Figured it's only fair that I introduce myself here as well. We own a 2008 Red 250R that we actually picked up used back in May. I say we because it's officially my wife's bike, but she hasn't ridden it as of yet. We both got our licenses together almost 10 years ago, and she's had several motorcycles (including a 2004 Ninjette), but stopped riding for awhile once we had our first child. We sold that 2004 Ninjette (pics here (http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=663)) when she was pregnant, as I had a few other bikes in the garage at the time and didn't think it would be getting many miles for quite awhile.

But then Kawi released pics of the new model, and I realized that I missed having that 250 in the garage. So as soon as I saw one available for a reasonable price, I snapped it up. Hopefully Ann will get some time on it in the next few months, but in the meantime I've put a few thousand miles on it. It truly is a bike with such a high fun factor that I quite often choose to take it out over the other bikes in the garage (its big brother ZX-10R and a BMW R1200RT sport touring bike). The 2008 Ninjette is the 10th bike we've owned, and I've got roughly 120k riding miles on the street.

In terms of the type of riding I like to do, it's all for fun; I've never commuted via bike so all those miles are weekend adventures of some sort. I've done a bunch of 24 hour motorcycle rallies (check out www.cal24.com), and I enjoy getting out to open trackdays as well. Nearby tracks include Thunderhill, Infineon, Buttonwillow, and Laguna Seca. I haven't taken the Ninjette to a trackday yet, but it will happen sooner or later. Especially if I convince my wife to come out as well. She most always joins me at the trackday, but hasn't yet gone out on track. She wants me to rent a racetrack out for a day for just us and friends so she knows the folks zipping around her, and maybe someday we'll be able to do that for a day.

My time is pretty flexible this year, which helps me get out and ride often, and it also afforded me the time to work on some new websites, including this one. As for the next plans for our ninjette, it's pretty stable at this point. I've added the items that we felt it needed (check the farkles and tech section), and now it's just a matter of putting on some more fun miles.

Thanks for stopping by at this site, and feel free to send me a PM if you have any comments or suggestions.

Nice to 'meet you' Alex :thumbup: I like what you have here and look forward to watching this forum grow. It's cool getting to play with a variety of bikes as you seem to do. Lucky devil! :D

And it's very noble of you putting all those miles on the new 250 for your wife. You're very thoughtful to break it in for her :p

Hi Alex! :D

;)

And it's very noble of you putting all those miles on the new 250 for your wife. You're very thoughtful to break it in for her :p

It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it. :D

Hi Alex! :D

:cheers: :yo: Right back atcha, Sunny! :p

:cheers: :yo: Right back atcha, Sunny! :p

:allhail:



(Awww the picture that shows at the top is Cara on a red 250...I wonder who took that picture... )

:bow: Aloha and mahalo, Alex.

Nice to "formally" meet ya!:cheer2:

Hi Alex, Thank you for setting up this site. Glad your wife is getting back on the bike. :)
We are originally from the Bay Area. Moved to Seattle area from Santa Cruz in 1985. We would go to the races at Laguna when Roberts and my hero Mamola were fighting it out! I still want a RG 250 Gamma
That was way before World GP's , you would go there and camp out... also did tons of dirt riding in Hollister. sigh...miss that place. It is like a race track compared to WA riding. Rocks, ruts and roots. I don't dirt bike. Just road.

Just a quick cruz on the cliffs would be nice. I hear it is pretty different now.
especially after the big quake long time ago.

again. Thanks for the site. I know this stuff takes a lot of time. :thumbup:

Hi Alex ! Great site, relaxed and very friendly. :) Thank you. I agree, after riding other bikes over the years, the new Ninja 250 is a fantastic machine. It has been responsible for re-newing my interest in street bikes. It helped me get in more miles this last summer than two of three seasons combined. As Zartan mentioned we miss Hollister alot. That was dirt riding at it's best. And Laguna Seca when it was really low-key , ( like in cheap dollar-wise ) you could go there, get in the pits for free, and camp out all weekend for almost nothing. Do you ever get up to Alice's ? That used to be one of our favorites too.

again. Thanks for the site. I know this stuff takes a lot of time. :thumbup:

It does take some time, but I wouldn't even attempt unless I was having fun with it, and I certainly am. :) (and more importantly, hopefully we all are! :p )

And Laguna Seca when it was really low-key , ( like in cheap dollar-wise ) you could go there, get in the pits for free, and camp out all weekend for almost nothing.

Sounds like I would have preferred it then! Though it is neat seeing the MotoGP folks tearing around the track. We've been to all of them since the GP came back to the US in 2005. The tickets aren't exorbitant, but the hotels are insane. We tried to book the Intercontinental there for next year (it's brand new), and they want $599/night, 4 night minimum, for next year's motogp. :eek: We thought ours was insane at about half that, and I guess it is, but it's still on the lower price point of hotels in downtown Monterey for that weekend...

Do you ever get up to Alice's ? That used to be one of our favorites too.

All the time! Here's a shot of the Ninjette in the Skywood Trading Post parking lot, right across the street from Alice's, which you can see in the background.

http://www.ciurczak.com/photos/405670995_8jozq-L.jpg

Fun roads around there, though squids and heavy enforcement make those areas much more fun during the week than on the weekends...

Alex,
Ahh...The red Ninjette makes those other bikes pale in comparison. Hehehe !Truely the new 250 is an attractive bike. Nice job on the website and I enjoyed reading your biography. This little Ninja is such a fun bike and I'm glad you created this forum to discuss its attributes, weaknesses, and answers for the newbies.
Cheers, Bill