Help build my streetfighter.

Apologies in advance for the long read. I'm a huge bike noob and want to be as thorough as possible. please bare with me.

I am now the proud owner of a 2000 Kawasaki ninja 250. Got her for 500 bucks.

Actually my third ninja 250. Had a 2007 and sold it while back. Then a 2010 which I bought for 12 and sold for 17. used the profit from that to buy this bike.

Didn't like the 2010. Way to pretty. Felt like I couldn't customize it or ride it through anything other than clean flat road without it losing hundreds in value. No fun. I want a bike that i can customize and beat the crap out of and not have worry about lowering the value. (Cause its already worthless)

As with any creative endeavor I take on I have to research the hell out of before spending any money. I don't want to rush it either. I need to make the most informed decisions possible. I plan on buying as much stuff as possible on eBay or amazon from china. It takes a while to arrive but its dirt cheap.

Been searching for parts but the more I search the more questions I have. Which brings me here to you guys...




I want to go the different route as most people go for the old school look. Round head light, bar end mirrors, cafe style seat. I want something more aggressive or utilitarian.

Not doing everything at once so First things is first. Headlights, turn signals and mirror mounts. Ill probably buy these domestic so i don't have to wait as long to get those ugly old fairings and headlight out and ride around town.

I really like a the double fog lamp look for headlights. Kind of like a Honda ruckus.

Found some cool ones i like but I'm not sure if they would be suitable headlights. Some are also listed as fog lamps or "passing head lights" (no idea what this means).

These are cool but they look pretty small. Not sure if they are bright enough or too bright. Are they street legal?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-Mo...-/232202547337

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-BULLET...-/221633860381

Could I possibly put 2 of them side by side then wire it so 1 is always on and pointing down at the road and the other comes on with the high beam switch and is pointed up higher?

these are really cool too..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/U7-LED-Motor...-/371839196490

Then there is these other headlight assemblies that are pretty cheap. seen them on other bikes and they look really cool but they might look a little too sporty to achieve the look i want.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-Motorc...-/360670816180

Comes with turn signals. this would definitely be the cheapest domestic option. But the lights are yellow if I'm upgrading headlights i might as well get white led lights. Not sure what to look for specifically though so many items have very vague descriptions.

What electrical hardware do I need to install these aftermarket headlights?

Tail lights and turn signals are pretty straight forward.

For mirror mounts should they be steel? is aluminum to rigid? is it to weak?




Next step is a digital tach/speedo/odometer. this one looks good..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-R...-/361691703980

It says universal. How truly universal are these? Is it going to be a pain in the arse to install and get it working right? What other electric hardware will i need?

How accurate are these chinese speedos? is it worth it or should i shell out for a brand name?




Next phase is changing the handlebar and levers.

Dirt bike handlebars seem to be pretty popular and look really cool.

These are the cheapest but their a small diameter. also looks like they raise up pretty high. also pretty small which i don't mind but only if it wont mess with my handling to much.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-8-22mm-Alu...-/401045397313

Are they too short?

next cheapest are pretty cool but 10 bucks more.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-1-1-8-...d/231853241060

All the mounting hardware Ive found seems to have a round part protruding from the bottom. not sure how these would work as they wont sit flat on the triple tree. I'm sure theirs something im missing here.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-1-8-Handle...-/181922901797

Is it a bad idea to skimp out on the handlebar? would these cheap parts be prone to failure?



Thats it for the main part. other things I'm considering further down the line are changing the exhaust , intake, small rack/handle in back, vinyl wrap for the tank and front fender which I'm probably gonna leave intact.

maybe even getting some some knobby dual sport tires and crash bars to give it more of an adventure/scrambler look.


also a bunch of other random small parts i can change out for a few bucks a piece. Grips, pedals, bar ends, etc.. Trying to get as much green as possible to match the tank. Theirs so many options its hard to decide.

I'm completely open to any opinions, comments or suggestions. Need as much input as possible. Or if anyone has any better quality parts they think i might need for cheap that would be awesome too.

Gonna document the build with pics. Ill have them up as soon as I find my sd card adapter so I can make some space on my phone. Figured id make this thread first so i can figure out the headlights and start buying stuff.

Ill probably have a lot more questions as I go along.

Thanks!

[JohnnyBravo]

Idk, but I look forward to the build

[Racer x]

Welcome
First off , is the bike inspected?
Getting past the tag and title part of a custom build is important. And does Florida have annual inspections?

All the lights look great and would work. The mask looking light is good for covering things and has a bit of wind protection. But all will need to be mounted with some sort of fabrication. Can you make brackets and fixtures.? Do you have a welder a grinder and drill press?

The 29 dollar dash is insanely cheap. Same dash from Koso is 300 and even just the wiring package alone is 45 dollars. So 29 dollars seems to good . Remember you get what you at for.

Someone else will have to address mounting straight bars. I have never done it with a 250
Ninja. The top clamp is kinda funny to bolt bars on. There are riser bars that clamp the fork tubes .

Definitely love pictures. Avoid wheelies with the 250 ninja . The frame is not good for much of that

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by Illegal

.........I want a bike that i can customize and beat the crap out of and not have worry about lowering the value. (Cause its already worthless).............
I'm completely open to any opinions, comments or suggestions........

Welcome, o !!!

What is your goal after completing all this dream and expending so much money, energy and time?

You may never recover all that.

In other words, what do you expect from motorcycling?

as promised. here are pictures..

First my 2007. My first bike. I loved that thing. Sold it after my girl left me and I went to new york on a 3 month bender. I'm better now.

Next my 2010. Beautiful bike but under powered and under geared compared to the pregen. In race against a pregen with riders of equal skill the pregen would win hands down. too pretty for me to I was scared to get it dirty.


Last is my new old 2000 ninja. The pregens weren't all that ugly. Just looked like they where stuck in the 80s. I know shes pretty beat up but i was planing on tossing the fairings anyway and getting some cool shorty levers. Also need to redo the fork seals replace the front brake master cylinder. The brake pull is really hard probably got damaged when it took that spill that broke of the fairings.

Originally Posted by Racer x

Welcome
First off , is the bike inspected?
Getting past the tag and title part of a custom build is important. And does Florida have annual inspections?

All the lights look great and would work. The mask looking light is good for covering things and has a bit of wind protection. But all will need to be mounted with some sort of fabrication. Can you make brackets and fixtures.? Do you have a welder a grinder and drill press?

The 29 dollar dash is insanely cheap. Same dash from Koso is 300 and even just the wiring package alone is 45 dollars. So 29 dollars seems to good . Remember you get what you at for.

Someone else will have to address mounting straight bars. I have never done it with a 250
Ninja. The top clamp is kinda funny to bolt bars on. There are riser bars that clamp the fork tubes .

Definitely love pictures. Avoid wheelies with the 250 ninja . The frame is not good for much of that

Its insanely easy to register a motorcycle in florida. No insurance, no inspection, no helmet, no registration fee. Bike doesn't even need to exist you can walk into any tag agency with a title and walk out with plate. Just did mine yesterday only cost $114.65 for the title transfer and sales tax.
I do however plan on eventually heading back up to new York which does require all that. If there's going to be an issue then I should probably just get that whole assembly thing its cheaper anyway then buying separate turn signals.

Do you know if I can put any LED bulbs in any headlight or does it have to be specific? do i have to get separate conversion hardware? for mounting I don't have any of those tools. I was planing on just going to home depot and buying some brackets. then drilling holes wherever i can and attach with nuts and bolts. I'm going to just go ahead and order the headlight.

I'm gonna hold of on ordering that dash until i get some more info. I don't want to waste my time and money on something that wont work. For now ill try to leave the old dash and hide it behind the headlight fairing. Maybe chop it up a bit to make it fit.

Not gonna worry about the handle bars for now until i do more research and wait for the other parts to arrive.

I don't even know how to wheelie. Right now I'm just trying to work on my cornering.

Originally Posted by Motofool

Welcome, o !!!

What is your goal after completing all this dream and expending so much money, energy and time?

You may never recover all that.

In other words, what do you expect from motorcycling?

Ahh good question.

I grew up in new York where cars are a luxury and most people ride public transportation. Ive used a bicycle to get around for most of my life. Never had to drive a car until i moved to Miami a few years back. Having a car in Florida is a necessity you are stuck without it. Everything is really far away and the public transposition system is a joke. It takes hours to get anywhere. Mostly for old people and school children.

Having a car is just as bad. Insurance rates for me are ridiculous. 27, only had my license 2 years. On top of that traffic here is a nightmare.

Which is why I got into motorcycles. I already loved cycling why not add a motor to that. I know its extremely dangerous but also extremely practical.

I can get a cheap ninja 250 for $500 + $115 registration + $8 bucks worth of gas and I'm on the road for $623. No insurance payments, no $350 registration fee, 60+ mpg, i can split lanes and not have to sit in traffic.

Its a win all around. Theoretically i can put away all the money I was going to spend on insurance, gas and maintenance and in a few years have enough for a down payment on a house. Or travel the world for a while.

As for my build I want something unique. The old ninjas are too ugly, new ones too pretty so i figure its an in between. Ive seen some custom builds that look really nice and I wanted to stick with the ninja because its the cheapest most fuel efficient motorcycle capable of reaching highway speeds. Maintenance is also really cheap and there is tons of spare parts available.

I plan on moving back up to new york at some point. I was making pretty decent money delivering tacos in Brooklyn on a bike. the guys in cars made even more. On a motorcycle I would be the delivery master. Hence why i want that rear rack. Also the knobby tires for snow. I already rode my bicycle around all winter why not a motorcycle.

[Triple Jim]

I'm not sure no insurance is necessarily a money saver... a motorcycle can do plenty of expensive damage to a car, and is capable of maiming a pedestrian. Just going to court with a lawyer to prove you're innocent might cost as much as a few decades of insurance.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by Illegal

Ahh good question.......

Thanks, now we have a better idea.

Having a motorcycle that is aesthetically pleasant to your eyes is very important.
You are an intelligent young rider and you deserve the following (and probably unwelcome) advise:

It is only "all win" if your bike performs well and if you are skillful enough to survive traffic.
The way I see things, Miami's traffic is the biggest challenge that will be interfering with your goals.

Being the practical person that you seem to be, I would suggest using your limited resources on the safety part of riding in one of the most dangerous roads in USA, before using those on customizing your bike.

More than 20 years ago, driving and riding in Miami was a breezy and a pleasure.
I consider myself a safe rider, with enough skills and experience to survive normal street riding.
Long time ago I made the decision of never riding in Miami and only driving when strictly necessary.

I may be wrong by choosing so, but most of my friends who live/work in Miami have made the same decision.

Filtering there is illegal and it makes many drivers, who are not used to filtering, confused and angry, which becomes an additional traffic thread.
Any economic machine that stalls at the wrong moment or that takes a long distance to stop, may become very expensive suddenly.

Riders in Miami who do not want to be eventual subjects of the traffic news, must become proficient motorcyclists, who master riding strategy and physical skills, and who invest on and always wear really good and comfortable protective gear (which is expensive).

I respectful suggest you reading threads in our Riding Skill section, borrowing and studying these books and visiting this local website:

https://www.ninjette.org/forums/show...25&postcount=8

https://www.ninjette.org/forums/show...1&postcount=26

[spent_too_much]

Search for Chicago Bob. He has a thread on this forum, where he did something similar with the handlebars, and gauges. I think the name for the cluster is Vaportech or something. Around $100...

[pantera]

I would have kept the 2010.She wasn't really that pretty actually.

[choneofakind]

No insurance and admitting it online, huh?

Link to original page on YouTube.

[n8Rod]

My 05:

[InvisiBill]

The first two eBay links are not suitable for headlights. The first LED one is listed as 180-540 lumens. The crappy stock H4 is ~1100 lumens. The second one is incandescent and 5W. That's basically a turn signal bulb. The third U7 LED is probably sufficient power, but it's listed as a spot light. It'll have a very focused beam, not good for illuminating the entire road in front of you. The last one uses 25W bulbs, half of the stock 55/60W H4. I've heard people saying the heat from the bulbs was enough to melt those housings even.

In short, most of those are cheap crap. The one that might be decent isn't a headlight.

Those cheap Chinese gauges are hit or miss. The one I bought to check out for another project was the same style as the one you linked. What I got didn't exactly match the instructions that came with it or the eBay description. You may have to do a bit of experimenting to get it to work as expected with your bike. You'll also have to install the speedo sensor for the aftermarket gauge. Also, pay attention to the measurements. The 500 has relatively large gauges, so all the aftermarket gauges (namebrand and knockoff) seem really small to me. That whole gauge unit isn't much bigger than just my stock tach dial.

[oogie_boogie]

As for the dirt bars, The top triple from an el250 (Eliminator 250 ) *should* work with your lower triple and has clamps for 7/8ths bars. You would probably need a security bit set to move your ignition switch and maybe longer cables/brake line. Or you could get bar clamps and drill through your existing top triple. I was thinking of doing that with clubman bars - went with steel clipons instead. Aluminum clipons are cheap on ebay, but aluminum just is not as strong. I'd rather spend a few bucks more on quality clipons than have something break off in my hand while riding.

Originally Posted by InvisiBill

The first two eBay links are not suitable for headlights. The first LED one is listed as 180-540 lumens. The crappy stock H4 is ~1100 lumens. The second one is incandescent and 5W. That's basically a turn signal bulb. The third U7 LED is probably sufficient power, but it's listed as a spot light. It'll have a very focused beam, not good for illuminating the entire road in front of you. The last one uses 25W bulbs, half of the stock 55/60W H4. I've heard people saying the heat from the bulbs was enough to melt those housings even.

In short, most of those are cheap crap. The one that might be decent isn't a headlight.

Those cheap Chinese gauges are hit or miss. The one I bought to check out for another project was the same style as the one you linked. What I got didn't exactly match the instructions that came with it or the eBay description. You may have to do a bit of experimenting to get it to work as expected with your bike. You'll also have to install the speedo sensor for the aftermarket gauge. Also, pay attention to the measurements. The 500 has relatively large gauges, so all the aftermarket gauges (namebrand and knockoff) seem really small to me. That whole gauge unit isn't much bigger than just my stock tach dial.

Finally a useful reply.

Unfortunately i had already purchased my light. I went with the 25w assembly. Its looks pretty cool. But you are right the light is nowhere near the stock headlight.

It normally isn't a problem most of the streets around here are very well lit. but every now and then i ride on a dark street and cant see the road more then 10 or 15 feet ahead.

I think it might be the way it is mounted I'm using the stock brackets for the fairings. the light seems to be pointed downward. When mounted directly to the forks it will have a more upright position hopefully extending my night vision.

I really want to upgrade to some leds if you can please point me in the direction of some bulbs that might fit on that headlight.


Also went ahead and got the gauges. The connectors seem to be the same. even the speedometer connection is the same. I'm waiting to get the new bar so I can mount it directly on there.

Originally Posted by oogie_boogie

As for the dirt bars, The top triple from an el250 (Eliminator 250 ) *should* work with your lower triple and has clamps for 7/8ths bars. You would probably need a security bit set to move your ignition switch and maybe longer cables/brake line. Or you could get bar clamps and drill through your existing top triple. I was thinking of doing that with clubman bars - went with steel clipons instead. Aluminum clipons are cheap on ebay, but aluminum just is not as strong. I'd rather spend a few bucks more on quality clipons than have something break off in my hand while riding.

I ordered the clamps. Trying to find a bar now but I'm not sure which one.

Dirt bike bars are really high might be uncomfortable and wont allow me to tuck in at higher speeds.

Super-bike bars seem to be popular and look really cool but don't seem to sweep back too much

I definitely want something that sweeps back to try to preserve some of the sport bike style of riding. But also with a bit of rise.

Looking at the euros or drag bars but there is so many different options

Any suggestions?

Here is what im looking at..


Dirt:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-8-Black-Al...FYyCjg&vxp=mtr

Drag:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-B...1WxTSW&vxp=mtr

euro:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-8-Motorcyc...FY3KZZ&vxp=mtr

Leaning toward the euro but want some feedback first.

Removed front fairings installed headlight and wrapped and tucked away some of the wires.

[oogie_boogie]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/3321488...&ul_noapp=true

I was thinking of putting them down low for a more aggressive riding position. (upside down) Unsure of tank clearance issues, but decided to go with clip ons instead. People have different tastes and preferences so you have to make it your own the way you want it to be.

[Triple Jim]

That's right side up. They're meant to be installed with the grips below the mounting point. Some have more drop in the bend than others. The ones I have on my DT100 don't have much drop.

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by Illegal

Ahh good question.
I can get a cheap ninja 250 for $500 + $115 registration + $8 bucks worth of gas and I'm on the road for $623. No insurance payments, no $350 registration fee, 60+ mpg, i can split lanes and not have to sit in traffic.

At least get liability insurance. It won't change your numbers much, and it'll be a great help in case of an accident.
Once you have the liability, you can add the roadside assistance for almost nothing extra and get a free tow in case the bike lets you down.

I pay $60 per year for liability and towing. I have AllState.


No problem riding in Miami. I've seen traffic much worse than Miami. Just be careful.

Be careful with split lane riding. Tickets are veery expensive and will trash your budget really quick. I've just paid $250 for going 60mph on a 45mph avenue.

Loving your project so far. Keep posting pictures.

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

No insurance and admitting it online, huh?

Motorcycle insurance is not mandatory in Florida. However, for what liability insurance costs, it doesn't make sense not to have it.

okay i promise ill look into getting some insurance.

Now can we please talk abut handlebars?

[Triple Jim]

I normally sit on the bike and put my hands in the riding position I'm shooting for, noting where they are relative to the bar mounting points. Then I can either estimate, or have someone measure the position, and find a bar that fits.

[A.J.]

I'm going to keep an eye on this thread for sure as I just bought the bike in my avatar pic for $100. Just needs a carb rebuild. Already got the new ignition. Could really use a new gas tank but having a super hard time finding it for the 87-07 years. Mine is an '01. Certain parts are awful to find. Hard time finding front upper headlight fairings for those years as well. Sucks. If it's an '08-'12 you can find parts all day long. Unfortunately my girl is an '01.

[ThrottleGirl]

Originally Posted by A.J.

I'm going to keep an eye on this thread for sure as I just bought the bike in my avatar pic for $100. Just needs a carb rebuild. Already got the new ignition. Could really use a new gas tank but having a super hard time finding it for the 87-07 years. Mine is an '01. Certain parts are awful to find. Hard time finding front upper headlight fairings for those years as well. Sucks. If it's an '08-'12 you can find parts all day long. Unfortunately my girl is an '01.

I, too, am wanting to do the same type of build so am following as well. I might be selling the fairings off my 1993 if you're interested...I pick up the bike tomorrow and will be taking cosmetics off this weekend. I don't expect to need any of it other than the gas tank. Very nervous about changing the front end, I've only done one other build and it was very easy.

[Triple Jim]

Hello Throttle Girl, it's good to meet you and welcome to the board!

[ThrottleGirl]

Thanks - I am still very new to forums, so please forgive me for any mistakes in how I post/reply/comment. I live out in Moab, Utah and am a dirt bike rider at heart, so want to build a gnarly Ninja to tackle some of the softer trails out here. This thread has been so helpful in gathering ideas...and eliminating some ideas, too!