[sleepr24]

I’m new to the world of bikes and am wondering if there are any other 250cc bikes besides the ninja. I see it compared/contrasted with the suzuki gs500f, hyosung gt250r [read tons of reviews from this site and other’s about poor design and one mechanical issue after another… so not interested] and it’s own kin… the ninja 500r. Do other companies not make 250c bikes? If not, are there any others that are between 250-500cc that i can compare the 250r to? This would be my first motorcycle… so attempting to due as much research as I can before making a decision. Much thanks.

-sleepr24

[briderdt]

They just don’t import them into the US of A. Which is unfortunate, in my opinion. Honda has an excellent choice in the 250 Hornet, and Aprillia makes some killer 125’s and 250’s (Europe only). I just find it baffling that these companies simply hand over the entire market niche to Kawasaki.

[sleepr24]

That is very disappointing… was hoping for some more options. [Guess kawasaki payed off the big 4 (well, 3) to stay overseas]. Thanks for quick response; it is appreciated.

-sleepr24

[Clay Dowling]

Honda has their Rebel, a light-weight cruiser with a cultish following, and Yamaha has their v-star 250. Fair warning about the Yamaha: if you see it, you’ll probably want one. A couple of friends have them, and everyone who sees the bike has that reaction. Nobody would mistake it for a big bike, but it hits all the style points that made the Virago so cool to look at.

[sleepr24]

These are gorgeous, but right now I’m only interested in the sport genre. . However, the input is appreciated.

[megaspaz]

As you’ve already figured out, most of the small displacement sport bikes are only available oversees. Not much here in terms of selection. Heck even though kawi makes the 250, we get the crappy carbed 250. Oversees, they get the cool fuel injected 250s. I think the reason for this is mainly that 1. kawi has pretty much the monopoly on small displacement sports bikes and 2. 250cc and under bikes have historically not sold well for other companies.

If you don’t want to go ninja 250, look at the higher cc twin engine bikes, like the sv650s or the 650r.

[DK]

QLink is bringing out a 250 called the Megelli. The same basic bike will come in three styles – sport, naked, and supermoto. QLink is trying to build a name in the US right now too. Their approach in my area has been to try and saturate the market with economy grade scooters to build up recognition. I have not read any reviews to the quality/reliability of the vehicles.

[sleepr24]

megaspaz: yeah, it’s too bad that no one else joined kawa w/ lower displacement bikes in the US. I was looking at the sv650 and 650r but since i’ve never ridden before, I think the 250cc range is probably best for me as a beginner. I have nothing against the ninja 250r, in fact, I like it. Was just looking to see if there were some similar options.

DK: glad to know that there may be some other quality choices in the next few years. I’ll have to keep my eye’s on Qlink for a bit. Thanks for the heads up.

[bigguybbr]

Unfortunatly, the only 250cc sport styled bike in the US worth buying is a Ninja. Do yourself a favor, find an 08 Ninja 250 for cheep, ride it for a year or 2, and then sell it for damn neer what you payed for it. After that there are a ton of bikes to look at and you’ll have the skills built up to really be able to ride them.

[sleepr24]

yeah, that’s what i had been thinking of doing. now i just gotta find one. thanks for the feedback. i really appreciate it.

[briderdt]

If you’re in Washington (the state, not DC), MaxRPM has gotten a few US-legal (at least in Washington) Honda 250 Hornets. There was a couple of threads on PNWRiders about them. Looked sharp.

[sleepr24]

damn… wrong state. lucky washington people. I’m in Ca. I’ll most likely end up purchasing a 250r next month.

[Clay Dowling]

Just looked that bike up. Pretty cool stuff. If I could find one of those on the other side of the border it might be fun to bring back.

There’s a CBR125 as well. You’d get killed on a Michigan highway with that bike; way too small and the top end is around 65mph, well under the average speed on a highway.

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