Hi everyone I'm new to the forums. I've had my bike for a little over a month.
Last night I had a pretty bad crash where a guy coming too fast the other way ran in to my bike.
I went OTB and smashed my head off the road knocking myself out for a few minutes. My front fender and front plastic around the headlight including number plate got broken.
I'm having a tough time finding plastic specifically for my year and wondering if anyone here can help me out. Does the 2019 plastic match any of the other earlier models? I'm in Canada so hoping to not have to order from the US as it takes so long.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Dave

 

I don’t have any experience with it, but I’m under the impression that if it fits any model back to the 06-07 time frame, it’ll fit the “new” EFI models.

That sucks on the crash. I’m new myself to street riding. I went out for my first real street ride yesterday. I enjoyed it, but I drove as defensively as I could and had my head on a swivel. I’m pretty sure my wife would make me sell the bike if that happened to me any time soon. Good for you for being so ready to jump back on the horse.

 

Hey thanks for getting back k to me. It's funny what you said about your wife as I am having the same discussion with my wife. The accident and ambulance scared her understandably but I'm ok just out for a bit with a mild concussion.

 

Not true on the 06-08 years, different frame tab set up, one piece shroud, different side panels and all. From 2009 on the plastics are pretty much the same with the two piece shrouds and more angular fenders/ headlight nacelle.

Keep your head on a swivel. After over four decades, the first a bit iffy, it is all about evaluating what I see in an automatic fashion. In other words it is habit to look all around, including rear view mirror glances. Drives my wife nuts when driving the car, looking at what is going on all around, but she doesn't realize it is being ready to act before problems happen. Kind of like people putting sandbags out when flooding is possible. If you are ready to take action if you don't have to nothing is lost, but being proactive and ready makes the difference.

You also learn to ride different, no longer tailgating anyone. Tailgating when cars behind may tailgate is a good way to become a sandwich. If you allow a decent gap you have an out, going around the vehicle in front. If someone takes that spot you simply back off a bit to get it back. The gap also makes it easier to see around traffic and a run if you go to pass.

Never quit looking all around, make it habit, an instinctual action. Some call it defensive riding I call it offensive riding. Anyone who has played football or basketball understands. Offense is mostly prediction, looking at the field and predicting what can occur, then developing a plan of action before it happens. Multiple actions can be in process at the same time. You have a plan going in, but ready to take action should it be necessary. It is when you don't really have a plan that you lose time having to create a defensive action. A fraction of a second in response is enough to make the difference. If I've got my brake covered and am ready to change direction immediately and have to, I'm half way there. If not needed, I've wasted nothing.

In addition every time you think this way you are developing a borderline instinctual action. Pretty soon you aren't thinking you should look, you are already looking. You do need to practice braking for the ability to threshold brake and doing some slalom type turn practice to have those skills in the resume, but recognizing possible situations is most important. I've had people do all the stupid stuff in front of me that creates emergency braking situations if not being on the offense. I see the situation developing, the car rolling/moving. Traffic slowing abruptly several cars ahead, a signal about to change based on what I'd seen for the previous few blocks looking ahead. Ends up I'm maybe doing a bit of average braking, because I have room and am ready. I don't go nuts with a horn, maybe a beep, because those who know they screwed up take it to heart where the others think you're the problem. Big blasts don't really do much. Most frequently I'm already taking action without any major issue, just another day in traffic. I haven't had any panic situations in a couple decades.

 

I had to watch a bunch of tips and such before i felt comfortable going on the road for more than a few miles. One thing ive always done, pull the clutch and brake. At road speeds, the engine can help you brake and it improves intial brake response time since it is one less motion you have to focus on and make. It starts the braking before you do. I find it odd keeping fingers on the front brake while throttling, but you get use to it. I keep my left thumb on the horn (use to the clutch) and right index/middle fingers on the brake.

Lots of bad offroad habits to break for me, too, that i never perceived as bad. Mostly body position and taking my feet off the pegs.

 

If you get into an honest to gawd serious near impact situation you will not have time to downshift or initiate slowing with engine deceleration and time spend honking a horn is pretty much a good way to waste attention that should focus on control, not noise. It's too late for noise.

I get the problem keeping feet up, but I guarantee you your off road experience will come in handy. I've had the back wheel step out on a street bike on some loose gravel turning a corner. A dab with the foot and I'm still on two wheels. I have had a couple situations where the choice was crash or run off road, taking going off road was the way to stay on two wheels again. No fear going off road if you have to.

 

If you have the standard Kawasaki Green it's the same. But if it's the Camo version i think Kawasaki slightly tweaks that every year. So it's not backwards compatible if you wanted to make it look exactly like new.