CBR and Ninja are stable mates

[sendler]

Originally Posted by akima

I can ride our motorways (3 lanes in each direction) at 90MPH on my ninjette, but I prefer to ride at 65MPH on them. Peaceful, is the word I'd use for that speed. I still make good progress going that fast, but the ride is more relaxed.

Agreed. Many motorcycle riders can't see in their mirrors very well so they don't feel comfortable unless they are the fastest vehicle out there, using the throttle for a mirror. I have found that even where there are some selfish drivers who always go way too fast, there are tricks you can use to ride safely with them even if you are slower such as putting a big truck up the road in front of you. Speeding drivers coming up from behind see the truck and know what it is. They have seen a million of them. And are already signalling to go around them (and you) from way back. All part of hypermiling.
.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ing-20209.html

[greenaero]

Hi Sendler, excellent thread. I just joined this forum but I have conversed with you before on Ecomodders where my username is Low&Slow. Thanks again for your excellent input on my Ninja 250 project. Hope to see you at the Ohio Vetter Challenge in July .
best wishes , greenaero

[sendler]

Originally Posted by greenaero

Hi Sendler, excellent thread. I just joined this forum but I have conversed with you before on Ecomodders where my username is Low&Slow. Thanks again for your excellent input on my Ninja 250 project. Hope to see you at the Ohio Vetter Challenge in July .
best wishes , greenaero

It's a long trip so I would have to tie up three days to go but I am trying to make more time for fun things like this. It is a good excuse to get over the road to prove the abilities of the 250 class. I will have to get up super early but may actually just commute to Watkins Glen both days of the Green Grand Prix rather than camping out. I think I can make it over there in about 90 minutes.

[akima]

OK. I just checked out my miles per gallon consumption for the first time. I got 64.85 miles per usa gallon on my ninjette... that's with zero consideration for fuel economy and I've really been revving the hell out of the poor little motorcycle recently! If I didn't ride like a maniac I'm certain I'd easily get 70 USA-MPG. If I actively tried to ride economically I expect I could get 80+ USA-MPG.

FYI: We measure gallons differently to you. 65.85 USA-MPG = 54 UK-MPG.

Edit: Before anyone gets upset at me for showing off... we pay about 3 times more than you guys per gallon of fuel, so I'm still paying much more than you gas guzzling Americans to run my ninjette

[etiainen]

Get 80 and show us!!

MPG contest is on

I want a fuel injected Ninja

[greenaero]

I just got a tank at 78.4 mpg, game on ! I'm sure pretty sure I'll break 80 my next fillup.

[akima]

Originally Posted by etiainen

Get 80 and show us!!

MPG contest is on

I want a fuel injected Ninja

Originally Posted by greenaero

I just a tank at 78.4 mpg, game on ! I'm sure pretty sure I'll break 80 my next fillup.

He he, this is going to be a difficult experience for me... I like accelerating quickly!

I forgot to reset my distance-counter at my last fuel up, so I can't start the game just yet. Definitely aiming for 80+.

[greenaero]

Akima, If the tankfill you are referring to was 54 mpg( UK) the conversion to miles/US gallons would be 44.9 mpg ( US). The Imperial gallon is 1.2 times larger that the US gallon so UK mpg readings are 1.2 higher than the US mpg reading. MY 78 mpg ( US ) reading would be 93.6 mpg UK. Just so we are comparing apples to apples.
all the best , GA

[choneofakind]

*sigh* leave it to the squirrel to get the math backwards...

[akima]

Originally Posted by greenaero

Akima, If the tankfill you are referring to was 54 mpg( UK) the conversion to miles/US gallons would be 44.9 mpg ( US). The Imperial gallon is 1.2 times larger that the US gallon so UK mpg readings are 1.2 higher than the US mpg reading. MY 78 mpg ( US ) reading would be 93.6 mpg UK. Just so we are comparing apples to apples.
all the best , GA

I used wolfram alpha to convert it.

I just tried this converter too and got the same result.

Based on the conversion chart found here, I've just done this calculation:
(54×4.546)×0.2642 = 64.8568728 US liquid gallon
The above does a uk gallons to litres conversion then litres to us gallon

I just checked wikipedia for its conversion information and the calculation I performed produced:
(54×4.54609)÷3.785411784 = 64.851295977
The above does a uk gallons to litres conversion then litres to us gallon

I'm not saying you're wrong, but so far the above 4 methods have all yielded the same result: ~64 USA liquid gallons.

Originally Posted by choneofakind

*sigh* leave it to the squirrel to get the math backwards...

* throws a nut at Chris *

[etiainen]

MPG is miles per gallon.

Your gallons filled are going to be less than if using US Gallons, which means your MPG will be higher with Imperial Gallons because you can get more miles per imperial gallon because it is a larger measurement.

E.g.

I rode 167.5 miles and consumed 2.51 US Gallons giving me an MPG of 66.6.

Now, in Imperial Gallons this would mean I consumed 2.090077 gallons.

This gives me 167.5/2.090077 imperial gallons which is 80.1405881 Imperial MPG.

[akima]

Originally Posted by etiainen

MPG is miles per gallon.

Your gallons filled are going to be less than if using US Gallons, which means your MPG will be higher with Imperial Gallons because you can get more miles per imperial gallon because it is a larger measurement.

E.g.

I rode 167.5 miles and consumed 2.51 US Gallons giving me an MPG of 66.6.

Now, in Imperial Gallons this would mean I consumed 2.090077 gallons.

This gives me 167.5/2.090077 imperial gallons which is 80.1405881 Imperial MPG.

* thinks *

...

I think I get it now.

...

OMFG, that means my fuel economy IS CRAZY BAD! I had a feeling the number was too high considering all of my riding on that tank had been inner city stop and start, in freezing cold weather with my revving really high constantly.

LOL: if I had given wolfram alpha the right problem it would have given me the right answer.

[choneofakind]

someone has a heavy wrist

[akima]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

someone has a heavy wrist

[KawiKid860]

Thats a heart breaker. Still higher than I get!

[Jono]

Sat on a CBR 250 today for the first time. Let me start off by saying that I loved the way the bike looked on the internet and such. But in person it felt cheap. The handlebars were what made it fell cheap. And the bar ends could spin around in the handle bar. Maybe it was just the guy who put it together at the dealership or something idk. But I did like the way you sit on it and how your legs grab the tank. But i still like my pregen more. It just feels like a higher end product. But I bet that FI is nice on the CBR.

[greenaero]

The stakes got raised: I got a 104.35 mpg tankfill yesterday!!!

[sendler]

I rode my 2009 Ninja250 yesterday instead of the CBR250R just for fun along with my brother who was logging fuel maps on the fresh engine in his Buell Firebolt. The Ninja is fun to get out and scream on with the revs up which is not how I normally ride on my commute. It feels smaller and lower than the Honda. The front brake pads are better than the Honda but that is an easy fix. The stiffer spring in the front fork of the Kawasaki is more planted when pushing it but I was surprised that the CBR250R has much quicker and lighter steering. Maybe just the wider bars? The big ZG ST wind screen on the Ninja is dead silent when you lay on the tank. I would eventually like to do a complete exhaust and install the cheap fuel injection kit to get all the possible power out of it and get it to run better on cold start.

[akima]

Originally Posted by sendler

I was surprised that the CBR250R has much quicker and lighter steering. Maybe just the wider bars?

Does your ninjette have stock-sized tyres? 110front 130 rear. People in here report that wider tyres ruin the flickability of the bike.

[sendler]

Originally Posted by akima

Does your ninjette have stock-sized tyres? 110front 130 rear. People in here report that wider tyres ruin the flickability of the bike.

Stock tires. Trail and wheel base of the two bikes is about the same and the Honda has one size wider rear tire. Must be the handle bar width.

[akima]

Originally Posted by sendler

Stock tires. Trail and wheel base of the two bikes is about the same and the Honda has one size wider rear tire. Must be the handle bar width.

I guess longer bars = more leverage = longer push required to attain same steering input as a bike with shorter bars. Thinking about it: that actually makes sense in the context of the ninjette vs CBR. The CBR has better acceleration at low speeds whereas the ninjette can attain higher top speeds. At higher speed the effort required to turn the wheel increases, so ideally you'd want... more leverage and thus wider bars! That would come at the cost of making the bike feel less flickable than the short-bar CBR (rhyme not intended... but I'm pleased with it ) at low speeds where you don't need that extra leverage.

[sendler]

Originally Posted by akima

I guess longer bars = more leverage = longer push required to attain same steering input as a bike with shorter bars.

The Honda has wider and slightly higher bars.

[akima]

Originally Posted by sendler

The Honda has wider and slightly higher bars.

Oh: well that messes up my theory!!

[sendler]

The wider bars give each steering input more leverage which makes the steering feel less locked in.

[akima]

Are there any ninjette owners in here that have lengthened their bars to gain more leverage? Is it better?