- This topic has 7 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 7 months ago by eternal05.
Older Ninja 250, what kind of bike is it?
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August 31, 2009 at 6:40 am #3372SafetyFirstParticipant
I think it’s a combo of three bikes in one.
The older Ninja 250 has four nice fold-out hooks for tieing down your stuff. Bungie cord your backpack or whatever down. When I have my tail bag on it, it doesn’t look out of place. Add in 65 MPG city easily, try getting that in your Focus. Combined with decent city and highway power, and very reasonable riding position and comfort for a average commute length, do I smell a good commuter bike? Keep in mind, there are people who commute on 125s and can make it on the highway in rush-hour. My 250 can haul-ass faster than my 2.2L I-4 car can merging on the highway, simply because of less weight.
Sports bike. OK, so it’s not as trick as that GSX-R eternal05 rides, or that CBR600 whizzing by, but I have yet to not get a wave back from a guy on a bonafide sportsbike passing me. (Same can’t be said for cruisers or standards) Rich old men in sports cars might try to race you from time to time, for some strange reason. I broke myself of the mistake to look over and make eye contact at a light. It’s only a twin-banger 250, but you can’t call it slow 250. The engine loves to rev high and rewards you when you milk it for all it’s power. Still isn’t enough power to keep the squids from ripping on it, but most non-squid sports bike guys find the 250 kinda cool, because they probably rode something like that back in the day. Keeping up isn’t too much an issue with bigger bikes unless they’re on a racetrack or going squidly fast on the road. And it has a pillion for a passenger when the babe-magnet Ninja attracts the fairer gender, (LOL) but I’m not sure I’d think of hitting the interstate with them behind you. My roommate in college had a bumpersticker on his car that said “No Fat Chicks” that I thought was in poor taste. But, the same goes for the passenger on the 250.
Beginner bike. The older 250s are light. Lighter than the new 250s. More powerful than the new 250s, too, by a bit. Not as slick looking as the newer 250’s, though, which look a lot like their bigger brothers. They’re cheap used, and were cheap new. Keep in mind, for them to be cheap, Kawasaki cheaped out on a lot of things, including, but not limited to tires, suspension, and two taillight pods that didn’t come populated with sockets. If the day comes when parts or new plastics are needed, they can be had easily — the design has been the same for about a decade. Fancy mods are available (AsianCycle.com) for the non-stock look. Not as much custom stuff out there as the bigger sports bikes, but enough to keep your tinker whistle wet while you’re on it.
Does my assessment sound about right?
August 31, 2009 at 5:26 pm #22095WeaponZeroParticipantIts a standard wrapped in bodywork to make it look like a sportbike, same with the EX500/Ninja 500R.
September 2, 2009 at 12:48 am #22146SafetyFirstParticipantAnd that would be why the Haynes manual had a few standards tucked into the service book for the EX250F.
So, I’m riding a standard with fairings? Ewww!
September 2, 2009 at 4:53 am #22163owlieParticipantYou’re just now figuring this out?
September 2, 2009 at 6:21 am #22164SafetyFirstParticipantI feel had.
I’m not sure if I feel more like puking or taking a shower.
September 2, 2009 at 9:26 pm #22169JackTradeParticipant…a standard 250 w/o the fairings, I’d have gotten one instead of my Buell! Resale would certainly be better…
September 2, 2009 at 10:26 pm #22173eternal05ParticipantAs stated elsewhere on many occasions, sportbikes are not good beginner bikes. Yeah, the power is part of it, but there are a lot of other things that make standards a better choice. So yes, the 250R is really just a sporty standard.
September 3, 2009 at 12:02 am #22168eonParticipantIt’s the kind you try to talk yourself into liking (without ever being successful). The inner squid in you is rebelling against riding a little 250 twin when it really wants to be on a 600 inline 4. You practice stoppies on it but it throws you off. You are embarrassed when an I4 comes up behind you so you ride outside your limits and almost crash.
It may not be the bike of your dreams but it’s touted as the best beginner bike out there. If need be go to Squids Annoymous to get this addiction with 600 I4s out of your system.
What kind of bike is it? It’s the bike you have. Enjoy it, learn from it.
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