I have owned two pre-gen Ninja 250s, both purchased under $1k each.
I rode about 10k miles on each of them before selling them at prices right about the amount that I purchased them.
The ease of care and price for replacement or repair on pre-gen Ninja 250 is a very valid point.
I used to commute on highway 100+ mile one way on the Ninja 250 twice a week, 80+ mph, sustained 11-12k rpm for solid 40-50 miles non-stop. Ninja 250 never miss a beat.
Ninja 250 would still be my choice for such mundane commute if I didn't have so much crap to carry along with me, even among my other choices of bikes: