For the past couple years, i've been set on the ninja 650R. Recently, i've been falling in love with the f4i, and hope to purchase one in the near future. i do have a couple questions though.

1) i noticed most rearsets allow you to put them up and back...are there any available that let you put them down and forward? or at least down? my body doesn't like up and back (one of the reasons i loved the comfort of the 650R.)

2)what are some online cbr stores that you guys use? in the 650R community, there are a couple "one stop shopping" stores for exhausts, windscreens, clip ons, etc. What are some go to stores that a noob like me can shop for winscreens, exhaust cans, etc. and still get a relatively good deal? i'm not a fan of searching on ebay for car or bike accessories, i'd rather become familiar with supporting vendors, online stores, etc.

3)are there any major differencec between the 03 and previous models other than the banana seat? i'm more a fan of the split seat design, but i like have newer model year vehicles.

thanks in advance for the help

 

First off, welcome to the site! If you're still wondering back and forth... coming to our humble Honda enthusiast corner won't help your cravings for the Ninja any. I ride occasionally with a friend that's on his second Ninja 650r (the first one was totalled out thanks to an SUV pulling out infront of him), and I've ridden one over 640 miles round trip in one weekend on said bike. I've done LED lighting, helped change a tire, and done other such mantinance on them... and I've done nearly all the same and more with an F4I. I'm very familar with both machines... that's what I'm trying so say. Now, to help answer your questions some...

A. Rear sets allow for making MANY adjustments. While most of the time the preference is to set the pegs further up and back (for higher corner clearance), most all of them, in their lowest settings, tend to be more "relaxed" than stock.

A. On this one, I'm not sure what you're looking for. There isn't an "F4I Only" store (that I know of)... but most every online store has many parts for the F4I. Most all the ones I use tend to be fairly straight forward and there's not a lot of time spent "looking", if you know what you want. (IE Exhaust, carbon fiber parts, etc). Most of the site sponsers are pretty good... and if you're looking for something in particular, hitting up the F4I forum with a question will usually net you a link to some parts, should you need it.

A. No... there are no major differences between the 03 and previous... or later models of the F4I, other than the "bannanna" seat vrs. split seats.

If you need anything else, feel free to ask... till then, again, welcome to the site!

(My friends Ninja 650r... 2007 I believe)


And my friend's (SchiraF4I on here) F4I (2006 model)

 

Wow! That was definitely a much more thorough response than i could have hoped for. Thank you! Are there any particular rearsets available for the f4i that people have used to achieve a slightly more relaxed feel? I've found a couple online cbr stores that have a lot to offer for the f4i. I found one with a ton of stuff, store.58cycle.com. I guess i'm used to visiting bike specific websites, but i have no problem searching. It is good to know there is not much difference between the old vs. new f4i other than the seat. This leaves me open to find the best deal possible, instead of looking for a particular model year. The 650R is an amazing bike....what did you think of it in your experience? i have a couple hundred miles on one as well, and i like it, but i might want just a little more "sport" in my bike without being uncomfortable. The things that draw me to the f4i are styling, fuel injection, 4 cylinders, price of used models, wide availability of used models, and the fact that they are less agressive than current gen supersport bikes. I've never been much of a honda fan, but i think the company struck gold with the f4i. I recently rode my buddy's 07 gxsr600, and i didn't get 2 blocks away before i had to get off the bike due to a hip cramp...i just dont bend that way. I'm 5'11" about 210 pounds, and i think the f4i might just fit the bill. I inquire about rearsets people would recommend to drop the pegs a little just for my convenience. i have no interest in tracking this bike at all, i just want a very capable sport bike that i can cruise around on without feeling like an all-out motoGP racer.

 

A. Sadly, I can't help you on this one. I would hit up the search function... or feel free to start a new thread in the "600 F4I" section. They're nice enough over there that you should get a few opinions first hand.

A. I think it's a pretty nice bike. [ul][*]Not a huge fan of the fairing vibration (even though they supposedly fixed it with the little strips of material) noise from the fairings... it always seems to happen right at "cruise" rpms in the city.[*]The ergonomics are nice for sitting up, and the taller windshield does okay. Problem I had with my 190 lb, 6'2" frame is that when I wanted to "curl" under the windshield to get out of the cold wind or rain... it was a semi-painful experience that I was not a fan of.[*]The Fuel Injected V-Twin (and yes, it's fuel injected) has meaty midrange, great for tooling around town.[*]Brakes are awesome.[*]Going "back" from my 07 RR makes it feel akward and like it "runs out of steam" too early with it's, what, 10.5K redline?[/ul] A. Remember, both have fuel injection (so long as you don't get a honda F4, not to be confused with the F4I), it does have 4 cylinders and the higher-screaming redline that usually comes with it. The F4I will produce more horsepower at the top (though nearly identical max torque figures). The F4I is a bit more "sport-bike", should you choose to want to do a track session (even just one, for fun, just to learn more about the limits of the bike). Parts are EXTREMELY easy to find, especially since all the years are interchangable... this also usually makes finding and making repairs fairly cheap (in comparison). Also... the F4I is fairly comfortable to ride and sits much more "up" than current GXR's, Yamaha's, and RR's and other of the like.

<edit> Oh... and remember that the F4I was the "Top Dog" when it first came out. So "less aggressive" is relative. Take away the "bananna" seat for comfort and it's still a, though semi-dated, fully capable racer turned street machine. (with the ability to add tank-bags and all that. )

Hope that helps you out some more.

 

They did in fact address the fairing vibration issue, and offered a fix for it. i also like the ergos, and find it very comfortable as well. I did know that the motor is fuel injected, but it's a parallel twin, not a V, just fyi. It does have a surprising amount of pull. 0-60 in what? like 3.8 seconds. I dont have any issues with carbed bikes, i just prefer FI. It's good to know all the f4i parts are interchangable, that definitely makes finding replacement stuff fairly easy. It's also good to know that it's more comfortable than the gxsr600 i rode...that just wasn't happening. I'm also not a fan of suzuki at all...i just dont find any of their bikes attractive. yes, they're nice, fast, expensive, everyone has one blah blah, but i just dont like them. I can't wait until i have the time to go to a dealer and actually sit on an f4i.

 

I like the 650 ninja and I would also look to the sv650 as well. The F4i is an all around sportbike (not a good bike to learn on), but it still is a sportbike so comfort is a relative term. With motorcycles becoming very specialized, you have to make a list of what you plan on doing with this bike and then find the bike that fits your needs. Don't buy a bike based on looks, buy it based on function. And yes, looking good is a function. But don't discount your comfort, you aren't a woman buying shoes, chicks will wear the wrong shoes until their feet bleed.

Good luck with your search.

 

Trust me, if i sit on the f4i and i dont like the way it feels, it will be crossed off my list. I would love the 650r and be happy with it, but for kicks i've been looking for something sportier, slightly moreso than the 650, but not as radical as the gixxer600 i rode. so far, the f4i fits the bill, but i have yet to try one out. i personally dont like like the sv650. i've never been a fan of suzuki bikes, or suzuki styling. i've always been more of a kawi person, but have just recently been introduced to the quality, and community, of honda riders. i would still never buy a honda car :P but i'm impressed with what i've learned so far about the bikes. i definitely like what i see. i'm not the kind of person to buy a bike and not take into consideration my comfort. if someone were to give me a brand new 08 600cc supersport bike for free...i would just laugh and sell it...i would never ride it, because i dont easily bend that way. whichever choice i make, i will smile when i see it, and glow when i ride it.

 

i picked up my 01 f4i and fell in love the second i touched it. if you want a seriously comfortable bike the only thing youde need would be a seat for a ride 3+ hours..

 

that is GREAT to hear. after i sit on it, i might want to research some rearsets to drop the pegs a little. on the other hand, i might like it just the way it is. man, i can't WAIT to see one in person.