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Old May 19th, 2018, 05:21 PM   #1
GixSixR1S3Ninj
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Ex250 vs ex500

Hello.

Has anyone here owned both, or moved up from a ninja 250 to an ex500?

Was it worth it? Is the 500 significantly more comfortable or quicker?
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Old May 19th, 2018, 08:09 PM   #2
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I had EX500 over 10-yrs ago while at university. When I upgraded to 250, it was like "wow!!! Why didn't i do this before?"

EX500 - faster, but felt slow. This was partly due to comparing with my VF500 at the time. Handling was rubbery due to soft suspension (softer than 250 even). More weight along with longer wheelbase made it feel more like cruising or touring bike. With same skinny tyres as 250, in twisty mountain roads, I could never go very fast, it was always nervous and wallowy.

EX250 - feels like proper Ferrari compared to 500. It felt low, sleek, raw like a... panther at night. Capable, but understated. Hopping on, it immediately felt much more sporting than the 500. It was much more maneuverable through traffic. I could extract faster braking with confidence out of it. In mountains, 250 was untouchable. Crisp, taunt handling with telepathic steering.

Last futzed with by DannoXYZ; May 20th, 2018 at 12:12 PM.
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Old May 19th, 2018, 08:15 PM   #3
MR2Aaron
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I've owned both. The EX500, with almost double the power, is obviously faster. Depending on the sort of riding you do, it may be more appropriate, as its greater mass and power make riding it at highway speed less dramatic.

I actually prefer the 250. They are, in reality, mostly the same, but for some reason, I always felt that the 500 felt extremely agricultural.

If you're asking "What should I trade up to from the Ninja 250?," the real answer is save a few more pennies and get a Ninja 650, SV650 or FZ07.
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Old May 20th, 2018, 07:39 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DannoXYZ View Post
When I upgraded to 250, it was like "wow!!! Why didn't i do this before?.
I'm glad you pointed out that going bigger is not necessarily an upgrade. Few motorcycles are as fun as a Ninja 250 in the twisties.
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Old May 20th, 2018, 12:08 PM   #5
DannoXYZ
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Originally Posted by MR2Aaron View Post
Ibut for some reason, I always felt that the 500 felt extremely agricultural.
AHahhah!!! That's one word I was searching for! Sums up boring, heavy, but functional aspect of EX500. Was never first bike I grabbed from garage when I wanted to go for ride.
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Old May 20th, 2018, 12:22 PM   #6
GixSixR1S3Ninj
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I’ve actually always liked the look of the ex500, it just looks so proportional.
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Old May 21st, 2018, 01:13 AM   #7
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i had both. the 250 by far is the better of the two. the weight is the key.
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Old May 21st, 2018, 07:10 AM   #8
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I raced an EX-500 back in the day, and it was OK, but it never made me want to buy one as a street bike.

We have had 2 Ninja 250s and 1 Ninja 500 as street bikes. While they were not my primary bikes (my boys owned them), I did ride them on occasion.

The Ninja 500 (2009) was clean and ran well. It felt rather low to me, but had decent wind protection. It didn't feel heavy to me, compared to my SV650. With new tires it handled predictably. Power in the mid to upper range was not bad. Overall, if you were planning to go longer distances and do more highway (with occasional backroads) riding it would a decent choice. It is a bit boring in some ways though. If you are taller (6'+) or heavier (200#+) the torque and overall size of the 500 might suit you better.

More EX500 info - www.ex-500.com

The 250s are definitely more fun. Do the proper maintenance and let 'er rip. Both of ours spent most of their time over 10,000 RPMs without a hickup. With new tires and some basic suspension mods it was a good handler that liked the corners. Downside is extended cruising at highway speeds. You can change a few things (gearing, windscreen) to help make it better on the highway, but it lacks the wind protection and stability of the 500 - mostly because it's a lot lighter. So if you are running around in-town or doing more backroads and cornering, you would most likely prefer the 250.

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Old May 21st, 2018, 08:11 AM   #9
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I've owned both. EX500 first, then a newgen 250 after a hiatus of some years.

I liked the power of the 500 a lot. I didn't find it comfortable on long rides, however. I felt that the newgen 250's seat was better. I'll note here that I did tours on both bikes.

I should note here that by the time I got the 250, I was taking riding a lot more seriously and had better skills.

Overall, I preferred the 250 for the reasons stated above.
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