Took the wife's new 250 out for a shakedown run- some comments and questions

rwheelz · September 23rd, 2010, 07:03 PM

My intro thread with pics is here:
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=55832

I wanted to get her 09 250 out to give it a good test ride and heat it up so I could do an oil change. Oh, what fun this nimble little machine is, despite the utter lack of acceleration! I ride a 2003 9R and a 2002 SV-650, and we used to own a 2001 250 way back which I rode as a commuter for about a month until her first bike, a Kawasaki Eliminator 125, finally sold and she moved up to the 250.

My ride impressions- the handling is awesome, as expected, and the brakes are stellar, even better than I expected. The rear brake in particular surprised me- it grabs harder and is much more effective at actually slowing the bike than it is on my own machines. I am not sure if this is due to the weight distribution or just the lighter overall weight, or what, but I like it, especially for her. On my bikes the rear will lock up much more easily and it doesn't really slow those bikes down at all.

There is a bit of a flat spot in the powerband up around 12k rpm. We live at almost 4000 feet, so that could be the reason why. Does this bike have a rev-limiter? Where does it kick in? Has anyone dyno'd one of these? I feel it tapering off up top but am curious to see a plot so I will know whether it is worth really wringing it out.

We live in Montana and are hoping to do some long trips. I am guessing some of you guys live in plains-states. I noticed the bike would really only travel 90-95mph at WOT in top gear consistently. I was able to get it up to ~105 down a big hill in a full tuck, but on flat ground it would only hold 90 with a headwind that wasn't even that strong. It was also turning around 11k rpm at this speed. Do any of you guys do long trips? Can this bike survive being ridden 90mph/11k rpm for 8 hours straight? How much range does it have on a tank at this speed?

I did the oil change. There was no "flat washer" in the filter assembly as there should be. On the one hand I am happy to know that it at least had an oil/filter change (930 miles on it when we bought it), but sad that someone left this piece out when they reassembled (I was told it had it's 600 mile service at the local dealership, but no records were available to prove it). My $11 dealership filter did not even include the two o-rings. The old ones looked fine anyway, so no big deal. I didn't have a washer that was the right size laying around, so I had to reassemble it the way it was. I will get a new washer for the next change. The only oil I had is what I have been using in my other bikes, Shell Rotella T from Walmart 15W-40. Nothing fancy about it, and I change oil often enough (by time, not miles usually) so I don't bother with synthetic. We have a heated garage so it won't be started in cold temps, so I figured the 15W would be fine.

I thought all Kawi's were made in Japan. The sticker on this one says Thailand. Not that it matters, it just surprised me.

Where is the best place to get a spare key? The dealership said they would have to order it, and it was $13 for a blank. Local hardware stores didn't have a Kawi key like this one.

Does everyone run the recommended 28psi front cold? Seems really low to me, but the bike feels fine this way. The rear occasionally felt a little wiggly in the twisties, but I was also throwing it around and was distracted by my aching cheeks from grinning so wide

!

Immediate plans for the bike include a Shogun slider kit and a chain clean and lubing, in addition to as much riding as we can squeeze in before the snow flies! I will likely modify it over the winter, but will have a bunch of research to do first, and I am certain there must be many of those threads on a forum like this. Not planning anything crazy, probably a slip-on/intake/jet-kit or whatever the bang for the buck setup is on these bikes.

All in all, a great new toy. My wife couldn't be happier. It is supposed to be beautiful here this weekend so we should get lots of riding in. I am going to set up the GoPro and get some live action in HD for you guys.

KURT · September 23rd, 2010, 07:38 PM

Welcome, to the Sickness.

I'd suggest a new set of tires, but that's just me.

Honestly, the new radials on my wife's bike have made a big difference.

That speedo is off by about 10 mph at full throttle, but the bike will happily cruise 85-90 mph all afternoon. (Just ask Spooph.) All of these new 250's are built in Thialand, from what I've read.

want1sobad · September 23rd, 2010, 07:49 PM

welcome!

Cuongism · September 23rd, 2010, 08:07 PM

I believe the rev limiter is at 14k. If you're in 6th gear, it's even harder to accelerate to that. 95-105 is really the max indicated speed (off about 10%). You should have no problems keeping it in the upper range; the engine is built for it. The powerband doesnt even kick in til youre above 9k. There are people who do the Iron Butts on 250's.
I commute on mine on the freeway everyday so it's constantly above 11k rpm going at 90-100 mph. I get mid 40's mpg, but I feel that's in the low end for 250's. I am jetted for more low/mid range.
The 250 is definitely fun to play around. It's so light and flicks over just thinking about it.
If you're gonna do a lot of high speed, I recommend replacing the front sprocket with a 15T. It'll lower the rpms and marginally increase the top speed. More highway friendly. Can't wait to see the vids

sombo · September 24th, 2010, 03:27 AM

The reason you are feeling a flat part around 12k is because you are already on the down curve of the power band. On any motor after it makes it's peak power it starts to go down in power the higher the rpms go. For your motor it's peak power is at 11k, so anything beyond that is just a waste of rpms. The pre-gen (your 2001) made it's peak power 12.5k, which is probably why it seems odd to you. The new-gen was tuned for more lower to mid-range power while sacrificing some of it's top end.

You can run it at that speed for that long, but my question is why do you need to be doing 90mph on the highway for any length of time let alone 8hrs? Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. It always annoys me when I see people blasting down the highway at 20-30mph faster then the speed limit when it's 65-70. I just don't see the need or point of it, but that's just me. Personally I would just slow it down and enjoy the ride and scenery instead of trying to get from point A to point B in the shortest amount of time. On a bike it's about the journey and not the destination (as should most of life be

).

But if you really want to go that speed for that long I would suggest a slip/on, jetting, and sprocket change to help increase power slightly and lower rpms.

lux · September 24th, 2010, 07:33 AM

I think the owner's manual has tire pressures at 28 PSI/32 PSI, F/R. That's what I set mine to.

sombo, they're in Montana. Not disagreeing with anyone, but 90 MPH in MT might be perceived differently than 90 MPH in Hawaii.

GeneJunkie · September 24th, 2010, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwheelz

There is a bit of a flat spot in the powerband up around 12k rpm. We live at almost 4000 feet, so that could be the reason why. Does this bike have a rev-limiter? Where does it kick in? Has anyone dyno'd one of these? I feel it tapering off up top but am curious to see a plot so I will know whether it is worth really wringing it out.

I just had my bike worked on and here is the dyno:

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showp...18&postcount=3

The red is stock settings, blue is Two Bros slip on and brown/maroon is full AreaP system.

It's not worth wringing it out with stock settings.

rwheelz · September 24th, 2010, 09:22 AM

Sombo- I believe is safe riding practices as well. BUT, it is clear that you have never been to eastern Montana. Every dodge ram dually farm truck here is cruising 85mph+ on the highway (limits are 75mph and up to 10 over = $20 on the spot and no points). I realize what I am saying sounds dangerous to someone who lives in New England, for example, but you would have to see it to believe it. We want to ride north up to Calgary as a trip to visit and ride with friends in the mountains near Banff, and that trip consists nearly entirely of completely flat road with no trees. You can literally see for 10 miles in any direction, there are hardly even any turns let alone hills. You could see a mouse run out onto the road in front of you a half mile in advance. Again, anyone who has driven across the great plains knows exactly what I am talking about. If you head east from where we are, you don't go over a hill or around a turn until about Wisconsin

Now don't get me wrong- we live an hour and a half ride from one of the greatest highways in the world (the Beartooth) and I certainly don't advocate riding 90+mph on the mountain switchbacks. Crossing the plains is the issue here. There literally ISN'T any scenery until you get to the mountains. You would be shocked how slow 90mph feels after several hours. I won't even mention the speeds I cruise at when riding the 9R to Calgary from here!

GeneJunkie thank you for that! I guess cannot get away with a slip-on, good to know. I assume your bike has intake/exhaust/re-jetting? Anything else special, or is that the bang for the buck setup? Is any one full system clearly ahead of the pack in terms of results?

Cuongism · September 24th, 2010, 09:41 AM

Let me see if I can drudge up some articles, but from what I read and from my own experience, the safest speed to ride is slightly faster that the flow of traffic. You don't want to be slower than traffic because cars will be zooming past you and some cars may tailgate you for slowing down traffic. If you're going the same pace as cars around you, you become a little more "invisible." You never really want to go the same pace with cars next to you as they can switch lanes into you. Last choice is to pass people which will make you more visible and easier to switch lanes. At that high of an rpm, your pipe will be loud to cars behind you and not to cars in front of you.

The general pace on the CA freeways near me is about 75-80 so going 90 is really 81-85 which I believe is safest. There's also not much scenery when it comes to freeways. Also, using my asian mathematical skills, 90 mph for 8 hours is 720 miles. Doing it at 65 mph is over 11 hours. That's a HUGE difference. When I drove (

) from NYC to San Diego, I admit I mostly sped. It gives me more time to enjoy the stops I made around the country (I did the trip in two weeks, but it only takes about 48 hours). Most of the driving portion was barren land.

RJ, for full exhausts, dynos show that Area P gets the highest gains. They get about 5 hp over stock. I have yoshi and they get a little over 3 hp over stock.

http://www.yoshimura-rd.com/ps-3593-...ll-system.aspx

GeneJunkie · September 24th, 2010, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwheelz

GeneJunkie thank you for that! I guess cannot get away with a slip-on, good to know. I assume your bike has intake/exhaust/re-jetting? Anything else special, or is that the bang for the buck setup? Is any one full system clearly ahead of the pack in terms of results?

Bike was re-jetted, airbox removed and replaced with K&N R-0990 pod filter, Kleen air system removed and replaced with a breather, the AreaP full system and it was dyno tuned.

I really think that AreaP is ahead of the pack. They have proven gains, have a reasonably priced system and well, Kerry is amazing.

I may be slightly biased since AP did all the work on my bike, but they really are an amazing company. Kerry is incredibly passionate about providing an excellent product and stands by what he produces. The AreaP brand itself is small but his company does much more than that ie private party manufacturing, etc. The other great thing about working with them is that Kerry is very easy to get in touch with, and it is always willing to answer questions about tuning, setup, etc.

http://areapnolimits.com/products/Sl...-250R-2008.php

lux · September 24th, 2010, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuongism

...When I drove (

) from NYC to San Diego, I admit I mostly sped. It gives me more time to enjoy the stops I made around the country (I did the trip in two weeks, but it only takes about 48 hours). Most of the driving portion was barren land. ...

Off-topic: Barren, but there is some beautiful scenery out there, don't you think? There was this desert-like part of AZ that was pretty much all red in color. I thought it was really nice.

And that area had a really good radio station too. lol

Cuongism · September 24th, 2010, 10:09 AM

I probably blocked AZ out of my head. My AC compressor broke while in AZ so I'm driving without AC and you can't open your windows in AZ because it's even hotter outside. I'm also worried about breaking down while driving through death valley.
So unfortunately the only thing I remember about it is how hot AZ is. And when pulled over on the highway I can't see any sign of civilization...

almost40 · September 24th, 2010, 10:24 AM

-Dyno-jet jet kit (100 main at 200' above sea level)
Not sure what works at 4000'
-Full Area P Quiet core (loud enough, but not too loud)
-Pull the snorkel in the airbox and enlarge the hole by about 10% and slap a good cleanable air filter (K&N)
The above will eliminate the dead spot after 11,550 rpm and you will learn all about the usefulness of the rev limiter.
-Put a 15t on the front
OR a 41T on the rear if you and yours are the lighter type of people. (I see she is by the pics.)
And your good to go.
Oh yeah if your gona push it in the twistys get a good set of rubber.
The IRC's are wood.

Start looking for another 250 cause you know you want your own. If you dont now, you will when you ride the modded 250 on Beartooth.

kkim · September 24th, 2010, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sombo

On a bike it's about the journey and not the destination (as should most of life be

).

actually, this describes life, perfectly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lux

Not disagreeing with anyone, but 90 MPH in MT might be perceived differently than 90 MPH in Hawaii.

Hey!!!

I can assure you we do our part in driving 90 here in Hawaii.

Quote:

Originally Posted by almost40

-Dyno-jet jet kit (100 main at 200' above sea level)
Not sure what works at 4000'
-Full Area P Quiet core (loud enough, but not too loud)
-Pull the snorkel in the airbox and enlarge the hole by about 10% and slap a good cleanable air filter (K&N)
The above will eliminate the dead spot after 11,550 rpm and you will learn all about the usefulness of the rev limiter.
-Put a 15t on the front
OR a 41T on the rear if you and yours are the lighter type of people. (I see she is by the pics.)
And your good to go.
Oh yeah if your gona push it in the twistys get a good set of rubber.
The IRC's are wood.

Start looking for another 250 cause you know you want your own. If you dont now, you will when you ride the modded 250 on Beartooth.

Bingo!

rwheelz · September 24th, 2010, 04:02 PM

Thanks for the info everyone. On the ride I am describing, there is not even traffic. It can be desolate on the plains! Now most of our riding is to the mountain twisties, it's just that we would like to take trips as well at least a couple times per season.

I can't see ditching the tires until they are worn out. I guess I am cheap that way. Mrs.Rwheelz won't be riding it THAT hard anyway, at least not for a while. I didn't notice the tires sliding or anything when I took it out on that run, but then again I am the type of person who likes to leave a sizeable margin for error when riding on public roads, even when I am riding "aggressively". Getting around a turn a tenth of a second faster on a back road isn't important enough to me to risk dropping my bikes, or worse, hurting myself!

I will look into the AreaP setup and probably post some more questions when I am ready to start ordering parts a month or two from now. I don't want the bike down at all until we can't ride anymore this season, definitely a winter-time project.

sombo · September 24th, 2010, 07:48 PM

Clearly you haven't been to Orlando then. We have the bad drivers of the local idiots, the bad drivers of all 50 states, AND the bad drivers of foreign countries here all mingling on I-4 and the various toll roads. I see regularly suvs of 5000-6000+ lbs doing 90mph down the highway switching lanes w/o turn signals or even bothering to look behind them. We get the midday highway parking lot as well. Everything here is flat, mostly straight, and mostly well kept. That and the fact that the roads are between 2-4 lanes each side makes for some very interesting driving conditions from not moving out of 1st gear, to dodging trucks, street racers, and big rigs doing 90+mph past you.

Hell one morning I was on I-4 at around 0550 and was going from the middle right lane to the middle left lane because it was clear. Then all of a sudden I see headlights jump from the middle right to the middle left lane and gaining ultra fast. I jumped back over to the middle right real quick and watched as a car got into the far left lane doing about 100+mph down the road not caring who or what was on the highway with them. Going 90mph would not have done anything to help in that case.

I know all about the fast drivers on the highways, the bumper to bumper traffic of highway parking lots. I still see no reason to join the legions of idiots driving recklessly and claim it's safer that way. I do admit that I travel about 70-75mph on most of the highway type roads. However, at that speed I still have some top end to squeeze out in case of an emergency. At 90mph, you have nothing left on the 250. And if 90mph isn't "fast enough" to get you out of trouble, then you shouldn't be there in the first place.

You want to be a safer driver, then don't drive like the idiots out to get you. Be aware of your surroundings and drive/ride with the vigilance of a rabbit (yes I said rabbit). Always be looking at your surroundings as if you were being stalked by a predator, cause in some ways you are.

I don't care where it is, or what excuse people use. Giving in to roadway peer pressure and driving just as retarded as the idiots trying to kill you makes you just as bad as them. If people were to instead try slowing down, relaxing, giving more time to travel and spreading the happiness of a slower more relaxed trip, we might start making a dent in making the highways a safer place for everyone. But if you're out there driving just like them, then you have no room to complain when something bad happens (or comes close to happening).

That's just my

*steps down from -

Oh and I did live in Arizona for 4yrs and made regular trips from Ft. Huachuca (near the Mexico boarder) to Phoenix. Highway speed is 75mph, I drove a 1987 Pontiac Trans Am. Even then I never did more then 80-85mph when needed to keep up with the fast lane in order to pass idiots in the slow lane doing 55mph. I just think that the faster speeds should be kept for race tracks and off the highways. But again, that's just me. Drive/ride how you want.

Havok · September 24th, 2010, 08:50 PM

No reason to red line the 250 unless you are in top gear and looking to maintian a fast rate of speed. otherwise you are out of the power band and its time to shift. The back break on the 09 "could be for all 250s i dont know) is tied to the front so you get 80 back 20 front that and the lighter bike may be why you feel it stops better.

I have mine stock for now with just a fuel adjustment made (**** CA emissions) till i decide if i am going to trick out the 250 and stay on it or upgrade next spring. Only time will tell.

Alex · September 24th, 2010, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Havok

The back break on the 09 "could be for all 250s i dont know) is tied to the front so you get 80 back 20 front that and the lighter bike may be why you feel it stops better.

No ninja 250's have linked brakes. Front = front, rear = rear, completely separate systems...

KELPHYN · September 24th, 2010, 10:06 PM

We all ride at our own pace. That said, yes it will run 11k for 8hrs, day after day. But is really more comfortable at 8.5-9k rpm. Really consider put on a 15t front sprocket before the trip, brings the the rpm down to that at 70-75mph (120ish kmph here in Canada). This let's you still be able to down shift once or twice for passing.
As for the flat spot at 12k rpm, I think I'm around the same elevation and it really seems to depend on the weather. Spring and fall with the cooler temperatures it doesn't seem to like pulling much past 12k. During the harmer days of summer it will pull redline in 4th and 5th easy, 6th with a good downhill (190kmph). Have the 15t front sprocket, slip on pipe and shimmed the needles 1 shim. Rev limiter kicks in at 13.5k rpm. I have thought about changing the jetting, but it is really close and the rides I go on have lots of elevation changes and so far it seems to be a happy medium.
Tire pressure I run 30fr/34rr with my BT-45s shock set on the third preload setting (I'm 185lbs) and my front forks are raised as far as they will go with the stock handlebars (loosened off the fork clamps till the tubes topped out,then retightened). Wasn't much of a change but noticeable in the handling.
I have done several trips, all 3600-4800kms with no problems. Usually ride with guys on 1000's and for the most part don't have a problem. Takes me longer to pass and some hills are little slower but if one keeps on the shifter it's not that bad. But all in all, she will probably find travelling more at 70mph (120kph)more relaxing. The cars you catch you can easily pass and you don't seem to be constantly catch and passing as when you travelling at 80-85mph (130-140kmph), not to say the bike won't do it but it is tiring on the 250 after a couple of days.
Well seem to be getting a little long winded here so I'll wind it up and just suggest the 15t front sprocket and raising the forks,get some riding time on it and see how it goes. Welcome to the board.

Havok · September 24th, 2010, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

No ninja 250's have linked brakes. Front = front, rear = rear, completely separate systems...

That's why I try to stay out of tech discussions lol. Mechanical stuff confuses the **** out of me. I dint know what I thought they were linked I don't use my back that much anyway to notice by feel

almost40 · September 25th, 2010, 07:44 AM

Just to enter the whole 80 + mph on the highway speed conversation.
If you were to come to the Chicago area and ride I-94 at 70 mph you will be meat waffels in about 1.4 seconds. Traffic flow runs 80-90 daily.
Check me if im wrong here but wasnt there a point in time no long ago (1980's) when there was no speed limit during daylight in Montana??
When I go hunting in North Dakota you can see for miles in every direction. 90mph doesnt seem too fast in that setting.

rwheelz · September 25th, 2010, 10:28 AM

Yeah there was no speed limit here until the later 90s actually (it was before I lived here). The speed limit was "reasonable and prudent", but not any more. It is still a really lenient state for speeding though, for the most part.

In regards to riding at high speed for extended periods, I think we are all saying the same thing: adjust your speed accordingly. The riding I am referring to is so out in the middle of nowhere that you can ride 10 minutes @ 100mph and never see a car from either direction. If you rode 75, it would take all damn day to get anywhere. Again, we dial it back for mountain roads or in areas where there are trees near the road or any kind of potential hazards.

Doesn't putting a larger front sprocket on make the acceleration feel that much more anemic? I guess for our long trips that doesn't matter, since you are never really speeding up or slowing down anyway, but changing front sprockets is a bit of a PITA and I wouldn't want to do it often.

I did not know the front forks are adjustable. I am not sure my wife will need any adjustment at <120 lbs. The rear is set on the softest setting and she said she likes the feel. I would definitely tighten that up if I were using the bike, but that will be rare.

almost40 · September 25th, 2010, 01:56 PM

If you mod the bike, the added HP more than makes up for the loss of gearing and will improve acceleration and top end speed. You can swap the rear sprocket to a 43T or 41T and leave the front alone. (Id do a 41T based on your wifes weight) A 41T will read 7500 rpm at 70 and about 10,000 at 92mph. Mod the bike and the motor will eaisily turn 11,000 with your wife on it in full tuck. That puts ya in the 105mph indicated neighborhood without too much fuss from the motor with a little more to spare.
The front forks are NOT adjustable for weight but will be just fine for your rather nicely shaped wife, dont mess with em.

KELPHYN · September 26th, 2010, 09:55 PM

Yes it doesn't seem to make sense that raising the gearing would give you better performance on such a low output bike, but it just seems to work. It seems to make the lower gears more usable (3-4) without hitting the rev limiter or having the shift mid-corner and run to redline in 5th at just around 100mph,shift to sixth drops rpm down to peek of the torque curve for a little more top end. Nothing on this bike is arm wrenching, but any little bit helps. If you don't want change the front, try a 43t rear. She will find she will have to shift more often but the reward is there. When I first put on the 15t front I felt like the bike was slower, but once I found I could go into corner at the same speed a gear lower at wot and up shift at redline just as the bike is standing up on the exit and stay in the powerband, just seems to make the gears more usable. As for the forks, I never said they "weight" adjustable, I said there was a little bit of adjustment in the "height" as in raising the forks in the triple clamps (lowering the front of the bike). It was only about 1/16"-3/32", not much, but noticable in the handling, at least to me. Was just saying (not to sound defensive) there was a little room for movement (adjustment) for the forks under the bar raisers. My bike seemed to push the front in the corners and that was enough adjustment for me to live with without going to clip-ons. It still pushes a bit, but I that is usually at close to triple the recomended corner speed and pushing the limits of the BT-45s.(oops) Anyhoo, I'm sure you will find things that work for you and all these are just suggests that have worked for me. Everyone's needs are different. Just ride, have fun, and do want needs to be done for your/her needs. Might not have to change anything.

September 23rd, 2010, 07:03 PM	#1
rwheelz Moroccan Gold Imports Name: RJ Location: MT Join Date: Sep 2010 Motorcycle(s): '03 ZX9R, '03 ZX7R & wife's '09 250R Posts: 136	Took the wife's new 250 out for a shakedown run- some comments and questions My intro thread with pics is here: http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=55832 I wanted to get her 09 250 out to give it a good test ride and heat it up so I could do an oil change. Oh, what fun this nimble little machine is, despite the utter lack of acceleration! I ride a 2003 9R and a 2002 SV-650, and we used to own a 2001 250 way back which I rode as a commuter for about a month until her first bike, a Kawasaki Eliminator 125, finally sold and she moved up to the 250. My ride impressions- the handling is awesome, as expected, and the brakes are stellar, even better than I expected. The rear brake in particular surprised me- it grabs harder and is much more effective at actually slowing the bike than it is on my own machines. I am not sure if this is due to the weight distribution or just the lighter overall weight, or what, but I like it, especially for her. On my bikes the rear will lock up much more easily and it doesn't really slow those bikes down at all. There is a bit of a flat spot in the powerband up around 12k rpm. We live at almost 4000 feet, so that could be the reason why. Does this bike have a rev-limiter? Where does it kick in? Has anyone dyno'd one of these? I feel it tapering off up top but am curious to see a plot so I will know whether it is worth really wringing it out. We live in Montana and are hoping to do some long trips. I am guessing some of you guys live in plains-states. I noticed the bike would really only travel 90-95mph at WOT in top gear consistently. I was able to get it up to ~105 down a big hill in a full tuck, but on flat ground it would only hold 90 with a headwind that wasn't even that strong. It was also turning around 11k rpm at this speed. Do any of you guys do long trips? Can this bike survive being ridden 90mph/11k rpm for 8 hours straight? How much range does it have on a tank at this speed? I did the oil change. There was no "flat washer" in the filter assembly as there should be. On the one hand I am happy to know that it at least had an oil/filter change (930 miles on it when we bought it), but sad that someone left this piece out when they reassembled (I was told it had it's 600 mile service at the local dealership, but no records were available to prove it). My $11 dealership filter did not even include the two o-rings. The old ones looked fine anyway, so no big deal. I didn't have a washer that was the right size laying around, so I had to reassemble it the way it was. I will get a new washer for the next change. The only oil I had is what I have been using in my other bikes, Shell Rotella T from Walmart 15W-40. Nothing fancy about it, and I change oil often enough (by time, not miles usually) so I don't bother with synthetic. We have a heated garage so it won't be started in cold temps, so I figured the 15W would be fine. I thought all Kawi's were made in Japan. The sticker on this one says Thailand. Not that it matters, it just surprised me. Where is the best place to get a spare key? The dealership said they would have to order it, and it was $13 for a blank. Local hardware stores didn't have a Kawi key like this one. Does everyone run the recommended 28psi front cold? Seems really low to me, but the bike feels fine this way. The rear occasionally felt a little wiggly in the twisties, but I was also throwing it around and was distracted by my aching cheeks from grinning so wide ! Immediate plans for the bike include a Shogun slider kit and a chain clean and lubing, in addition to as much riding as we can squeeze in before the snow flies! I will likely modify it over the winter, but will have a bunch of research to do first, and I am certain there must be many of those threads on a forum like this. Not planning anything crazy, probably a slip-on/intake/jet-kit or whatever the bang for the buck setup is on these bikes. All in all, a great new toy. My wife couldn't be happier. It is supposed to be beautiful here this weekend so we should get lots of riding in. I am going to set up the GoPro and get some live action in HD for you guys.

September 24th, 2010, 10:24 AM	#13
almost40 ninjette.org Monkey Spank Name: Kevin Location: Illinois Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 250R Track-Bike Woodcraft clip-ons and rearsets FZ-6 track bike Posts: A lot.	-Dyno-jet jet kit (100 main at 200' above sea level) Not sure what works at 4000' -Full Area P Quiet core (loud enough, but not too loud) -Pull the snorkel in the airbox and enlarge the hole by about 10% and slap a good cleanable air filter (K&N) The above will eliminate the dead spot after 11,550 rpm and you will learn all about the usefulness of the rev limiter. -Put a 15t on the front OR a 41T on the rear if you and yours are the lighter type of people. (I see she is by the pics.) And your good to go. Oh yeah if your gona push it in the twistys get a good set of rubber. The IRC's are wood. Start looking for another 250 cause you know you want your own. If you dont now, you will when you ride the modded 250 on Beartooth. __________________________________________________ Black 250R Full Area P QC Dyno Jet Kit 100 main 41T Rear Sprocket

September 25th, 2010, 07:44 AM	#21
almost40 ninjette.org Monkey Spank Name: Kevin Location: Illinois Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 250R Track-Bike Woodcraft clip-ons and rearsets FZ-6 track bike Posts: A lot.	Just to enter the whole 80 + mph on the highway speed conversation. If you were to come to the Chicago area and ride I-94 at 70 mph you will be meat waffels in about 1.4 seconds. Traffic flow runs 80-90 daily. Check me if im wrong here but wasnt there a point in time no long ago (1980's) when there was no speed limit during daylight in Montana?? When I go hunting in North Dakota you can see for miles in every direction. 90mph doesnt seem too fast in that setting. __________________________________________________ Black 250R Full Area P QC Dyno Jet Kit 100 main 41T Rear Sprocket

September 25th, 2010, 01:56 PM	#23
almost40 ninjette.org Monkey Spank Name: Kevin Location: Illinois Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 250R Track-Bike Woodcraft clip-ons and rearsets FZ-6 track bike Posts: A lot.	If you mod the bike, the added HP more than makes up for the loss of gearing and will improve acceleration and top end speed. You can swap the rear sprocket to a 43T or 41T and leave the front alone. (Id do a 41T based on your wifes weight) A 41T will read 7500 rpm at 70 and about 10,000 at 92mph. Mod the bike and the motor will eaisily turn 11,000 with your wife on it in full tuck. That puts ya in the 105mph indicated neighborhood without too much fuss from the motor with a little more to spare. The front forks are NOT adjustable for weight but will be just fine for your rather nicely shaped wife, dont mess with em. __________________________________________________ Black 250R Full Area P QC Dyno Jet Kit 100 main 41T Rear Sprocket

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September 23rd, 2010, 07:38 PM	#2
KURT Resident Old Guy Name: Kurt Location: Goodyear, Az Join Date: Jul 2010 Motorcycle(s): sold Posts: 264	Welcome, to the Sickness. I'd suggest a new set of tires, but that's just me. Honestly, the new radials on my wife's bike have made a big difference. That speedo is off by about 10 mph at full throttle, but the bike will happily cruise 85-90 mph all afternoon. (Just ask Spooph.) All of these new 250's are built in Thialand, from what I've read.

September 23rd, 2010, 07:49 PM	#3
want1sobad Ninjette CPT Name: Vince Location: jacksonville, fl Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): Black 08 250r Posts: A lot.	welcome!

September 23rd, 2010, 08:07 PM	#4
Cuongism ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Cuong Location: San Diego Join Date: Jul 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Ninja 250r, 2007 Daytona 675 Posts: A lot.	I believe the rev limiter is at 14k. If you're in 6th gear, it's even harder to accelerate to that. 95-105 is really the max indicated speed (off about 10%). You should have no problems keeping it in the upper range; the engine is built for it. The powerband doesnt even kick in til youre above 9k. There are people who do the Iron Butts on 250's. I commute on mine on the freeway everyday so it's constantly above 11k rpm going at 90-100 mph. I get mid 40's mpg, but I feel that's in the low end for 250's. I am jetted for more low/mid range. The 250 is definitely fun to play around. It's so light and flicks over just thinking about it. If you're gonna do a lot of high speed, I recommend replacing the front sprocket with a 15T. It'll lower the rpms and marginally increase the top speed. More highway friendly. Can't wait to see the vids

September 24th, 2010, 03:27 AM	#5
sombo Newb..... on a steeek! :D Name: Mike Location: Windermere, FL Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Harley Davidson XL883L Sportster Superlow Posts: A lot.	The reason you are feeling a flat part around 12k is because you are already on the down curve of the power band. On any motor after it makes it's peak power it starts to go down in power the higher the rpms go. For your motor it's peak power is at 11k, so anything beyond that is just a waste of rpms. The pre-gen (your 2001) made it's peak power 12.5k, which is probably why it seems odd to you. The new-gen was tuned for more lower to mid-range power while sacrificing some of it's top end. You can run it at that speed for that long, but my question is why do you need to be doing 90mph on the highway for any length of time let alone 8hrs? Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. It always annoys me when I see people blasting down the highway at 20-30mph faster then the speed limit when it's 65-70. I just don't see the need or point of it, but that's just me. Personally I would just slow it down and enjoy the ride and scenery instead of trying to get from point A to point B in the shortest amount of time. On a bike it's about the journey and not the destination (as should most of life be ). But if you really want to go that speed for that long I would suggest a slip/on, jetting, and sprocket change to help increase power slightly and lower rpms.

September 24th, 2010, 07:33 AM	#6
lux ninjette.org guru Name: lux Location: NY Join Date: Jul 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2010 Ninja 250R Posts: 306	I think the owner's manual has tire pressures at 28 PSI/32 PSI, F/R. That's what I set mine to. sombo, they're in Montana. Not disagreeing with anyone, but 90 MPH in MT might be perceived differently than 90 MPH in Hawaii.

September 24th, 2010, 09:22 AM	#8
rwheelz Moroccan Gold Imports Name: RJ Location: MT Join Date: Sep 2010 Motorcycle(s): '03 ZX9R, '03 ZX7R & wife's '09 250R Posts: 136	Sombo- I believe is safe riding practices as well. BUT, it is clear that you have never been to eastern Montana. Every dodge ram dually farm truck here is cruising 85mph+ on the highway (limits are 75mph and up to 10 over = $20 on the spot and no points). I realize what I am saying sounds dangerous to someone who lives in New England, for example, but you would have to see it to believe it. We want to ride north up to Calgary as a trip to visit and ride with friends in the mountains near Banff, and that trip consists nearly entirely of completely flat road with no trees. You can literally see for 10 miles in any direction, there are hardly even any turns let alone hills. You could see a mouse run out onto the road in front of you a half mile in advance. Again, anyone who has driven across the great plains knows exactly what I am talking about. If you head east from where we are, you don't go over a hill or around a turn until about Wisconsin Now don't get me wrong- we live an hour and a half ride from one of the greatest highways in the world (the Beartooth) and I certainly don't advocate riding 90+mph on the mountain switchbacks. Crossing the plains is the issue here. There literally ISN'T any scenery until you get to the mountains. You would be shocked how slow 90mph feels after several hours. I won't even mention the speeds I cruise at when riding the 9R to Calgary from here! GeneJunkie thank you for that! I guess cannot get away with a slip-on, good to know. I assume your bike has intake/exhaust/re-jetting? Anything else special, or is that the bang for the buck setup? Is any one full system clearly ahead of the pack in terms of results?

September 24th, 2010, 09:41 AM	#9
Cuongism ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Cuong Location: San Diego Join Date: Jul 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Ninja 250r, 2007 Daytona 675 Posts: A lot.	Let me see if I can drudge up some articles, but from what I read and from my own experience, the safest speed to ride is slightly faster that the flow of traffic. You don't want to be slower than traffic because cars will be zooming past you and some cars may tailgate you for slowing down traffic. If you're going the same pace as cars around you, you become a little more "invisible." You never really want to go the same pace with cars next to you as they can switch lanes into you. Last choice is to pass people which will make you more visible and easier to switch lanes. At that high of an rpm, your pipe will be loud to cars behind you and not to cars in front of you. The general pace on the CA freeways near me is about 75-80 so going 90 is really 81-85 which I believe is safest. There's also not much scenery when it comes to freeways. Also, using my asian mathematical skills, 90 mph for 8 hours is 720 miles. Doing it at 65 mph is over 11 hours. That's a HUGE difference. When I drove ( ) from NYC to San Diego, I admit I mostly sped. It gives me more time to enjoy the stops I made around the country (I did the trip in two weeks, but it only takes about 48 hours). Most of the driving portion was barren land. RJ, for full exhausts, dynos show that Area P gets the highest gains. They get about 5 hp over stock. I have yoshi and they get a little over 3 hp over stock. http://www.yoshimura-rd.com/ps-3593-...ll-system.aspx

September 24th, 2010, 10:09 AM	#12
Cuongism ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Cuong Location: San Diego Join Date: Jul 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Ninja 250r, 2007 Daytona 675 Posts: A lot.	I probably blocked AZ out of my head. My AC compressor broke while in AZ so I'm driving without AC and you can't open your windows in AZ because it's even hotter outside. I'm also worried about breaking down while driving through death valley. So unfortunately the only thing I remember about it is how hot AZ is. And when pulled over on the highway I can't see any sign of civilization...

September 24th, 2010, 04:02 PM	#15
rwheelz Moroccan Gold Imports Name: RJ Location: MT Join Date: Sep 2010 Motorcycle(s): '03 ZX9R, '03 ZX7R & wife's '09 250R Posts: 136	Thanks for the info everyone. On the ride I am describing, there is not even traffic. It can be desolate on the plains! Now most of our riding is to the mountain twisties, it's just that we would like to take trips as well at least a couple times per season. I can't see ditching the tires until they are worn out. I guess I am cheap that way. Mrs.Rwheelz won't be riding it THAT hard anyway, at least not for a while. I didn't notice the tires sliding or anything when I took it out on that run, but then again I am the type of person who likes to leave a sizeable margin for error when riding on public roads, even when I am riding "aggressively". Getting around a turn a tenth of a second faster on a back road isn't important enough to me to risk dropping my bikes, or worse, hurting myself! I will look into the AreaP setup and probably post some more questions when I am ready to start ordering parts a month or two from now. I don't want the bike down at all until we can't ride anymore this season, definitely a winter-time project.

September 24th, 2010, 07:48 PM	#16
sombo Newb..... on a steeek! :D Name: Mike Location: Windermere, FL Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Harley Davidson XL883L Sportster Superlow Posts: A lot.	Clearly you haven't been to Orlando then. We have the bad drivers of the local idiots, the bad drivers of all 50 states, AND the bad drivers of foreign countries here all mingling on I-4 and the various toll roads. I see regularly suvs of 5000-6000+ lbs doing 90mph down the highway switching lanes w/o turn signals or even bothering to look behind them. We get the midday highway parking lot as well. Everything here is flat, mostly straight, and mostly well kept. That and the fact that the roads are between 2-4 lanes each side makes for some very interesting driving conditions from not moving out of 1st gear, to dodging trucks, street racers, and big rigs doing 90+mph past you. Hell one morning I was on I-4 at around 0550 and was going from the middle right lane to the middle left lane because it was clear. Then all of a sudden I see headlights jump from the middle right to the middle left lane and gaining ultra fast. I jumped back over to the middle right real quick and watched as a car got into the far left lane doing about 100+mph down the road not caring who or what was on the highway with them. Going 90mph would not have done anything to help in that case. I know all about the fast drivers on the highways, the bumper to bumper traffic of highway parking lots. I still see no reason to join the legions of idiots driving recklessly and claim it's safer that way. I do admit that I travel about 70-75mph on most of the highway type roads. However, at that speed I still have some top end to squeeze out in case of an emergency. At 90mph, you have nothing left on the 250. And if 90mph isn't "fast enough" to get you out of trouble, then you shouldn't be there in the first place. You want to be a safer driver, then don't drive like the idiots out to get you. Be aware of your surroundings and drive/ride with the vigilance of a rabbit (yes I said rabbit). Always be looking at your surroundings as if you were being stalked by a predator, cause in some ways you are. I don't care where it is, or what excuse people use. Giving in to roadway peer pressure and driving just as retarded as the idiots trying to kill you makes you just as bad as them. If people were to instead try slowing down, relaxing, giving more time to travel and spreading the happiness of a slower more relaxed trip, we might start making a dent in making the highways a safer place for everyone. But if you're out there driving just like them, then you have no room to complain when something bad happens (or comes close to happening). That's just my *steps down from - Oh and I did live in Arizona for 4yrs and made regular trips from Ft. Huachuca (near the Mexico boarder) to Phoenix. Highway speed is 75mph, I drove a 1987 Pontiac Trans Am. Even then I never did more then 80-85mph when needed to keep up with the fast lane in order to pass idiots in the slow lane doing 55mph. I just think that the faster speeds should be kept for race tracks and off the highways. But again, that's just me. Drive/ride how you want.

September 24th, 2010, 08:50 PM	#17
Havok Internet Slut Name: Jeff Location: L.A. Join Date: Sep 2010 Motorcycle(s): 04 FZ1, 07 FZ6 Posts: A lot.	No reason to red line the 250 unless you are in top gear and looking to maintian a fast rate of speed. otherwise you are out of the power band and its time to shift. The back break on the 09 "could be for all 250s i dont know) is tied to the front so you get 80 back 20 front that and the lighter bike may be why you feel it stops better. I have mine stock for now with just a fuel adjustment made (**** CA emissions) till i decide if i am going to trick out the 250 and stay on it or upgrade next spring. Only time will tell.

September 24th, 2010, 10:06 PM	#19
KELPHYN ninjette.org guru Name: Calvin Location: Quesnel, B.C Join Date: Aug 2009 Motorcycle(s): '08 250R (sold), 2013 300SE Posts: 276	We all ride at our own pace. That said, yes it will run 11k for 8hrs, day after day. But is really more comfortable at 8.5-9k rpm. Really consider put on a 15t front sprocket before the trip, brings the the rpm down to that at 70-75mph (120ish kmph here in Canada). This let's you still be able to down shift once or twice for passing. As for the flat spot at 12k rpm, I think I'm around the same elevation and it really seems to depend on the weather. Spring and fall with the cooler temperatures it doesn't seem to like pulling much past 12k. During the harmer days of summer it will pull redline in 4th and 5th easy, 6th with a good downhill (190kmph). Have the 15t front sprocket, slip on pipe and shimmed the needles 1 shim. Rev limiter kicks in at 13.5k rpm. I have thought about changing the jetting, but it is really close and the rides I go on have lots of elevation changes and so far it seems to be a happy medium. Tire pressure I run 30fr/34rr with my BT-45s shock set on the third preload setting (I'm 185lbs) and my front forks are raised as far as they will go with the stock handlebars (loosened off the fork clamps till the tubes topped out,then retightened). Wasn't much of a change but noticeable in the handling. I have done several trips, all 3600-4800kms with no problems. Usually ride with guys on 1000's and for the most part don't have a problem. Takes me longer to pass and some hills are little slower but if one keeps on the shifter it's not that bad. But all in all, she will probably find travelling more at 70mph (120kph)more relaxing. The cars you catch you can easily pass and you don't seem to be constantly catch and passing as when you travelling at 80-85mph (130-140kmph), not to say the bike won't do it but it is tiring on the 250 after a couple of days. Well seem to be getting a little long winded here so I'll wind it up and just suggest the 15t front sprocket and raising the forks,get some riding time on it and see how it goes. Welcome to the board.

September 25th, 2010, 10:28 AM	#22
rwheelz Moroccan Gold Imports Name: RJ Location: MT Join Date: Sep 2010 Motorcycle(s): '03 ZX9R, '03 ZX7R & wife's '09 250R Posts: 136	Yeah there was no speed limit here until the later 90s actually (it was before I lived here). The speed limit was "reasonable and prudent", but not any more. It is still a really lenient state for speeding though, for the most part. In regards to riding at high speed for extended periods, I think we are all saying the same thing: adjust your speed accordingly. The riding I am referring to is so out in the middle of nowhere that you can ride 10 minutes @ 100mph and never see a car from either direction. If you rode 75, it would take all damn day to get anywhere. Again, we dial it back for mountain roads or in areas where there are trees near the road or any kind of potential hazards. Doesn't putting a larger front sprocket on make the acceleration feel that much more anemic? I guess for our long trips that doesn't matter, since you are never really speeding up or slowing down anyway, but changing front sprockets is a bit of a PITA and I wouldn't want to do it often. I did not know the front forks are adjustable. I am not sure my wife will need any adjustment at <120 lbs. The rear is set on the softest setting and she said she likes the feel. I would definitely tighten that up if I were using the bike, but that will be rare.

September 26th, 2010, 09:55 PM	#24
KELPHYN ninjette.org guru Name: Calvin Location: Quesnel, B.C Join Date: Aug 2009 Motorcycle(s): '08 250R (sold), 2013 300SE Posts: 276	Yes it doesn't seem to make sense that raising the gearing would give you better performance on such a low output bike, but it just seems to work. It seems to make the lower gears more usable (3-4) without hitting the rev limiter or having the shift mid-corner and run to redline in 5th at just around 100mph,shift to sixth drops rpm down to peek of the torque curve for a little more top end. Nothing on this bike is arm wrenching, but any little bit helps. If you don't want change the front, try a 43t rear. She will find she will have to shift more often but the reward is there. When I first put on the 15t front I felt like the bike was slower, but once I found I could go into corner at the same speed a gear lower at wot and up shift at redline just as the bike is standing up on the exit and stay in the powerband, just seems to make the gears more usable. As for the forks, I never said they "weight" adjustable, I said there was a little bit of adjustment in the "height" as in raising the forks in the triple clamps (lowering the front of the bike). It was only about 1/16"-3/32", not much, but noticable in the handling, at least to me. Was just saying (not to sound defensive) there was a little room for movement (adjustment) for the forks under the bar raisers. My bike seemed to push the front in the corners and that was enough adjustment for me to live with without going to clip-ons. It still pushes a bit, but I that is usually at close to triple the recomended corner speed and pushing the limits of the BT-45s.(oops) Anyhoo, I'm sure you will find things that work for you and all these are just suggests that have worked for me. Everyone's needs are different. Just ride, have fun, and do want needs to be done for your/her needs. Might not have to change anything.