StreetMotoZ - Can a Ninja 650 keep up on the interstate?

Рет қаралды 1,466

2 ай бұрын

Taking my 2023 Ninja 650 on the Interstate with cars, trucks, semis and seeing if it can keep up with the traffic. You be the judge of that.

Пікірлер: 32

@SlowRiderDucati 2 ай бұрын

Great video, bike, and riding technique. I ride my Diavel V4 on the freeways out here in California where the speeds are 80 to 90 MPH in the slow lane so you need a faster bike. I cruise at 90 MPH in 4th gear at 8,000 rpm so I'm always in the power band.

@StreetMotoZ 2 ай бұрын

Hi Matthew! Oh, that Diavel looks so cool. The stock exhaust is thing of beauty and what power!

@TheGronk 2 ай бұрын

the ninja 650 is my personal GOAT. Mine isa a 2012 with airflow mods and an economy tune for the mods. I have bar rizers and LED spot lights on the forks with a black sheepskin seat cover and thats it. Throw a set of Michelin tires on that and you can go anywhere. OF course i couldnt help a few gold anodised aluminium bling bits here and there but thats just dress. I have many bikes and the Ninja 650 is always my go-to bike for anything except track days. Thats what the Aprilia is for though. Full support for this bike.

@StreetMotoZ 2 ай бұрын

Hi The Gronk! Your 650 sounds like a sweet ride! The gas mileage is super too! I am enjoying mine and keeping it in minty condition with a few modifications.

@BlackArroToons 2 ай бұрын

Cruise control is nice for a car, and as long as you're ready, nice on a bike too and would be a nice option. Ninja 650 is a comfortable ride on the freeways. I think the fastest legal speed in the US is 75 mph. Sounds like you have 75 mph there. Nice riding, StreetMotoZ. I rode for 6 hours straight (other than a fuel stop) earlier this Spring (I kept trying to avoid a big rain storm on my day off work) and at hour 5 is when I started to feel sore all around. It was on freeways and a mix of roads with hardly any stops. My prior Ninja 250R could keep up with traffic and even go up to near 100 mph on a track, but it took a bit longer to go that fast. The Ninja 650, yes, it can easily handle interstate speeds, no issues. For the track, it can go 127+ mph, 0 to 60 in about 3.5 seconds but keeping the front tire down is tough for that kind of launch. Years ago, I was on my Ninja 250R in the left lane passing traffic, and a fast sportbike flew in between me and the other car at over 150 mph in a split second. I was not happy about that as if I turned unexpectedly, that would've been a disaster. Good video, thanks.

@StreetMotoZ 2 ай бұрын

6 hours straight on a Ninja 650 is hard core! Mad respect. Woah that 150 mph pass must have been very scary and hard to see them coming up on you too. I met some guys at the Columbia cars and coffee on sport bikes and we are going riding tomorrow around the local lake. It should be fun but will not try to keep up with anyone. Riding my own ride.

@BlackArroToons 2 ай бұрын

@@StreetMotoZ Enjoy the ride and you have the right strategy. Trying to keep up with faster bikes is not worth it, as the rider starts pushing beyond the safety of the road or skill level. Hopefully they are a team and stick together or wait for you down the road if needed. The Ninja 650 is flickable and capable on the backroads. I'm going to tighten the main spring so it's not bouncing as much on bumpy roads. Thanks.

@dennisgibb7958 2 ай бұрын

Fastest legal speed is well above 75. The 650 is fine for the highways……. My question has always been the GROM and its kin……..see them on the highways all the time……

@BlackArroToons 2 ай бұрын

@@dennisgibb7958 In the United States, where does the legal speed go above 75 mph? I thought that was the fastest.

@unclebadger597 2 ай бұрын

@@BlackArroToons 85mph on the toll road here in Texas

@ChrisJfromUSA 2 ай бұрын

Good video, I hope we see more cruise control on sport street bikes.

@StreetMotoZ 2 ай бұрын

Thanks Chris! I am trying to improve them with each video. I agree with you about more availability of cruise control on sport bikes. Can't, wait to see your new bike!

@TheGronk 2 ай бұрын

cruise control on a motorbike is bad security. It encourages you to put something out of mind when you should be 100% all over the controls at all time on a bike.

@ChrisJfromUSA 2 ай бұрын

@@TheGronk Sorry, but I disagree. You can easily take back control from the cruise control in an instant. You should always be paying attention and using cruise control doesn't change that, it just saves your wrist and grip strength on long trips where you are on the interstate (3+ hours). You can obviously not use it when you want to as well. There is absolutely nothing that detracts from having the option of a cruise control.

@cm8227 2 ай бұрын

'is a 650 good enough on interstate', heres me in the uk on a 125 keeping up with traffic on a 70mph limit motorway in england xD

@StreetMotoZ 2 ай бұрын

Hi CM8227! Nice that the 125 is keeping up on the interstate! Ride safe brother!

@Rmachine429 2 ай бұрын

Good video. Did you experience vibrations in the foot pegs? For me (same bike) I have recently experienced vibrations more prominently w/ the right foot peg (still evaluating).

@StreetMotoZ 2 ай бұрын

I don't feel any vibrations in the foot pegs just small quick vibrations on the handlebars. The foot pegs seem smooth. Still running on the stock tires too. I will probably replace them myself when needed and will put the wheel with new tire on a gravity balancer and use sticky weights to balance it. Not sure if anyone has done this on a Ninja 650?

@dennisgibb7958 2 ай бұрын

Cruise control on a bike……….bad idea. Unless it is a factory unit that is absolutely flawless. There is only one bike I can recall that has cruise control from the factory…..the Goldwing…….which is basically a 2 wheeled Accord. It also has an onboard air bag option, heater, a/c, and a bunch of other “car” features. Y’all that do these 6 hour trips……..well, more power to ya. After 2 hours constant riding, I’m worn out enough to need a rest.

@StreetMotoZ 2 ай бұрын

Hi Dennis! Hope you're doing well! The new ZX10R, R1, GSX1000, ASV4, RS660, S1000 and a few more all have factory cruise control stock. The moto companies have not put it on the 750s and lower yet, except for the RS660 by Aprilla but I expect in time they will. Cruise control would be nice to have on the Interstate when it is not packed with cars. It would help extend any riders distance on the interstate, so the right hand does not turn into a potato. LOL.. Went riding today for 3 hours back roads with a group... video coming out soon.

@brentharrington9235 2 ай бұрын

When was the last time you looked at backs, 1985? If you want to sell a bike in Europe, it has to have factory cruise control.

@KROWARIZONA 2 ай бұрын

Why did you choose the ninja 650 and what bike would you get if you sell the 650?

@StreetMotoZ 2 ай бұрын

Hi Krowarizona! The Ninja 650 is my first bike and I wanted to get something that would be safe to start on but that would last a while. I thought a Ninja 400, but I see them sold after a year of riding. I was too beginner to get anything larger than a 650. I will keep this guy probably till next year as it gets great gas milage, can ride the interstate and is comfortable. I do like the sport bikes as I tried a Vulcan S an found it to be boring to me. My thought today is that my next bike next year will be a ZX10R or possibly an R1M. I got to ride a ZX10R today for about a mile. I liked it and could tell I did not even scratch the surface of that bike's potential. Plus, it has cruise control, traction control, rain mode...

@KROWARIZONA 2 ай бұрын

@@StreetMotoZ good choice. I’d avoid R1. Too uncomfortable, but it’s just my opinion.

@StreetMotoZ 2 ай бұрын

@@KROWARIZONA Yes, I have heard the R1 is uncomfortable and the ZX10r is 3x more comfortable than the R1, but then heard the R1M is 3X more comfortable than the ZX10r. I got to ride a ZX10r today for the first time for a short ride... coming out in a video today. It was more comfortable than I expected.

@TheGronk 2 ай бұрын

1 - Comfort and reliability. 2 - Another Ninja 650 or an ER6N if it was going offroad more often (its the same bike but naked)

@brentharrington9235 2 ай бұрын

Kind of a dumb question.. Can a vehicle with a 6 speed transmission, 1hp per 6lbs keep up with vehicles that have 1hp per 20lbs? I would think so

@StreetMotoZ 2 ай бұрын

LOL good point! I remember when just started riding motorcycles and looking for my first moto, I could not find anyone riding Ninja 650s on the interstate talking about them and how they fair. But your right, they can command on the interstate.

@brentharrington9235 2 ай бұрын

@@StreetMotoZ You start getting smaller than 400cc, then for sure it's a concern. I've ridden the BMW 310, and while its a neat bike for bombing around back roads, I would not at all feel comfortable with that on the highway. But anything around 50+ hp should be just fine.

@brodylangsly6194 7 күн бұрын

This bike is barley fast enough for California riding, you can cruise 90-100 on the ninja 650 but it’s racked out like 9k lol

@StreetMotoZ 7 күн бұрын

Yep, it will do about 130 on a flat road with no wind, maybe 135 on a slight downhill. It can handle a continuous 90 and 100 and it will be at 7K RPM at 90 or 7.8K RPM at 100. Redline is 10K RPMs. The interstate is not a strong area for this bike, but it is well suited on highway and around town roads. It gets over 58 mpg and is fast 0-100.