Is it time?

[krapzed]

Forum leaders and members often recommend to start small and LEARN. I did just that after my MSF- bought a 2010 Ninja 250. 3 months and 3k miles after, I always find myself at constant open-throttle that my wrist hurts and the shifting through the turns coming from 1st is just so annoying.. like this is not fun anymore.

I was thinking of changing to 15T front sprocket and those mods, but is it really worth it?

Is it time to upgrade? I'm just a weekend rider though..

[Aggrotech]

if u want to shift less just buy a busa that way your peen will grow alittle and you wont feel inferior to the 600 weekend warrior crowd.

that being said from what ive gathered the 15t is a must for most people and noone seems to regret making that decision.

[choneofakind]

No.

Wrist hurts - you've got too much weight on the bars. Weight on the bars means unintended inputs to the bars. Ninjette is forgiving and doesn't mind those, but other bikes will.

My point is, you're still learning. If you're asking my opinion after 3000 miles, my answer is no. I definitely think you should take some time and test ride some other bikes though. See if you like them and see if they're a good fit for you or not. I can tell you that a new bike won't change that weight on your wrist or your lack of experience, but if you like another bike better and want that over your ninjette, go for it! For some people, the ninjette is just a means to and end (their dream bike) and I get that.

Again, take some extended test rides and see if a different bike is the bike for you. But if you're not able to have fun in turns on a ninjettee, I think you're doing it wrong. Keep it high in the tach, keep it wide open, and carve. But that's just my

[Dragone]

I did just that after my MSF- bought a 2010 Ninja 250. 3 months and 3k miles after

You may regret getting rid of the 250 after just 3 whole months of ride time. Everyone is different, but I am still diggin' the 250 experience.

[csmith12]

Greetings fellow "my bike is just for enjoyment" rider.

If your wanting to go fast in a straight line, maybe the ninja is not the best option. If you want to ride long distances, there are surely more comfortable bikes out there for you. If you want to go fast in the corners then the ninja is more than enough to wet your whistle in the right environment aka the track. And honestly, with only 3 months under your belt, there is much, much more to learn than just how to control the power of a larger cc machine. Tires, pavement types, brakes, clutch control, when to be in what gear, ect, ect. It's all pieces of a total package. And when you feel you have those mastered, there is a total other world of speed beyond that.

Hmmm.... Ask yourself this. What do you want out of riding? Maybe the lil ninja was not for you in the first place. Chone is on point when it comes to trying different bikes. At this point, it's not so much an upgrade as it is finding the bike that fits your riding wants and needs.

Is trying a 15t sprocket worth a try? Sure, it's $20 or so bucks and a little bit of time and you can resell the sprocket for about $15 if you don't like it. If you want to shift less, pair the 15t with a 44t-41t rear sprocket for a calmer experience while at speed.

[krapzed]

Thanks, All. Really appreciate the feedback..I get it. I am by no means "experienced" and so yeah- will try out other bikes to get a feel of it.. and wil also give the 15T a go..

I'm ok with the turns and my only pet peeve is the shifting.. as to my wrist issue- probably rider error, but I'm consciously putting my weight on my legs (and squeezing the tank at that)... guess I have yet to practice and gain more experience.

Thanks Guys! u all are the best!

[dooby]

Maybe consider the throttle zip tie mod to make going WOT a smaller wrist movement?

FWIW, I'm still enjoying my 250 after 7,500 miles and 14 months, and I'm certainly still making mistakes and learning from them. I could well believe another bike would be less forgiving of them.

HTH, Pete

[csmith12]

For normal street riding imho, a 15t wasn't enough to relax the shifting all the time. It wasn't until I did the 42t rear that I could keep my pace in 3rd gear for my weekend canyon ride. Each rider is different though, and I would render a guess that most ninjette riders will recommend the 15t mod first and if you need more, then address the rear.

Between your arm & leg length, fitness level and stamina, you will find a sweet spot for you on the seat. Take the time to find where you knees connect with the lip of the tank, your arms are not too stretched out while keeping at least 70% of your weight supported by the bike via your inner thigh and bumm. All without putting to much weight on the bars.

A little nugget to look forward too; Between being "really" comfortably seated on the bike, learning how to steer with very little effort, good throttle control and visual skills, the world of riding changes.

[JohnnyBravo]

If you are ready to move on have at it good sir I still have a lot of fun at WOT, and lots of fun, I have cured my sore wrist problem, an learned more about properly riding a bike. It is funner for me to wind it out than to putter along, but to each their own... I got love for erboty

[krapzed]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Between your arm & leg length, fitness level and stamina, you will find a sweet spot for you on the seat. Take the time to find where you knees connect with the lip of the tank, your arms are not too stretched out while keeping at least 70% of your weight supported by the bike via your inner thigh and bumm. All without putting to much weight on the bars.

A little nugget to look forward too; Between being "really" comfortably seated on the bike, learning how to steer with very little effort, good throttle control and visual skills, the world of riding changes.

csmith- went out today and played around with the "sweet spot" -- you are freakin' spot-on! everything changed- handling, feel etc.. thanks for the advise. Will probably do the 15T next season, and that goes without saying- I'm stickin' to my ninjette!

[Insan3guy]

Originally Posted by Dragone

You may regret getting rid of the 250 after just 3 whole months of ride time. Everyone is different, but I am still diggin' the 250 experience.

+1
keep your 250. if you don't, you'll wish you had

[xdnxp]

I'm at 17 months and 9000 miles. Just did the 15T mod and love the results. Also felt pretty good to be able to do it myself.

[adouglas]

I now own a bike with so much torque that once moving, I can pretty much leave in third gear all the time.

It's a blast to ride... but to be perfectly honest, I miss having to work the bike and shift a lot to make it perform. On the 250, thinking about what you're doing and executing the skills correctly rewards you. On the bigger bike, you can be lazy and still go like a bat out of hell.

I like the challenge.

Just sayin'.

[tfkrocks]

4 years and ~20k miles later I'm still on a Ninjette. Not necessarily the same one, but a Ninjette nonetheless. It's only gotten more fun as I tried new things and learned more. Sure more instant power would be nice, but it really isn't necessary.

[choneofakind]

Werd.

[CycleCam303]

Keep the ninja add a bike to the stable. Get something utterly obnoxious. Say 1000cc as a good starting point. We all need an evil bike. Something to do the occasional power wheelie or smoke the rear up at 35 mph. Or maybe that's just me...

[allanoue]

I think you are skipping a critical step.
You had to crash your 250 first, then you get the r6.

JK
Like others have said, take a few test rides and see what feels right to you.

Ride safe

[joshuajcrouch]

3 months isn't enough time to learn everything you possibly can from the 250. Sorry but you are kidding yourself if you think that.

I rode my 250 daily for a whole year and put 8K miles on it and still felt like there was more to learn. I did upgrade after a year of riding the 250, but it was ONLY because the opportunity fell in my lap.

[Jono]

Try clutchless upshifting.

[rasta]

I was in the exact same boat as you. 3 months and >2k miles in, I was already considering moving up. I put my 250 up for sale, and started putting serious thought into getting one of the many Honda F4i's I saw on craigslist.

But then I lowsided. I couldn't believe that the accident happened, especially at the speed I was riding at. It wasn't until more experienced riders on the forum looked at the video of my accident that I realized I had some serious flaws in my technique.

My point is.....for some reason, I wanted more straight line power (even though our 250s can beat almost any car off the line at a stoplight). I thought I was ready for a bigger bike. But I wasn't. And to be honest, since I crashed, I've gained much more appreciation for what my Ninjette does.

But if straight line power is the most important thing for you, then I'd say definitely go for it.

[antiant]

Get a 300.

[caps]

Put another 7K on the ninja then come back.

[iplante]

Is there such a thing as the zip tie mod or the R6 throttle tube mod for the new gens? If so, it may help with WOT pains.