[jojobeans316]

i havent been on this site for months now mainly because i was in the middle of a move from nyc to florida. but now im back cause i need help picking a bike!im gonna start small at i first i was aiming for gsxr 600 or ninja 650r but not for right now later down the road. im stuck between two bikes that i want the ninja 250r and the suzuki drz 400sm. i like the ninja because there so many mods out there and i like the drz because of the supermoto styling. so can anybody give me advice on what i should pick?

[briderdt]

Different bikes with totally different characters. Assuming they’re both equally comfortable to you… If you have to pick just one…

Imagine that you already have both bikes and have to give up one of them. Which one would to be most affected at losing? That’s the one you should get.

[IBA270]

Depends what you think most of your riding will consist of. Much like a pair of shoes, one motorcycle doesn’t do it all (at least that’s my excuse for having several) so if you’re going to have one, it needs to do many things. The DRZ probably fits that bill a bit better, and I dare say, is a lot more fun. Plus, when the inevitible happens, it’s a lot more forgiving when plastic/metal contact pavement.

Good luck!

[eternal05]

…and, oddly enough, a GSX-R, I’d probably go with the DR-Z myself for versatility and fun-factor. It’ll also be easier to do low-speed maneuvers thanks to its light weight and steering geometry. As IBA270 also pointed out, it’s a less punishing bike to crash (no fancy schmancy fairings). However, there are a few issues with the DR-Z that are worth knowing about:

1. Security becomes an issue. That bike is so light that two high school kids (or one college football linebacker) could carry it away. You’ll probably want to get yourself a disc rotor lock or lo-jack or something.

2. The DR-Z has a really high seat. It will sink down a lot as soon as your weight is on the rear spring, but getting your leg over in the first place can be hard if you’re too short. Make sure that you’re not!

3. The bike has no tach and no fuel level indicator (not even a low-fuel light).

4. The bike offers no wind protection at all, so you will get fatigued riding at high speeds (over 50mph) for long periods of time.

I love both bikes (the Ninja and the DR-Z), and have recommended them heartily, so really it’s down to what you want to ride and what feels comfortable to you. If you have any questions regarding how one performs in a particular way versus the other, feel free to ask. Otherwise the ball’s in your court.

[CBBaron]

One other difference is price. The Ninja 250 is very common and older models can be found cheap. The DRZ is much less common and can be hard to find at a good price. Combine that with a 50% premium on list price for the DRZ and you will likely pay much more to get the SM.

However I also really like the DRZ and it was on my short list, price ended up being the deciding factor for me. Its tall for the average rider but if your tall then it fits better.

Craig

[eternal05]

First off, any dealer trying to charge a premium on a motorcycle in this economy is idiotic. My dealer sold me a brand new DR-Z at cost (they made money on the accessories I bought for it). This is because Suzuki is financially hosed at the moment. They didn’t even introduce 2010 models to the US because not nearly enough 2009 models sold. They’d be out of their minds to charge a premium (they might try, but they’ll probably still say yes to a low offer). Second, there were a surplus of used, low-mileage DR-Zs in my area starting around $4K, most with heavy modification (in a good way).

More expensive than a 250? Yes. Substantially so? Nope.

[CBBaron]

Sorry didn’t mean to imply that a dealer would get a premium over list for the DRZ just the the DRZ cost about $2000 more than the ninja 250.
When I was looking I found quite a few 250rs in good shape for under $2000 but not a single DRZ for under $4000 and SM models were even more expensive. However I was only looking locally so other areas may have a different market.
However the DRZ and ninja are very different so if you really like the DRZ go with it.

Craig

[eternal05]

Sorry to have misinterpreted you

[Gary856]

Feedback on a couple items you mentioned –

1. Security due to DR-Z being light – Recently in a local motorcycle forum someone posted that she chained her GSX-R600 to another bike, with both bikes wedged in front of her car in the car port of her apartment complex. Both bikes disappeared in the middle of the night without anyone noticing anything. She didn’t think the chain was cut. There were many feedback from other riders on that forum that bikes in an open and public area need to be chained to something solid, but even then it’s no guarantee. You simply cannot count on the weight of a bike as a security measure.

3. To me, no fuel level indicator (needle or light) is normal, since my first bike, a GS500, has neither. That never bothered me – just use the trip distance to determine when you need to gas up. In fact, I find the blinking yellow low-fuel indicator light on the SV650 very, very distracting and annoying.

4. I really wanted to have a windscreen for my GS500 for the winter. I ordered a Givi 603 over two months ago, and it’s only due to arrive tomorrow. In the meantime, I’ve gotten used to, and like, riding without wind protection, I began to wonder why I ordered a windscreen in the first place. At 50 mph or even 60 mph, I certainly don’t feel the wind blast was significant. On a calm day, I can ride at 80-85 mph without feeling it’s too much wind blast, but add some headwind, then I start wishing for a little wind protection. Is the wind blast on a DR-Z worse than a typical naked bike because it’s higher and more upright?

One question I have regarding DRZ400sm’s cornering – a lot of people seem to say a motard with sticky tires corners just as well, or better, than a sportbike. Convention wisdom says your CG needs to be low to corner well, so how is it a “tall” bike like a DRZ, even in sm trim, can corner well like a sportbike? What’s your thought and experience on this, eternal?

[eternal05]

Everybody thinks their favorite type of bike is better than the rest. Truth is that where SM bikes “corner better” is really low-speed, tight turns, where the steering geometry and handling characteristics of sportbikes are the limiting factor to quick turning. Due to their light weight, among other things, you get astounding confidence just throwing the bike around at low speed. Also, it is very typical in SM riding to slide the rear, allowing further tightening of a turn. Put an SM bike on a go-kart track and it’ll murder a supersport. Put it on a large track, with long straights and sweeping turns, and it’ll get left in the dust.

As for the things I mentioned, they were not meant to be seen as dealbreakers (obviously, I love my DR-Z), but rather just as minor points that a new buyer might overlook. And let’s be honest, wouldn’t most people take some kind of fuel indicator over nothing? The difference in trip mileage between hard riding and mild riding can be 2x, and especially with the DR-Z’s tiny tank, a hard ride can empty your tank surprisingly quickly. I may or may not have learned the hard way (heh, nobody expects their bike to run out of fuel after only 60 miles).

[IBA270]

and here’s why…

A motard is a little more than half the weight of most sport bikes, plus they have much wider bars that allow a rider great leverage over the clip on set-ups. On tight, technical tracks, motards SPANK sportbikes. They simply have a much greater advantage with simple physics.

On longer tracks with sweepers and straight aways, the more powerful bikes have the advantage.

Oh, and sticky tires? Pretty much any tire will have all the stick you need.

[jojobeans316]

im going to buy the 2010 ninja 250r the special edition in red and black pretty sweet cant wait to get it. i should have it by middle of feb. im so hyped right now lol just need to find people to ride with now! im in central florida kissimmee, if anybody is from around the area shoot me a message and lets plan some riding!!

[eternal05]

Be sure to post up pictures when you get it…I’m interested to see how they look.

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