Ninja for low speed, in-town commuting?

[GvilleMike]

Hello all,

I am new to riding, actually just passed my MSF course and other than that, I have 0 moto experience. I've been looking at different bikes and need some advice from people who actually own the ninja 250.

I live in Gainesville, FL - a small college town of about 150,000 people and the only interstate is on the outskirts of town(therefore I will seldom be using it). Starting in a few weeks, I will need to commute between work and school, during my work hours, and therefore need something I can park up close and personal without losing too much time. Moto parking is great on campus, but parking for cars/trucks does not exist.

So the primary purpose of whatever bike I end up getting will be commuting, mainly on roads that average between 20 and 45mph. When I say 20, I mean 20. It's on campus and it's enforced. The rest of the commute is 35-45, and it's almost all stop and go traffic the entire commute(including the 20 zone).

I was originally looking at the Honda CBR250R, mainly for the fact that it is fuel injected and ABS, which seemed like great features for first time riders, not to mention it's low end torque due to being a thumper. After checking what it's like to insure a new bike for collision in FL - screw that. Also good luck finding one of those used.

That leaves me pretty much with the ninja 250, pregen or new-gen. I'd like to stay in the sport styling and don't really fancy a rebel/gz250/virago. My main question is - will the ninjettes high power band make it a pain in the ass for in-town low speed commuting? Will the lack of torque in the low range affect me a lot going from light to light? Will I have to rev the crap out of it in order to feel some get-up? Just looking for some real world advice for the in-town commuter.

I've already put in an inquiry about a 2004 pre-gen, with 6200 miles for 1600$. Also saw a 09 listed for sale on this website that I may look into if the 2004 falls through.

Can anyone give me an opinion on whether its worth it to spring 3000-3500 for an 08 or newer with under 5k miles, versus a pregen with 5-10k for 2200 or under? I don't plan to insure collison as stated above, just liability and um/uim.

[tooblekain]

Honestly, logic would state to get a scooter. But if your emotions fall for a Ninja 250 I saw go for it.

[dfox]

I ride an 08 often in the city. All stop and go, I rarely make it out of the city. I have no complaints, it's still a blast and with proper launching, it'll still take off at the lights quick.

I have no experience with a pregen, I just couldn't accept the looks of the pregen for the small savings.

[GvilleMike]

Originally Posted by tooblekain

Honestly, logic would state to get a scooter. But if your emotions fall for a Ninja 250 I saw go for it.

Scooter was the first thought, and here is my reasons for not getting one.

a)Would not feel comfortable on one without full face helmet, jacket, gloves - and lets be honest that looks ridiculous on a scooter.
b)No escape power, too many drivers here are from out of area/state/country and have no clue what they're doing. I see kids on scooters all the time in flops and tank tops at the mercy of other drivers as they put along, no thanks.
c)I still plan to enjoy the ride for ridings sake on weekends. There are some nice out of town roads here in north central FL that I think would be great for a bike.

The majority of my commuting will be slow, but there are a few roads where people do 45-55 that I will be on for some of the ride, so it's important to me to still have some power. Plus - I love manual trannies, I've driven stick my whole life and it felt natural in the MSF class.

[folky15]

If you won't feel like a dork, then a scooter may be the better option for you. The ninjette is a fantastic commuter for a motorcycle, but a scooter would be even better given the low speeds you'll be at.

Regarding your question about the Ninja needing to be at high revs around town....That won't be an issue at all. You won't need to make it scream just to get around campus and city streets.

edit: guess my response was too slow!

[lgk]

i would go with the old gen.
it has enough power for highway and sips enough gas in town.

easy to work on, an find parts.

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by GvilleMike

That leaves me pretty much with the ninja 250, pregen or new-gen. I'd like to stay in the sport styling and don't really fancy a rebel/gz250/virago. My main question is - will the ninjettes high power band make it a pain in the ass for in-town low speed commuting? Will the lack of torque in the low range affect me a lot going from light to light? Will I have to rev the crap out of it in order to feel some get-up? Just looking for some real world advice for the in-town commuter.

Here is the ninja and cbrs dynos





The torque curves are not that far apart. Yes the cbr250 will be faster down low but it won't be a difference you'll notice unless you are going WOT

[ninjamunky85]

The 250 is a fine bike for around town use. The little ninja handles great at slow speeds and is easy to park.

From what I've read the CBR 250 would be the better choice, because of its low end torque. I'd still recommend the ninja.

[flynjay]

If you have a relatively short commute <10 min. You are going to have a problem with the battery not fully charging by the time you get there. If you plan on an out-of-the way return trip that is >30 min that should be enough to keep the batt charged. Also, since g-ville is a college town bike theft is rampant. The uglier pre-gen is less of a theft magnet.

Ninja 250 is well suited for a low speed commute. 20 mph is 2nd or 3rd. Is quite and smooth.

[GvilleMike]

Originally Posted by flynjay

If you have a relatively short commute <10 min. You are going to have a problem with the battery not fully charging by the time you get there. If you plan on an out-of-the way return trip that is >30 min that should be enough to keep the batt charged. Also, since g-ville is a college town bike theft is rampant. The uglier pre-gen is less of a theft magnet.

Ninja 250 is well suited for a low speed commute. 20 mph is 2nd or 3rd. Is quite and smooth.

I should mention that I have a garage at home and my office at work is a corner that overlooks the entire parking lot and the only in/out entrance to the property. Parking at school would be the only worry. It would also be in the middle of the day(don't know much about bike theft and when it's most common). The bike parking is a pretty crowded/visible area - but who knows maybe that will make a thief blend in.

I do worry about the battery though. On the days that I take the bike to school/work - its a 13-17 drive to work in traffic in the morning, 2 equally long trips in the middle of the day to school and then back to work, then the same 13-17 commute home. Will the battery be an issue, and if so, is there some type of device I can buy to remedy this?

Thanks for the input everyone. You've convinced me that the ninja will be just fine around town, so I'm going to make the leap. Now it only remains to be seen if I will find a new-gen for 3k or better.

[Jiggles]

great thing about carbs on the 250 is you can just push start it. EFI is a little trickier

[rjones91]

I've owned a pre gen ninja and I currently own a cbr 250. I also live in a college town and both bikes worked perfectly for me. Parking will be much better with a motorcycle no doubt. Honestly, I would go with the pre gen ninja as they are extremely inexpensive, great on gas mileage and will suffice your needs greatly. No use spending over $4000 for a Honda as I think $1600 is a decent price for a 2004 ninja 250. You'd def get your moneys worth going with the ninja.

Just my opinion.

[ninjamunky85]

Originally Posted by GvilleMike

I do worry about the battery though. On the days that I take the bike to school/work - its a 13-17 drive to work in traffic in the morning, 2 equally long trips in the middle of the day to school and then back to work, then the same 13-17 commute home. Will the battery be an issue, and if so, is there some type of device I can buy to remedy this?

I don't think you should have any problem. I drive everyday to school and work. Trip to work is about 10 mins, to school about 15. If you do have a problem though, then you could just get a trickle charger and hook up the battery every now and again.

[CynicalC]

Well, I wouldn't rule out scooters completely. You can ride one without looking like a dork.



Otherwise yeah, 250 is great for around town.

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by GvilleMike

Scooter was the first thought, and here is my reasons for not getting one.

a)Would not feel comfortable on one without full face helmet, jacket, gloves - and lets be honest that looks ridiculous on a scooter.
b)No escape power, too many drivers here are from out of area/state/country and have no clue what they're doing. I see kids on scooters all the time in flops and tank tops at the mercy of other drivers as they put along, no thanks.
c)I still plan to enjoy the ride for ridings sake on weekends. There are some nice out of town roads here in north central FL that I think would be great for a bike.

The majority of my commuting will be slow, but there are a few roads where people do 45-55 that I will be on for some of the ride, so it's important to me to still have some power. Plus - I love manual trannies, I've driven stick my whole life and it felt natural in the MSF class.

i used to drive scooters. i wore a full face helmet jacket and gloves. dont worry about how you look or what other people think about you. do what you want to do and do it how you want to do it. if you want a bike, get a bike. for your needs a small bike sounds perfect. scooter is going to be cheaper in every imaginable way though. for a student, i would say get a scooter or a bicycle.

[rjones91]

Just hook the battery terminal cables from a battery tender to the battery and charge at night. You won't have a problem as the battery won't go dead on you the next day. I just plugged the battery every night (not sure if that was overkill or not) as it became a nightly habit.

[ARc]

That's what I used my ninjette for. Low speed, in-town communiting with the added benefit of being able to go on the highway. Always wore my gear.

[GvilleMike]

Originally Posted by alex.s

i used to drive scooters. i wore a full face helmet jacket and gloves. dont worry about how you look or what other people think about you. do what you want to do and do it how you want to do it. if you want a bike, get a bike. for your needs a small bike sounds perfect. scooter is going to be cheaper in every imaginable way though. for a student, i would say get a scooter or a bicycle.

I work full time in health care administration, and I'm going for a masters part time during work hours. The time I am gone from work is leave hours used, so the quicker the trip, better. Bicycling uphill in FL in August/September wearing work clothes - my co-workers/classmates would probably not appreciate the stench. They don't call Gainesville the swamp for nothin'.

I am going to shop around for a pre-gen ninja in the ballpark of 13-1700, unless I see a good deal on a new-gen that I just can't pass up. Again thanks for the input everyone.

[Panda]

I live in Brooklyn and riding anywhere means a trip through Manhattan. I almost got a CBR because I heard it is better for stop and go riding. I've never ridden one so I don't know.

I can say that Ninja is fine for around town and the added HP at the top end is great for the highway.

[alex.s]

sounds like a good plan. just remember, when its hot out you still get sweaty on a bike/scooter. just not as bad as the bicycle

[flynjay]

Originally Posted by GvilleMike

I should mention that I have a garage at home and my office at work is a corner that overlooks the entire parking lot and the only in/out entrance to the property. Parking at school would be the only worry. It would also be in the middle of the day(don't know much about bike theft and when it's most common). The bike parking is a pretty crowded/visible area - but who knows maybe that will make a thief blend in.

I do worry about the battery though. On the days that I take the bike to school/work - its a 13-17 drive to work in traffic in the morning, 2 equally long trips in the middle of the day to school and then back to work, then the same 13-17 commute home. Will the battery be an issue, and if so, is there some type of device I can buy to remedy this?

Thanks for the input everyone. You've convinced me that the ninja will be just fine around town, so I'm going to make the leap. Now it only remains to be seen if I will find a new-gen for 3k or better.

Battery should be fine with that commute. I would get a battery tender (0.75 A) and put it on that on the weekend or every two weeks just to keep the battery topped up.

[ajmueller]

Don't forget the Ninja 250 comes with FANTASTIC support for ANY problem you could possibly have with the bike EVER! Ninjette.org and the "other" Ninja 250 site are reasons enough to go with the Ninja 250!

As everyone else has said, the ninja 250 will serve you well in town and up to highway speeds. They are inexpensive, parts are plentiful (unless you find yourself with an 86/87 like mine but even then it's not too bad), have low insure costs (depending on area/age/record of course), are good on gas (don't run premium), and are easy to maneuver at any speed (including foot power)!

I've used mine for my 5 mile, 20 to 35 mph, and 10 (+/-2) stop commute on a regular basis with no problems. I do usually put on a charger every night just to keep the battery up but I've never had problems even when I neglected to put it on the charger for a few days.

By the way, great on taking the MSF!

[fleemos]

I would say the Ninja is the clear choice. Whether you go pregen or newgen will depend on how much you want to spend. I ride my 2012 3 miles to work everyday all on local roads and it is perfect for the task. If the battery isn't getting enough charge it just means you have to go for a joyride on the way home like I do.

[bfpower]

My $0.02...

Yes, the Ninja is a good option. I almost bought a CBR250 but they're a relatively new build and I don't personally think all the bugs are worked out yet.

On Ninja vs. scooter... Scooters often come with attachable luggage. So if you want to carry the groceries home without modding your Ninja, a scooter might be good. Again, though, the dork factor.

On newgen vs. pregen... The pregens remind me of Road Rash for Sega Genesis. The squarish corners are just not as sexy. You should be able to get a newgen for 3K or a little less. It's up to you though; a lot of new riders drop their bikes. Might be worth it to get an 07 for 2K and ride the crap out of it for a year or two. Then buy a newgen and keep them both.

[beerhalffull]

If the scooter hasn't been 100% ruled out please check out the Honda Ruckus. They're cool scooters. I used to ride around one that was tricked out with a helmet, jacket and gloves. I got more compliments on that than my Ninja, show car and everything else I've owned.

If you're really psyched about a bike definitely get the Ninja. I say 08+ 250 as you're looking. Maybe even wait until the new '13 Ninja comes out so you can pay less for the 'older style'.

[kaiserz]

+1 for honda ruckus. or the madass.

And no they don't look "dorky", I would rock one with a mesh jacket, helmet, and proper pants, and I know I would not look dorky.

Riding a ninja on an stop and go traffic is no fan.

[fernieh07]

I do about a 30mi commute everyday and the bike is perfect for it. Just keep looking for the right deal, I got my 08 for $2,400 back in 09. So now you can probably find one for around that price.

[oreX]

Just get the ninja. You wont regret it. At first yeah you will commute on it, then you will find any excuse to ride it and it will turn into an all out addiction. If your commutes really are that short and you are storing it at home in a garage then just pickup a battery tender and you will be fine. Dooo it.

[Jiggles]

Oh and you will get laid so much with a ninja! Seriously, you will hardly ever have to pay for it anymore

[vince_2149]

So I've owned an '05, '07, and '12 Ninja 250. I commuted extensively on the '07 and '12. Did I notice a difference between the two powerwise? A little. I had a little more upper power band in the pregen. But I've got a lot more mid range torque on the '12. No matter what you choose, you'll have a blast. I've done over 20k miles and 3.5 years on a 250 and still get a smile on my face every ride.