riding

Rode over 300 miles this week. that is pretty decent I think. I adjusted the throttle play, idle, installed some blind spot mirrors, de-stickered the rear tail, fixed the gear indicator adhesive, threadlocked the license plate bolts, and some other random stuff. The rear stand is really useful for lubing the chain without having anyone help you.


I am thinking about getting a new leather jacket, maybe some woodcraft clipons, C3 tank grips, a new exhaust (I don't care for the two brothers really), and a tail pack from fastcycles. so much for not doing anything to this bike.

in other news, my kevlar lined riding pants and new gloves are in transit!

A trip to the DMV today and...Uh oh!! onto my fourth bike!!

I've been contemplating selling the MINI and moving onto something else for a few months.  It was a great car, but it is time to move onto something new.  I did A LOT of research on the new for 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 and decided to go this route.  I have had 3 600cc motorcycles that were insanely fast so a 300 is a step in a weird direction.  Based on reviews, the 300 is a lot of fun to ride because you can actually get on the throttle without instant jail sentence.  It's similar to the saying that "it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow" mentality.

After deciding on the 300, i had to decide on color scheme.  The US only has the black, white, and a green and black color.  I preferred the black without ABS since it is the cheapest model but found an ABS model local with goodies!! I usually try to build things rather than buy them, but I couldn't pass up this low mileage with all the typical 300 upgrades done (though, I am sure I will find more to upgrade). The previous owner was very forthcoming and an enthusiast, so it the process was quick and smooth.

-Rear Seat Cowl
-Shorty levers
-SV Racing adjustable Rear Sets
-KnN Drop in filter
-Micro Tuner-Tuner
-4k HID for high and low beam
-Targa rear fender eliminator
-Brake light Led
-Two Brothers full exhaust in carbon fiber with 1x silencer
-15 Tooth Front Sprocket
-Rear Spool Set
-gear indicator-Green display
-front and rear stands

So far, I mounted the gear indicator (remounted), removed the tail decals, attached my tank bag, put in the power tip silencer in the two brothers exhaust, and put my plates on (just did the DMV thing today!). I also adjusted the throttle last night to get rid of some of the free play.

mounted the gear indicator on the tach (saw the idea from another member on here)

my tank bag that I had from my previous 600.

I am still looking at updating my gear (probably a spare helmet, another jacket, and some new gloves). I'll add more indepth review and comparison to the other bikes I've owned once I have had more experience riding this one.

Misc

So for the first time I paid for car work. My MINI's front lower control arm bushings have been failing since I bought the car 4.5 years ago, and it finally was so bad it failed inspection. I bit the billet and paid to have it done. The pricing was slightly higher than previous quotes but I accepted it for the trade off of convenience of same day turnaround.

The car feels MUCH more planted in corners and steering is heavier in a good way. Previously, the steering was vague and wushu washy in corners (ESP in bumps). It was definitely worth the cost, and I'd fully recommend it for anyone with an aging MINI. I also fixed my cigarette lighter socket (wasn't working because contacts were bent) and added a small extension that has 3 more lighter sockets and a USB socket.

In other news, I bought a small "portable" ac unit for my bedroom. The lack of attic fan coupled with vaulted ceilings keeps my bedroom toasty while lower levels freeze. 

Here are a few pics. Initial impressions are good. I figure I can carry it to the garage too.

Installation was simple and straight forward. The unit came with all the items needed. I added duct tape around joints to keep the exhaust/hot air in the hose. I'll write a better review once I've used it more.  The only con i've noticed so far is that it is a little noisy.