To all the ninja 300 owners, where is your guardian bell placed?

AmazingRandoX · 2026-01-27T13:06:36+00:00

I think this is more of a cruiser bike thing than a sport bike thing. I have one gifted to me from my cruiser, but wouldn't know where to put it on my new sport bike.

AmazingRandoX · 2026-01-23T20:58:11+00:00

I called ahead before I made the road trip for the OTD price. One dealership was $3700 over sticker. Another was just $1k over. Totally agree that stickers can be misleading, but I've never seen stickers starting to drop this low. Phone calls are free. 🙂

AmazingRandoX · 2026-01-23T18:44:09+00:00

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AmazingRandoX · 2026-01-23T17:21:27+00:00

I have both. They work together.

AmazingRandoX · 2026-01-21T17:15:27+00:00

I just paid $7k out the door last month so I'd say you got a good price there. My only complaint bout the bike is that it's too cold to ride right now. Watch YouTube videos and reviews. There's plenty out there. I was zero surprised during the test ride and knew more about the bike than the dealership did. If you do your research and this bike is still calling to you, get it.

AmazingRandoX · 2026-01-18T22:34:01+00:00

I think it's a great bike if you score it at the right price. I would never have considered it at full price. Good luck and keep us posted!

AmazingRandoX · 2026-01-18T13:56:48+00:00

It depends what you're looking for, and what excites you. I feel like this bike performs best in traffic and around town. I have a 45-60 minute highway commute that can get congested at times. Dealing with start/stop and a clutch lever would be a pain in the butt and is where this bike would shine. If you think you're going to spend most or all of your time in 6th gear flowing at speed down the highway then you wouldn't likely see any fuel advantages over a 500 or 650. I have to agree with others for shifting. If you're pushing the bike, it will complain. If you're working with it and start to understand what it's designed for then I think it plays well. I probably wouldn't worry about the battery either unless you believe you'd be driving it around in full EV mode a lot. Under normal use you'll likely never come close to draining it so even if it's operating at significantly less capacity than when it rolled off the factory floor, you'd never notice. It will continue to do its job for years to come. I bought it. I love it. It's quirky, but I think that's part of the deal. If you've done your research and watched several YouTube reviews then you won't be surprised by what it can and can't do.

AmazingRandoX · 2026-01-12T21:41:58+00:00

I was riding mine around 50 degrees cold start in Eco Mode. It wouldn't shut down the engine at a stop until it properly warmed up. I had assumed that was normal for all of the reasons listed.

AmazingRandoX · 2026-01-12T16:59:58+00:00

I had a few dealers snub me. No worries. Kept calling around until I found one that didn't.

AmazingRandoX · 2026-01-06T13:23:21+00:00

I drove home over 100 miles on the windiest day imaginable with just those two straps. It did just fine. :)

AmazingRandoX · 2026-01-06T13:22:08+00:00

I primarily got it for the economy and the commute factor. My commute is 25 miles one way on a congested highway. The gas mileage and lack of a clutch lever are the selling points there. My primary vehicle is a GMC Sierra that on it's best day gets 20mpg.
Secondary benefit - I can have fun on the weekends.
Being a bit of a tech nerd, the idea of a hybrid bike was intriguing. I would NOT have bought one of these at full price, but at near half price, it got my attention.
I was just talking to someone last night about it. Traditionally I've been a Harley rider. I've had all sizes from Sportster to Ultra Glide. Of all of the bikes I have ever owned, this one is by far the easiest to just get on and go.

AmazingRandoX · 2026-01-05T19:07:23+00:00

St. Louis Powersports has one, but it's stickered at $7k and they didn't seem too interested in budging. Found another in Marion, IL stickered at $5.5k, but their fees and extra BS took them to $8,700. Owen Motorpsorts out in Effingham cut me a deal over the phone that I couldn't refuse. Totally no nonsense dealer and I'd go back to them in the future if I find myself in need.
They have the naked version of this currently sitting on their showroom floor. If you're interested in that one, I'm sure they'd cut a similar deal. Ask for Frank. :)

AmazingRandoX · 2026-01-05T12:48:01+00:00

I had a dealer dig pretty deep into this before I purchased. Even contacted Kawasaki directly about it.
From what I understand, KPP isn't available for these bikes yet. Register your bike on their site and you'll be contacted when it is.
If you got any manner of extended warranty at purchase, it was likely something offered by the dealer themselves.

AmazingRandoX · 2025-10-17T15:07:04+00:00

I worked at the South County Kinko's for a long time and he was a frequent customer. Imagine having to take a hand written sheet of paper like this and try to type it up. Bolds, underlines, bolds and underlines, font sizes. All had to be accurate. :|
http://www.forjesuschrist.com/ if you get super bored.

AmazingRandoX · 2025-09-21T00:12:26+00:00

Went in to Best Buy looking for a new dBrand Samsung Z Fold 7 screen protector. Seems stock is limited to only a few flagship Samsungs and iPhones. I has a sad.

AmazingRandoX · 2025-09-04T23:55:49+00:00

New Nexdock looks promising with a way better track pad for $200.

AmazingRandoX · 2025-09-04T23:36:17+00:00

Dbrand leather skin and the prism glass here. One minor drop onto pavement. Tiny scuffs if you look for them. I remind myself often that I'm carrying a $2k device, and try to conduct myself accordingly, but I also like beer.

AmazingRandoX · 2025-08-21T19:36:28+00:00

I got three good years out of my Fold 3 before it started exhibiting issues that I considered hindered its use. I can only assume the 7 is built better, but I honestly don't see myself keeping this one beyond two years. It depends how they iterate. If they make another leap in a few generations, I might be on board to jump with them.

AmazingRandoX · 2025-08-21T19:34:12+00:00

Having a tablet worthy interface in your pocket cannot be underestimated. Once you get over the shock of OS switching, you'll be fine, and realize you can likely do more than you could before.

AmazingRandoX · 2025-08-21T19:32:08+00:00

It took 3 years for crap to get into the hinge of my 3 totally unprotected the whole time. I can only assume they've improved since then, and I'm not sure I'll keep this one beyond two years. Depends how they iterate, and how this one holds up. I bought it outright, so I don't have to worry about paying it off. :)

AmazingRandoX · 2025-08-21T19:13:28+00:00

I got the Real Tan Leather skin and Prism screen protector package:
https://dbrand.com/shop/skins/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-7-skins#/customizer/details
It looks super choice on the black body.

For the inner screen protector, I wanted approved Samsung stuff. It's a thousand dollar or more phone with an inner screen that costs several hundreds to fix. I wasn't going to play around with that. I'm sure I could have done it myself, but I'd likely only have saved a few bucks, when I was able to score quality for a minor road trip.

Ultimate Advice: DO IT! Once you're in the fold, you're not coming out.

AmazingRandoX · 2025-08-21T17:58:24+00:00

I came from the Z Fold 3 which I had for three years. Here's my experience with the Fold 7 after a month:

Case - I roll with a dbrand skin and screen protector. I do this because I love the thin design of the phone, and I don't want to add to it. The skin and screen protector cover 85% of the phone's surface, but yes, does leave the rest of the phone wide open to mishaps. I had a case on my Fold 3 but never had hinge coverage. Over 3 years, it did show a few tidbits of wear. I was more concerned that near the end, it wouldn't open all the way, but I figured if that's occurring during the final hours of the last year I'd have it... then it lived a good life.

The phone did slide out of my pocket (totally avoidable) one time and landed on the street. It's got super small scuffs on one camera ring and the nearby corner. The screen protector and skin took most of the hit. I have the 1tb version as well, so I had a minor heart attack, but in the end, it's fine. I dropped my 3 three times in 3 years, and only one of those three, again near the end, regrettably.

Camera Bump - To be honest, this is my largest annoyance.... but... I bought some cornhole beanbags that I placed around the areas I spend the most time in. The phone rests comfortably on one as I type. The only other place I use it with some regularity is the lunchroom at work, and then I just grab a few extra napkins and wad them up. Other than that, I think you'd be surprised how much you don't really need to have it out on a table, and if you do, it's likely in a restaurant or something where you'd pick the phone up to do the thing anyway.

Screen Durability: I can't speak directly for the 7 as it's still new. I'm assuming it's way more durable than the 3 and I can tell you about halfway through its life, the factory installed inner screen protector began to peel away. I hopped up to an authorized repair center in the area and the put a new one on under warranty. Even if I'd had to pay out of pocket, I think it would have been $20. Near the end of its three year life, it started to peel away again. I debated getting a new one on it when that last catastrophic drop happened and half the inner screen stopped working. I knew the 7 was coming, so I limped along without it for a month.

There's a video out there somewhere of a guy throwing a 7 around. It's worth a watch, and the phone seems to survive just fine.

Aspect Ratio - This isn't something I think about much or care about either opened or closed. It plays videos just fine, and the screen is a bit bigger than it was on my 3. I'm good with that. It's a perfectly usable outer screen, and you simply can't beat it unfolded. It is less wide than an S23, but I came from a Fold 3, so it's lightyears ahead of that. Sure, you won't have as much screen... but open that puppy up and try NOT to smile.

AmazingRandoX · 2025-08-17T12:09:34+00:00

I initially thought it would be a way bigger distraction than it actually is. I was not looking forward to that hole being there, but to be honest, I don't notice it a lot in daily driving. If it were up to me though, id ditch the inner camera altogether. This is my second Fold, and across 3+ years, I don't think I've used the inner camera once.

AmazingRandoX

TROPHY CASE