View Full Version : Still kept my 09 Ninja 250, but also got an 05 YZF-R6


dkstariob
December 2nd, 2010, 11:43 AM
Love my 250. Comfortable as hell, great on gas, super cheap on insurance, and it was my first. I don't think I will ever sell it. It's the perfect commuter for me.

Got an R6 for a weekend ride. Was able to get it for around $3900 off of craigslist because the guy got a teaching job in Washington. Absolute steal. Got it at around 15k miles with service records. The dealership knows the history of this bike.

Features (I didn't add anything, the bike came like this):
-Custom chameleon paint (pearl, gold, black) from DuPont.
-ASV levers
-Full black carbon fiber Yoshimura exhaust
-Frame sliders

I always wanted an 05 or any R6s because I love the headlights and that's when they came with the inverted forks. I am not a fan of the mantis eye style R6 that are found in the later versions.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs448.snc3/25678_975396710036_2513353_53318669_5342041_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs090.snc4/35850_10100124122723886_2513353_55174205_3725690_n.jpg

c-dog
December 2nd, 2010, 12:48 PM
Nice R6! Love them, they sound amazing. I rode my friends 08' to his house for him when he bought it. I love the sound of the engine (with stock exhaust) you hear this cool robotic/mechanical revving and almost don't even hear the exhaust at all.

Enjoy your new bike!

Ntotot
December 7th, 2010, 06:50 AM
Nice. Enjoy your bike and ride safely.

dkstariob
January 3rd, 2011, 12:38 PM
Thanks guys but I sold the R6.

Kept the 250. Was kind of ridiculous for me to have 2 bikes. Will eventually get a Ducati 848 in the future but I'm going to ride the 250 until the motor goes broke. Already got 12,000+ miles on it.

c-dog
January 3rd, 2011, 01:17 PM
Now that was a short ownership on the R6. Did it have problems? Maybe transmission related? Or did you sell it for some other reason? Why did you choose to keep the 250 and not the 600? Just curious.

Personally I think the riding position is a little too extreme even compared to other SS 600s. That would be why I would have sold it. How the bike fits really can affect me and how much I enjoy riding.

dkstariob
January 3rd, 2011, 03:31 PM
No, the bike was fine. But I didn't really have time to ride it as I picked up a weekend job (work 7 days a week now because one of my hobbies is making money) and registration was set to expire as well as my insurance needing to be renewed. Also I found a guy that bought it a little bit more than what I paid for. I only put 1500 miles on it but I did drop it, decreasing its value. Also if I were to ever get a Ducati 848 in the future, I had to free some salary cap space (NBA nerd lol).

I kept the 250 because, like I said, it was the first bike. Also, if I sold the 250 and I would not get the price I would want. People say 250s have great resale value but I really beg to differ.

I fight traffic everyday and the 250 is super comfortable. I only need to feed it 87 compared to 91 gas which I love. I get way better gas mileage. It is much more cost effective. Yes I did feel like a demi god on the R6 but u-turns were a chore. On the 250, I feel extremely confident on it. I control the bike much better as it is much more nimble. The only thing I would ever change about it is 1. needs to be fuel injected 2. needs louder stock pipe.

scotty
January 3rd, 2011, 03:54 PM
Well, the bike looked good! Them 848's are sexy! Me and a buddy checked one out last week at a dealer. Would love to ride one!

dkstariob
January 3rd, 2011, 04:13 PM
Thanks scotty. Yep it was very unique in terms of looks. BADASS 250 btw in your avatar. looks sick.

scotty
January 3rd, 2011, 06:42 PM
Thanks scotty. Yep it was very unique in terms of looks. BADASS 250 btw in your avatar. looks sick.

Thanks bro! :thumbup:

c-dog
January 3rd, 2011, 07:47 PM
Totally understand your reasons. The R6 is nice, but a Ducati 848 is very cool and exotic.

gfloyd2002
January 5th, 2011, 04:03 AM
The 848 is gorgeous, for sure. Great bike to borrow, or to drool over, but I'd not want to own one. Buying one is like marrying a model - amazing looks will wear thin when you realize you have to shell out thousands after thousands to keep her happy, and then you realize her personality is complete crap. You'll need a third job to keep her living within her accustomed lifestyle.

Check out the cost of parts on the thing. And dealer maintenance? About $1000 per checkup, and just hope nothing goes wrong. I have this mental image of an oil covered italian guy sitting on the shop floor surrounded by thousands of parts, saying "ima gonna fixa the rockers." The maintenance cost issue wouldn't matter if they were built like japanese bikes, but if you happen to look directly at a cloud in the distance, the thing will rust. And the electrics, like the Italian union worker who put them together, tend to take time off whenever they feel like it. And wait, those t*ts aren't natural! The rockers are outsourced to China - no wonder they flake.

Like a nagging wife, this bike is a ball burner. (Literally, actually, with the undertail exhaust.) No thanks, give me my reliable, inexpensive and well behaved little Ninjette. She awesome in the sack, err in the twisties, btw.

dkstariob
January 5th, 2011, 12:47 PM
^Haha that post made my day. Yes, I heard about the reliability issues. Still, I love V-twins instead of inline 4.

And yes it is gorgeous. If I get it, it will be at least next year at the earliest but I already made myself a set of conditions to follow.

Conditions to buy a Ducati 848 Evo
1. Need covered parking spot with secure garage
2. Need to have enough funds to make at least a 60-70% down payment
3. Girlfriend needs to be 90% okay with it
4. Needs to be at least 1 year past day of release so that I can haggle with dealership
5. Need to lose 10 pounds/or cut body fat so that I deserve it
6. Need to have interest rate at 5% or lower if I am financing
7. Need to be able to afford both liability and comprehensive insurance
8. Need to have my other finances taken care of before purchasing
9. Need to make sacrifices on certain lifestyle spending
10. Need to be 95-100% committed to purchasing it with no regrets or second thoughts.

^I would still have to follow all of that.

Anyways, the only other bike I would be interested in would be a CBR600 (with major revisions to the speedo/tach, engine, design since the CBR has been essentially the same since 07 with different paint schemes and higher msrps).

But thanks for your 2 cents. Much appreciated.

scotty
January 5th, 2011, 02:44 PM
Just some advice. I would get bike that you can mange and pay for being comfortable with. If you have to change alot to have something, money wise, that could be very bad. Lets face it, life will throw anything at you. You will need to ba able to handle situations that may rise. Although we are talking about a Ducati here. Lol may be worth it!!

dkstariob
January 5th, 2011, 02:49 PM
I could purchase it outright but I definitely do not want to spread myself too thin. I know that there will be a lot fees to take into consideration, mainly insurance rates and that 600 mile service.

scotty
January 5th, 2011, 02:53 PM
I could purchase it outright but I definitely do not want to spread myself too thin. I know that there will be a lot fees to take into consideration, mainly insurance rates and that 600 mile service.

True, if you can work on it though that wou save you a ton!!! Insurance will be your biggest thing.

backinthesaddleagain
January 5th, 2011, 05:46 PM
When I traded my 250 I narrowed it down to Monster 696 (796 wasn't out yet), R6, R6S, and CBR. Ruled out the 696 due to mandatory belt changes and 7500 mile valve adjustments, black R6S was sold out and it was a discontinued model (though 26K valve checks are quite impressive), R6 is about the hottest looking 600 but the ergos for the street and powerband steered me away, ZX6R were gone after price blowouts, and that left the CBR, always positive reviews and great street going 600 (though modified its no slouch in FIM world SS or Isle of Man, then again no slouch out of the box even losing a few HP to EPA regs).

tiburonsita
January 16th, 2011, 10:19 AM
Congrats and enjoy! Great looking bike and that is a total steal!

k-os
January 16th, 2011, 10:30 AM
Congrats and enjoy! Great looking bike and that is a total steal!

He sold the bike already.

tiburonsita
January 16th, 2011, 10:38 AM
:D I should have read the full thread. Interesting reason. It is quite a different bike from the 250.