After almost 3 years and 11,000 miles, I parted ways with David, my beloved 250. My first motorcycle. The bike in which I taught my mother how to ride. The bike that I hated for the first 6 months dealing the straight roads in Florida and then fell in love with when I moved back north and hit the twisties for the first time. Sigh... I really miss that bike.

So why did he have to go? I couldn't get what I wanted out of the bike anymore. I was putting too much money into it to make it more comfortable and feel the way I wanted. I just didn't want to invest anything else and still not be satisfied. I seriously doubt if I outgrew the bike performance-wise. I rode the bike hard and had a blast doing it. But it started to just not feel right after a while.

So, I got something else to fill the hole and that I hope will keep me satisfied for as long if not longer than the 250. A 2011 leftover Ninja 1000. I traveled 350 miles for the bike. The price was that good! I've done about 900 miles since i got the bike 3 weeks ago. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. There are some good and not so good things about the bike. But overall, I think I'm satisfied. For now! :D

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(your bikes are out of date)

So you named your bike a guy name?

"Oh yeah, I was riding David pretty hard today. Pulled off at a gas station to fill him and let him rest a bit before I hopped back on."

Guess to each, his own...

The name complete-fvckingly threw me off as well lol...

hmmmm...... interesting.....


From 250 or liter bike? How has the transition been? What is good and what is not good?

So you named your bike a guy name?

"Oh yeah, I was riding David pretty hard today. Pulled off at a gas station to fill him and let him rest a bit before I hopped back on."

Guess to each, his own...


:happy90:

Yea man.... you gotta name your bike a girls name unles you like to ride guys hard.... just sayin' less you choose that lifestyle it just don't sound right.... and always remember "It's a vagina!" Lol

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(your bikes are out of date)

You move way to fast Alex. :D

So you named your bike a guy name?

"Oh yeah, I was riding David pretty hard today. Pulled off at a gas station to fill him and let him rest a bit before I hopped back on."

Guess to each, his own...

Yep. 250 was named David. The ZX6 is named Bruce. I gave them names that I thought fit. They reminded me of the Hulk, they are both green and got mental in the high revs. You know, like David and Bruce Banner.

Who would have thought that a male giving a bike male name would bring the homophobe out in people. It's a name for an inanimate object. And yes, I rode David hard every chance I could get. You should see the way I ride Bruce!!! :rolleyes:

hmmmm...... interesting.....


From 250 or liter bike? How has the transition been? What is good and what is not good?

I also have a ZX6. So the transition to the Ninja 1000 isn't that dramatic. Power-wise, it has more grunt that the ZX6, but the ZX6 has more top-end.

Good

Torque - smile inducing
Ride is smooth
Comfortable
Very flickable
2-up with no problems
Adjustable windscreen is a great little feature.


Bad

Fight to keep the bike leaned over. 190/55 rear tire should fix it.
Buzzy engine. It will get better after break-in and exhaust swap.
MPG isn't that great when riding spiritedly. It's in the mid 30s.


The bad stuff is mostly fixable and I am happy with it overall. I guess my expectations for the bike were too high given the rave reviews many of the moto publications gave the bike. I didn't think I would have to mod the bike at all.

Dude you are supposed to crash your 250, then get the Ninja 1000 DUH!!! :D

Goddamn I want one of those black 1000's. A dealer near me has one left, said I could have it for 11.5k OTD with the 5 year warranty but idk, I feel retarded buying a bike that I can't ride out of the lot :idunno: Current plan is to hop back on my 650 asap then buy a 1000, maybe the 2013's will be out by then :) :(

Bad

Fight to keep the bike leaned over. 190/55 rear tire should fix it.
Buzzy engine. It will get better after break-in and exhaust swap.
MPG isn't that great when riding spiritedly. It's in the mid 30s.


The bad stuff is mostly fixable and I am happy with it overall. I guess my expectations for the bike were too high given the rave reviews many of the moto publications gave the bike. I didn't think I would have to mod the bike at all.

The one thing I hate about the 1000 is that stupid looking exhaust. What are you going to put on it?

Nice bike, Andre!

My :2cents: on the exchaust: I really don't see what the problem is with the exhaust on the Ninja 1000. Many people comment about how unsightly it is and I just don't get it. It isn't the best looking factory-designed exhaust, but I don't think it's the worst, either. And besides, are you standing at the bike looking at the exhaust, or are you riding the damn thing?

The one thing I hate about the 1000 is that stupid looking exhaust. What are you going to put on it?

Nice bike, Andre!

My :2cents: on the exchaust: I really don't see what the problem is with the exhaust on the Ninja 1000. Many people comment about how unsightly it is and I just don't get it. It isn't the best looking factory-designed exhaust, but I don't think it's the worst, either. And besides, are you standing at the bike looking at the exhaust, or are you riding the damn thing?

I love the way the stock dual exhausts looks. They make the bike look unique, and they fit the lines on the bike perfectly. I would love to keep them. But I already know they will be off in a month or so. From what many people on the forums have said, the vibration is significantly reduced with the full exhaust. The other reason for the full exhaust is because my feet are constantly on the heat shields. My boot print is constantly on them. There is no way to fix this without getting some higher rearsets or different exahust. I don't want to change the ergos of the bike. The bike is pretty comfortable as is.

So if a company can create a full exhaust with the look of the current ones, I will be all over it. Otherwise, I will be picking up the Akrapovic. I'm just not sure whether to go with the 4-2-1 or the 4-2-2. I like the dual setup. But saving a few hundred bucks and shaving some pounds while having the same performance is pointing me to the 4-2-1.

Whichever you go with let me know how you like it

Bad

Fight to keep the bike leaned over. 190/55 rear tire should fix it.



tire pressures ok?

very nice. i thought about getting the z1000 myself a few months back. its kinda the same thing.

Whichever you go with let me know how you like it

Shall do!

tire pressures ok?

Yep. I thought the same thing when I got the bike. Tire pressure is good, 33/37 cold. Then after checking, I thought it was just me not being used to the bike. It is bigger after all, and the tires are bigger than any of the other bikes I've ridden. Flicking the bike back and forth was just as easy on the N1K than on the 250, amazingly. So I did some checking and many people with the stock tires experience the same sensation. Initiating the turn wasn't an issue. You just have to force it down and then keep it there. It's not a deal breaker. The bike is definitely rideable and still pretty agile. It's just not as easy as it could be. Most have solved this issue by going to a 190/55 profile rear tire.

very nice. i thought about getting the z1000 myself a few months back. its kinda the same thing.

It mostly comes down to the ergos, wind protection, and purpose of the bikes. The Z1K is more of a wheelie machine compared to the N1K.

Wait wait wait.....you never told me the bike I bought was MALE!

You know, I have been sitting and thinking about what to name the bike, and I was convinced it was a girl. My other two cars ended up being boys (Gunner and Sir Vincent), and so I was really excited at the chance to have a female in the pack.



This sucks. :(

and so I was really excited at the chance to have a female in the pack.



This sucks. :(

You're going to have to find another way to get laid :lol:

You're going to have to find another way to get laid :lol:

I can probably pick that up off of craigslist too...






(JK, I have a gf :D)

Yep. I thought the same thing when I got the bike. Tire pressure is good, 33/37 cold. Then after checking, I thought it was just me not being used to the bike. It is bigger after all, and the tires are bigger than any of the other bikes I've ridden. Flicking the bike back and forth was just as easy on the N1K than on the 250, amazingly. So I did some checking and many people with the stock tires experience the same sensation. Initiating the turn wasn't an issue. You just have to force it down and then keep it there. It's not a deal breaker. The bike is definitely rideable and still pretty agile. It's just not as easy as it could be. Most have solved this issue by going to a 190/55 profile rear tire.


its most likely the age of the rubber and its ability to flex that is causing the issue, not really the profile. setup correctly, the bike should hold the line you set if you are applying throttle smartly. if its fighting your line your tires are either squared off or not flexing properly to make a good contact patch and either causing drag (wants to stand up) or arent flexing enough (falls over)

Wait wait wait.....you never told me the bike I bought was MALE!

You know, I have been sitting and thinking about what to name the bike, and I was convinced it was a girl. My other two cars ended up being boys (Gunner and Sir Vincent), and so I was really excited at the chance to have a female in the pack.



This sucks. :(

haha!!! Feel free to give it a sex change. I'm sure it won't mind. Just don't put any pink parts on it. :D

Glad you made it on here. This is the best site for the 250s. You will learn a lot. And there are several 250 riders in the area, mostly out in VA. Go here. (http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=39931)

Well... I couldn't stay an ex-ninjetter for long. Just picked up another 250. 2011 SE. It was laid down and needs some TLC. You should see the chain! It's browner than I am. But the bike will be just fine after I dig into it a bit. It will be a pure track bike, though I'm not changing the fairings since the current ones are rashed up. I can't wait to whip this thing through the corners!

By the way, the Ninja 1000 is great! It's an awesome all around bike. I even took it to the track! I did a bunch of changes to it. Added some Apex clip-ons. The stock ones irritated my wrists. Added an Akra dual full exhaust. Let me say this... There is no reason that the stock pipes should weigh as much as me. Holy moly that was some heavy metal. And the stock tires were ditched. Changed to the Conti Road Attack 2, with the rear tire size to a 55. It handles way better.

Who would have thought that a male giving a bike male name would bring the homophobe out in people. It's a name for an inanimate object. And yes, I rode David hard every chance I could get. You should see the way I ride Bruce!!! :rolleyes:

:thumbup: So very true. This made me smile.

Well... I couldn't stay an ex-ninjetter for long. Just picked up another 250. 2011 SE. It was laid down and needs some TLC. You should see the chain! It's browner than I am. But the bike will be just fine after I dig into it a bit. It will be a pure track bike, though I'm not changing the fairings since the current ones are rashed up. I can't wait to whip this thing through the corners!

By the way, the Ninja 1000 is great! It's an awesome all around bike. I even took it to the track! I did a bunch of changes to it. Added some Apex clip-ons. The stock ones irritated my wrists. Added an Akra dual full exhaust. Let me say this... There is no reason that the stock pipes should weigh as much as me. Holy moly that was some heavy metal. And the stock tires were ditched. Changed to the Conti Road Attack 2, with the rear tire size to a 55. It handles way better.


Its a good set of bikes to have isnt it? Im setting my 1k up for touring but would like to hit the track once or twice with it. Im still on the fence about making my 250 a track bike though, ill use it the first couple times but i think i will want to pick up something else. I just dont want to see my first bike end up that way haha. I use the 250 for my work commute, the 1k for weekends, long distance and the occasional commute.

Performance on the 1k prob wont come for a year with all the $$ im dropping on touring crap, although i may do the FCE, servo delete and block off plates. Then comes the akro and PC5, it really is an awesome all around bike, but like you said, that 35-40mpg just cant hold a candle to the 60mpg on the 250. Nevermind the insurance...