Best Beginner Motorcycles! Ninja 400 vs Meteor 350 vs CRF300L vs Sondors Metacyc
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00:00Hello there, if you clicked on this video, perhaps you're in the market for a small,
00:10approachable, budget-conscious motorcycle.
00:13As with any segment in motorcycling, there are a lot of options.
00:16There are sport bikes, adventure bikes, cruisers, dual sports, and urban machines.
00:22And to represent those categories, we have selected five motorcycles that are all excellent
00:28options.
00:29And each of them is under $6,000, well, except for one.
00:35And here they are.
00:37We've got Kawasaki's Ninja 400, BMW's G310GS, the Honda CRF300L, Royal Enfield Meteor 350,
00:48and the all-electric Sondor's Metacycle.
00:51If you go to the websites for these machines, you'll find some basic information.
00:55You'll see that the Ninja 400 has the largest engine.
01:00You'll see that the Meteor 350 has the lowest price.
01:04You will also find that the CRF300 is the lightest.
01:09And the Sondor's Metacycle has the longest service intervals.
01:14However, perhaps you've heard people say that the spec sheets don't tell the whole story.
01:20And they're right.
01:21So we're going to investigate the truth behind these numbers in a test so comprehensive,
01:27so watertight, that it is going to change the course of beginner bikes forever.
01:33Or maybe just a couple of weeks or something.
01:36Yeah.
01:37We'll at least give people some context.
01:38Maybe.
01:39Yeah, that was over the top.
01:40Sorry.
01:41It's not going to be that earth-shattering.
01:42It's going to be kind of fun for a little while.
01:44Just stick around.
02:21In order to tackle the most comprehensive test of small bikes ever attempted, we enlisted
02:26the help of our coworkers, each of them lifelong motorcyclists with strong riding skills and
02:33even stronger opinions.
02:38We gathered the dream team at our testing facility and explained the rules.
02:45Welcome everyone to the first and potentially the last beginner bike shootout we ever do
02:50here on CTXP.
02:52We're going to see how it goes.
02:53Our dear colleagues, Patrick, Jen, and Spurgeon are largely in the dark about what today's
02:59tests actually are.
03:01But Zach and I had devised a series of challenges that will shed some truth on those so-called
03:06specifications that we mentioned earlier.
03:08So that is weight, price, performance, maintenance, and overall capability.
03:13The winner of each of these tests will get five points.
03:16The loser will get one point.
03:17You want the most points at the end.
03:20So five bikes, five riders, five tests, one beginner bike to rule them all.
03:26Are there any questions?
03:27We can just pick whichever one we want?
03:28No, no, no, no.
03:29You're all going to choose your motorcycle from within this helmet and ladies first.
03:35This is so exciting.
03:36Yeah, there's a lot hanging on the line here.
03:39Pretty nervous.
03:40I'm not going to lie.
03:41What is it?
03:42What is it?
03:43What you got?
03:44I have the Royal Enfield Meteor 350.
03:45All right.
03:46Sounds good.
03:47Cruiser gal.
03:48And you guys want to arm wrestle for-
03:49I'll let Patrick go.
03:50Okay.
03:51Yeah.
03:52Age before beauty.
03:53Licking the fingers for good luck.
03:59The Ninja 400.
04:00All right.
04:01Back to your drag racing roots.
04:02My roots.
04:03My Kawasaki roots.
04:04No putting a turbo on it, Garvin.
04:06No putting a turbo on it.
04:07I'm going to try to just have one.
04:09We're starting it down to process of elimination here.
04:11Honda CRF 300L.
04:12I feel like I just won already.
04:13That's right up your alley.
04:14You chose wisely.
04:18So we're down to the G310 and the Sondors.
04:20Oh boy.
04:21As soon as Zach opens that paper, I know exactly what I'm riding.
04:26It's a Sondors Metacycle for me, everybody.
04:29Yeah.
04:30I'm burning gasoline.
04:33So we all have our shiny new machine to represent.
04:36I hope you gas burners can live with yourselves for the rest of eternity, ruining the planet.
04:41At any rate, I do have a bit of bad news because before you can even ride your brand new machine,
04:46before you can even strut your stuff, I'm afraid there's been a terrible accident.
04:59At one point or another, just about every rider will tip their bike over.
05:05So we set up a test to see how much effort it takes to lift these machines upright, a
05:10measure of how much a motorcycle weighs, in a situation that's bound to happen.
05:21Okie dokie team.
05:22The first thing that you did as new riders was tip your bike over.
05:25Perhaps it was the wind.
05:26We don't know.
05:28The way this is going to work, everybody, is we're going to try to figure out the practical
05:32pickup weight.
05:33So you will stand on the scale, lift your motorcycle up, pause for a two count, at which
05:38point everyone else here will monitor the number.
05:41Lowest number wins for least effort to pick a motorcycle up.
05:45Make sense?
05:46Make sense.
05:47All right.
05:48And you're zeroing that out so we're not going to see anybody's weight.
05:50No one's going to know how much you weigh, it's pretty straightforward.
05:54128.
05:55Yeah, it peaked right at, I think it was more like 118 at the end.
06:02118 pounds of vertical weight to lift the Sondors up.
06:07Sondors' battery is what carries most of the weight, right?
06:09It's way down low.
06:10Way down low, which we know is good for lifting.
06:14So I think all things considered, the number of 118 pounds that you guys witnessed might
06:19be a pretty tough number to beat in this group, yeah?
06:22Yeah.
06:23Who's confident?
06:24You've got the lightest bike here, are you confident?
06:25I've got the lightest.
06:26I think that I'm going to win this, especially because my bike's leaking a little bit of
06:29fuel.
06:30So I'm already, I'm losing some weight already.
06:33With the lightest bike and the largest legs, Spurgeon had no issue lifting up his dual
06:39sport.
06:40But he was reminded that weight distribution is often more important than the weight itself.
06:45Right around 150.
06:46150.
06:47150.
06:48Golly, golly.
06:49Woo!
06:50Yeah, that was actually a lot heavier than I was expecting it to be.
06:53Essentially lifting half the motorcycle's curb weight in order to get it up off the
06:56ground.
06:57And interestingly, weighs 10 or 15 pounds less than the Sondors, however, 30 more pounds
07:03of lift pressure needed.
07:06I mean, it's a longer suspension, the weight sits higher, so, yeah.
07:10Okay.
07:11All right.
07:12Well, there we go.
07:13So Sondors is still in the lead then.
07:14Sondors is still in the lead.
07:15Patrick, you're up.
07:17Sleek bodywork and clip-on handlebars can make picking up a sport bike a little tricky.
07:23Trying to do it while also balancing on a scale can be even trickier.
07:28Actually, it sucks.
07:31Sorry, Patrick.
07:32137.
07:33175.
07:34It's all over the place.
07:36It's back to 130.
07:38We're just shy of 136.
07:39Okay.
07:40Yeah.
07:41So 128 to 130.
07:42130?
07:43So to be clear, the data was 130 pounds, which was 20 pounds less than the CRF, but 10 pounds
07:51more than the Sondors.
07:52Yeah.
07:53Yeah.
07:54Now we're on to the heaviest bike and the smallest competitor, so this should be...
07:57But it might have that low center of gravity.
07:58That's true.
07:59Yeah.
08:01It's got the rear handles and the handlebars.
08:02It's crossed.
08:03All right.
08:04Here we go.
08:05Hold it there, please.
08:06Hold it there.
08:07It spiked to 115.
08:08It did spike.
08:09But it's still down to 85.
08:10There you have it.
08:11The heaviest motorcycle of them all was the lightest to pick up so far anyway, which is
08:19very surprising.
08:20A 420-pound bike and 85, 80, 90 pounds effort, something like that.
08:24It just goes to show, you know, the spec sheet doesn't tell the whole story.
08:27It surely does not.
08:29So Ari, do you think you're going to be able to beat 80 pounds picking up your G310GS?
08:32Nope.
08:36All right.
08:37Here we go.
08:38Tell me when to hold it.
08:39Up on the tires.
08:40Up on the tires.
08:41Up more.
08:42There you go.
08:43Hold there.
08:44Hold there.
08:45Hold there.
08:46Hold there.
08:47Hold there.
08:48147, 145, 146.
08:49I'm getting heavy.
08:50I think 140, 145, something like that.
08:51Yeah.
08:52145 pounds.
08:53Interesting.
08:54And that's with all of the precious fluid being leaked into the atmosphere.
08:55That does occasionally happen when you drop your bike.
08:58So don't be alarmed, although it is obviously not great.
09:01There was some spilled fuel and questionable measuring science, but test one was complete.
09:07Quite the opposite of the listed curb weights, the Meteor 350 was in the lead, followed by
09:12the Metacycle in second, the Ninja in third, and the two top-heavy off-road bikes in fourth
09:17and fifth.
09:20Well, that was pretty insightful, honestly.
09:22I didn't necessarily expect some of those results.
09:25But when you tip your bike over, that's some bad news.
09:27But this test continues, and unfortunately, the bad news isn't over.
09:39Sadly, a dropped bike often means a damaged bike, and the price of parts or repairs can
09:45vary hugely depending on the machine.
09:49Our producer tallied up the cost of everything that touched the ground in the tip-over in
09:53order to calculate a theoretical repair bill for each bike.
09:57Nobody, not even Ari and I, knew what the totals were.
10:02I'm going to go first.
10:03The guy with the BMW is going first.
10:04That might be a high bill.
10:05Am I right?
10:07What you got?
10:08Repair cost.
10:09I have a clutch lever.
10:10$101.21 for a clutch lever?
10:13That is ridiculous.
10:14A shifter, $52.66.
10:16Still ridiculous, but a little more reasonable.
10:18The whole handlebar, $163.39.
10:21And then a bar end at $28.44.
10:23So my total bill for simply dropping my motorcycle at a gas pump or in the driveway, $345.70.
10:29That does not include labor.
10:31That's assuming you're DIYing.
10:33Wow.
10:34Carry on.
10:35All right.
10:36Clutch lever, $6.99.
10:39$6.99 for that clutch lever.
10:42The left mirror is $16.99.
10:45Okay.
10:46I'm liking this so far.
10:47Left blinker, $49.98.
10:50Handlebar, $22.99.
10:53So wait, my handlebar costs like $70?
10:56No.
10:57I think you need to figure out if you can put some Royal Enfield parts on your BMW.
11:00My handlebar was $163.
11:02Yeah, I got somebody putting Royal Enfield handlebars on my BMW.
11:05This is pretty impressive, guys.
11:07So my grand total is $96.95.
11:10A hundred bucks and you busted a blinker and a lever and a handlebar.
11:14The blinker was half of it.
11:15Yeah.
11:16The blinker is the most expensive one, actually.
11:18And it was the easiest to pick up.
11:19So cheapest bike, easiest to pick up, cheapest to repair.
11:22So far.
11:23So far.
11:24So far.
11:25So far.
11:26This person's riding a Honda.
11:27That's going to be pretty cheap, right?
11:28Honda CRF300L.
11:29Okay.
11:30And they crash well.
11:31How do you know?
11:32I watched somebody do it.
11:34All right.
11:35For the clutch lever, $51.38.
11:38A left mirror is $17.04.
11:41Left blinker, $15.51.
11:44Much cheaper.
11:45Yep.
11:46I had to replace the front fender, $45.47.
11:49The scuffs are badges of honor.
11:51So my total is that it's $129.40.
11:54However, if you just sacrifice the front fender,
11:57you can actually drop that below a hundred bucks.
11:59$85.
12:00$85.
12:01Listen to this salesman.
12:02Yeah.
12:03So based on the tally that we were given,
12:04not quite as cheap as the Royal Enfield,
12:06and it's a dirt bike,
12:07so you could potentially leave scuff parts on it more readily,
12:09but it was slightly more expensive.
12:11Slightly more expensive.
12:12I'm in like second place right now.
12:13Yeah.
12:14All right.
12:15We got the sport bike bodywork.
12:16Sport bike, bro.
12:17I think this is going to be painful.
12:18Yeah.
12:19All that plastic,
12:20all that green plastic is going to cost green dollars to replace.
12:23All right.
12:24Shifter, $52.23.
12:26Clutch lever, $25.23.
12:28I mean, it's no BMW, but it's also not a Royal Enfield.
12:32Left mirror, $98.07.
12:35Do I really need to see it behind me on the left-hand side?
12:37No, those things just slow you down anyway.
12:38Exactly.
12:39The big kicker, the left bearing, $348.81.
12:43Yikes.
12:44So a grand total of $524.34.
12:47$524.
12:48Pretty spendy for a gas station drop.
12:50What was your total?
12:51Now I'm in second place.
12:53I'm at $345.70.
12:54Oh, wow.
12:55Or second to last place.
12:56Second to last place.
12:57Yeah.
12:58I'm in first place,
12:59and not a first place you want to be in.
13:00All right.
13:01Well, now we've got the-
13:02We've got the Metacycle.
13:03The startup company bike.
13:04Silicon Valley Special.
13:05Got some fancy parts on that bike.
13:08We've got a bunch of question marks.
13:10A bunch of question marks for the Metacycle.
13:12I think what this means is that they are not easy to get,
13:17and we don't know when we can get them
13:19because it's a startup and it's a new bike,
13:21and I think I get last place is what happens here.
13:24Well, I was going to say,
13:25I think the potential cost of owning a bike like that
13:27is that you might not be riding it for a while
13:29until parts become available,
13:30and I think that's a note for beginners
13:32is that you might not be riding it for a while
13:34until parts become available.
13:35And I think that's a note for beginners
13:37is that if you have a brand new bike
13:38or a bike where you can't get parts to replace stuff,
13:41you might have it sit in the garage for a couple weeks
13:43until you can get what you need.
13:44Okay.
13:45So, Jen is on a two-test win streak here
13:48with the pickup test and the damage assessment.
13:51Ten points awarded.
13:52Uh-huh.
13:53I finished last in this test.
13:55I think we can agree.
13:56I think what we need to do at this point,
13:58since we've tipped bikes over,
13:59we've had to pick them up,
14:00we've had to fix them,
14:01is find out how flipping fast they are
14:03and actually row through the gears.
14:04And you, dear audience,
14:05can probably see where this is going.
14:16Racing shouldn't be top of mind
14:18for any beginner rider,
14:20but everyone always wants to know
14:22which bike is quickest,
14:23no matter how small they are.
14:25So, with an empty runway
14:27and office bragging rights on the line,
14:29we decided to answer this question
14:31with a good old-fashioned drag race.
14:38I feel like this test needs the least explanation.
14:40We have a runway here.
14:42We're all lined up.
14:43One quarter of a mile away,
14:45there are traffic cones.
14:46First person to the cones wins the prize.
14:49Five whole points on the line.
14:50Are there any questions?
14:52Is this one and done or is this a series?
14:54Great question from the ninja.
14:55Thank you for bringing that up.
14:56No.
14:57Best two out of three,
14:58just so there's no excuses
15:00about sun was in my eyes
15:01or you're going to do a clutch ride
15:02or whatever it is.
15:03You're going to need an excuse?
15:04I need no excuses.
15:05130 foot pounds of claimed torque.
15:07I'm going to be halfway through a cheeseburger
15:09by the time you catch up to me.
15:10It's going to be unbelievable.
15:11Claimed torque.
15:12I claim I weigh under 200 pounds.
15:19Remember, Garvin's got the horsepower advantage
15:22and he's got the skill.
15:23He's been doing this his whole life.
15:24He's been training for this moment.
15:26A beginner bike drag race.
15:30When it comes to straight line acceleration,
15:32factors like rider skill,
15:34rider weight,
15:35and aerodynamics
15:37all make a difference.
15:39So while Patrick has actual drag racing experience
15:42and the Sondor's torque figure
15:44means it should take off like a rocket,
15:46you never know who's the fastest
15:48until you open the throttle.
15:51The future is electric
15:53and yet these competitors will be in my past.
15:56Sport mode engage.
15:59Beep.
16:00Beep.
16:01Beep.
16:02Beep.
16:03And we're away.
16:08Oh my goodness.
16:11I feel like I'm on a conveyor belt at the airport.
16:14Woo!
16:15I'm going to take a place.
16:16Going to get four points.
16:20I can't catch Harry.
16:21He got the jump on me
16:23but I got the other two.
16:25Look at Patrick Garvin.
16:26Look at him go.
16:29Yeah!
16:31Woo-hoo!
16:32Third place.
16:33I'll take it.
16:38The little ninja that could.
16:40He gets along pretty good.
16:42Parallel twin.
16:44Claim 44 horsepower.
16:46Smoked us.
16:48Oh man.
16:50130 foot pounds of torque.
16:52What happens, Zach?
16:53I don't know.
16:54I think it comes on after a half mile.
16:55Yeah, yeah.
16:56Okay.
16:57You've got to pay for that feature.
16:58They've got to unlock it.
17:00Sport mode is a lot less effective
17:01than I thought, you guys.
17:04Woo.
17:05Boy.
17:06Well, that first run
17:07wasn't great.
17:10All right.
17:11We've got two more shots at this.
17:12Let's do this thing.
17:14You know, they say
17:15that there is no replacement
17:16for displacement
17:17and Patrick showed us that today.
17:20Oh, that's good, clean fun right there.
17:23I didn't really know
17:24it was happening with the race
17:25because I think I was so far
17:26ahead that I couldn't,
17:27I didn't know
17:28what was going on behind me.
17:30Should we give Zach a lead?
17:32You were talking
17:33a really big game
17:34a few minutes ago.
17:35What happened
17:36to that cheeseburger?
17:37Maybe it was just
17:38my technique, you guys.
17:39I'll try something
17:40different this time.
17:41Beep.
17:42Beep.
17:43Beep.
17:44Beep.
17:45Ah.
17:49Oh, I'm going to get Jen this time.
17:50Oh, it's a dead heat.
17:52Motorcycle versus Royal Enfield.
17:54Come on, motorcycle.
17:57Come on, little guy.
17:58We're going to do it.
18:01Oh, no.
18:03Oh, no.
18:05Oh, it's a photo finish
18:06for dead last.
18:21Drag racing a cruiser bike
18:22is a lot harder
18:23than I thought, guys.
18:25Oh, my God.
18:26We almost got beat
18:27by the Sondors.
18:28Oh, so sad.
18:31Two out of three
18:32for the Ninja.
18:34Nice job, Patrick.
18:37With the largest engine
18:38and the most experienced
18:39drag racer in the group,
18:40it was no surprise
18:41the Ninja was two for two.
18:44But the Sondors
18:45was proving
18:46that spec sheets
18:47don't tell the whole story.
18:49Despite massive torque claims,
18:50it was barely hanging on
18:51with the Royal Enfield,
18:52a bike that weighs
18:53nearly 100 pounds more
18:54and only makes 20 horsepower.
18:57If Zach wanted a shot
18:58at redemption,
18:59he would have one last chance.
19:06Not a great showing
19:07for the future of motorcycling,
19:08I suppose.
19:09Maybe in this next one
19:10I'll try to cheat.
19:12Where'd you end up, Spurgeon?
19:13Third.
19:14Right behind you.
19:15Okay.
19:16Eating your dust, as usual.
19:17You guys are faster
19:18off the line
19:19than I can't make it up.
19:20Yeah.
19:22Okie doke.
19:23Well, Patrick
19:24has already won
19:25the two out of three.
19:26I suppose this is just
19:27for fun,
19:28just to see
19:29if we learn anything
19:30in the third race.
19:31We're all friends here.
19:32It's no big deal.
19:33So just
19:34everybody
19:35try to win
19:36and hope for
19:37Patrick
19:38to fail
19:39in some way.
19:44I'm just going for it.
19:45I'm going for it.
19:46Oh, come on!
19:49Come on, motorcycle!
19:52Oh, no!
19:55He's teasing me.
19:57I'm going to try and draft him.
19:59Oh, he just
20:00dusted me.
20:02The humiliation.
20:04Am I going to beat Jed, at least?
20:05Oh, I might beat Spurgeon.
20:10Cheater!
20:11He cheated!
20:12You saw him!
20:14There you have it.
20:15The way that you
20:16beat your friend
20:17on a CRF
20:18is you just cheat.
20:19I don't know how
20:20I didn't see that before,
20:21you know?
20:27He plays dirty, folks.
20:28He doesn't like to lose.
20:30That's Zachary Kortz.
20:34Despite my
20:35unconventional
20:36tactics,
20:37the Kawasaki
20:38dominated the drag race
20:39and made up
20:40some ground
20:41on the Royal Enfield's
20:42early points lead.
20:44Meanwhile,
20:45the Sondors
20:46was in danger
20:47of getting left
20:48in the dust.
20:51That night,
20:52we gathered
20:53at our high desert
20:54headquarters,
20:55where it was
20:56finally time
20:57for some
20:58motorcycle maintenance.
21:02All right, friends.
21:03Pretty fun day.
21:04We got to tip some
21:05bikes over.
21:06We got to fire them
21:07down the runway
21:08for that quarter mile test.
21:09But now,
21:10time to get serious
21:11onto our next challenge.
21:12This is the
21:13oil change race.
21:14It's going to be
21:15a lot of fun.
21:16It's going to be
21:17a lot of fun.
21:18It's going to be
21:19the oil change race.
21:20This is an important
21:21part of bike ownership.
21:22We're going to take
21:23care of our
21:24essential lubricants
21:25in the motor.
21:26We're doing this for time
21:27and it is worth
21:28points.
21:29First person to finish
21:30the oil change
21:31in their motorcycle,
21:32five points.
21:33Last place,
21:34we know this already,
21:35one point.
21:36So concerns,
21:37questions,
21:38comments?
21:39No, we're good.
21:40All right.
21:41Three,
21:42two,
21:43one.
21:44Change out that oil.
21:47Now, normally,
21:48I would never recommend
21:49you rush through
21:50work in the garage.
21:51But,
21:52for the purpose
21:53of our comparison,
21:54I wanted to see
21:55which of these bikes
21:56was the easiest
21:57to work on
21:58during a piece
21:59of common maintenance
22:00and which of my colleagues
22:01could possibly keep up
22:02with my fine-tuned
22:03mechanical skills.
22:06Gary,
22:07how embarrassing
22:08is this going to be
22:09for you if you lose?
22:10Yeah,
22:11I'm a little concerned
22:12about that right now.
22:14Garvin's over here
22:15throwing himself
22:16on the floor
22:17like a ninja.
22:21I feel like
22:22they underestimated me.
22:24I worked at Valvoline
22:25when I was in college,
22:27and all we did
22:28was change oil
22:29all day long.
22:30Car in bay one,
22:32car out bay one.
22:35We are now
22:3660 seconds
22:37into the test.
22:39Tension is high
22:40here on the floor.
22:41I don't actually have
22:42any maintenance
22:43on my bike here,
22:44the Sondors.
22:45The only piece of maintenance
22:46really is refueling it,
22:47which I will do now.
22:53Hand her away.
22:56Now it's just back
22:57to watching these Neanderthals
22:58with their
22:59grubby, grubby oil.
23:02My gloves.
23:05Did you forgo
23:06putting gloves on, Jen?
23:07No,
23:08I already wasted
23:09a pair.
23:12Patrick,
23:13did you avoid
23:14taking the fairing off
23:15to drain your oil?
23:16Yeah, so
23:17I got kind of lucky.
23:18It's actually
23:19clear and stuff
23:20real nice right here.
23:21You can get to
23:22your drain plug
23:23and your oil filter.
23:24And the oil filter
23:25without taking
23:26the fairing off.
23:27Typical sport bike.
23:28I don't think
23:29I've been so lucky,
23:30but this one is
23:31actually really functional.
23:32I've got
23:33two things
23:34to get off here,
23:35down at the bottom,
23:36and there's
23:37apparently
23:38an oil strainer thing.
23:39Why aren't you
23:40using your center stand?
23:41Your motorcycle's
23:42the only one
23:43with a center stand.
23:45All right,
23:46you out of the way?
23:47Ready?
23:48All right.
23:52There you go.
23:53Okay.
23:54Thank you, Spurge.
23:55You're welcome.
23:56Does cleanup
23:57count as part of being done
23:58or just oil and bike?
24:00Yeah,
24:01no, you got to keep cleaning up.
24:02What are you doing?
24:03Keep going.
24:04You're not done yet.
24:08It's a dead heat
24:09between Patrick and Spurge
24:10and Ninja versus CRF,
24:11dual sport
24:12versus sport bike,
24:13which will conquer.
24:14That's torque, baby.
24:15Woo!
24:20Dunbar just needs torque.
24:21Patrick's still
24:22working on the oil fill.
24:24Okay, okay.
24:25It's getting pretty close
24:26here, everybody.
24:32Finished.
24:33Ha, ha, ha!
24:35Patrick Garvin,
24:36five minutes and ten seconds,
24:37everybody.
24:39Oh, no!
24:40Oh, I lost a thingy.
24:41That's why you got gloves on.
24:42Just get in there.
24:44Oh, it's definitely in there.
24:46Done.
24:48What?
24:49Third place.
24:50How does that feel,
24:51Heading?
24:53I'm nice and calm.
24:55I don't feel good
24:56about not winning,
24:57but I appreciate
24:58that I'm still zen
24:59about the maintenance aspect
25:00of this motorcycle.
25:01I'm being super zen right now.
25:03I'm relishing the experience
25:04of taking care
25:05of this motorcycle.
25:07Not one drop of oil spilled.
25:08Clean floor.
25:09I am cool as a cucumber.
25:10You gotta maintain
25:11your calm
25:12while doing maintenance.
25:13It's very soothing,
25:14don't you think?
25:16How's it going, Jen?
25:17This is abusive to our bikes.
25:19You should never
25:20rush through this process.
25:21You're supposed to do this
25:22with tender love and care.
25:27Well, he's
25:28a meticulous mechanic.
25:29You know what?
25:30That's the difference.
25:31I mean, it is a BMW.
25:32It is a, you know,
25:33performance machine
25:34of the highest caliber.
25:35Also, being that he's
25:36working on a BMW,
25:37he's charging more per hour.
25:38Yeah, he's charging
25:39more per hour.
25:40It's much more lucrative.
25:41He's getting paid
25:42much more than all of us.
25:43That's true.
25:44Any potential
25:45G310GS owner
25:46should consider
25:47learning how to DIY their oil
25:48because they're going
25:49to get charged a lot
25:50by a BMW dealership
25:51to do so.
25:52Good point.
25:53Probably more than
25:54a Honda or a Kawasaki.
25:55Yeah, Ari probably
25:56saves the most money.
25:57Right.
25:58That's the right way
25:59to put it.
26:00That's good
26:01because I'm going to need
26:02to pad my bank account
26:03for brake levers
26:04and handlebars.
26:05Done.
26:06Can I help you?
26:07I don't know.
26:08What happened?
26:09It looks like
26:10a murder scene over here.
26:11Watch your hat.
26:12Your hat's going
26:13to get in the oil.
26:14To be perfectly fair to Jen,
26:15the Royal Enfield,
26:16for all its
26:17glory,
26:18strong suits,
26:19is a little bit difficult.
26:20It's got an oil cartridge
26:21on the side,
26:22so you're invariably
26:23going to spill oil
26:24onto your motor.
26:25And then she's also working
26:26to get the panel
26:27off the bottom,
26:28which is where
26:29the oil is going to get
26:30into the engine.
26:31It's a little bit difficult
26:32to get the oil
26:33out of the engine
26:34and get the panel
26:35off the bottom,
26:36which is where
26:37the oil screen is.
26:38It's more complicated
26:39and that's because
26:40it is an old-school design.
26:41I am happy to help you
26:42if you want to help.
26:43I think I'm done now.
26:44Okay.
26:45Done as in you're over it?
26:47Stopping the timer.
26:48To be fair also
26:49to the Royal Enfield,
26:50it was hot out of the gate.
26:51It won the first two tests
26:52and it is probably
26:54only fair
26:55that it finishes last
26:56in the oil change challenge
26:57because it has
26:58the shortest service intervals
27:00and therefore you have
27:01to do this type of thing
27:02more often.
27:03Yeah, so even if
27:04you had done it faster,
27:05it's still a little lost, Jen,
27:06because it takes,
27:07you know,
27:08it uses the most.
27:10I didn't put oil in it.
27:11My bad.
27:13That's kind of
27:14the most important part.
27:17Another test
27:18in the books.
27:20With Patrick's help,
27:21the Ninja 400
27:22had taken the lead
27:23and there was
27:24a three-way tie
27:25for third place.
27:27With one round left,
27:28it was any bike's game
27:30and it would all come down
27:31to a rendezvous
27:32in the desert
27:33with double points
27:34on the line.
28:00The final day
28:01and the final test
28:02has arrived.
28:03Everyone,
28:04thank you for making it this far.
28:05Our super test
28:06is a four and a half mile
28:07combined loop
28:08with five different segments
28:10to represent
28:11the five different disciplines
28:12we're working with here.
28:13So, to start,
28:14we will launch from this line
28:15in a Le Mans-style race start.
28:18We will rip around
28:19this race track
28:20to represent
28:21a twisty road.
28:22We will exit the track.
28:23We will move over
28:24to the skid pad
28:25where we have set up
28:26an obstacle course
28:27to represent urban riding.
28:29You will have to pick up
28:30a piece of mail.
28:32You will carry that mail
28:33through the desert
28:34on a trail.
28:35Then you will get on
28:36a straight section
28:37of a road.
28:39From there,
28:40you'll drop off your mail
28:41in a mailbox.
28:42You know,
28:43this is an everyday chore.
28:44We've got a long stretch
28:45of straight pavement
28:46and finally,
28:47a wide dirt road.
28:48You will blitz back
28:49and whoever comes
28:50across this line first
28:52is going to snag
28:53ten points.
28:54From that point,
28:55we'll have to do
28:56a little bit of arithmetic.
28:57Then we will know
28:58once and for all
28:59the best,
29:00the absolute supreme
29:01beginner bike.
29:02Yeah.
29:03Let's do it.
29:04Everybody go.
29:05Center your chi.
29:06Get pumped up.
29:07Listen to your jams.
29:08Whatever you've got to do
29:09because we're going to line up
29:10five wide
29:11and take off
29:12very soon.
29:13Let's gear up.
29:20Man,
29:21I'm looking forward to this.
29:22I feel like it's a good match
29:23for the GT10 GS.
29:24You know,
29:25adventure bikes are kind of
29:26just a different flavor
29:27of street bike really
29:28with a little more
29:29off-road capability.
29:30So yeah,
29:31I think it's a good match
29:32for this motorcycle's
29:33intended purpose.
29:35I think Ari
29:36has the second best
29:37bike in the mix
29:38and knowing his ability
29:39and his speed
29:40and his agility,
29:41not to mention
29:42his good looks,
29:43I think he's probably
29:44the one that I'm aiming
29:45after as my most
29:46direct competition.
29:48Dirt's going to be
29:49a struggle.
29:50It doesn't have
29:51the tires for it.
29:52It has forward controls
29:53that might be
29:54a little awkward
29:55through some of the bumps
29:56and they talk about
29:57a big open road
29:58for us to cruise on.
29:59That is a good thing
30:00but we can't forget
30:01that Ninja 400
30:02is just going to be
30:03screaming down there.
30:04So I'm just,
30:05I'm hoping for like
30:06a mid pack
30:07kind of finish here
30:08and we should do
30:09pretty alright with that.
30:10A lot of pressure
30:11carrying that number
30:12one plate into this.
30:13It's a heavy job, man.
30:14The Ninja 400
30:15is set up to do
30:16really well
30:17on a road racetrack.
30:18Probably my weakest point
30:19so I'm not going to be able
30:20to like flex the muscle
30:21of the Ninja
30:22and then we're going
30:23to go on to like dirt
30:24where it's just going
30:25to be a complete
30:26fish out of water.
30:29I really feel for Zach
30:30on the Sondors.
30:31I mean,
30:32it's just not going
30:33to be fun,
30:34unfortunately.
30:36The pressure that I'm feeling
30:37is like,
30:38this is the future,
30:39you know?
30:40Electric motorcycles
30:41are supposed to be
30:42what's next.
30:44I want the bike
30:45to do well
30:46just to show people
30:47that it can happen.
30:57Sure enough,
30:58I have to pee.
31:00Not last,
31:01not last,
31:02not last,
31:03not last.
31:04In we're going,
31:05we're going.
31:08Oh,
31:09the Sondors
31:10with its easy start
31:11mechanism
31:12is out of the gate
31:13well.
31:17Coming for you,
31:18Zach Kortz.
31:19Let's see if I can
31:20keep these foot pegs
31:21off the ground.
31:27Haha,
31:28everyone's tiptoeing
31:29right now.
31:42Here's something
31:43that people might not realize
31:44is that adventure bikes
31:45and dual sports
31:46are actually
31:47pretty good sport bikes.
31:49It all depends on
31:50what tires you put on them.
31:52I was going to try
31:53an inside pass there.
31:54Couldn't get around him.
32:05Oh no,
32:06I got an airy heading
32:07in my six.
32:08I'm coming for him.
32:10Oh,
32:11he made a wrong turn.
32:12Darvin made a wrong turn.
32:13I thought he was going
32:14to take me
32:15in the straightaway.
32:18Ah,
32:19here we go.
32:20Ahaha.
32:21Woohoo.
32:22Getting swayzy.
32:24Where's he going?
32:25This way.
32:26Oh no.
32:27An urban mistake
32:28by the guy
32:29on the urban bike.
32:40We've got the urban spot.
32:41Now,
32:42ADVs are excellent
32:43for this.
32:44We've got a super wide
32:45steering sweep.
32:46You know,
32:47nice upright riding position.
32:48Very comfortable.
32:51I'm back in the game.
32:52I got Zach Hortz
32:53in front of me
32:54on the Metacycle.
32:58This is where
32:59the Sondors really shine.
33:01Relatively lightweight.
33:02Good brakes.
33:04Very good
33:05throttle mapping.
33:18Okay.
33:19Envelope.
33:20It's a big envelope.
33:22In my pocket.
33:24And off I go.
33:27Oh,
33:28I haven't done cones
33:29since like
33:30MSF 20 years ago.
33:31Ay!
33:33Here we go.
33:34Into the dirt.
33:35This is where
33:36I'm feeling good.
33:37On the ADV bike,
33:38so good I'm going
33:39to hit a little jump.
33:40Woo!
33:42As we exited
33:43the kart track
33:44and made our way
33:45into the desert,
33:46Airy had opened
33:47a commanding lead.
33:49That didn't bode well
33:50for the rest of the pack,
33:51especially those of us
33:52riding full-on
33:53street bikes.
33:55I was in second place,
33:56but the dirt-hungry
33:57duo of Spurgeon
33:58and the CRF300
34:00were closing the gap.
34:05This
34:06is what the CRF
34:07was born to do.
34:08Dual sporting
34:09at its finest.
34:17And the bike's
34:18doing okay,
34:19if I'm honest.
34:20Oh, jeez.
34:21Oh, I got air.
34:23The whoop-de-do's are
34:24not great
34:25for the urban suspension.
34:28If I had mid-controls
34:29I could stand better.
34:31All these whoops
34:32are kind of gnarly.
34:33Ah!
34:36Oh my God.
34:37Oh, it's going like
34:38right through my tailbone.
34:39This is kind of gnarly.
34:42The riding position
34:43on this Ninja
34:44isn't great
34:45for absorbing
34:46whoops and bumps
34:47and rocks.
34:51Oh, it's soft.
34:53I mean, those guys
34:54are so gone.
34:55All those dual-sport
34:56machines,
34:57like,
34:58miles.
34:59Miles ahead of us.
35:02Okay,
35:03final section
35:04of the dirt trail.
35:05There's a jump.
35:07Oh my gosh.
35:08That's a lot of air.
35:11Yeah, baby!
35:17Woo!
35:19This is not going
35:20to be good.
35:25Woo-hoo!
35:27I kind of want to do
35:28that again.
35:33All right,
35:34first section of dirt
35:35is done.
35:36Time to wind
35:37this sucker out.
35:38Jess is in the lead.
35:40This is our
35:41simulated highway section.
35:43I'm going back
35:44to sport mode.
35:46Hannah Sondor
35:47has outrun
35:48a CRF 300L
35:50with Spurgeon Dunbar
35:51on it.
35:57Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
35:58Yeah, little girl!
35:59No!
36:00How's that we doing?
36:01Oh, there goes
36:02the Ninja.
36:03Oh, we're back
36:04in dead last again.
36:05Come on, Meteor!
36:07Come on, baby!
36:11Oh, air.
36:12He's dusting me.
36:17Oh, he missed the turn-in.
36:18He missed the turn-in.
36:35All right.
36:36Still moving.
36:37Moving and shaking
36:38even though I missed
36:39the turn.
36:41Woo!
36:42Here we go.
36:43I see my colleagues.
36:44Let's go, GS!
36:48I ripped my mic pack out.
36:50I'm going to sacrifice
36:51the wind
36:52and put my mic pack
36:53back in.
36:57All right, little Meteor.
36:58Here we go.
37:09Stay there, Zach!
37:12Stay there, buddy!
37:14Yeah!
37:15Oh, no!
37:16Here it goes!
37:17Oh, zipping by me.
37:20Oh, no!
37:21I hit the thermal limit
37:22on the Sondors.
37:23I'm out of sport mode.
37:25Okay.
37:26Transitioning back
37:27to the dirt.
37:28Maybe the versatility
37:29of the Sondors
37:30can catch up
37:31to the Ninja.
37:36With a 19-inch front wheel,
37:38long travel suspension,
37:39and good off-road manners,
37:41things were looking good
37:42for me on the G310GS.
37:45Somewhere in my dust,
37:46Zach tried to catch Patrick
37:47as the Ninja struggled
37:48across the dirt.
37:49Ooh!
37:50Ooh!
37:52Jen did her best
37:53to keep the Royal Enfield
37:54rubber side down.
37:55Oh, God.
37:56And Spurgeon
37:57tried desperately
37:58to make up
37:59for his wardrobe malfunction.
38:01Woo!
38:02Uh-oh.
38:03That 300 is coming in.
38:05Look, it's sporty behind me.
38:07Oh, God.
38:08I'm in third gear in the dirt.
38:09I hope this doesn't
38:10end in tragedy.
38:12Okay, keep on going.
38:13Keep on going.
38:14No!
38:16There he goes.
38:17Ah!
38:20If this is what you're after,
38:21is cruise around
38:22in the desert and explore
38:23and be able to ride
38:24on any terrain,
38:25twisty road,
38:26run errands,
38:27ride in the dirt,
38:28the GS
38:30appears to be
38:32the top choice.
38:37Woo!
38:40Patrick Garvin
38:41on the Ninja 400
38:42is in second place
38:43just ahead of me.
38:44I might just be able
38:45to catch him.
38:46Come on, baby.
38:47Come on, Ninja.
38:49Go, Sondors, go!
38:51Oh, no!
38:52He's going to beat me.
38:53Oh, no!
38:55Third place
38:56for the Sondors.
39:03Oh, my God.
39:07Good job, guys.
39:08That was really fun.
39:09Nice job, team.
39:10We've always said
39:11the big GS
39:12is one of the best
39:13do-it-all bikes out there
39:14and it stands to reason
39:15the three of you,
39:16Zach, Jen, and Patrick,
39:17deserve the gold stars
39:18of the day
39:19because for anybody
39:20watching this
39:21that doesn't realize
39:22how difficult it is
39:23to do what that
39:24off-road section was.
39:25That was a huge handicap.
39:26Yeah.
39:27Well, clearly,
39:28we've all had a good time.
39:29We've all learned a lot,
39:30but now we've got
39:31to tally some points
39:32and see who
39:33the ultimate winner is.
39:40After two days,
39:41five tests,
39:42and more than
39:43a few questions
39:44about how scientific
39:45our whole comparison
39:46actually was,
39:48the Ninja 400
39:49took the crown
39:50with 22 points,
39:51just barely beating out
39:52the G310GS.
39:54Rounding out the podium
39:55was the Sondors Metacycle
39:57and tied for fourth place
39:58the Meter 350
39:59and CRF300L.
40:04Regardless of points,
40:06we learned a lot
40:07about these machines.
40:09Honda's CRF300L
40:11finished in a tie
40:12for last place,
40:14and yet it's a bike
40:15we constantly recommend.
40:17Capable,
40:18reliable,
40:19and affordable.
40:21Likewise,
40:22the Meteor 350
40:23from Royal Enfield.
40:25Yes,
40:26the service intervals
40:27are short,
40:28and it is dog slow,
40:30but it's hugely charming,
40:31easy to use,
40:33and would make
40:34a sweet first bike.
40:36The all-electric
40:37Sondors,
40:38meanwhile,
40:39has a horrible seat,
40:40a confusing dash,
40:41and,
40:42at least for now,
40:43is basically impossible
40:44to repair.
40:46But,
40:47it's also more versatile
40:48than we expected,
40:49and it turned more heads
40:50than any of the other bikes.
40:54Then there's BMW's
40:55G310GS.
40:57It might be expensive
40:58to repair,
40:59but it has an affordable
41:00entry price for the class,
41:02and it represents
41:03just how good
41:04small ADV bikes can be.
41:08And the Ninja 400?
41:10Well,
41:11that's just one of the best
41:12motorcycles you can buy.
41:14We wouldn't recommend
41:15riding it in the dirt,
41:17but when it comes
41:18to a beginner bike,
41:19it's hard to argue
41:20against Kawasaki's
41:21do-it-all Ninja.
41:25At the end of the day,
41:26motorcycles are often
41:27a decision of the heart,
41:28not a spreadsheet
41:29or a comparison test.
41:31Get the one you like.
41:33And remember,
41:34there are virtually
41:35no size or price limitations
41:36when it comes to
41:37having a good time
41:38on two wheels
41:39with your friends.
42:06when you buy stuff
42:07from RevZilla.
42:08So whether it's a helmet
42:09or a jacket
42:10or tires for your bike,
42:11some of that money
42:12goes towards making these shows.
42:13So keep that in mind
42:14next time you need
42:15something for you
42:16or your motorcycle
42:17that if you buy
42:18from RevZilla.com,
42:19you help make these videos.
42:20Thanks for watching, everybody.
42:21See you next time.