First 500 Miles on my Ninjette

[BlackNinja8]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

To give you an example, when I started a thread on upgrading to a larger bike, not one person suggested that I stay with the 250. Why? Because I had the bike for 8 months (and been on this forum for 8 mo.) and had gone 12,000 miles. I was no longer new. I'd gained the experience necessary to handle a larger bike without much difficulty. It didn't take me long to get adjusted to the 650. But if I had upgraded last year I would have had a lot more problems with this bike. Certain things are just easier to learn on the 250, i.e. leaning, braking, shifting, etc.

Every 1000 miles I complete, I feel more confident and become a better rider. I recently hit another milestone this month. I realized it when an SUV tried to merge into me on the highway. I saw her moving over so I calmly applied the brakes and moved behind her. What surprised me was that during this "OH ****" moment, I didn't get the adrenaline rush super monkey tunnel vision that I get during a typical "I'M GOING TO DIE" moment. If this had happened just a few months ago, my heart would have raced and I would have made an impulse decision either to lay on the throttle and possibly get clipped or hit the brakes to hard and lock up the tires. The reaction wasn't something I could control, it just happened as a result of my experience on a motorcycle. I'm telling you this story to show you that even after all the miles I've completed, I'm still learning new things, still developing, still becoming better and the initial skillset that you learn on a motorcycle is just easier on a 250.

When you are really ready to upgrade to a larger bike, you will just feel it. You will know that you are a better rider than you were at 3000mi, 6000mi, 10,000mi. You will know that you are capable of being safe with more power and others will know it too. If in a year you start a new thread about upgrading your bike, no one will tell you to stay on the 250, instead they will give you suggestions so that you can choose the best bike for what you want to do.

And I don't believe that people on this forum are defensive about their decision to ride a 250. The people that say silly things about 250 either don't ride, are obsessed with how other perceive them, or are squids. Furthermore, they are ignorant of the capabilities of the 250 and when they make comments about our bikes, we don't get defensive, we laugh at them.

Its all subjective. Many long time riders will say that 8 months is not long enough and that after 12,000 miles you are still new. In the context of this forum 8 months may be a long time and many of the members who commented may have been here for less time than you. An equal number of people will tell you that a 250 is worthless and you should have started on a 600. What's the magic number? If I'm on the bike for 6 months and 5000 miles is that enough? We all learn at different rates and began our riding with different skills. Plenty of people learn to ride safely and acquire all the skills you need on much larger bikes than the 250. After all 250 isn't the blueprint for riding where anything less is too weak and anything more is too big for a beginner. I would think a 650 would be a good starter, but you would know better than me.

I'm not sure I'm getting my point accross and to be honest I'm not really sure I have a point but I don't necessarily disagree with you. Just that we seem to have the belief that learning on anything bigger than a 250 is wreckless and anything smaller is underpowered.

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by BlackNinja8

What's the magic number?

It's right here

Originally Posted by Jiggles

When you are really ready to upgrade to a larger bike, you will just feel it. You will know that you are a better rider than you were at 3000mi, 6000mi, 10,000mi. You will know that you are capable of being safe with more power and others will know it too.

I rode my 250 for the first time in a few weeks and I was amazed at how much easier it is to ride than my 650. I have to be careful to restrain my throttle hand on the 650 to avoid losing control, I don't on the 250. Plain and simple, the 250 is just easier to ride, even for me.

[BlackNinja8]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

It's right here




I rode my 250 for the first time in a few weeks and I was amazed at how much easier it is to ride than my 650. I have to be careful to restrain my throttle hand on the 650 to avoid losing control, I don't on the 250. Plain and simple, the 250 is just easier to ride, even for me.

Got it. I'm still riding and enjoying my 250. Its been great doing diys and learning to properly maintain my bike. My plan is to get another couple thousand miles in the seat and then re-evaluate my wants.

Is it difficult to move between the 2 bikes? Perhaps that's part of what makes you naturally want to rip back on the 650 throttle - force of habit. Thanks for your input.

[Jiggles]

It takes me a few minutes to get situated with the difference in throttle response, friction zone, seat placement, etc. I wouldn't say its difficult, but it doesn't feel natural if that makes sense

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by BlackNinja8

Got it. I'm still riding and enjoying my 250. Its been great doing diys and learning to properly maintain my bike. My plan is to get another couple thousand miles in the seat and then re-evaluate my wants.

Is it difficult to move between the 2 bikes? Perhaps that's part of what makes you naturally want to rip back on the 650 throttle - force of habit. Thanks for your input.

Good plan!

Difficult... at first, you need a bit of seat time to adjust. But after owning both bikes a while you will already know and bounce between them with no problem.

[jason23189]

I can get mad lean on mine... no problems here. sounds like a completely mental thing to me...

[BlackNinja8]

Got so.e good advice from another rider offline who told me that coming from 250 can spoil you because of the foregiveness of the throttle and the flickability of the bike. His belief is that you can form some bad habits like using only your body weight to corner and ripping back on the throttle when shifting. His advice is before considering a more powerful bike I should spend seat time focusing on using the bars for cornering and avoind manhandling the bike into corners and try smoother throttle roll on when shifting even if it costs me acceleration. I know I have been guilty on body weight cornering and I doconstantly rip on the throttle because I can. My friends tracks an R1 and rides an enduro on the street. He has been riding for 15 years on various sportbikes so I'm inclined to head his advice.

@Alex and @Jiggles does that make sense to you guys?

[jason23189]

he is alone is that opinion. itd be true if someone went from a 250 to a bigger bike without using his brain... who is ognna hop on a bigger bike for the first time and ride it like a 250?
fwark that

[Alex]

Not really. Skills for steering a bike, whether counter-steering consciously/subconsciously, or adding some body weighting to help the process (slightly), will transfer to any motorcycle you ride. There are no bad habits to break.

Yes - the 250 lets riders get away with pretty coarse throttle control, because nothing terribly bad happens even if one goes full throttle instantly; there's still plenty of time to correct any input mistakes. It's basically the one skill that riders need to explicitly fine-tune when jumping to more powerful bikes. But your/his comment makes it seem as if learning it first on a 250 is somehow a setback to unlearn. Learning it for the first time (what not to do) on a more powerful machine while also learning the basics of riding a bike in general, is much more fraught with risk IMO.

TL;DR - you'll be fine. Just don't be silly with the throttle when you are on larger bikes, expecting them to be as docile with the same inputs as we can on 250's.

[jason23189]

Originally Posted by Alex

Not really. Skills for steering a bike, whether counter-steering consciously/subconsciously, or adding some body weighting to help the process (slightly), will transfer to any motorcycle you ride. There are no bad habits to break.

Yes - the 250 lets riders get away with pretty coarse throttle control, because nothing terribly bad happens even if one goes full throttle instantly; there's still plenty of time to correct any input mistakes. It's basically the one skill that riders need to explicitly fine-tune when jumping to more powerful bikes. But your/his comment makes it seem as if learning it first on a 250 is somehow a setback to unlearn. Learning it for the first time (what not to do) on a more powerful machine while also learning the basics of riding a bike in general, is much more fraught with risk IMO.

TL;DR - you'll be fine. Just don't be silly with the throttle when you are on larger bikes, expecting them to be as docile with the same inputs as we can on 250's.

agree'd

[BlackNinja8]

Originally Posted by Alex

Not really. Skills for steering a bike, whether counter-steering consciously/subconsciously, or adding some body weighting to help the process (slightly), will transfer to any motorcycle you ride. There are no bad habits to break.

Yes - the 250 lets riders get away with pretty coarse throttle control, because nothing terribly bad happens even if one goes full throttle instantly; there's still plenty of time to correct any input mistakes. It's basically the one skill that riders need to explicitly fine-tune when jumping to more powerful bikes. But your/his comment makes it seem as if learning it first on a 250 is somehow a setback to unlearn. Learning it for the first time (what not to do) on a more powerful machine while also learning the basics of riding a bike in general, is much more fraught with risk IMO.

TL;DR - you'll be fine. Just don't be silly with the throttle when you are on larger bikes, expecting them to be as docile with the same inputs as we can on 250's.

Thanks for your input. He also has an 80s tu250 so his comments were considering the difference in going from riding the 250 for extended periods then back to the R1 and the adjustments he has to make. I guess those things become second nature in time.

Reached the 1000 mile milestone this week. Still enjoying the learning process.

[jason23189]

All the things you mentions in ur 1st post are all things generic to any 250 and the ninja does it less. except the rear end sliding situation. that one is just u.
In my experience you can change to 2nd before the corner and there is still enough engine breaking and then power to get out of the corner as fast as u want. i just use 1st to get goin and to lane split.

[jason23189]

And you should have known all of these things happen before you even got ur 1st bike...
I did months of research before i got mine therefore i knew all the pros and cons of this bike (ninja), the yammy r15, the cbr250 and so on.

[BlackNinja8]

Originally Posted by jason23189

And you should have known all of these things happen before you even got ur 1st bike...
I did months of research before i got mine therefore i knew all the pros and cons of this bike (ninja), the yammy r15, the cbr250 and so on.

Yeah I researched as well certainly didn't wake up one morning and go and buy a bike. You cant always tell how it will fell until you ride it. Well most people. You clearly are the exception.

[etiainen]

Agreed. These are things you find out and deal with while learning. Things like winds will affect any of those choices. Also they all are high strung bikes. My cbr also has irc tires. They are loads of "meh" but you learn to live with them.
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[AmplexorJ]

Originally Posted by BlackNinja8

Reached the 1000 mile milestone this week. Still enjoying the learning process.

Yeah I'll reach that milestone tomorrow !!! And yeah The learning process has been fun to say the least, but I think Im ready to go ahead and get my GSXR 1300 friday!!!! Might as well start getting used to it huh.

[Malicious Logic]

Originally Posted by AmplexorJ

Yeah I'll reach that milestone tomorrow !!! And yeah The learning process has been fun to say the least, but I think Im ready to go ahead and get my GSXR 1300 friday!!!! Might as well start getting used to it huh.

[AmplexorJ]

Originally Posted by Malicious Logic

that pic is great !!! no im not. I'll prolly be on my ninjette for at least a year, prolly longer, I have attachment issues.

BUT my 53 yo father in law is going from a Honda Shadow 750 to a GSXR 1300 this month. im gonna start a betting pool.

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by AmplexorJ

that pic is great !!! no im not. I'll prolly be on my ninjette for at least a year, prolly longer, I have attachment issues.

BUT my 53 yo father in law is going from a Honda Shadow 750 to a GSXR 1300 this month. im gonna start a betting pool.

That's why people have been using it all over teh Intarwebs since that movie came out.

[etiainen]

Originally Posted by AmplexorJ

Yeah I'll reach that milestone tomorrow !!! And yeah The learning process has been fun to say the least, but I think Im ready to go ahead and get my GSXR 1300 friday!!!! Might as well start getting used to it huh.

LOL that made my mouth drop a little until I read further down

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by AmplexorJ

BUT my 53 yo father in law is going from a Honda Shadow 750 to a GSXR 1300 this month. im gonna start a betting pool.

haha don't tell your wife about that betting pool

[BlackNinja8]

Originally Posted by AmplexorJ

that pic is great !!! no im not. I'll prolly be on my ninjette for at least a year, prolly longer, I have attachment issues.

BUT my 53 yo father in law is going from a Honda Shadow 750 to a GSXR 1300 this month. im gonna start a betting pool.

A Gixxer 1300 in the hands of a 20yr old compared to a 53yr old are probably very different. In my MSF course I felt like I could tell the guys who were more prone to crash. One guy in particular mentioned during the intros that he wanted to ride to keep up with his SS riding friends, joked about wheelies and burnouts, and told me a story about riding on the back of his friends bike doing 200mph (a poser, liar, and violator to the testicular motorcyle limit). Next day he showed up on the range wearing the blue/white GSXR racing jacet, matching helmet...turns out he already bought a GSX600 and it is sitting in his driveway waiting for him to get his license. He was probably the worst rider in the group, constantly stalling and running over cones - almost got counseled out of the course because they had to keep stopping excercizes and restaging and restarting everyone else. He passed his test BARELY as he almost dropped it on the quick stop (automatic failure). He hopped off the bike and went down on one knee stopping it inches from the ground and propping it back up. The thought that he would be out on the road on a Gixxer the next day made me sick to my stomach. We all need to start somewhere, but he had made it clear he was not very risk averse.

I imagine your father in law would be much more responsible and better apt to handle that bike than this fool. A Gixxer 1300 in the hands of a 20yr old compared to a 53yr old are probably very different. I wish him the best.

[etiainen]

Originally Posted by BlackNinja8

A Gixxer 1300 in the hands of a 20yr old compared to a 53yr old are probably very different. I wish him the best.

Us younger riders aren't all like that

I have seen some pretty incompetent older riders as well. I don't think it is necessarily an age thing.

[BlackNinja8]

Originally Posted by etiainen

Us younger riders aren't all like that

I have seen some pretty incompetent older riders as well. I don't think it is necessarily an age thing.

You are right its not true in all cases but insurance underwriters certainly have established a correlation between age and insurance claims. They have PHDs combiming through decades of data so I believe there is some truth to their conclusions. Me personally I rode 9 years ago at age 23 and I am definitely more risk averse now than I was then. I keep photos of my wife and kids in the map window of my tankbag and it reminds me to stay within my abilities and ride safely. No knock intended at younger riders

[etiainen]

True, I do know lots of squids my age

I do think that there is a large amount of risk ignorant younger riders that mess it up for the rest of us.

The good news is my insurance price dropped after a year of riding now