New member from Canada EH...lol

[ghettomike]

hey all,
im looking to get some info and float around on here. i have not got a bike yet, i got my licence 3 or 4 years ago (never on a real bike before and got 100% on the riding test...yes im a pro lol..only ever ridden my 49cc minibike and a moped once in highschool) and have been looking for a bike since but every time i find a good deal on a bike i check insurance and bam...its more than the bike. so now im 25 and insurance is somewhat cheaper. also there is this nice looking 250r , all other 250s were ugly till 07ish(a good looking bike means more to me than a fast bike)
i really like the 600zzr but its just too much for a bike i may ride 1 day a week. also...i dont want to commit to a big insurance policy as i am not sure if i will be able to ride, i was in a bad car accident 2.5years ago(other driver at fault) and have a few injuries from it.
so my questions im looking to answer...

1. how fast has everyone got bored with the power(or do you)? everyone i talk to on a 600-1000cc claims 250 is nothing and not to waste my money and go buy a old cruzer 600...well as i said earlier...im more about looks so ill pass on a shaft drive honda or whatever.

2.riding the bike...is it comfortable? i have disk issues in my back and a leaned over position is sometimes hard to get out of...well it always is.

3. insurance..what do you guys pay and anyone recomend a company in canada??
i got insurance quotes on the bike in 07 on the 2008 for something like 70 a month but i had to pay for a full year...sucks that that is the same my bro-in-law pays on his R1 that is somewhat heavily modded.

4. what are other 250s around the same price, quality etc that look equally modern and sporty. to be honest i loke the looks of the new 250r more than the gs500f which was one of my other options but the dual seat is ugly.

any info appreciated..sorry for the big intro.

[Alex]

ghettomike! Glad you found us...

[lockie]

Welcome from the great north.
My 250 is lots of bike for the roads here in the east. The 401 may be a challenge but That's one of the reasons I live out here.

Enjoy all the great stuff here.

[noche_caliente]

welcome Mike. I can't help with the CA-centered questions, but I can tell you that I'm not bored with the power of my baby girl a year later, nor do I envision becoming bored... and I don't lean over to reach the bars either, and I'm only 5'3. Assuming you're likely a bit taller than me, and thus with longer arms, you shouldn't have any trouble with the position.

[ghettomike]

thanks for the replies.
noche, that is great to know i wont be leaning on this bike, i am about 5:8 ish i think. now weight..im around 190...so ill probably be slower than you lol.
lockie, where are you from? im at dixie and 401

anykne know what the largest tires you can comfortably fir on it...that was another issue i had..i think they look a little thin. i have thought about puttin on a swing arm off a bigger bike if possible (physically and fincially) and if its worth it. also maybe a different front suspension setup. that needs a wider tire up front as well.

[sofo]

Welcome Mike.

I think in Ontario insurance is more expensive for faired sportbikes I'm afraid. Hence the similarity between you and your R1-enabled friend.

[ghettomike]

Originally Posted by sofo

Welcome Mike.

I think in Ontario insurance is more expensive for faired sportbikes I'm afraid. Hence the similarity between you and your R1-enabled friend.

maybe i should elaborate that a little:
me M2 ,25 yrs old, never owned a bike on the 250 i was around 70 a month
he is 36,married, "mature"(they havent met him lol) experienced with a M licence, race certified, taught the m2 course, been on a bike since he was about 18 and is about the same rate on a 2005 Yahamah R1

i got quotes on ninja 600 and cbr600 before and they were around 4-6000 a season...INSANE...oh and they wanted it all upfront.

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by ghettomike

all other 250s were ugly till 07ish

Hey Mike, welcome to the list, and I hope that you will settle for a beautiful new-gen Ninja 250 - my best advice. To make it a 600 or bigger the first bike of a new rider is foolhardy, ill-advised and potentially suicidal. The capability of the Ninja 250, pre or new gen, will take you months if not years to discover, and master.

Secondly, "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder". To many eyes in this site, the pre-gen Ninja 250s are far from "ugly" - mine included (a 2005 Ninja ZZR 250 - Canadian version of the Ninja 250R). I think it is as beautiful as the new-gen, just differently.

[sofo]

Originally Posted by ghettomike

maybe i should elaborate that a little:
me M2 ,25 yrs old, never owned a bike on the 250 i was around 70 a month
he is 36,married, "mature"(they havent met him lol) experienced with a M licence, race certified, taught the m2 course, been on a bike since he was about 18 and is about the same rate on a 2005 Yahamah R1

i got quotes on ninja 600 and cbr600 before and they were around 4-6000 a season...INSANE...oh and they wanted it all upfront.

Well his age, driving record and oddly enough, marital status will make the insurance on his R1 lower into the range you would pay for the 250R.

I've been away from Ontario for a few years but check out more insurance companies as some will have better rates than others. In B.C., it's one insurance company and the costs are done by displacement, the bigger you go the more you pay.

[lockie]

Mike....

I'm in Labrador most of the year but spend the summer's in Southern NB. I've only been on the 401 in a car passing through but the fast 4 lane highways here in the east are boring as hell so I avoid them. The ninja is a superb handling bike for the side roads and have lots of power for enjoying them. It will take years to outgrow it if you you're into riding to the best of your ability. The bike is also cheaper to own and maintain then the bigger bikes.

In Newfoundland and Labrador the insurance is much less expensive for 250 Ninja's than for the big bikes; although I had to insist on my agent double checking the rates (Co-operators) as she thought it was a restricted (her words) racing bike. Those insurance types don't read much more than their bloody manuals.

Go for the 250, take the course, eat the insurance costs and take your
time. You'll have lots of fun.

[ghettomike]

Originally Posted by Anthony_marr

Hey Mike, welcome to the list, and I hope that you will settle for a beautiful new-gen Ninja 250 - my best advice. To make it a 600 or bigger the first bike of a new rider is foolhardy, ill-advised and potentially suicidal. The capability of the Ninja 250, pre or new gen, will take you months if not years to discover, and master.

Secondly, "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder". To many eyes in this site, the pre-gen Ninja 250s are far from "ugly" - mine included (a 2005 Ninja ZZR 250 - Canadian version of the Ninja 250R). I think it is as beautiful as the new-gen, just differently.

My apologies...I should have said less appealing to me... Did not mean to offend anyone,or their bike,especially from someone who currently does not have a bike.
I just personally prefer the look of a superbike and the new gen seems to fit my taste better.
The the previous gen, around here all look like they have neen abused or covered in graphics from the 80s,yours looks clean,really like the blue,I want a black,white or blue one, but will settle for whatever I get the best deal on. I found 1 with 16,000km for 4grand,good deal?
Oh and just a heads up, I never keep any vehicle stock, so if I go through with the purchase you can bet on seeing a mod list come up...I usually don't like to paint anything but my bro-in-law just started playing with a airbrush...so we will see
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[miks]

Welcome mate.

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by ghettomike

My apologies...I should have said less appealing to me... Did not mean to offend anyone,or their bike,especially from someone who currently does not have a bike.
I just personally prefer the look of a superbike and the new gen seems to fit my taste better.
The the previous gen, around here all look like they have neen abused or covered in graphics from the 80s,yours looks clean,really like the blue,I want a black,white or blue one, but will settle for whatever I get the best deal on. I found 1 with 16,000km for 4grand,good deal?

Posted via Mobile Device

No problem, buddy. I'm not offended, through my bike might have been.

About the bike with 16,000 km for 4 grand, is it a pre- or new-gen? Not sure if it's a new-gen, but if it is a pre-gen ZZR, for reference, mine had only 3,000 km on the odometer (pretty well still being broken in), and not a scratch anywhere, when I bought it last November for just 3 grand.

[ghettomike]

Its a 2008 and I think it was red.
I still have yet to see one up close but someone from work has a 09 black 250 and I think he has it here today so I may finally get a chance to sit on one and see how I like it a little better.
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[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by ghettomike

Its a 2008 and I think it was red.
I still have yet to see one up close but someone from work has a 09 black 250 and I think he has it here today so I may finally get a chance to sit on one and see how I like it a little better.
Posted via Mobile Device

I'm glad that you are seriously considering a Ninja 250, and I hope you will get a good one at a fair price. I can guarantee you will love it, and will be amazed at what it can do. Allow me to stress again: a 600 is way too much bike for you at this point, and can easily turn against you in unexpected ways.

And before your take any bike on any twistie, may I strongly recommend that you master counter-steering first - the most important riding technique in my book. You possibly already know it, but if not, counter-steering means to steer the "wrong" way to make a curve, i.e. steer left in a right curve, and steer right in the left curve, at least initially. Others state it as pressing the right handle-bar forward when curving right, and pressing the left handle-bar forward when curving left. By steering left, the bike leans to the right, and vice versa. Never count on just using body-weight to lean the bike with. At very low speed, this might be okay, but at higher speed, the gyro-effect will tend to keep the bike vertical and going straight, and body weight transfer alone will not cut it. Only counter-steering can do it.

Enjoy the sport, and keep safe.

[ghettomike]

we did push steering in the course, i remember how to do it but we didnt get up to much speed to really feel how it works, but i got the idea.
kinda reminds me of drifting, turn 1 way go the other....but keepin grip on a bike is a little more important obviously lol.
day 1 of the course i cracked a joke about gettin good snow tires for my bike...the instructor froze up and said you cant ride bikes in the winter....his face looked soo scared...but when i said i was joking he was really relieved. LOL
he also told me i cant help my little sister walking her bike to where the lesson was.(i took the course with her)..she is 7 years older than me LOL

[ninjabrewer]

Welcome to the group. I can't comment on insurance in Canada, but so far, I'm not bored with the 250. It is my first bike and I got it for the gas milage. But after I have riding for a bit, I have found a new hobby. As for comfort, some have changed the seat as it is not the most comfortable out there. The riding position is not crouched over like other bikes, like the supersports. I have sat on few of those and the handlebars are lower than the 250's. Hope this helps.

nb

[Snake]

First of all hello and welcome.

1. how fast has everyone got bored with the power(or do you)? everyone i talk to on a 600-1000cc claims 250 is nothing and not to waste my money and go buy a old cruzer 600...well as i said earlier...im more about looks so ill pass on a shaft drive honda or whatever. - I have had my bike since I bought it new in 05 and I am still noy bored with the power output. It has all I need.
2.riding the bike...is it comfortable? i have disk issues in my back and a leaned over position is sometimes hard to get out of...well it always is.
_ The 250 body position is almost upright unlike other sport bikes but if you allready have back problems then a cruiser might be a better choice for you.
3. insurance..what do you guys pay and anyone recomend a company in canada??
i got insurance quotes on the bike in 07 on the 2008 for something like 70 a month but i had to pay for a full year...sucks that that is the same my bro-in-law pays on his R1 that is somewhat heavily modded. Can't answer that one.

4. what are other 250s around the same price, quality etc that look equally modern and sporty. to be honest i loke the looks of the new 250r more than the gs500f which was one of my other options but the dual seat is ugly. -There are no other 250's in the same class.

[BlueTyke]

Welcome to the boards!

[KJohnson21]

[Talonne]

Hey fellow canuck.

There are no other 250cc sport bikes available, unfortunately. I was looking for the same thing! The Ninjette is in a class of its own.

Insurance for me (26 year-old female) is $452 annually from State Farm. I believe there are multi-vehicle discounts if you also insure your car with them. I called around to a bunch of other places and quotes actually went all the way up to $1106 annually, which is freaking insane -- almost as much as my car! Same amount of coverage. Just call as many places as you can, but I suggest State Farm as a starting point.

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by Talonne

Hey fellow canuck.

There are no other 250cc sport bikes available, unfortunately. I was looking for the same thing! The Ninjette is in a class of its own.

Yes there is - the Hyosung GT250R. Go to www.youtube.com and search for [Ninja Hyosung 250], and you will see a video of a professional comparison between the two, which puts the Ninja on top.

Its URL is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkqDzeCVkX0

[BlueRaven]

Anyone that has negative things to say about the ninja 250 obviously has never riden one