I've noticed several new ninjette owners are selling their rides

[Apex]

What is pulling this trend? I know I'm a fan of the new model, and I do plan on getting one, hopefully going to race plastics and competing with it in CMRA. Just curious why people are wanting to get rid of theirs?

If it were later this year, I'd most likely pick one up off of one of you, or try to find a new one on the showroom.

I guess I could not go and see myself ditching a nice new ride (which the new 250's are) so soon.

So why are several of you selling your bike?

[kkim]

most are afflicted with the "bigger is better" syndrome.

[djpharoah]

I'm not selling mine - just passing my pre-gen down to my younger brother as his first bike. I will be getting something like an older cbr.

[smcbride11]

Originally Posted by kkim

most are afflicted with the "bigger is better" syndrome.

That's exactly it. I must admit, I started thinking the same way after about 500 miles... But the 'jette is just so damn fun (not to mention paid off), that I realized that I was being an idiot and that I should keep on with the 250 for at least a few years and outfit it for track days when I buy a new one.

My decision was 100% cemented when I dropped her and paid $45 to repair the damage instead of the couple thousand an RR would have cost.

[ajaygraci]

^ 45$ damage?? fairings are fairings.. it would still cost the same.. you have to shift less with a 600cc bike, better for highways...250 is more fun on curves n stuff i guess though...gr8 bike but most people want "real" sportbikes as in super sport bikes.. im gunna sell myn for a 07 or 05 cbr 600rr hopefully..

[HKr1]

Originally Posted by ajaygraci

you have to shift less with a 600cc bike,.

You still have 6 gears to go thru......... just not as quick thru them

[smcbride11]

Originally Posted by ajaygraci

^ 45$ damage?? fairings are fairings.. it would still cost the same.. you have to shift less with a 600cc bike, better for highways...250 is more fun on curves n stuff i guess though...gr8 bike but most people want "real" sportbikes as in super sport bikes.. im gunna sell myn for a 07 or 05 cbr 600rr hopefully..

Yeah, I realize that I overstated a little because I didn't actually replace the fairing or the pipe.

I have some rash on my right fairing and pipe, but that doesn't bother me. The $45 was for the turn signal.

The repair cost of the 250R is indeed about 1/3 that of a larger bike - $250 vs $750+ for fairings, for instance.

[sm0kediver]

The Ninja 250 is the classic bike to learn on. People buy them, learn to ride, feel inadequate when they see someone on a faster bike, and then sell them to 'move up'. Nothing wrong with that.

My second motorcycle was a Ninja 250. My 4th (and current) is also a Ninja 250. I'm a practical person, and I don't have anything to prove. I don't want to go 160 mph. I'm quite content cruising at the posted speed limit (well usually), and keeping all the extra money in my pocket.

[Alex]

No motorcycle is forever, and upgrading is just part of this hobby. But the reasons that some folks state as why they are upgrading from the Ninja 250 sometimes do grate on me, as I know they are factually incorrect, whether the rider knows it yet or not.

For example, "I bought this bike to learn on and become more confident, and now after 1,500 miles I've learned everything I can with it and it's time to move up".

Without reading another word I know the writer, whoever he/she is, is full of crap. There is no way, no how that they have learned everything they can on that bike. If there's some continuum between utter newbie with zero experience and grizzled veteran with 30 years of riding and 500,000 miles under their belts, at 1500 miles someone will be hard pressed to tell the difference between them and utter newbie. At that point you don't even know what you don't know yet. The reason that I think it would be beneficial for people to keep the ninjette longer, is that those skills that they don't yet have (or don't even know they need to have) are better learned on the ninjette. You can start moving up to the bike's limits, moving closer to the traction limits, braking harder, swerving with more authority, losing traction on loose surfaces and recovering, all of those things. Without worrying about excess power futzing up the whole works. Those that learn on underpowered machines become better riders faster than those that learn on overpowered machines.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by Alex

No motorcycle is forever, and upgrading is just part of this hobby. But the reasons that some folks state as why they are upgrading from the Ninja 250 sometimes do grate on me, as I know they are factually incorrect, whether the rider knows it yet or not.

For example, "I bought this bike to learn on and become more confident, and now after 1,500 miles I've learned everything I can with it and it's time to move up".

Without reading another word I know the writer, whoever he/she is, is full of crap. There is no way, no how that they have learned everything they can on that bike. If there's some continuum between utter newbie with zero experience and grizzled veteran with 30 years of riding and 500,000 miles under their belts, at 1500 miles someone will be hard pressed to tell the difference between them and utter newbie. At that point you don't even know what you don't know yet. The reason that I think it would be beneficial for people to keep the ninjette longer, is that those skills that they don't yet have (or don't even know they need to have) are better learned on the ninjette. You can start moving up to the bike's limits, moving closer to the traction limits, braking harder, swerving with more authority, losing traction on loose surfaces and recovering, all of those things. Without worrying about excess power futzing up the whole works. Those that learn on underpowered machines become better riders faster than those that learn on overpowered machines.

Oh yeah??? but it's only a 250... it's not cool, ya know???

besides, I'm so ashamed of that small rear tire Kawasaki put on the bike!!! What were they thinking!!! People can tell right away it's nothing more than a scooter!!

[Viper-Byte]

I know someone who has been riding for 6 years and rides all over the country and he says that he is still learning things most times he goes out.

Alex, you are absolutely correct, often a person does not know something they need to know till they experience it and if they are on a bike that is over powered, can lead to bad events...

Kelly, even given the small size of the rear, people I meet still think it is a 600

[sometimesido]

I am never selling my 06! NEVAR!
I am determined to travel 49 states within 5 years.
And after reading this thread, Korean guy named Wan travels all over U.S. in a 49cc Honda Ruckus I might try to do that with a Ruckus in 10 years. It is my life goal! Wan is my hero!

[Verus Cidere]

I'm keeping my ninjette for quite a while too. A couple things people didn't mention above on the upsides list: gas mileage and comfort. My seat is nowhere near as hard as any 600cc bike I've ever sat on. I know it's not the same for those of you that don't have a pregen, but there's also the fact that there's less damage to your wrists from leaning forward thanks to the upright or partial upright posture of either bike. They're also safer overall. If you can't go as fast, you can't get into as much trouble. Granted, we can still pull 100mph and that's plenty dangerous, but you've still got more reaction time and better survival chances than if you were going 160. Another note on speed: a stock ninjette can still go as fast as most stock cars out there. Who actually NEEDS to go 160mph? Or even 100mph for that matter? Most of the upgrades are for street riding, not track riding. Also, with 50mpg how can you go wrong?

[komohana]

in all honesty, i was looking for a larger bike when i had enuff saved up. nothing new for the amount i set aside to spend. having a 700cc previously, i was hoping to stay near that size or larger, if a deal came along.
well a deal DID come, and i am SO glad i didn't let ego win-out over the pure rush of riding something this manuverable.
friends who know my riding history aren't suprised that i'm on a 250 cuz they know for me, its all about the handling when tipping into the twisties.
newer, and especially younger riders who have started their motorcycle experiences onboard a 600 plus cc bike seem to always ask when am i gonna upgrade? and i'm more than happy to explain that 1- i just got this one 2- am having just TOO much fun riding my 250 and 3 - wife is going to use this bike when she is ready to begin her riding experience...and she can have the bike...when she pry's it outta my cold, dead hands!

what we ride doesn't make us the riders we are.
how we ride does, or at least, thats the way i've come to see it.

aloha

[athimmel]

Originally Posted by sm0kediver

My second motorcycle was a Ninja 250. My 4th (and current) is also a Ninja 250. I'm a practical person, and I don't have anything to prove. I don't want to go 160 mph. I'm quite content cruising at the posted speed limit (well usually), and keeping all the extra money in my pocket.

My thoughts exactly. At my age, I don't care if people ask why I'm not on an 1100. I've got others saying that I have the coolest bike around! Everyone has their opinions, but I'm just having a great time riding again.

[Lurkable]

Originally Posted by kkim

besides, I'm so ashamed of that small rear tire Kawasaki put on the bike!!! What were they thinking!!! People can tell right away it's nothing more than a scooter!!

Hahaha, this is the best one. The funny thing is that the only people who really think this are 250 owners living in regret. All the riders I've talked to see it and still know it's fast, and all the non-riders I talk to just tell me it's a beautiful bike.

[mcteague]

Originally Posted by Lurkable

Hahaha, this is the best one. The funny thing is that the only people who really think this are 250 owners living in regret. All the riders I've talked to see it and still know it's fast, and all the non-riders I talk to just tell me it's a beautiful bike.

I'm sure Kelly's tongue was firmly planted in his cheek when he bemoaned the small rear tire.

Tim

[TonyKZ1]

+1000 Yes, I hear/read about this quite often. The now that I've got 1500 miles on it, I'm ready for a bigger bike...Sigh..
Shrug and slowly shakes head...

Originally Posted by Alex

No motorcycle is forever, and upgrading is just part of this hobby. But the reasons that some folks state as why they are upgrading from the Ninja 250 sometimes do grate on me, as I know they are factually incorrect, whether the rider knows it yet or not.

For example, "I bought this bike to learn on and become more confident, and now after 1,500 miles I've learned everything I can with it and it's time to move up".

Without reading another word I know the writer, whoever he/she is, is full of crap. There is no way, no how that they have learned everything they can on that bike. If there's some continuum between utter newbie with zero experience and grizzled veteran with 30 years of riding and 500,000 miles under their belts, at 1500 miles someone will be hard pressed to tell the difference between them and utter newbie. At that point you don't even know what you don't know yet. The reason that I think it would be beneficial for people to keep the ninjette longer, is that those skills that they don't yet have (or don't even know they need to have) are better learned on the ninjette. You can start moving up to the bike's limits, moving closer to the traction limits, braking harder, swerving with more authority, losing traction on loose surfaces and recovering, all of those things. Without worrying about excess power futzing up the whole works. Those that learn on underpowered machines become better riders faster than those that learn on overpowered machines.

[Cali619]

Im thinking that people that want to upgrade are just so excited about just being able to ride a motorcycle they want to get a bigger motor. It probably just depends on what type of riding they plan on doing. Definitely would not suggest someone to upgrade to soon if they really enjoy twisty rides as apposed to long distance/touring rides.

[camaroz1985]

Hey look at this way you can probably get a good deal on a salvage 600 shortly after they "upgrade."

[Purspeed]

I think that it's a pride issue. Younger riders are more self-conscious and tend to undervalue the importance of skill and overvalue the importance of appearance.

Was I any different?

[sometimesido]

More and more I ride it, more and more I appreciate it.
Riding position, gas mileage, utility, etc.

Oh, I was talking to my friend yesterday about tires and he's spending $350 for the rear.
I just bought a cheap touring tire but even if I were to buy a high performance tire, it would be less than half that much.
Plus, I don't take corners as seriously as he does.
I guess it really depends on your preference.

[sometimesido]

Originally Posted by Purspeed

I think that it's a pride issue. Most younger riders are more self-conscious and tend to undervalue the importance of skill and overvalue the importance of appearance.

Was I any different?

fixed it for ya.

[Lurkable]

Originally Posted by mcteague

I'm sure Kelly's tongue was firmly planted in his cheek when he bemoaned the small rear tire.

Tim

Heh, yeah Kelly knows what's up.

I think these guys just haven't gotten out into the twisties enough to appreciate how crazy-maneuverable the 250 is.

[TonyKZ1]

I'm hoping to get a good deal on a 2008+ when they upgrade and want to sell their 250s so they can buy a bigger bike. Not really in the market for a newer one though just yet.
Tony

[Kurosaki]

I'm gonna be looking for something a little nicer later in the year. I'm leaning toward the CBR or R6. We'll see...


When the time comes, I don't think it would be premature and it's definitely not because I feel I've done all I can on this bike. I have tons of fun tracking this thing. The steering and handling is so quick and nice. And I do take some pride in keeping up and making passes on guys with bigger bikes.

But by that time I'm in a position to make the switch, I'll have done 7-8 trackdays and around 10,000 miles. I'm confident in my ability to ride well and would like to try the challenge of riding a bigger and more aggressive bike on the track and the mountains. If I could keep two bikes, I would do it. But that's not really in the cards at the moment.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by sometimesido

Oh, I was talking to my friend yesterday about tires and he's spending $350 for the rear.

Did he mention which specific tire he's getting? I can't think of a single rear tire from any manufacturer that costs that much, whether street or track. (at least the track ones that are readily available to non-factory racers).

[sometimesido]

shipped, installed, balanced, mounted price.

[Alex]

Still seems high, installed/mounted/balanced is $20, right?.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by Alex

Still seems high, installed/mounted/balanced is $20, right?.

do you live at Disneyland? I don't know about where you live, but to have those things done on kauai you would either need to buy the tires from the dealer at an outrageously inflated price or pay at least $50 to have those services done if you brought the wheel and tire in already dismounted from the bike.

seriously, Alex, are things that cheap there? if so, that's a great deal.

[camaroz1985]

It's $20 here too if you bring in the wheel/tire. $40 if you take the bike in.

[Angel-be-Good]

I don't doubt that I'd be perfectly comfortable on a bigger bike now, and there are bigger bikes I'd love to have (mmm, Street Triple, yum), but...

1. I don't really want to spend $9k and pay the significant extra for insurance on my meager one year of experiece.
2. I don't have room to store a second bike, and...
3. ...there is no way I'm selling the 250.

The 250 does what I want, it is 100% joy. It doesn't leave me wanting.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by kkim

do you live at Disneyland? I don't know about where you live, but to have those things done on kauai you would either need to buy the tires from the dealer at an outrageously inflated price or pay at least $50 to have those services done if you brought the wheel and tire in already dismounted from the bike.

seriously, Alex, are things that cheap there? if so, that's a great deal.

Wheels off bike, bring in your own tires, then yup, the going rate is $20/wheel for mount and balance. There are plenty of dealers here that would be happy to take $50 front / $75 rear to mount/balance your new tires if you just ride the bike in and say do it, but I'd rather save the cash and bring in the wheels off the bike. Even my BMW dealership will mount/balance wheels off bike for $25 or so. It's why I can't justify a grand for the no-mar tire changer, as it's only costing me $20/tire right now; thats a whole lot of tires I need to change before I'd break even...

[kkim]

crap, I wish it were that way here.

I guess a lot of competition helps.

[djpharoah]

I'm upgrading mainly for the highway commuting I will be doing this year. Now I know you can do it on the Ninjette with the sprocket swap etc to lower rpm but having done a small trip on a friends CBR F3 it felt a lot more stable and solidly planted on the road. Road snakes, cracks and other crap on the road didnt phase it like it normal does with the ninja.

I've also heard people who've said that the fuel mileage of the ninjette drops heavily once you start going 75+ which you kinda have to on SoCal freeways unless you want to dwell in the slow lane which is as you know not safe.

Still keeping the ninja as my experimental bike and possible track bike - oh yeah and for my younger bro

[sometimesido]

my 250 is my daily and I ride on freeways daily at those speeds...with stock sprockets.

[Lurkable]

Same here. It's a lot of sustained 9-10k rpms for me but I just tell myself "hey, it's designed to do that and we're not at redline." And yes my mpg can get as low as 40 but that's still like driving a Prius.

[sometimesido]

hm, my combined mileage never dropped below 60.
I am a happy man...

[DarkNinja52]

My main concern with moving up from a 250 is safety.. I know im prone to mistakes.. and to make a mistake on a bigger bike would be.. well a really bad mistake. To believe that I've honed my skills to the point where mistakes don't happen would be a lie.

[Rayme]

I can hardly imagine having more fun on a bigger bikes than on my 250, it sure would hauls more ass, but gone would be the constant WOT and shifting without breaking the laws, lol !!!