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At high speeds, the Ninja eats gas, bringing it down to the fuel economy of…oh wait, every other bike out there

MPG-wise, the Ninja does best ridding in 6th gear around 5K rpm. That’s not always convenient on the road. Also, if you don’t tuck down at higher speeds, the drag you add will kill your fuel economy. Wind drag increases dramatically with speed. At 100mph I think something ridiculous like 75% of a CAR’s horsepower goes to displacing the air in front of it. (don’t quote me on that)

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It really sucks for heat and sweat, but I generally wear bike shorts (like you brider, I’ve got a drawer full of them from “back in the day”) under armored shorts when I ride. It’s MUCH more comfortable in a lot of ways…some of which will go unmentioned.

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From what I’ve gathered so far, I’m taller than you by quite a bit (you’re 5’10”, right?), AND I’ve been riding a GSX-R around the track for the past year, yet I don’t mind the riding position or the power of the 250 at all. That’s especially funny because the pre-’08 250 had MORE power and MORE legroom (though lower seat height) than the ’08 that I have. I mean, sure, it could be that I’ve “been there done that” with respect to power and so I can appreciate the Ninja more knowing I can hop on the speedster any time I get the itch, but still…

I dunno man, I think you’re trying to talk yourself into a bigger bike. You may be legitimately right, and it could make a lot of sense for you. I don’t deny that possibility. But I’m not convinced, nor do I think you’re convinced yourself. I think you’re just intoxicated by your upgrade options

I’m not saying this because I think you’re going to squid yourself on a big bike. I’m saying this because, and this is especially true of supersports/bikes, you may discover it’s not what you wanted after all.

You’re worried about ergos? I just got back from a two hour ride on the GSX-R (I’m trying to push it to its next service before my next track day this coming Weds) and man, my back hurts! It’s fine around the track because you’re in proper riding position, but you can’t do that on the street. You don’t have visibility and you’re harder for others to see when you’re crouched down. What that means is that, even though the bike wants you angled forward, on the street you have to fight that and try to sit up. This is impossible to do in a remotely comfortable way. On the other hand, going back to the Ninja is going to feel like getting in a Lazy Boy in comparison. It’s so nice and upright!

Anyway, if you feel you must (and you do know best…if you’re honest with yourself), I’d absolutely concur with the recommendations of the SV650SF/Ninja650R. It’s a much friendlier bike in day-to-day riding, and it’s just about as fast as a race bike in the 0-60mph test. I’d still stay away from the naked/streetfighter (e.g. Triumph Street — not Speed — Triple) type unless you REALLY want to do yourself in. Those are just naked sportbikes with more upright riding positions in disguise as normal motorcycles.

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It’s true for some manufacturer’s that not getting the 600 mile service from a manufacturer-licensed shop will void your warranty. Certainly was true for my Suzuki. Either way, it’s definitely an important service as the bike will just be breaking in and there will be lots of metal bits and shavings picked up in the oil/oil-filter. Getting fresh oil and filter in and making sure the bike is breaking in properly is a must.

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…proceeded to get five e-mails….though I haven’t gotten any since.

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…moving to a supersport is a really bad idea. It could be one of the reasons that most races last 45 minutes Just sayin’.

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That second video’s the Harley version of a Yamaha R1 stand-up wheelie freeway crash. What tards.

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It’s great to see the creative things people do with public web APIs, and of all the APIs out there, G. Maps has got to be one of the most creativity-prone. Cool site!

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My Suzuki has a slipper clutch, and believe me, it doesn’t make your shifts smooth. All it does is let the clutch slip when not slipping would cause you to lose rear-wheel traction or create instability during a particularly jerky shift. As you know if you’ve had the good fortune to use one, it’s plenty easy to shift like crap with a slipper clutch, which is why, I assume, you have your tongue planted so decidedly in your cheek. I guess the above was more for general information.

Seriously though, Rossi might be a bad example, but there’s a horde of motorcyclists who can shift as smoothly in the same manner.

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So I may or may not have spent a few hours straight watching Top Gear clips on YouTube last night, and this one just takes the cake. Holy crap.

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This is a very light-weight, breathable, and comfortable mesh jacket for hot-weather riding (especially if you get it in white). It’s also affordable brand new ($150). The big problem with this jacket is that it is visibly flimsier than more expensive/protective jackets and causes me to question its durability in a high-speed crash. It has CE-certified armor in the joints, but the material and stitching seems like it would really suffer in a slide.

As eon hinted, we’ve just had a brutal heat-wave (for Seattle) recently, setting the highest temperature documented in recorded history at 103 degrees. This jacket saved my ass during that stretch, though I’ve gone back to leather now that it’s cooled down.

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Yo bro this is totally of da chain. Thx 4 tha hookup, yo.

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Just sayin’

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There’s no way in hell you can get a legit ’09 250R for 2K used. They sometimes sell for more than MSRP used around here. An ’08, MAYBE, but not an ’09. Honestly, I’d be too sketched out by anybody selling at that price to take it seriously. Scams indeed.

The YZF-R125 (I assume that’s what you meant) is, as far as I know, Europe-only.

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