Agreed on all points, were all riding at different levels(amateur my self) and no judgements just info, gaining knowledge and do's and dont's

This is true...had a friend who was a newbie rider n wanted to live the harley lifestyle. In the 1-2 years weve known him..hes had 4 different harleys n a versys1000 in between.

He overthinks abit too much. Kept saying something isnt right with his bike n hes uncomfortable that he doesnt dare to speed. But when i ride his bike i can get up to speed on uneven roads easily. When riding with him we couldnt go more than 70kmh coz he was so uncomfortable n felt something was off on the harleys.

Just need to loosen up. Not get too stressed n dont overthink.

N yes, the bike he felt most comfortable on was the versys...n also a z900 he borrowed. Managed to get up to 140kmh but he still wanted harleys....oh well.

Actually when i got my v1k i also was overthinking abit coz the weight n height of the bike. I could speed but i was so stiff in corners. Slowly learned to relax n eventually the bike became very comfortable for me.

Also, original, branded full bucket seats can be super comfortable too. Loved my recaro spg-n back in the day.... Was even more comfortable than my recaro sr3

That's one mistake some make. When they first get into riding, they get something too big, heavy, powerful and expensive. Everything that would make it difficult to help a new rider learn. At the end they either eventually give up or never fully enjoy riding. I couldn't imagine a newbie jumping on a v1k and can get comfortable riding immediately.

Easier to build skills and confidence quickly on something small, light and disposable...so you are not fretting all the time about damaging the bike and easier to ride. Last thing you want when starting out is the equipment making hard for yourself. Why have your bike intimidate you? It's counter productive.

Motorcycling is something you just sometimes can't overthink things. By itself it's illogical to be on a dangerous speed missile.

This post has been edited by jaycee1: Sep 18 2025, 11:57 PM

seriously, as a 1year & 6month newbie rider.
coaching helps alot.

i rode 1+ year with no guidance, always felt unrelaxed on the bike and itcauses lots of hand/palm straining.
the last 3 months with a coach watching me, told me my posture (my upperbody was stiff) needed to be corrected.
now no more pain, more smoother riding & more relax on my bike. it made my ride more enjoyable.

youtube, article & such, can help. but nothing beats a coach to help you out.

Mind sharing the coach, im looking for one too. Probably my bike too is way bigger for an amateur like me. Slowly learning it tho.

hi, been riding for 10 month, at 1st i dont dare to ride far, only somewhere near in KV an mostly on highway. once i brave in after 6months riding on highway and ride to titi, after 2nd ride to titi i realize i learn more the past 6 month i ride on KV highway.

i learn to control my brake, my throttle, and learn to lean slightly when corner, still dont dare to lean more

can share coach contact and charges?

Ramblings and thoughts 1.5 years into my big bike journey...

Current Usage
My riding right now is pretty simple: a 20km daily commute one way on the Federal Highway motorcycle lane. Future plans *might* include a yearly trip to Penang or JB, but realistically I don’t see myself doing much more than that.

My Ninja 400 has been everything I expected and more. Honestly, I have zero desire to upgrade to a bigger bike because for my commute, heavier and hotter bikes would actually be worse. Plus, there’s not much joy riding in just 2nd and 3rd gear in traffic.

I’ve also done more than 10 trips to Melaka on it, so I’m familiar with its highway capabilities. For me, 130 km/h is the sweet spot for cruising — anything beyond that is uncomfortable for extended periods and starts feeling unsafe.

400cc Feels Like the Sweet Spot
I believe the lighter range of 400cc bikes strikes the best balance of weight and power. Bikes like the Duke 390, Ninja 500, CFMoto 450SR, and Triumph Speed 400 all share that formula: essentially 250-class frames but with almost double the displacement.

Compared to a 250cc, you get the highway confidence you need, and compared to 650cc+ bikes, you avoid the weight and heat that become a nightmare in city riding. If you can only have one bike for mostly city use with occasional highway runs, I think this range is the ideal compromise.

Things I Wished My Bike Did Better

1. Luggage options
- Sportsbikes look wrong (to me) with panniers or bars, and boxes only look “right” on big ADVs or kapchais.
- Tank bags and tail bags aren’t practical for a short-distance commuter like me.

2. Scooter convenience
- On scooters, your feet are shielded, so no worries about water splashes.
- On the Ninja, my shoes constantly get stained by gear shifts, so I can only wear dark shoes.

3. Bad road confidence
- Half the Federal Highway motorcycle lane is potholes and bumps, so I couldn't ride fast without worrying about rim and suspension damage
- Sometimes I wish I had a dual-purpose bike just to blast over potholes and road dividers without caring.

Looking Ahead
It's looking very likely that I will switch to a scooter in the near future, only question remains on whether to keep the Ninja 400. It is such a waste given the condition it came in and the effort I spent hunting for one, but given my usage for the foreseeable future, I have no need for it.

This post has been edited by JustForFun: Sep 19 2025, 10:57 PM

JustForFun thanks for the write up

the CBR500 does not fall into that category, in terms of weight

between the ninja 400 and the CBR500, the later is a better commuter
Ninja500 looks to edge the CBR, by weight

a maxi scooter, will be an even better commuter
for me, keeping the Ninja is for me to feel alive once a while, unless I switch to a more powerful naked

This post has been edited by alexei: Sep 19 2025, 11:53 PM

To address the issues I listed above as a commuter, I think only a 150cc scooter would fit my needs:

1. Underseat storage and potential to install a rear box
2. Splash protection for my feet and not needing to change gear to prevent stains
3. Cheaper to maintain when compared to big bike, so I can use it as a beater bike and worry less about bad road conditions
4. Small and nimble in the city, and I don't have to worry about traffic filtering and tight carparks anymore

So I was looking at Vario a lot for the past few months as the NVX is too pricey. The Sym Naga that's about to be released is also very interesting, it's been the top-selling model in Taiwan since release. If all goes well, I would buy one before end of this year.

As for my Ninja 400, I would keep it for a while just to see how I like the change. Scooter purchase would actually give me some freedom to pick a second fun bike, as I no longer have to care too much about the reliability, weight and also maintenance cost that would otherwise be important to a commuter bike.

Well, the first bike you get is usually the wrong one. Haha. It takes time to understand what your needs are and what type of bike suites you and the type of riding you do. I would't think a 400 is too big for daily, as I have been riding a 400 on the daily for 3 years before getting my 800NK. There are options for luggage.


I daily with my 800NK with panniers mostly now. My D400 is sitting collecting dust most of the time now.

Time’s changed. Last year I was still traveling on the highway quite a fair bit and the bike served me well. I’ve also saved over RM500 a month just by riding, so no complaints there. The bike will still have its place in the stable for longer travels, but maybe it’s an age thing, I’ve started to appreciate taking public transport for any journey over 2 hours, because being able to rest and arrive fully fresh actually gets you more value for your balik kampung trips.

Big bikes are great when you’re doing long distances often. They save time (sometimes money) and make the ride more predictable since you’re less affected by traffic. That said, I always knew my ideal setup would be a small commuter plus a bigger bike for trips, I am just finding it hard to be like my neighbor who pays for a Tracer but only takes it out on long weekends, I am not at that financial level yet or maybe I am too pragmatic.

This post has been edited by JustForFun: Sep 20 2025, 11:24 AM

See below.

KRS (Klawang racing school), look for coach muiz.
They are active on tiktok.

Membership fee RM150/year
Sepang Parking Lot training fee RM20/session
Track training fee varies on track location.

what speed do you need to go at, to be safe and all?
why not a maxi scooter? like a 250~300cc single cylinder

1~80 mostly, with capability to go to 110 would be enough for my usage.

I want something as cheap as possible because I am planning to blast through road bumps and potholes with this.

I also have a spare EX5 in my hometown... maybe I can do something with it.

-- Double post --

This post has been edited by JustForFun: Sep 22 2025, 12:13 AM

Small wheels and bumps/potholes not a good combination lol.

A standard kapchai or supercub with 17"s will be a much smoother ride. But yes, you wont get the convenience of an auto cvt and underseat storage with a supercub. But anyways, for city riding in all weather, get something with at least front ABS.

How's your experience with Bajaj's parts and availability?

The used Pulsar NS200s are dirt cheap, could just be a good candidate as a beater bike.

Parts no problem. Only snag is the fuel pump assembly that only comes in a full set. But anyway plenty of scarp bikes arealy so easy to get scrap parts.

The pulsar has a engine defect where it eats valve guides. Doesn't affect all but it is common. Other than that, rectifier issues are common also.

That's why there is an abundance of 2nd hand spare parts..because once the engine is dead most won't bother to repair it and scrap the bike.

This post has been edited by jaycee1: Sep 22 2025, 01:39 PM

I took a look on Shopee, the rims cost as much as my Ninja, with a pair costing RM1K++. That was naive for me to think rims of the same size would be cheaper just cause it's Indian bike...

The parts for a supercub however looks pretty damn affordable, you can replace the forks, mono and rims all within 1.5k, unreal.

Yeah supercub and scooter definitely have more custom parts and due to competition making the price lower.
Why do you want to change the rims tho? I think for daily bike weight reduction on wheels barely matter especially if the bike not even heavy.