Hypothetically...Lets say someone is 6'2" 217 lbs, 15% body fat. If they were to buy an ultra lightweight, which one (that isn't a KTM) would physically fit the best, or could be cheaply modded to fit them the best?
The Ninja 300/400 is quite comfy/roomy. I added an extra inch to the seat on my 300. At 6’ and 185, I have no issues with fit on the bike. I found the R3 to be quite small and cramped. I’ve jumped on two R3 race bikes and my first thought is always “yea, I’m too tall/fat for this thing.”
6'4" and I ride an R3. A set of adjustable clipons and rearsets will get you adjusted enough to fit either Ninja or R3. I think the r3 has a lower seat height, but I use aftermarket seat which is much higher.
Kudos to you guys that are not typical little guys on the UL bikes. I just could not get a feeling for them or gain confidence on them whatsoever. Regardless of springs/shocks etc, in my head I felt like I was overwhelming the chassis and once I had that mental block it was game over.
To me that was part of the fun when I had my 250/300 Ninja. We would be heeled over coming out of a corner and just letting the bike do it's thing with the flex and weave. It never did anything bad, it was just part of the deal. And the bike had awesome feel in the rain which gave me a huge amount of confidence. I actually looked forward to racing in the wet on that thing. To the OP: We endurance raced on my 250 Ninja with a 300 motor in it and often I was the smallest guy at 5'11 and 195 pounds. There were guys 6'2" plus and 230lb + and they were pretty comfortable on it ( we won our fair share of races too). You might need to play with the seat/footpeg location a bit to get it tailored to your liking, but it was comfortable to ride. If the 400 Ninja ergos are anything to what our little 300 Ninja had it would be a solid choice.
I am 6’-1 185 and I ride a 2017 ex ninja and the only problem I have is leg room and I put couple layers of foam on top of original seat helps a lot! hope this helps your question.
After a stint on a 300 and 400, the 400 to me had more 'natural' ergos while the 300 was awkward feeling, like it couldn't decide if it wanted to be a standard or a sport bike? I'm 5'10, 155lbs btw.
