Welcome Icecat! sweet ride! Never knew kawi made a 400r. Looks like the 650r here in the states. Stay safe and keep the rubber side down!

 

Apparently the 400r is only available in Canada and Japan (I think). It's pretty much the same as the 650 but with a smaller engine and a few minor cosmetic changes from what I can see...like one of the supports is black instead of a matt silver finish and it doesn't have the 650 badge on the seat..the 400 label is on the tank.... Otherwise the frame, fairings, etc. are identical...

Thanks for the support...I've been riding since May and have almost been run over several times, cut-off I don't know how many times...learned emergency breaking and subsequently losing control of my rear tire and how to recover from it....

I now treat everyone - car, cyclists, and pedestrians as if they are trying to kill me! Hahahaha...

 

Congrats on the experiences. Make sure to do your maintenance and your daily walk through inspections on your ride prior to hopping on. Gear up and enjoy.

 

Thanks for the advice!

I've followed he break-in procedure to the letter...and was laughed at and told no one had ever heard of that.... A Harley mechanic friend said he was impressed..because it's those people who don't follow the break-in period who end up having their bikes fixed down the road... So I do follow the manually pretty closely....

I did upgrade my windshield to reduce the buffetting...it does seem to help... Bought Kawi's spoiler windshield..

 

Icecat, ALWAYS keep that "..everyone is trying to kill me" thought in your head as you ride, and you'll do fine on the street.
For example, this morning on my way to work, foggy as heck, (seriously; maybe 30 yard visibility) I was coming to my usual right turn onto a country road. I was FULLY EXPECTING something stupid to happen at this 4-way intersection (crossing traffic has stop signs.) I slowed, turn signal on,....SURE ENOUGH, a dump bed gravel hauler coming from my right completely blows the stop sign!!! If I had been going straight......
They ARE out to kill us.

 

Force people to make eye contact with you, I know that sounds like its impossible, and to a certain degree it is, but as you cross streets look at the drivers and see if they look back, but always have an exit strategy in place. Nobody is going to look out for you, that's your job.

 

(My country road turn is limited sight-distance. The road coming in from the right has about 50 feet of clear visibility back from the stop sign. From about 50 feet back, it's all trees and brush along the fencerow. In the fog this morning, I couldn't see ANYTHING until about 20 feet from the turn...then I saw the gravel truck. He locked them up going across the State Route I was on.)
Like Deej says^: ALWAYS have an escape route. (seriously.)

 

All good advice, thanks guys. I always make contact with the drivers...sometimes it freaks them out as if I'm going to do something unexpected.... I'd rather they are careful with me than not...