Older rider, newer Ninja 250. This is riding!

[Clayton-007]

Hi all, just got a 2008 red Ninja 250R with 7300 miles and loving it.

My history. This is my 5th bike. My other current bike is a 2003 Harley Sportster 883. My previous bikes in order. A 80’s Honda twin 250, which I learned on. Then moved to a 1993’ish GS450 Suzuki which was one kick a&* bike I might add. Got out for a few years then got the bug again and bought a Suzuki 250 to get going again. Its easier to talk the wife into a 250 ya know. Months later I got the 2003 Harley Sportster. I love the torque of the harley. I thought it would be practical and I would ride to work, store, etc. Well, after a couple rains storms and some messed up cloths on the way to work, that just didn’t work for me. So I don’t ride much. We went on a few biker rides and had a blast, but that was years ago.

This spring, I got the bug again for something different. The cruisers are boring to me now. Heck, I’m 48, it should be the other way around. I hated to get geared all up and with a full face, then ride the harley. It just isn’t right. I always thought sporting gear on a sports bike made sense, and looked good and in place. No way I’m not wearing a full face. A minor 5 MPH concrete hit in the chin can ruin your year. But that’s me.

Anyway, I’m only a few days into this new to me Ninja and I’m not even close to being not being amazed every time I ride it. I know I’m used to the hard engine mount harley I have, but man this ninja 250 is smooth. And I just thought I new how to ride. I know how to survive traffic and road hazards (best you can), but this makes you shift so much more often to be smooth, and I find setting up for a turn to take much more work that just going around the turn in the Harley, in whatever gear I want to be in. These are good things! Its fun. Its gonna take some practice to get ultra smooth,,,,,,brake,,,get the right amount of throttle and insure the proper gear, hit the turn and lean, apply more throttle and scoot out of the turn blazing. Look down, nope, only doing 45 in a 35, we’re good. I got this one windy road I go down, 3 tight 20mph turns, and others. Feels like I’m in a hell bent race through the thing all the while never going over 45! This thing just flicks a round. I’ve not fully explored the 11,000 to 13,000 RPM range, buts interesting the way it just wants to zip without complaint when there!

I’ve got some questions that I’ll post later with a couple issues I think I’ve discovered with the bike.

[Stingray1000]

Welcome to the forum!

[loz944]

Welcome good to hear your story mine is similar had a 750 Honda my wife hated it so I sold it and since then the bug has bitten so I have ordered a 2012 Ninja 250 se ...........Damn long waiting list here for it .

But you have given me even more to look forward too I am 47 and just want a bike to have fun.

[alex.s]

welcome to the fun. 11k is where the real fun starts

[Jiggles]

Just so you know the ninjette is happiest at 9k-12k and riding there for extended periods of time won't harm your engine, complete opposite of a harley. I've had harley guys be amazed my ninja would make it on the freeway, when they would test ride them, they would ride it like a harley, staying far away from redline. But this bike lives at redline, have fun

[kevheads]

Welcome to the forum from another old rider (49) young at heart

[Clayton-007]

Originally Posted by loz944

Welcome good to hear your story mine is similar had a 750 Honda my wife hated it so I sold it and since then the bug has bitten so I have ordered a 2012 Ninja 250 se ...........Damn long waiting list here for it .

But you have given me even more to look forward too I am 47 and just want a bike to have fun.

Brand new! You'll love it. I've only got ~120 miles with this fine machine and I can tell it will keep me challanged for a while, yet fully comfortable that it wont get away from me if I'm not doing anything dumb. Unlike what I've gather about the 650's, which don't get happy till much higher speeds. There is plenty to make you respect the bike if you know what I mean. If needed, I can twist (on what is a pretty long twisting travel, which means it won't happan unless you really want it to happen) the baby into the 10,000+ RPM and zip pass most anything. I was thinking about a Ninja 500 and just may have if the right one had come along, but I couldn't resist the looks of the 2008+ years and the price I paid. I can ride this summer and still probably get my money back next year if I want to move up, or back out. these things are easy to sell.

The thing about being an ocasional rider is becoming rusty. I've noticed I'm remembering things I knew about staying alive out there, the the bike being second nature is one of them. So I'm trying to stay real cool and not get over confident, which is easy on this thing. Still need to hit the parking lot and skid it around some.

Good to see I'm not the only 45 year old plus here! My wife thinks I'm having a mid life, but I think this was the most rational decision I could have made. She still calls it "the crotch rocket". I don't know what I want to call it. Maybe "The Beast". The little engine that could.....

[loz944]

I haven't got delivery yet and my wife has already named it ,

She asked me on Sunday "where you keep Keymook"

I said "What are you talking about ?"

she said "name your bike Keymook"

lol ok to explain I am in Thailand and my wife is Thai hence bad English ,

Key in Thai means s**t
Mook in Thai means nose so Keymook means nose s**t

think she is referring to the colour lol Kawasaki green

I thought it was so funny the name shall stick lol

[nitrofreak06]

my 2004 ninja 250 is my first real bike and i'm having a blast on it. It's nice to know that there is older folks that enjoy these bikes. Around here if you in your 40's and on a bike, its gonna be a harley or some other type of cruiser/touring bike.

enjoy it

[thurt88]

You will love this 250. I got mine a bit later in life and even when I moved up to bigger bikes, my 250 has stayed with me. It gets ridden more than my zx10.

[KJohnson21]

[250rr]

Welcome, my friend.

[Harrison89]

Welcome!

[csmith12]

Welcome!

[vman1313]

[Brooklyn]

Welcome!

[SuViR]

Welcome Bruh, similar story and age (47), NYC also :0). Stay Up.

[Stingray1000]

YOU'RE ALL OLD MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH I'm getting there... 34 lol

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by Stingray1000

YOU'RE ALL OLD MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH I'm getting there... 34 lol

Holy ****, ur really old

[Stingray1000]

lol not all of us are wet behind the ears like you jiggles lol

[Jiggles]

You could be my dad if you were a stud at 13.

[Clayton-007]

Thanks everyone. Here are some pics.

Thoughts on whether I should get a new rear tire? The pictures make them look better than they are.

The right side is damaged. The guy I bought it from said his wife hit it with a 4 wheeler and shoved it into the wall. The is a 2 inch hole in the side and a fair amount of scratches. I found a new right side fairing with turn signal by chance on ebay so that is on its way.

[Jiggles]

Yes get a new rear, BT45 is where its at

[Clayton-007]

Here is a close up of the damage.

[Clayton-007]

Got a set of pitt bulls off of craigslist and took the rear to get a tire. Got the BT45, and did a good alignment when done. We are now tracking strait! And wow, what a difference. I guess that last rider just went in strait lines and gave it a nice flat spot. Added benift of removing the tire yourself, you get to clean those area's you cant get too with the tire on and gave the chain a good cleaning.

Now the curves are that much more fun! And as we all know, a cleaner bike goes faster.

[Snake]

Hello and welcome.

[highpsiguy]

43 year old here. Have had over 17 motorcycles. Miles over 250-300k. I am used to larger bikes, Goldwings cruisers etc. I bought my son a 250 to use for school and he didn't want it, I rode it a little and loved it. I ended up selling it because of my "big bike pride" Bought me a pretty new green Versys. Kept it a year and sold it because I kept missing that fun lil 250. Found a 2001 for cheap and have never looked back. I have always despised the "crotch-rocket" crowd- but now I am one of them. I learned not all ride like stupid maniacs. I think that a bike should be about comfort and fun. I am probably one of the largest riders on one 6ft 4 and now 285lbs and this thing zips me around good. I still get 55 mpg on trips even with my size. Buddy of mine asked me yesterday about riding out of state and asked which bike I would take. I said "THE 250!!!" I don't ever ride the cruiser anymore

[akima]

Clayton. I enjoyed reading your post. It seems you have an affinity for 250s. I'm surprised to see you got a 2008 ninjette with only 7000 miles. That poor thing has been idling for so long! I think it's now your responsibility to make up for those years of neglect and show your ninjette a good time

As for that 11-13k rpm range. I hit that on almost every ride.

[2003ninja]

Originally Posted by akima

I'm surprised to see you got a 2008 ninjette with only 7000 miles.

My 2003 has 2000 miles

[akima]

Originally Posted by 2003ninja

My 2003 has 2000 miles

How does that happen? Did the person you bought it off explain why it had such low millage?

[2003ninja]

Originally Posted by akima

How does that happen? Did the person you bought it off explain why it had such low millage?

He said he lived in Washington where it sat in a warehouse for some reason it never got ridden. then he moved to florida and started riding it but needed to upgrade because he rides on the high way alot and always got blown all over the place. I am the 3rd owner so the first guy must of put most of the miles on it.

[Stingray1000]

Originally Posted by akima

How does that happen? Did the person you bought it off explain why it had such low millage?

My 2003 had 1100 miles on it when I got it this past november........

[NJ Ninjette]

Originally Posted by akima

How does that happen? Did the person you bought it off explain why it had such low millage?

It all depends on your situation, especially as you get older. When I bought my Katana 600 back in 93 I ended up moving to an apartment complex and didn't feel safe keeping it there. So it ended up moving to my grandfathers house on the other side of town. Now it wasn't convenient, being a special trip, that it only got lightly used when I was in the mood. In the two years or so I owned it, I only put a couple K on it before I sold it.