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I think 3 of the true reasons for buying a particular bike is being missed.
1, It's looks. Sorry, but I thought the 250 up to 2007 were just ugly and never would have thought of buying one. When the 2008 came out, I just went WOW! It didn't look cheap or like a beginners bike, it looked like the bigger bikes. And many posts here are about people confusing the 250 with much bigger bikes. Now it will be even harder to tell. Looks sells, especially with new buyers. If they see a new 250 next to a ZX10 they will crap their pants at the similarity.
2nd, many people don't care how much a bike costs, they only look at the monthly payment. (I used to sell cars and motorcycles)
3rd, there are bunches of comparo vids of the Honda and kawi. Almost all are a toss up. The Honda has more low end torque for town riding, is more comfortable, but lacks power. The Ninja has better power, but you have to rev em. I think people will find the longer stroke and extra CC's will show up with more low end power and good top end. And the bike will handle a bit better, though heavier, and maybe a bit more comfortable. The big sellers for the Honda "was" the ABS and FI, it has lost those advantages.
The Honda now looks like the econo bike of the pair.
I would bet, Kawi will not be able to make enough 300's for customer demand.
And the fact is, Kawasaki probably loses money on the 250's, but it is worth it to them, as new buyers usually stick with the brand they first buy.
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