Need advice/tips on buying my first Ninja 250R

TopGun_BK · June 19th, 2015, 01:14 PM

I'm looking to get my first motorcycle and decided on the 250R. I've been hunting around on craigslist for a couple weeks but am skeptical about every bike because I'm not sure what all I should be looking for in a bike.
How many miles on the odometer is bad?
How many previous owners is too many?
Should cosmetic damage be a factor?
How much should I spend on the bike itself?

I'm not looking for exact answers necessarily, I'm just looking for advice and tips on what to look for in a bike! Thanks for the help!

Alex · June 19th, 2015, 01:15 PM

Some good information to start with in here:

https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=64673

johncrist1988 · June 19th, 2015, 01:58 PM

Link to original page on YouTube.

Link to original page on YouTube.

I'd watch those two, possibly subscribe to them both. Realistically I'd watch almost ALL of PwnsJones videos as they're extremely helpful. Do It With Dan is just fun

As far as how many miles is too many, keep in mind that a good well maintained engine will go for a good 70-80k miles before having major issues. I would highly stress that you should bring an experienced biker with you to test ride whatever motorcycle you choose because there's things you'll not feel in all your bliss that you need to know when the motorcycle is running. Things like shifting stiffness, kinks in the suspension, sounds the engine makes, etc.

Also, TAKE YOUR MSF (preferably first). It's invaluable and should be the first thing you do before even looking at getting a motorcycle. If I could do it all over again I'd take the MSF first, get my gear together second, and THEN buy a bike last. That's what the last 6 months of experience have taught me.

Once all that is out of the way, you'll know what to look for as far as owners, mileage, fairing damage, cost, etc

June 19th, 2015, 01:14 PM	#1
TopGun_BK ninjette.org newbie Name: Brian Location: Plymouth Join Date: Jun 2015 Motorcycle(s): None yet Posts: 2	Need advice/tips on buying my first Ninja 250R I'm looking to get my first motorcycle and decided on the 250R. I've been hunting around on craigslist for a couple weeks but am skeptical about every bike because I'm not sure what all I should be looking for in a bike. How many miles on the odometer is bad? How many previous owners is too many? Should cosmetic damage be a factor? How much should I spend on the bike itself? I'm not looking for exact answers necessarily, I'm just looking for advice and tips on what to look for in a bike! Thanks for the help!

June 19th, 2015, 01:15 PM	#2
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	Some good information to start with in here: https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=64673 __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

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June 19th, 2015, 01:58 PM	#3
johncrist1988 ninjette.org member Name: John Location: Phoenix, AZ Join Date: Apr 2015 Motorcycle(s): 2006 EX250-F "Sheldon" (Sold), 2010 Ninja 250R "Zeke" Posts: 129	Link to original page on YouTube. Link to original page on YouTube. I'd watch those two, possibly subscribe to them both. Realistically I'd watch almost ALL of PwnsJones videos as they're extremely helpful. Do It With Dan is just fun As far as how many miles is too many, keep in mind that a good well maintained engine will go for a good 70-80k miles before having major issues. I would highly stress that you should bring an experienced biker with you to test ride whatever motorcycle you choose because there's things you'll not feel in all your bliss that you need to know when the motorcycle is running. Things like shifting stiffness, kinks in the suspension, sounds the engine makes, etc. Also, TAKE YOUR MSF (preferably first). It's invaluable and should be the first thing you do before even looking at getting a motorcycle. If I could do it all over again I'd take the MSF first, get my gear together second, and THEN buy a bike last. That's what the last 6 months of experience have taught me. Once all that is out of the way, you'll know what to look for as far as owners, mileage, fairing damage, cost, etc