[CrankyHippo]

I thought i’d share some experience with fellow readers, or Ninja 250 enthusiast. So i’m in the process of getting a new bike after i sold my 250 in December, it’s been hard waiting so long for another bike but saving up and doing it right take time.

2003 Ninja EX250 Review

I did get my start riding dirt bikes at a young age, but riding the street is a whole different world, i.e. Counter Steering, Lane position, Traffice, etc. The Ninja 250 has been a vessel for becoming a better rider faster and I’ve had plenty of fun getting there. I’m not going try and deter people from getting whatever bike they want as their first but rather put forth why the Ninja was the choice for me. I won’t lie that money was a big factor, getting into motorcycling is a fairly large investment. When you factor the initial cost of the motorcycle itself, then gear, insurance, maintenance, owning a motorcycle can be an expensive endeavor.

Everything you ask the ninja it will do, it might whine a little when asked to go fast in a straight line but it’s more then fast enough to beat 80% of the cars on the road and certainly fast enough to get you into trouble with the law. I’ve never had trouble cruising at 65mph to 80mph on the freeway, but passing above 70mph is a little hairy so choose your passing wisely. The Ninja will do everything within legal limits and a bit more, so you need to be honest with yourself if you really need the extra horsepower. Most importantly it’s forgiving to beginner mistakes and you can have loads of fun riding it. There’s nothing like riding to your favorite twisty roads and showing other larger cc bikes what the Ninja can do.

First Impressions

The older ninja body stile isn’t as razor sharp looking as the redesigned 08 ninja but it makes up for that with charm. The Kawasaki green color is very striking but does have the love it or hate it reaction from most people, an added bonus is that it is very visible on the road. The seating position is very comfortable and friendly to a shorter rider but allows the rider to lean forward for a more sporty position when you hit the curves. The ninjas dash is simple and easy to read at a glance with a redline topping out at 14,500 rpm. Also after riding the 2008 redesigned ninja, the old 2003 felt peppier, it had a little more power on the top end.

MT75 Tires

Is a terrific tire for the Ninja, they’re cheap, soft, and inspire confidence while going fast through the twisties. The rear tire size is 120 which is what the ninjas rim was originally made for, making very quick steering and agility. With the 120 tire size the ninja falls into the corners with ease and a lot of grip considering the small contact patch. The only con with these tires is that they last only about 4,000 to 5,000 miles, but for the price the MT75 is a great bang for buck. If you don’t do a lot of commuting I would recommend these tires for tearing up any of your favorite curvy roads.

Sport Demons Tires

One of the more expensive and sporty tires you can buy for the Ninja. The 130 size tire in the rear looks beefy and has more rubber then the MT75. The Demons feel more stable when accelerating from a stop and in a straight line. They also are very planted when at a high lean angle and grip very well when going through the twisties. They’re not quite as agile as the MT75’s but it’s not very noticeable. The rubber compound seems to be a bit harder when compared to the MT75 which should attribute to a longer mileage life. Once broken in properly and tire pressure is dialed in the Demons feel just as gripy as the MT75’s and give the rider a good amount of feedback. I would definitely recommend these tires if you use your bike as a daily commuter and hit the curvy back roads on the weekend.

My Fist Crash

There are two kinds of riders, those who’ve crashed and those who will. My story begins the day after the AMA races at Infinion raceway in Sonoma, CA. It was a nice clear day out on the coast, a little warm but so long as you kept moving it was pleasant. I was out with a friend setting a good pace while navigating the amazing curves just south of Stintson beach. While riding along a pair of headlights that weren’t my friends SV1000’s popped into view in my mirror. I waved the bike past and as it went by I couldn’t quite tell what kind of bike it was. In any case it looked nice and judging by shape it looked to be a early 90’s sport bike. Having already been pumped up from watching the races the day before I made a poor decision to try and keep up with the bike to get a closer look. As with most crashes there were many factors that came together all at once and lead to my front tire losing traction. First; my practically new Sport Demons only had a little over 300 miles on them and weren’t properly scrubbed in. Second; my tire pressure was too high, I was testing the tires out and gauging what pressure would work well. Earlier in the day the tires had felt good in the turns but I hadn’t really pushed them too hard. Third I perceived myself having too much speed going into the corner, so I pulled harder on the brakes then I was comfortable with upsetting the suspension. Lastly I looked as far through the corner as I possible could and mid corner panic flashed through my mind “I’m not going to make this” I let off the throttle shifting the weight of the bike to the already stressed front tire. The first thing I remember is front sliding then hearing a loud pop, at the time I thought it was my shoulder breaking, judging by explosion of pain I felt. As the bikes handle bars slip from my grip I could see the asphalt passing under me, instinctively I reached out with my arm putting my palm face down to try and slow my momentum. Once you’re sliding there isn’t much time to react but I did manage to remember not to roll risking banging elbows, knees, etc. I came to a stop next to my bike across the road in a small patch of gravel sat up and immediately felt a surge dizziness. My friend who was riding behind me made the turn and came back to make sure I was alright. The pain I inflicted on myself was not as bad as how upset I was for losing self control. A moment’s lapse in self restraint and getting in over my head was the final straw that led to my crash. I went down somewhere around 30mph, thankfully I was wearing full gear, which saved my skin. I banged my shoulder pretty good and took a few weeks to heal but I recovered. The injury did give me time to think of what I did wrong and how to prevent it from happening again. As for my poor Ninja she faired pretty well considering. A bent front brake lever, slightly bent handlebar, scratched up Muzzy, broken right foot peg and a few added scratches to my already semi scratched Ninja. After my friend had helped me get my jacket and helmet off I sat against the guardrail as a car pulled up with a family who had seen the crash. A woman stepped out of the car and asked if I’d like some water and a ice pack. I gratefully accepted and will always be thankful to my friend and the kindness of these complete strangers, both the ice pack and water helped me recover enough to get back on the bike and limp back home. In the end, for a lapse of judgment for only a moment cost me $80 in repairing my bike and a few weeks recovery.

I’ve also made a few videos on youtube for anyone interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M80iyBanqK4

Highly Recommended Reading/Video (Reviews Pending)

Total Control By Lee Parks
Sportbike Suspension Tuning

A Twist of the Wrist II (DVD)

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