- This topic has 17 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 10 months ago by Clay Dowling.
Thoughts on Ninja 250R
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June 24, 2009 at 6:40 pm #3062desertratParticipant
I am looking into buying my first bike, I drive about 120 miles roundtrip to work each day and I want to ditch the car. I am going to take the MSF course as soon as I have the time, but meanwhile I am researching what to get if I decide to buy after the course.
There are a few 250Rs for sale in my area, I do not know anyone who has taken one for a ride so I am looking for your opinions. I am 6’2″ and about 250lbs, I have some pretty long hills to climb on my way home and I would need to maintain at least 65MPH (the speed limit) so as not to get creamed by everyone doing 75. My main question is: would this bike have enough guts to carry someone my size over a large hill (total road distance of about a mile to hit the top) or should I look at something a little bigger for a first bike? I have been told by some friends that ride to start off with a 500 or 600 because I will get tired of a small bike after I have got a few months on the road. This is not really my worry since I want a bike for the gas mileage, not for the speed or cool factor. Thanks!June 24, 2009 at 7:12 pm #20127bjonesreParticipantI want a bike primarily for the gas mileage. What gets the best mileage?
June 24, 2009 at 7:15 pm #20128bigguybbrParticipantDo a little searching, there are about 1000 threads on here that address all these topics.
Before you worry about what to get, worry about getting into the course and learning how to ride and make sure it’s really something you want to do…
June 24, 2009 at 7:31 pm #20132eonParticipantdesertrat: I think the short answer is the 250 would handle your needs easily.
bjonesre: Put some clothes on! Too much pale white flesh there. Reminds me of me
The smaller the engine the better the gas mileage. I don’t know that there is a huge difference between similar size bikes but if gas mileage is your main concern then any 250 would do you fine.June 24, 2009 at 7:35 pm #20133Clay DowlingParticipantUsually the only issues with size have to do with egos. A 250 will haul you up and over that hill without any problems, at the necessary speed. As always is the case with a manual transmission, if your highest gear doesn’t have the power to take you over, the one beneath does.
With the length of your ride though, you need to think seriously about the comfort of the riding position and of the seat. Unless you buy a touring or sport touring bike, stock seats are going to be a little rough on your kiester. The upside is that you can find older Honda ST1100s for $3k. The downside is that the bike is probably a little heavy for a new rider.
June 24, 2009 at 7:49 pm #20134SafetyFirstParticipant+1 for the sore rump on the older Ninja 250. Just got back in after sweating it up in the parking lot, practising for the state on-cycle test.
Does anyone make comfortable after-market seats for these?
Other than that…
They are fun bikes, especially once you figure out that they like to rev high. Don’t be afraid to make some noise on them. Once you get used to them, don’t be afraid to see how much power they can give. It’s enough for anyone. At first, I thought they were underpowered. Until I discovered the secret of the 250… it needs to be above 6000 RPM.
Don’t let the less-than-sporty look of the pre-08 Ninjas get you down. The guys you pass on the street on their R6’s and Gixxers probably started on a Ninja 250, too. I have yet to not get a hand back passing out going the other way. Can’t say the thing for Harley guys, but whatever. They’re better than anyone else on two wheels, right?
June 24, 2009 at 9:05 pm #20142Clay DowlingParticipant“Does anyone make comfortable after-market seats for these?”
http://www.corbin.com/kawasaki/ninjamenu.shtml
I don’t know how different they are from the stock seat. A co-worker replaced his stock Magna seat with a gunfighter and he says it gives him several more hours in the saddle. I’d get one for myself, but they aren’t cheap.
June 24, 2009 at 11:23 pm #20146gsmurfetteParticipantI think the 250 would do fine with you. I have an 09, but I’m tiny, and I’m trying to figure out how to set the sag lower on mine. The preload is already at 1. I’m about 125 with all my gear, so it’s a bit hard. If you do get a 250, you’ll have to set the pre-load. The stock is at 2. I read somewhere (through google) that 3 is about right for 170 lbs. It goes to 5, so you might be at the 5. There is no pre-load for the front. I’m looking into setting the compression, I’m just doing research, I have to go look at the bike next, lol. I think in my case, I might have to buy a new spring. It’s not bad for short rides of less than an hour, but after that I’m worn out. The seat isn’t bad, although, if I were riding the distances you will be, I would look at an after market seat, something gel, maybe? Anyways, good luck, hope this helps some. I’m on the other end of the spectrum, but it still sucks. Hubby offered to switch the 600 (since it’s fully adjustable) with me, but I love my lil’ ninja so much, I don’t know if I can part with her!
The RPM’s is where it’s at with the ninja’s. It’s a higher revving bike, Safety First said 6000 RPM, that pretty much the min that you want to be riding at. I try to keep it between 7 and 9. 6 still seems a big sluggish to me (if going up a hill, would not recommend it!).
I think that the 250 is a life long bike. Unless you want to go over triple digits, then it’s a great bike that is fun and corners great! I think it’s mostly an ego thing for the bigger bikes, I stay away from R1’s and the like. I love the YZF600r though. The 250 keeps up with the big boys just fine (imo), and I get better mileage than they do.
The 500- depends on what you get. My husband isn’t big on getting a 500. He thinks the lil’ ninja would stomp most 500’s. We both started out on a 250, he’s up to a 600 (he’s got years of experience on me though), and we’re not going any higher.
Putting a double bubble windscreen on the bike so that wind will go over me instead of pinging the crap out of me, and making me lay down at highway speeds. Zero Gravity (or Gravity Zero?) makes all sorts of screens, you can even put the sport-tourer screen on there since you’re pretty tall. Might make your ride a bit more comfortable.
I would wait until after the MSF though, you’ll have a better idea of what you like and such. You may find out you like cruisers. Who knows. Get whatever is most comfortable for you and fits your personality. Who cares about everyone else.
June 25, 2009 at 12:16 am #20151desertratParticipantTurns out there is an instructor listed just a few miles from my house, so hopefully the class is still offered here. Anyway, thanks for all the good info, I have been looking at getting a bike since I started commuting last year but could not seem to get the wife like the idea, at least ever-high gas prices are good for something I know that it probably varies from place to place, and its probably posted somewhere here, but how much to the courses usually run?
June 25, 2009 at 12:22 am #20153gsmurfetteParticipantIn WA state, it’s 250 for the full rate, but pretty much everyone pays 125 (it’s called subsidized). The state pays half and you pay the other half. That’s for the basic rider (kids under 18 only have to pay 50 bucks!). The Experienced is 125 here.
June 25, 2009 at 3:05 am #20163desertratParticipantOk, so there is a 08 250 for sale the next town over, I pass by it everyday and its been there for months. I stopped in and talked to the dealership owner and he wants 3000 OTD for it. It has just over 900 miles and a crack in the left fairing, he swears this is from him taking it from storage to the lot (trade in, he says he took it to a local shop for a once over before accepting it) and that he layed the bike down while taking it off his truck. This is for sale at a used car dealership and the guy does not seem to have a whole lot of knowledge on the bike except for some brochure info. This bike started out on his lot at $4000 and has gone down to $2700 on the sticker over the last few weeks, he said he just wants it gone and thats why he offered $3000 OTD. Does this seem too good to be true? or is this a great priced bike that he is letting go cheap for lack of interest? I know its hard to judge without seeing, but it did have around 940 miles on the dial and no other visible signs of a crash to be seen.
June 25, 2009 at 8:52 am #20173eternal05ParticipantMy advice:
1) Everybody “swears” it was just a moving accident. Truth is it’s usually a beginner crash. Of all the bikes to accidentally drop, an experienced motorcycle dealer shouldn’t be dropping a mere 250R. Period. The thing is feather-light.
2) 940 miles on the dial means the sucker hasn’t even been broken in all the way! If it was taken care of, it should be a brand new bike.
3) Take a trusted mechanic (preferably a close friend, and not just a gearhead…a mechanic) with you to inspect the bike before you buy it. If he finds anything wrong with it that’s not easily fixable, or that suggests the bike was abused, bail.
4) $3000 OTD for an ’08 could be pretty good or not so good depending on how you look at it. It’s got 940 miles under its belt, so mechanically speaking it could be as good as new. The ’08 listed at $3,499, so out the door, you’d probably be looking at around $4,500 depending on local taxes and fees. On the other hand, the fairing has to be replaced and that’s $200-600 right there, depending on the damage. That suggests that other parts may be damaged as well, which should take some off the price. Also, unlike a new bike, it doesn’t come with a warranty or the assurance that it’s fresh off the mint, so that should bring the price down as well. In the end, I’d say you’d probably want to offer a bunch less (no less than $2,500), but that if it all works out and you think it’s sound, $3,000 isn’t a bad deal at all.
June 25, 2009 at 12:20 pm #20177Clay DowlingParticipantIt’s $25. The state subsidizes the classes to encourage people to get training. The savings comes down the line with fewer emergency calls and hospital bills that ultimately wind up coming out of state funds. Because sadly motorcycles, especially in the hands of untrained, underequipped riders, lead the pack as a cause for quadriplegics. And unless they had bundles of money beforehand, they always wind up on state assistance complete with 24 hour in home care.
June 25, 2009 at 12:30 pm #20178Clay DowlingParticipantThe vehicle has been involved in a crash. The damage hasn’t been repaired. Given a market flooded with Ninja 250s, that makes the bike unsalable. You’re doing him a favor by offering any money at all, and he knows it. He wouldn’t admit it under torture, but he knows it’s the truth.
You don’t even begin to talk price until a qualified mechanic of your choosing has looked it over, taken it for a test ride and given it a clean bill of health. Any funkiness, any hesitation from the mechanic, it stays on the lot.
As for the cracked fairing, if that isn’t fixed the price stays at $1500.
If he take that price, look somewhere else. For $3k I was able to buy a bigger, faster bike with 6,000 miles on it and no work needed. You shouldn’t pay that for smaller, slower and needing work.
June 25, 2009 at 6:27 pm #20198briderdtParticipantDon’t get so in love with the bike that your judgement is compromised. Play hardball — the bike has been dropped, regardless of how it happened (and you’re going to trust a USED CAR SALESMAN when he tells you it was a no-speed tip-over?), and it anything so much as HINTS at the stink of s#!t, walk away.
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