Ok im brand new to pretty much anything motorcycle related and want to preface this by saying I know they are obviously very different bikes, just hear me out.

So I’m not a motorcycle guy by any stretch. I’ve never owned one and the most I’ve ridden was a lap around my part of the city on my friends Honda cafe racer. That being said, I was talking to my friend the other day about how I was thinking about buying a 200cc scooter and the Honda grom came up. I said I liked the idea of a small, cheap, and nimble motorcycle for riding around the city, but it would probably not be big enough or have enough power for me, being ~5'11" and hovering around 300lbs. Now he is pretty obsessed with sport bikes, which I know nothing about, so I’m guessing there is some bias here, but he suggested that the Kawasaki ninja 250r had the same qualities, and would have the right size and power to carry heavy guys the way a grom would carry a smaller dude. I have questions. so many questions. First off, what do yall think of the idea? How do you think they would compare, and would a ninja 250 need any modifications to make it better for riding in urban environments? And can a sport bike really be agile enough for strictly urban riding? Also, are they at all comfortable? I always see people hunched over their sport bikes, but i see that the ninja 250 is often described as having a more "upright" stance. Im not a huge fan of feeling like im sitting on a stool going 55+ like a scooter, and definitely like to have my feet under me, but if my back is going to kill me after 20 minutes id rather go for something else lol. Just wondering what yall's thoughts are on the ninja being a "big boy grom" mostly :bounce::bow:

Hello Matt, welcome to the board!

When you complete your MSF course and pass the test to get licensed, or whatever way you choose to do it, you can go to a dealer and get a test ride on a Ninja 300 to see for yourself. The size and riding position are pretty similar. I think it could do OK for you, but just because I'm 6'2" and 165 lbs. and like the riding position and comfort of my 250 doesn't mean you'll feel the same way.

Hi Matt & welcome to Ninjette! :wave:

I have owned large variety of bikes through decades from 50 to 1800cc and have found Ninja 250 to have best combination of handling, weight, comfort and power. I commute to S.F. regularly and typically use my CBR600RR (412-lbs) or most often Ninja 250R (374-lbs) for its lighter weight and easier manueverability. Carving Z-shaped paths through rush-hour traffic or hopping on & off kerbs is piece of cake.

It does have more upright seating position than more hard-core sportbikes and is very comfortable for touring duties as well. I've done many trips between S.F. and Santa Barbara on inland straight hwy-101 or along scenic coastal Hwy-1. Even done trip to San Diego without any problems (other than usual L.A. traffic).

As mentioned, get your licence, take basic training course, and try out variety of bikes. For combination of slicing and dicing city traffic along with long-distance touring, I've found Ninja to be bike that can do it all! Yeah, big guys fit just fine.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1pPsmw_iEFeKtKxRHMKxjG94l-oVYN-u_
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1y4anJuXs3RWboy01eAg38YCImz9JpK_2


Commuting!

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Welcome!

I've done road trips on my Ninja, commuting, canyoning, high-ish speeds, all day long. The only thing I'd say is pay attention to your posture. I didn't at first, and my back hurt. Now I know how to it and no more pain. Nimble, turns on a thought, lightweight, great bike.

It just occurred to me that if you're thinking of a "pregen" 250, which includes the models up to and including 2007, the stock suspension springs are too weak for you. My stock 2005 bottomed out at the rear on modest bumps, and the front would bottom out on hard braking. I installed a "newgen" rear spring and got a pair of Sonic brand front springs, and that solved the problem. The rear spring was from eBay and was dirt cheap. The Sonic front springs were just under $100 with shipping. There are other solutions, but this should give you an idea of what to expect.

Others can comment on newgen suspension and whether it is set up to carry 300 lbs. This problem is not limited to 250s either. With any motorcycle or scooter you buy, you should be aware that you may have to adjust or mildly modify it if you think you'll be staying around your current weight, if you want reasonable suspension performance.

I'm 5'8" and was hovering around 220-230 when I got my first Ninjette.

The Ninja 250 will do everything you need, be fairly comfortable doing so.

As Triple Jim said, at 300 lbs the stock suspension will probably need some beefing up for you. But that is going to be the case on any smaller motorcycle.

If you plan to mostly ride in town, stoplight to stoplight, you may want more torque due to your size. I think the little Ninja is great, but you really need to ring it's neck to get it to move out, and that's not a big deal, but torque is nice when you need to accelerate.

Mid-sized bikes like the SV650 (I have 2) have strong low and mid-range torque, and pull away from a stop briskly without any drama or revs required. The naked SV models lack fairings and are common and inexpensive. Plenty of parts available to make it fit you just right.

Another good option for city riding, and even some highway, is a 650 single enduro like a Suzuki DR650 - if you don't mind the look. Plenty of suspension travel, an upright riding position, and a ton of torque down low - all of which are great in-town for a larger guy. The narrow seat might not be great after a while depending on how far you plan to go.

Just another perspective...

If you want to spend more, the new 400 has even more improvements. It's got a shorter wheelbase to make it even more agile, and quite a bit more power (70% more horsepower and 82% more torque than the NewGen 250). You're probably going to spend a couple grand more on a 400 than a 250, but you are getting a significantly newer bike, with fuel injection and a lot of bells and whistles. The 400 seems to have plenty of power on tap at all times, whereas people have said that they need to plan passes a bit more and things like that on the 250, due to being a little low in power. The 250 is still a highway-capable machine, just don't expect it to always have rocketship power with a flick of the wrist. The 300 falls in between, basically being a 250 with a slightly bigger engine and FI.

I'm 6'1" and currently around 240, and the 400's suspension feels pretty good. I'd like to get springs matched to my weight, but there isn't a ton of data on spring rates out there (to where I feel comfortable just ordering some new ones). My '09 EX500 had even softer springs than the 250, and upgrading those was the single best mod (out of a bunch, some quite expensive) that I did. The EX400 is miles ahead of that, stock for stock.

You can play with http://cycle-ergo.com/ to get an idea of how you'll be positioned on a specific bike. The little Ninjas look like their big brothers, but they're more of a standard, upright position than the ZX and CBR-RR models, which are basically race bikes that have had the street-legal bits added on. You're not hunched over hugging the tank like on a race bike. There is a bit of a forward lean, and you'll need to learn to use your core to support your weight (as opposed to leaning on your wrists), but these little Ninjas aren't too bad.

250 is good for everyday use

It's too bad that sticky never came back to tell us what he decided to do.

Welcome to the board james333!

It's too bad that sticky never came back to tell us what he decided to do.

Welcome to the board james333!

Hey, Thank you