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I would be interested in hearing from perspective buyers what else they have or are considering as an alternative to the Ninja 400. Whats the main competition in your opinion?
For me it boiled down to a toss up between the Ninja and the KTM duke 390. I've always liked the styling of the dukes and they look like a hoot to ride with that aggressive riding position and light weight. Also the HP figures are similar to the Ninja at 44HP. The Duke received an upgrade for 2017 addressing some of the issues of the first model like the small tank capacity, hard seat and average brakes. There are reports of engine reliability issues with the 390's but I found it hard to get a handle on whether these rumors were warranted or not. One of the main things I like about the Duke is it's naked look, but in reality I prefer a faired bike on the road for comfort and a bit of weather protection. I live in a small country town with a cool, wet climate. I'm sure the KTM would make a great urban blaster but at the end of the day that's not what I do.
The Yamaha R3 is probably more similar to the Ninja than the KTM but despite a nice paint job for 2017 it failed to excite me as much as the 400 does.
So the Ninja 400 gets the vote. :wink:
For me it boiled down to a toss up between the Ninja and the KTM duke 390. I've always liked the styling of the dukes and they look like a hoot to ride with that aggressive riding position and light weight. Also the HP figures are similar to the Ninja at 44HP. The Duke received an upgrade for 2017 addressing some of the issues of the first model like the small tank capacity, hard seat and average brakes. There are reports of engine reliability issues with the 390's but I found it hard to get a handle on whether these rumors were warranted or not. One of the main things I like about the Duke is it's naked look, but in reality I prefer a faired bike on the road for comfort and a bit of weather protection. I live in a small country town with a cool, wet climate. I'm sure the KTM would make a great urban blaster but at the end of the day that's not what I do.
The Yamaha R3 is probably more similar to the Ninja than the KTM but despite a nice paint job for 2017 it failed to excite me as much as the 400 does.
So the Ninja 400 gets the vote. :wink: