I finally "get" my Ninja 250

[CycleCam303]

I have a confession. Last week if someone came up to me and said I'll give you my CBR 600 but you can't keep the 250 I would've done it in a heartbeat.

@Manimal was talking to me about the ninja 250 during the BARF ride this Saturday. I was pretty negative about the whole thing. Mostly, I was complaining about its short comings compared to other bikes. I really wanted to sell it in a year and get something else. Yesterday I was hanging out with my dad and we decided to take the Miata out to the coast. I haven't really driven it since I started riding the 250. The Ninja 250 is the motorcycling equivalent to the Mazda Miata. I learned how to drive with the Miata, autocrossed it, and semi-recently did a Laguna Seca trackday with it. I still have a blast driving the car in a spirited manner after all these years.

Let me describe the Miata. It's a 2300lbs car that makes 112 rwhp at almost its 7000 rpm redline. Hence, it's slow as balls. Like a mini van will pull on you at 60mph slow. It's easy to drive up to 8/10ths or up to the point where the stock suspension is pretty wallowy. It has really short gearing, 4k plus at higher freeway speeds; pretty buzzy. It's a great learning tool at the track and everyone and their mom will blow by you on the straights. Yet at an autocross course I can put in a faster time than an amateur driver in a corvette. There is a spec class for it and a lot of great racers start there. It gets ok mpg, but not as good as it should, 28-30 generally. The motor isn't really anything exciting or sporty, although it loves to rev. Everyone who hasn't driven one usually calls it a fag mobile, everyone who has driven one is surprised how fun it is. It doesn't equal the sum of its parts. There are better sport cars but the Miata can be totally wrung out on the streets.

The connection finally hit me.

Funny, sounds just like a Ninja 250... I finally love this slow, small, "gay" motorcycle. I guess it just took me a long time to finally find it's charm.

[Alex]

Get a 300.

[LoneRonin]

Originally Posted by Alex

Get a 300.

still slow...

[lgk]

With suspension, tires, brakes, rearsets and clipon upgrades, its a great bike.

[rojoracing53]

Uh so is there a point to this rambling disguised as a story

I think I want the 60second it took me to read this back

[KillerTofu]

Favorite...

Link to original page on YouTube.

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by rojoracing53

Uh so is there a point to this rambling disguised as a story

I think I want the 60second it took me to read this back

...coming from the guy who wrote us an essay from his tablet while working on drilling out a brake rotor

[LoneRonin]

That video is ****ing awesome!! I just watched the first 3 minutes but that's all I needed to see. I was so surprised how far behind he left those supersports coming out of the corners...

[Manimal]

The video says it all.

Another comparable perspective.....

You almost gotta think of the Ninja 250 like the YSR of sport bikes. And you've been there, done that. So you understand that the bigger displacement bikes owns the straights. But! with the right rider, and set-up, the rewards are awesome and fulfilling.

You know and understand the limitations of the 250. As you put it, it's short comings. Like the YSR, you just need to embrace it for what it is and make the most and best of what it has to offer. What I'm trying to get to, it's about the FUN factor. And you can't beat the gas mileage neither!

I totally hear what you are saying, and at times, I feel the same. But once I throw a leg over and hit the twisties, the 250r always puts a smile on my face.

[mfresh]

How dare you call my 250 gay!

[adouglas]

To the OP:

You've nailed the way I've always felt about cars and bikes.

Any idiot can open a throttle. That kind of thing is fun, but it's not what moves me. I LOVE small, light, nimble, efficient machines that work better when wound up. Vehicles you can actually lean on hard in the real world. The 250 is all of that.

I'd love to own a supersport once in my life, but I really wonder if I'd ever get that 8/10ths experience -- the point where the bike really starts singing -- without the going to the track. I suspect not but I freely admit I don't know. I've ridden a ZX6R at a demo day and really liked it, but it didn't tell me anything. It was just idling along.

I'm a longtime Honda (car) owner, and in between two 89 Civic hatchbacks and my current Fit, I've put nearly half a million miles on them. They're just like the 250 in spirit. Not fast, but when you wring their little Japanese necks they're a hoot. I love 'em.

I'd rather go for a ride on the 250, push it to the best of my ability and come back grinning ear-to-ear than go out on a supersport and come back frustrated that I could never let it do what it does best.

[csmith12]

Starting to really understand that the bike is an extension of the rider.... Welcome to level 3 riding Cameron.

[Racer x]

This is a conversation you won't hear.

I just bought a Miata. Hay cool car is it a v8? No it's a Miata they have a 4 . Oooo . Will you up grade to a mustang or a Camaro soon. No why would I . Well a Miata is a beginners car. Everyone knows you need at least 6 cylinders to drive on the highway.

[Joshorilla]

If I brought a "Miata" or MX5 as they are called here, people would probably say "you don't need a 1.8 litre car! Get a nice 1ltr Cleo or a Fiat 500" i've got a Hyundai i10, I don't think they even sell them in America I can imagine they are too small.

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Starting to really understand that the bike is an extension of the rider.... Welcome to level 3 riding Cameron.

The track really made me level up to level 3. Thanks for helping me with that last summer Chris.

Originally Posted by Racer x

This is a conversation you won't hear.

I just bought a Miata. Hay cool car is it a v8? No it's a Miata they have a 4 . Oooo . Will you up grade to a mustang or a Camaro soon. No why would I . Well a Miata is a beginners car. Everyone knows you need at least 6 cylinders to drive on the highway.