Is the 300 a worthy upgrade?

[lgk]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

It's really not a practical upgrade from a perfectly fine 250. Only a crazy person would do that

wait a sec,
isn't that what alex did, lol.

Originally Posted by Jiggles

lgk are you a salesman? LOOK AT ALL THE MONEY YOU WILL SAVE BY BUYING A NEW BIKE!!!

i'm kind of a salesman, but more of a financial adviser that specializes in wasteful purchasing.

Originally Posted by Jiggles

If my 250 was totaled (and I couldn't find yet another 2011 black stock 250 ) I would consider getting the 300 but to go $2500 out of pocket to trade my 250 for a 300? Nah, not enough of an incentive. This of course is coming from a guy who traded in his 2012 650 for a 2012 1000

i hope the black 250 lasts for a long time, but a black 300 is a good purchase.
the feature set is good, by the time you upgrade a stock 250 to a 300s performance level it will be almost the same price.

[Jiggles]

Can't wait until I can find a wrecked one for cheap so I can transplant the engine, throttle body and rear wheel

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by lgk

w
i hope the black 250 lasts for a long time, but a black 300 is a good purchase.
the feature set is good, by the time you upgrade a stock 250 to a 300s performance level it will be almost the same price.

But, the 250 is still cooler

[lgk]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Can't wait until I can find a wrecked one for cheap so I can transplant the engine, throttle body and rear wheel

the only way that would be cool is if you used the old cdi, and used the yoshi carbs.

a carbed 300 would be sick

[lgk]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

But, the 250 is still cooler

if you got money to improve it. it could be cooler.

[Monkeytofu]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

No, the newer bike has different suspension, different gearing, more torque down low than a modded 250R, is still stock quiet, and is fuel injected and smooth.

Different.

I like my full exhaust/full intake/aftermarket fuel injection, but if I could get that performance (plus some) with a dead quiet stock exhaust system and a slick oem fuel injection system, I would.

Chroneofakind confirmed for buying the first engine out of a wrecked ninja 300 engine to put inside of a pregen?

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by lgk

the only way that would be cool is if you used the old cdi, and used the yoshi carbs.

a carbed 300 would be sick

Reading comprehension

Y U NO HAZ IT?

[lgk]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Reading comprehension

Y U NO HAZ IT?

i understood you but an old 250 with 300 motor and carbs is cooler.

may not be better performing but would be original

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by lgk

there's another $300 on an aftermarket wheel.

Don't forget that, while that wheel is from the oem maker of the standard wheel, it's flat black only, and has questionable bearings. Factor in another $150 for the wheel to get painted/pc'd and have good bearings put in.

Originally Posted by Monkeytofu

Chroneofakind confirmed for buying the first engine out of a wrecked ninja 300 engine to put inside of a pregen?

Ha. No thanks!! I already have a bike that runs well. I spent enough down time last season, I want to ride as much as possible this season. Plus, I don't have the tools for fabbing up an exhaust that doesn't melt my fairings, or milling anything down if needed, etc. On top of that, idk if the engine in the 300 is a structural member of the frame or not? I know the pre-gen's is, and that could be an issue if the transplanted engine is not designed to be a structural member of the frame and it was being used as such.

Sign me out of that. I'm planning on spending as little as possible on my bike from now on. I've got my full intake/exhaust/efi. I've got all the farkles I want, just need to install the last few. The only thing that would tempt me is if I could get a full suspension donor bike to convert to new-gen forks/swingarm/wheels/clip-ons for really cheap. At that point, I might as well get a second pregen engine and have it bored/ported/polished as well, because I would never get rid of the bike after that. EVER!

[Monkeytofu]

@choneofakind don't be that way. What's a bent frame or a couple thousand down the drain in the grand scheme of things? We ride motorcycles, we're not accountants.

[choneofakind]

But I want to make sure the whole bike is safe to beat on!! I'm an ME student. I would dwell on it every time I rode if I knew there was ANY chance of it having less structural integrity than it should.

The plan is to keep my pregen for as long as I can, and get a second bike to play with. Once the engine dies, I'm gonna have a hard decision on my hands; new engine to soup up, or new bike? Right now I've just gotten to 18k miles. My girl has lots of miles left in her, assuming that my helicoil'd number 1 spark plug stays put for another 20k or so. If I don't wreck before I graduate college, I'll have some fun with the inside of the engine with money from my big boy job

In the mean time, you find any new-gens that are in good shape and "totalled" for like $500 or less, PM me plux. I'll take the suspension and rims. Then i'll buy other parts and make it work.

[tnr4]

RE: the clutch. I do think it's awesome, whether you think the slipper function is silly or not. The way I hear it, Kawasaki actually just wanted the best commuter/learner clutch possible (that could handle the new torque), and the FCC was it (and happened to have a slipper function). I think that they were spot on on the commuter front. The clutch is ridiculously light, and engages at nearly full extension. I commute through DC every day, and that super-light, two-finger clutch action is great. And when I take to the twisties, I feel like a GP racer, snapping through the gears with that tiny tug.

That still doesn't make it necessarily worth the upgrade (unless, as I've stated elsewhere, it makes you horny). But I'm actually a big fan of the clutch, so wanted to play.

[choneofakind]

That's what Alex wrote about the clutch; easy pull was the target, slipper was just a perk.

That doesn't mean I don't still think it's silly

I use 2 fingers on my '99 all the time. Once you get used to it, it's hard to use all 4.

[lgk]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

That's what Alex wrote about the clutch; easy pull was the target, slipper was just a perk.

That doesn't mean I don't still think it's silly

I use 2 fingers on my '99 all the time. Once you get used to it, it's hard to use all 4.

whats the longest trip you've taken on the bike?

[choneofakind]

I've done a 2 hour trip to my grandparents house. I've done a long day trip with Felipe the ant (45 each way to Cleveland, and then the whole day out on the bike) and I've done a 6 hour, 220 (I think?) mile trip from my house all the way to the middle of Ohio to the Canton area with Nautica. I've done entire days riding around the cuyahoga valley (100 miles at a time) My legs are always sore, my clutch is never sore.

If you're talking about long trips affecting your clutch hand, highway miles mean nothing. You're just sitting there. I would say if my clutch hand was fine after an entire track day on 14/47 gearing (tons of shifting), I'm not getting sore from riding.

Besides, the 250's clutch is already insanely easy to pull. Ride a supersport.

[lgk]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

I've done a 2 hour trip to my grandparents house. I've done a long day trip with Felipe the ant (45 each way to Cleveland, and then the whole day out on the bike) and I've done a 6 hour, 220 (I think?) mile trip from my house all the way to the middle of Ohio to the Canton area with Nautica. I've done entire days riding around the cuyahoga valley (100 miles at a time) My legs are always sore, my clutch is never sore.

I've rode 12hr in a day before, 4 of it stuck in traffic.
get stuck regularly for 1-2hrs in bridge and tunnel traffic, just the nature of the beast when living here. it probably wouldn't be as bad if i could truly lane split, but it is exhausting when you have to ride at 1-2miles/hr, and modulate the clutch a couple hundred times in a mile going up hill.

Originally Posted by choneofakind

If you're talking about long trips affecting your clutch hand, highway miles mean nothing. You're just sitting there. I would say if my clutch hand was fine after an entire track day on 14/47 gearing (tons of shifting), I'm not getting sore from riding.

the track is a whole different animal.
you're not getting stuck in traffic at the track...

Originally Posted by choneofakind

Besides, the 250's clutch is already insanely easy to pull. Ride a supersport.

thats why i don't commute with a supersport... and one of the reasons i'm getting a 300. you might not think its necessary but its nice to have, in a pinch.

i'm getting the 300 for the street, i'll still keep my 250 for track use.

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by lgk

the track is a whole different animal.
you're not getting stuck in traffic at the track...

You're still on the clutch every few seconds, and modulating it on down-shifts. Especially with shorter gearing, you change gears going into and out of every turn, not to mention the straights.

Not sure what you're trying to prove other than you have a long commute. The clutch pull is practically nothing on these bikes to start out with.

[lgk]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

You're still on the clutch every few seconds, and modulating it on down-shifts. Especially with shorter gearing, you change gears going into and out of every turn, not to mention the straights.

Not sure what you're trying to prove other than you have a long commute. The clutch pull is practically nothing on these bikes to start out with.

it seems as though it really the only thing to argue about is the price and clutch.

we all agree that the 300 is a good value, for the difference in price.

i'm just proving the clutch has value, and is a good feature on the bike.
i will most likely be able to adjust the engagement to my needs anyway, its not a deal breaker like you suggest.

[LoD575]

My local dealer has one 300 in stock which is white and was able to check it out.

Will probably work out some numbers on OTD price and see what my current 250 will go for as a trade or on consignment.

A demo model is also in the works so I might wait for the demo to arrive and take it for a spin.

[Alex46]

I keep reading that not worth it...

Am I crazy for wanting to upgrade? How much extra will I have to pay after I sell 250? What if I buy ninja 300 used in 1 year?

this is not like me normally very cheap with stuff but can't stop thinking about doing this move.

Anybody else doing upgrade or thinking about it?

[Monkeytofu]

It's not crazy but there's no reason to "upgrade" when you have a perfectly functional bike that fulfills all your needs.

Wait a year or two before deciding to buy a 300, there will probably be a bunch of issues early adopters will discover in the coming years that Kawasaki wasn't able to. You'll also have a big aftermarket and the bike will easier to get.

[Joshorilla]

I'm perfectly happy with my 2012 ninja, it does the job and I prefer the styling, but then again i'v already got FI and it's more than fast enough for the roads here.

Do what you like at the end of the day, but the fact that you have to ask should give you the answer to is it worth replacing a two year old bike for a new bike just because it's slightly more powerful.

[adouglas]

Agreed, financially.

If it makes you happy and you are willing to spend money for a more-or-less lateral swap, why not? But it'll cost you probably a few thousand at the end of the day for a modest but noticeable performance bump.

If you want to spend less and get close to the performance of the 300, just put an AreaP and filter on your bike and jet it. Assuming you haven't already done that. If you have, then what you're really lusting after is a prettier face.

The smart move is what the veggie primate suggested. That's what I did… I bought my 08 privately in 09 with something like 1200 miles on it for only $3k. Saved a ton of money (remember, with a new bike you also pay dealer prep) and got what was essentially a new bike.

The cool thing about entry level bikes is that there's a lot of turnover and the bikes are usually in good shape. I believe that new riders buy and then soon sell Ninjettes for two reasons:

1) They really want a supersport and either don't have permission to, are scared to, or don't want to spend a lot on something they're not sure about. So they buy the entry level bike that's closest to a supersport. They ride a year or two, prove to their parents/spouses that they won't die and get permission to upgrade, or they get over the intimidation and move up, or the bug bites 'em so hard they spend the money anyway.

2) They buy the best entry level bike out there (according to just about everyone) to see if motorcycling is for them. They own it a year and it's either not what they expected or they find out they're not that into it, and sell. That's how I got mine.

Either way, most people don't own entry level bikes for long. Those around here are the exception. We own 'em because we like 'em.

What that means for you in two years is a lot of used Ninja 300s ready to be snapped up.

[slowninja]

I personally wouldn't want to upgrade to the 300R. If you are currently owning a 250R then you should working on your riding skills. Your next upgrade should be the 600 not 300. My personal preference is the ZXR6. That's just me

[himynameisjoe]

Originally Posted by slowninja

I personally wouldn't want to upgrade to the 300R. If you are currently owning a 250R then you should working on your riding skills. Your next upgrade should be the 600 not 300. My personal preference is the ZXR6. That's just me

I think your next upgrade should be what ever you want it to be You don't have to upgrade to 600 just because that's what all the cool kids do. (and the dealer wants you do so you spend another 11 grand)

[old3]

My son has a 2012 250 parked next to my 300. Even he admits they are different machines altogether. They share 80% of the same parts but the engine/trans are just worlds apart. The new looks don't hurt either. The first time he rode the 300 he said it isn't even in the same league as his 250.

Slam dunk as an upgrade IMO. Especially if you have any performance parts to swap over.

[Joshorilla]

To suggest upgrade implies superiority, it may be faster, but with the added black plastics and angular looks I prefer the 250r and since the european 250r fuel injection is better than the 300's then I would say it's a downgrade.

But like everyone says, personal choice, but if you spoke to your accountant he/she would tell you "NOO!"

I'm keeping my 250 till it or I die.

[himynameisjoe]

I have to agree. If you already have a 250, upgrading right now while it's still new doesn't make much sense.

It's a much harder decsion for me, since I currently own neither the 250 or the 300. But I'm just going to wait and see how the cookie crumbles. I will tell you I am leaning more towards a 2012 250 though. Thanks to some good ideas from @Jiggles.

[Alex]

/merged

[Alex46]

Originally Posted by slowninja

I personally wouldn't want to upgrade to the 300R. If you are currently owning a 250R then you should working on your riding skills. Your next upgrade should be the 600 not 300. My personal preference is the ZXR6. That's just me

That's the plan

[Alex46]

Originally Posted by Joshorilla

But like everyone says, personal choice, but if you spoke to your accountant he/she would tell you "NOO!"

Maybe not...

If I upgrade to 600 next year. I will be paying more for bike, license (bigger cc = more$$$ where I live) and insurance.

If I upgrade to 300 next year and buy 600cc in 5 years instead I might be saving money. Because I won't have to pay higher license and insurance for 5 years. Plus riding skills improved.

[Joshorilla]

Originally Posted by Alex46

Maybe not...

If I upgrade to 600 next year. I will be paying more for bike, license (bigger cc = more$$$ where I live) and insurance.

If I upgrade to 300 next year and buy 600cc in 5 years instead I might be saving money. Because I won't have to pay higher license and insurance for 5 years. Plus riding skills improved.

But if you keep your current bike and buy a 600 in as many years as you would if you upgraded to a 300 you'd have saved the money on buying a 300, and your riding skills will be improved, and your licence / insurance would be cheaper.

[Tigerpaw]

Originally Posted by kcaja1

I have an 09 250 with 10.5k miles and I love this bike. I bought it used over a year ago with only 1.6k miles so I've put 10k over 18 months. I mainly use it for commuting 50 miles round trip 4 days a week and some weekend fun. Half of my commute is on HOV so I need power to pass sometimes which the 250 barely delivers at high speed. I'm totally happy with the 250 for what I need it for. Will the 300 satisfy this need for power to pass? is 20-25% power increase worth $2500(after I sell my 250 in spring)?

The 300 will not satisfy your "power to pass"

It does have more power, but it will not lunge forward much quicker than a 250

You would most likely pefer a bigger vtwin like a 650. Torque is what your looking for!

[old3]

Disagree with you here. I can roll on thottle at 45 MPH in 6th and pass easily on the highway. Grabbing a downshift or 2 is an option but the torque in the midrange is really good. I rode most of my highway commute yesterday at an ACTUAL 87 mph. No, at that speed it will not leap to an actual 100, but from 45-85 it has plenty of snot to easily pass cars. Who are ya passing that is going 85 already?

4th gear with a +1 CS will carry you quite quickly to 87 MPH. I have been rolling on in 6th 99% of the time to pass.

My 300 positively walks away from our 1000 mile old 250.

[Tigerpaw]

I agree the 300 has plenty of passing power. I just don't think it has what the OP thinks it does. Or, the OP will eventually think the 300 doesn't have enough after awhile.

[Boom King]

However you want to rationalize it, if you can swing it financially, get the 300 if that's what makes you happy.

[tnr4]

Yup Old3 is right. Highway passing is the one area where the 250 and the 300 are just completely different bikes. Even wo the sprocket change I roll on from 65 to 85 no problem. This is a great commuter.

[kcaja1]

OP here - I think the $2500+ difference is not worth for me based on things discussed here. I also recently got a new money pit to think about... This.... but I still use this Ninja most days of my commute so that I can get on HOV and make fun of the cagers stuck on traffic on the regular lanes.