For all you 250 owners/riders

[Archerzz]

How do you respond/handle the people who talk about the 250 as being a toy or not a "real" motorcycle?

Visited a friend yesterday and his dad just upgraded from an 1100 to a 1600 something because it was "too small to cruise around on". Pretty much all day he just kept saying things like "I thought you got a real bike" etc. I know he was mostly just playing around but almost any time when someone asks what bike it is and I say 250 they pretty much just blow me off.

Anyone else experience this? I know that me being a guy I will also get this a lot more than the female members here, but aside from that how do you respond?

[Too40gawlf]

My question is, why do you care?

Anybody that rides for the joy of riding, respects another rider and doesnt tear down their choice of bike.

If some middle aged fat guy wants to don leather and live out his homoerotic fantasies on a machine desgined from 60 year old technology, more power to him. Dont attribute any weight to his BS.

Think about it, that cow is riding on a MOTORCYCLE that has the displacement of an economy car. A motorcycle should be light, nimble, and powerful not heavy, slow, and hard to manuever.

Grow a pair of huevos and love your ride for yourown reasons. You dont have to defend your bike to anyone. If people are curious about it, by all means educate them. But let assholes be assholes.

[Batman's 250r]

yea i get it too. I got buddys who got either a 600 or up, but the ones who rode my bike said they liked how for a 250r it takes off pretty fast and flickable it is. so to the ones who never rode it all i can say is dont hate unless u ride to see y its the best selling sports bike.

[Archerzz]

Originally Posted by Too40gawlf

My question is, why do you care?

Anybody that rides for the joy of riding, respects another rider and doesnt tear down their choice of bike.

If some middle aged fat guy wants to don leather and live out his homoerotic fantasies on a machine desgined from 60 year old technology, more power to him. Dont attribute any weight to his BS.

Think about it, that cow is riding on a MOTORCYCLE that has the displacement of an economy car. A motorcycle should be light, nimble, and powerful not heavy, slow, and hard to manuever.

Grow a pair of huevos and love your ride for yourown reasons. You dont have to defend your bike to anyone. If people are curious about it, by all means educate them. But let assholes be assholes.

That's the route I've been taking. This bike is everything I expected it to be it gets me around town and I can do semi extended rides on the highway AT the speed limit, I don't need a bike that is going allow me to cruise at 150+mph.

Thanks for the advice I shall start growing my huevos

[00NissanNinja]

Yep typically I just shrug it off. I like the bike that's all that matters. Let them believe what they want because regardless of what you say they are still going to believe what they want.

[kamikaze]

if someone is that concerned about what I ride then I don't ride or associate with them. It's simple really, I don't discriminate, I'll ride with anyone. Even had a guy with a gixxer 1000 that was impressed at how well I kept up. mind you, he lost me in the straights but he said it gave him time to have a cigarette waiting for me to catch up at the next turn LOL

[Too40gawlf]

This whole thing is the equivalent in the gun world of ignoramimaking fun of you if you carry a 9mm vs. their .45ACP. People that say stupid **** like that display their ignorance about firearms. Even if they "been shooting fer years". Anyone that has any concept of real world ballistics knows that the real world difference between a 9mm and .45 ACP is nelgigible as a pistol round cannot be expected to stop a full grown human being. Yet, morons continue to tout the myth that "9mm aint but a mousegun." Dont even get me started on the lowlifes that debase the 5.56.

I once had an idiot at a gun store make fun of my Sig P226 9mm.I just looked at him with contempt and turned my back on him. I guess the German equivalent of the SAS, chooses to carry inferior pistols.

[Archerzz]

Originally Posted by kamikaze

if someone is that concerned about what I ride then I don't ride or associate with them. It's simple really, I don't discriminate, I'll ride with anyone. Even had a guy with a gixxer 1000 that was impressed at how well I kept up. mind you, he lost me in the straights but he said it gave him time to have a cigarette waiting for me to catch up at the next turn LOL

Yea thats the thing my friend rides a Katana 750 and he loses me on the straights, but do I really want to go 50 over and keep up with him?

[muzkur]

That´s the first time I can reach 180 km/h in a 250cc motorcycle.
Why do you care about the other people think? A car 3 times worthily dont reach that speed. :P

[rockNroll]

The people I ride with liked it when I showed up on a 250. Now they wait up for me

[warlord]

I don't get the question. Some guy on a cruiser who shares his bike with his dad makes fun of you for owning your own bike? Or are you saying that he and his dad own matching bikes? Really, I don't know what would be worse.

Anyway, I haven't had anyone make fun of me for owning a 250, especially when they've seen my bike. I've heard people make fun of 250s in general but that's because they're ignorant and don't ride (or ride cruisers). A 250 cruiser would be pretty doggy and slow. A 250 sport bike will out handle any size cruiser and have acceleration in line with a 750 or so. So when I hear people who rider cruisers talk crap about 250s I figure they're speaking from their limited understanding of what a motorcycle is capable of.

As for your friend, he seems to need some reason why he is better than you. In reality there is nothing you, me, or anyone else can own that would make us better than anyone else. So either he's joking, or your buddy is just a prick.

[Archerzz]

Originally Posted by warlord

I don't get the question. Some guy on a cruiser who shares his bike with his dad makes fun of you for owning your own bike? Or are you saying that he and his dad own matching bikes? Really, I don't know what would be worse.

Anyway, I haven't had anyone make fun of me for owning a 250, especially when they've seen my bike. I've heard people make fun of 250s in general but that's because they're ignorant and don't ride (or ride cruisers). A 250 cruiser would be pretty doggy and slow. A 250 sport bike will out handle any size cruiser and have acceleration in line with a 750 or so. So when I hear people who rider cruisers talk crap about 250s I figure they're speaking from their limited understanding of what a motorcycle is capable of.

As for your friend, he seems to need some reason why he is better than you. In reality there is nothing you, me, or anyone else can own that would make us better than anyone else. So either he's joking, or your buddy is just a prick.

He liked my bike and said I got a great deal it was his dad who seemed to believe that the 250 sportbike would be as clunky and slow as a 250 cruiser.

[Too40gawlf]

Originally Posted by warlord

I don't get the question. Some guy on a cruiser who shares his bike with his dad makes fun of you for owning your own bike? Or are you saying that he and his dad own matching bikes? Really, I don't know what would be worse.

Anyway, I haven't had anyone make fun of me for owning a 250, especially when they've seen my bike. I've heard people make fun of 250s in general but that's because they're ignorant and don't ride (or ride cruisers). A 250 cruiser would be pretty doggy and slow. A 250 sport bike will out handle any size cruiser and have acceleration in line with a 750 or so. So when I hear people who rider cruisers talk crap about 250s I figure they're speaking from their limited understanding of what a motorcycle is capable of.

As for your friend, he seems to need some reason why he is better than you. In reality there is nothing you, me, or anyone else can own that would make us better than anyone else. So either he's joking, or your buddy is just a prick.

Good point Brandon. The Ninja 250 is like the dog gone Dodge Viper of the 250 street bike universe. These **** talking crusier guys just have no concept of just how much acceleration a Ninja 250 has. In their minds, theyre comparing it to things like a Honda Rebel 250, which from what I hear, is an incredibly slow bike.

[HorizonXP]

Pretty sure my little 250 kept up fine with the 600s and 1000s in the Gap this past week.

Oh, and those big cruisers didn't seem to ride very well. Unfortunately, 2 of them paid with their lives on Saturday. RIP.

I love my Ninja 250. This will be my 2nd year with it, and I've already tacked on 20,000+ km in that 1st year, including the run down to the Gap and back. I'd rather learn how to ride well on this bike and have fun doing it, rather than go to a bigger bike.

[rockNroll]

Originally Posted by warlord

acceleration in line with a 750 or so.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a cruiser in the 750 range that wouldn't walk off and leave a 250 Ninja in the dust.

[slolane]

Long story... I get that here and there from people that don't know about the bike and I just smile. All that really matters is that your happy with the performance, ride, cost, etc. I have a good laugh at the guys that try to tell me about the day I will get a bigger bike... until I explain that I have had a ZX10, CBR 929, HD Street Glide, and ZX14... don't get much bigger or faster than those and I got rid of em all for my lil 250... and I LOVE IT! I have nothing to prove to anyone and really like the ability to wind this bike out at sane speeds, pay $200 a year for full coverage and get 60+ mpg while doing it.

Long story short... Try not to let these people get to you, many aren't happy with themselves or anything/anyone else... I just avoid people like that.

Originally Posted by rockNroll

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a cruiser in the 750 range that wouldn't walk off and leave a 250 Ninja in the dust.

Depends on the specific bike and power to weight. I have had Sportsters, the 883 is about the same speed as the Ninja 250.

[rockNroll]

Originally Posted by slolane

Depends on the specific bike and power to weight. I have had Sportsters, the 883 is about the same speed as the Ninja 250.

Harleys don't count

[slolane]

Originally Posted by rockNroll

Harleys don't count

[Linuss]

Meh, the few times someone is shocked that it's a 250, I remind them that I can still out-accelerate all but the most expensive sport cars, and can still go 100+mph and get arrested for it.

[CmichRider]

Originally Posted by rockNroll

Harleys don't count

I'm pretty sure our bikes are faster than the Honda Shadow 750s too.

[Boom King]

Find some twisties and challenge him to a friendly race. Reach the finish line, walk over to the cafe and order a latte. Ponder the meaning of life, write a haiku, paint a self portrait and greet your pal's dad when he finally arrives. Ride off into the sunset.

[Archerzz]

Originally Posted by Boom King

Find some twisties and challenge him to a friendly race. Reach the finish line, walk over to the cafe and order a latte. Ponder the meaning of life, write a haiku, paint a self portrait and greet your pal's dad when he finally arrives. Ride off into the sunset.

[Alex]

Very similar thread, not so long ago...

[Sailariel]

I currently have a 700--great touring bike--not bad on insurance, very comfortable. It is also a $10,000 bike.

When my torn tendon has healed, I will get another GREEN Ninja. I won't have to reinvent the wheel with mods. I'll have two bikes. I kept the Pit Bulls, extra filters, etc. This geezer will be back in the fold.

I miss pulling into a Dunkin' Donuts for coffee and parking in a group of sport bikes. I pull off my helmet and these kids see the white beard, and say, "Aren't you a little old for one of these? " Dunno--am 69 and a half.

The best one was when I went to visit a friend who was in the hospital in Wiscasset. I got turned around and was going the wrong way. I see this old man walking with the help of a cane. I pulled over and asked, "Can you tell me the best way to get to the hospital?" He looks at me, thinks a minute, and says, "Just keep on riding that thing, son" I was laughing so hard that I almost dropped the bike.

I have had some large cc bikes in the past--but there is not a bike on this planet that has the fun factor the Ninja has. It will stay with the big bikes with no problem.

I plan to keep my NT-700 for touring. I plan a cross country trip next summer. The NT is a great handling bike but is not as nimble as the Ninja. To date the Ninja 250 is in a class of its own. The Honda 250 sport bike is close. All Kawa has to do is introduce the FI model in the US, and it will be all over but the crying.

Next summer it is off to San Jose.

["A"]

I always carry $50 bill in my wallet.. I reply: wanna race?

[bdavison]

You're gonna get those comments from time to time....but when you smoke em in the twisties, they tend to shut up.

And there isnt one single harley on the market today that can even remotely keep up with the ninja 250R in some twisties. You can easily leave harleys in the dust in twisties. They just cant turn as tight as the ninja can..they would be levering the rear off the deck with the floorboards if they tried.

Some of them you can even beat in a straight line on the quarter mile.

My brother in law and I went for a very spirited ride in the twisties the other day. Its the first time I've gone for a real ride with him, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that he has some skills, and would put it on the edge. But even so...I was right on him the entire time. Even he was impressed that I stayed with him. Couple of spots I could have left him if I wanted to. He was on a GSXR1000

You will find that the 250R is both one of the most appreciated, and underrated bikes in history. The guys that really ride em, love em. And the guys that dont will never understand what makes them so hot.

[Archerzz]

Thanks for the advice! Now to get good at taking those turns without slowing down too much

Found some good backroads in a ride today so I will probably ride around on those and slowly work my speed up.

[cerberusrex25]

Originally Posted by Archerzz

How do you respond/handle the people who talk about the 250 as being a toy or not a "real" motorcycle?

Visited a friend yesterday and his dad just upgraded from an 1100 to a 1600 something because it was "too small to cruise around on". Pretty much all day he just kept saying things like "I thought you got a real bike" etc. I know he was mostly just playing around but almost any time when someone asks what bike it is and I say 250 they pretty much just blow me off.

Anyone else experience this? I know that me being a guy I will also get this a lot more than the female members here, but aside from that how do you respond?

Well, first thought is the ever present "eff you" but that is just rude and makes you look like a moron. The best way I have found is just to tell them:"Well, you are more than welcome to purchase a 'real' bike for me anytime" that seems to shut them up pretty quick, second is to not pay them any mind and third is school their chump butts on nice curvy roads; watching those fools trying to drag knee on a fat 1400/1600 pig is just super fun.

[kaiserz]

Oh yeah, this kind of thing happened to me like a month ago, My ex boss/ mentor was telling me that my ninja 250 is a scooter... he's like, you got a 250?? that's a friggin scooter and so on. Am like yeah... but I love it, it's very forgiving and can do 0 - 60 in 6secs, is very fun in the twisties, and I'm pretty sure if i got a bigger bike as my 1st bike I won't be here right now (knowing how adventures I am)and it looks good. I showed him a picture and he's like ziiipppped he didnt said another word. ohh wait he said something like getting a yamaha gixxer something. All I did was smile (:

[alex.s]

yeah i agree with the whole "lets see who's faster" mentality... someone who knows how to ride a 250 well will smoke just about any other bike on tight enough twisties.

as to the gun post... nice analogy, and i completely agree. if you know how to aim it right, any size will do the trick. smaller bullets, smaller spread...

["A"]

Originally Posted by "A"

I always carry $50 bill in my wallet.. I reply: wanna race?

I've won a few hundred bucks pulling that bet, if I'm short on cash, I'll even bet my bike against theirs.

[Mizono]

I havent come across that mentality really yet. I am sure i will at some point. But really I am a newer rider and even if i wasnt the 250 is a fantastic bike to ride. I enjoy it and have fun and thats really all that matters. I dont much care for others opinions.

[bdavison]

Its so stupid.

You buy a scooter....people ask when you are going to get a real motorcycle.
You buy a 250 sportbike...people ask when you are going to get a real motorcycle.
You buy a 600 sportbike....people ask when you are going to get a real bike.
You buy a 883 Harley Sportster....people ask when you are going to get a real bike.

When you hear these comments....its a given that the person saying them cant ride for beans.

[SteveL]

I have found that bike owners are very similar to gun owners, for many of them the smaller they are the bigger the bike / gun not that it’s necessary it’s just to make up for being short in statue.

Steve

[Lvr]

Originally Posted by alex.s

if you know how to aim it right, any size will do the trick.

That's what she said.

[FrugalNinja250]

Originally Posted by Archerzz

How do you respond/handle the people who talk about the 250 as being a toy or not a "real" motorcycle?

I make a good faith effort to educate them to the real facts, but often that fails on the big-bore snobs. If it fails, generally because their pre-conceived and often erroneous notions are more precious to them than facts, I'll make it clear to them that I don't appreciate being talked down to because of what I choose to ride. If they have any semblance of social skills they'll realize they're crossing a line of politeness and decorum. I've been known to just turn and walk away from the worst of them. Honestly? They're so wrapped up in themselves they're not worth getting to know.

[road_rascal]

I only had one person say to me 'get a real bike' (I didn't mention the Goldwing I have). I told him let's do the Minnesota 1000 24 hour rally together. Whoever gets the most points at the end of the rally (disregarding the bike class) gets bragging rights. He declined. I think the most people/bike owners who think bigger is better are probably posers, possess very little riding skills and think that their bike brand/size whatever is more of a status symbol. "Hey look at me! I'm on a 'cool' bike". Good luck with all that.

[Liber]

Originally Posted by Too40gawlf

This whole thing is the equivalent in the gun world of ignoramimaking fun of you if you carry a 9mm vs. their .45ACP. People that say stupid **** like that display their ignorance about firearms. Even if they "been shooting fer years". Anyone that has any concept of real world ballistics knows that the real world difference between a 9mm and .45 ACP is nelgigible as a pistol round cannot be expected to stop a full grown human being. Yet, morons continue to tout the myth that "9mm aint but a mousegun." Dont even get me started on the lowlifes that debase the 5.56.

I once had an idiot at a gun store make fun of my Sig P226 9mm.I just looked at him with contempt and turned my back on him. I guess the German equivalent of the SAS, chooses to carry inferior pistols.

Originally Posted by alex.s

yeah i agree with the whole "lets see who's faster" mentality... someone who knows how to ride a 250 well will smoke just about any other bike on tight enough twisties.

as to the gun post... nice analogy, and i completely agree. if you know how to aim it right, any size will do the trick. smaller bullets, smaller spread...

Originally Posted by SteveL

I have found that bike owners are very similar to gun owners, for many of them the smaller they are the bigger the bike / gun not that it’s necessary it’s just to make up for being short in statue.

Steve

The similarities between motorcycle and gun ownership is pretty crazy. My brother and I were talking about this this past weekend. You picture yourself
with a particular motorcycle/gun and that is the first one you want to try, and you just know you will buy it because you will look "So Cool" with it.

When I announced to my best friends I was buying a 250 as my first bike, they all jumped down my throat about how dumb I was and how I was going to get so tired of it etc. None of them ride. I listened to my MSF instructor. People show up on 600s and litrebikes to his advanced course and he's having to re-teach them the basics while the 250 riders are playing around at the other end of the parking lot because they are just flat out better/more comfortable riders. His reasoning is that, in the long run, you become a much more confident rider if you start out on a bike that allows you to make mistakes and learn from them. I told my friends this, and they shut up. They are all now looking at buying a 250 for themselves.

I think the best things in life boil down to this: You should go with what fits YOU the best, even if you don't think it will at first, just try it. If it does fit you, you will eventually grow to appreciate it much more than anything someone else told you you should get.

Too bad we don't get demo/range days when looking for that right woman/man

[Xoulrath]

I second what Liber said.

I never had anyone talk poorly about my 250 or about me wanting a 250 to start on before I purchased it.

My brother said the obligatory, "You'll get tired of its power soon." He had, at that point, only ridden dirt bikes. While he did have more experience than me at the point on dirt bikes, he had never ridden a street bike, much less the Ninja 250.

Interestingly enough, when I sold my 250 to get my 600, he told me he would have purchased it from me if he hadn't just been laid off (he is an electrician). He had a few mishaps on his V Star 650 that had to do with his inability to negotiate a corner a few times. He has since decided that a 250 sport bike may be in his best interest, rather than jumping from his 650 cruiser to a 600.

People say things man. Blow it off. As has been said, anyone who REALLY RIDES will support whatever your choice of bike is. Anyone who looks down at you for having what YOU want out of YOUR life has some issues in the self-worth department to look into.

[reaubideux]

It's always the people who know the least about a given topic that seem to act like they know the most.

The only people I've had give me grief over a 250 are my nieces' boyfriends, one of whom is 16 and has only had his license about 8 months, the other being 18 and has done pretty much nothing except school and football.

The younger one teased me and said "I thought you got a sport bike, all I saw was that girl's bike out there." I just replied back, "Hmph.. I didn't see your Hayabusa out there, where's it parked? I want to take a look at it." He just looked at me for a second and asked "what's that?" I just said "exactly" and walked away with a grin.

The other boyfriend said pretty much the same thing, amid a conversation between me, him, and 3 other people: "so how do you like your chick bike?" Trying to be polite, I just said "asphalt doesn't care how fast my bike can go when I'm sliding on it at 70mph... my 'chick bike' gets me around just fine. I don't think I'd be around very long if I started on anything much bigger." Later on in that conversation he tried to get a dig back in on me about not having enough power to get out of its own way, to which I again replied "I forgot, what bike do you ride again.. how long have you been on it?" Everyone else basically understood it as me telling him to STFU and laughed at him. Oddly enough, he walked off after that.

I have a much older cousin who rides a Harley - have no idea what kind - and my first group ride was with him, my dad, and his friends who all had Harleys, they were the typical leather vest, melon-catcher helmet HD riders and even THEY didn't give me crap over my Ninja 250. They just all agreed "yea, it'll be fun for you this summer and then maybe next year you sell it and move on to something bigger." I won't say I can't disagree about wanting to move up to a 600 or something in a few years, but not anytime soon.