or honda's new cbr650f -- or the suzuki 650 v-twin (sfv650 gladius of sv650s sportbike).

edit: i really enjoyed my test ride on honda's cbr650f. it needs a better price relative to the competition (especially for a honda bike made in thailand), but it is extremely smooth at all revs and both the brakes and throttle seemed perfectly balanced. it's not gonna thrash a 600rr ever, but it's plenty quick and would make a GREAT sport tourer with some decent bags.

 

[Dougald]

that's the bonneville america lt. basically a detuned bonnie 865. 60hp, 60 ft. lb. of torque. it'll beat sportsters and that's about it, but it sounds so nice and it handles wonderfully (for a cruiser), and the daughter just DIES she gets so excited to ride on it. <3

i sprained my foot all nasty-like (i was clicking from 1st to neutral when he smacked me), which kept me offa two wheels for a couple weeks, but other than that and a lingering tendency to triple-check my mirrors, i'm good.

Ahh the engine looked Thunderbird-sized. I've actually ridden the America, it's a fun bike, though does NOT do speed. No problems cruising at motorway speeds though, it's just tuned like a cruiser in terms of getting there. A doddle to ride though, I actually quite enjoyed having it for a couple days.

 

[opticalmace]

hate the parallel twin in the ninja 650. too vibey at high revs, and is just kinda chattery overall. i'd go for one of the 600/650 inline 4s -- suzuki's older bandit, or honda's new cbr650f -- or the suzuki 650 v-twin (sfv650 gladius of sv650s sportbike).

edit: i really enjoyed my test ride on honda's cbr650f. it needs a better price relative to the competition (especially for a honda bike made in thailand), but it is extremely smooth at all revs and both the brakes and throttle seemed perfectly balanced. it's not gonna thrash a 600rr ever, but it's plenty quick and would make a GREAT sport tourer with some decent bags.

Any experience with the FZ6? Other shop has an '06 for about $4600.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Not a huge fan of the fueling.

How about an S2R800?

 

[Dougald]

Any experience with the FZ6? Other shop has an '06 for about $4600.

Paging LeroyPantwether...

I had the older FZS600... that was a great bike.

 

[Fallout-NL]

the accident? i was making a left turn across traffic, and the dude behind me got impatient and thumped my pannier while trying to edge around. went down. frame slider ate most of the damage, but since his insurance is paying, i decided to get it all nice and cleaned up instead of just buffing out the scratches and replacing the lever and signal myself. annoying, because that's the bike i ride the most. i've put almost 10k on it this year alone.

if you mean the cruiser, well, uhhhhhhh. ha ha! <scratches head nervously> sold my vespa and wanted something lazy to take my daughter on rides with, plus the coworkers i ride with are all on harleys and y'know, peer pressure, heeeeeeeeeh

mods help

Yeah, I was thinking about the accident, but I'm interested in the reasoning behind the new bike as well. Though one can never have too many bikes, no need to explain that one really .

Also understandable that you're going fix the F800 professionally, that thing looked pristine. I imagine you wanna keep it that way.

 

[freakzilla149]

Hey 2 wheel gaf, not to spoil your fun but can I ask for some trouble shooting help again?

My bike, which isn't even two weeks old is really acting up.

First, the power switch struggles to turn the bike on, I used to be able to hold it less than a second and the engine would start but now it sometimes need two or three attempts.

Second, twice in two days the bike showed the neutral light on when in fact it was in first/second gear, I barely stopped it flying off when I let the clutch off in what I thought was neutral.

Seems like electrical issues, the bike was out in the rain for a few days, could that be the cause?

I've tried googling the issue but nothing specific turned up.

 

[Watevaman]

Sorry to hear about the bike Drinky. Can excuse the cruiser if the daughter likes it, but that's the only reason...


Just kidding, I wouldn't mind having a relaxing bike for the times where I don't want to be going all out. Even my GS500 is a bit too much on those longer rides, whereas my friends Virago would put me to sleep if I wanted to. Comfort always has a place.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Hey 2 wheel gaf, not to spoil your fun but can I ask for some trouble shooting help again?

My bike, which isn't even two weeks old is really acting up.

First, the power switch struggles to turn the bike on, I used to be able to hold it less than a second and the engine would start but now it sometimes need two or three attempts.

Second, twice in two days the bike showed the neutral light on when in fact it was in first/second gear, I barely stopped it flying off when I let the clutch off in what I thought was neutral.

Seems like electrical issues, the bike was out in the rain for a few days, could that be the cause?

I've tried googling the issue but nothing specific turned up.

You got that new YBR right?

Definitely the type of issues I'd take it to the shop with if it's still under warranty, though it's not uncommon for a bike to act up a little (when starting) when it's been out in bad weather/cold for extended periods. You might want to consider protecting it with one of those special (bike shaped waterproof) covers. They cost about 20 pounds maybe? Well worth the money as it at least keeps some of the moisture from eating into the sensitive bits on your bike.

As for the neutral issue. That could either be serious... or nothing at all (sorry not really being of help here). The neutral light is just a sensor after all and not always perfectly in tune with what's going on mechanically. It's always better to trust what you feel with your foot rather than what you see on the dashboard. Consider the neutral light more as a final or last confirmation rather than the first. However, it could be something serious if you find that it's a persisting issue rather than just you getting familiar with a gearbox's regular quirks.

 

[Dougald]

Hey 2 wheel gaf, not to spoil your fun but can I ask for some trouble shooting help again?

My bike, which isn't even two weeks old is really acting up.

First, the power switch struggles to turn the bike on, I used to be able to hold it less than a second and the engine would start but now it sometimes need two or three attempts.

Second, twice in two days the bike showed the neutral light on when in fact it was in first/second gear, I barely stopped it flying off when I let the clutch off in what I thought was neutral.

Seems like electrical issues, the bike was out in the rain for a few days, could that be the cause?

I've tried googling the issue but nothing specific turned up.

I'm not an electrical expert but how is the battery? Whip out a multimeter and check it's ok - is it cranking normally? Does the bike run ok once started?

It might be worth checking the neutral switch and the wiring there.

 

[opticalmace]

Talking to dealers is sooo frustrating. One wanted to offer me $1950 CAD on my 2012 Ninja 250 (mint, still under warranty, had valve check, etc.).

 

[freakzilla149]

I'm not an electrical expert but how is the battery? Whip out a multimeter and check it's ok - is it cranking normally? Does the bike run ok once started?

It might be worth checking the neutral switch and the wiring there.

Battery was also a concern, last week it seemed to have died completely, it wouldn't start, and none of the indicators turned on. Eventually, after I left it running for about 10mins everything was ok.

Bike is fine once it's running. I don't have a multimeter.

I was thinking of waiting a few days and if the issue persists go to the dealer. I just don't want to get stuck at work with a problematic bike.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Is keeping the bike connected to a battery guard an option?