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Old July 11th, 2020, 05:32 PM   #1
Gearbox Paul
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
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What is to look for in a used Ninja 250R

First post on this forum so please bear with me if this has been answered already. I am in the market for a used Ninja 250, ideally a 2008+. I've been doing some research on these bikes and I think they will work for what I am looking for. My question is the following: When looking at used Ninja 250's, is there something specific to the bike that I should be looking for or asking for ? For example, are there any known bike defects or weak points that I should know about or check for? Any specific maintenance related questions I should be asking? Any specific telltales on the bike that would indicate a problem or concern?

I'm an experienced (30+ year) rider so I'm not new to motorcycles. So i'm not looking for generalities in what to look for in used motorcycles. But I am new to this specific bike, so if there are any quirks or issues with the this specific bike, it would be good to know ahead of time.

As an introduction, I presently own a 2007 CBR 125R which I'm happy with. I normally only ride in the city but I would like to have a little more power to occasionally go on the freeway. I am hoping the Ninja 250R will provide that.

Thanks in advance for your replies. Hoping to join the Ninja 250 family soon.
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Old July 12th, 2020, 10:30 AM   #2
DannoXYZ
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Hi Paul and welcome to Ninjette!

I believe you have FI model in your area? Which alleviates a TONNE of possible problems relating to fuel petcock and carbs when sitting for more than 3-months. Should check following:

- compression/leakdown test to determine condition of engine innards
- inspect interior of tank with powerful torche and look for rust
- service records, look for valve-clearance inspection and adjustment, should be done every 7500-miles
- tyres, not too old and no cracks in sidewall allowed
- brakes, discs are smooth and pads not worn. Firm lever & pedal squeeze
- steering head bearings, shouldn’t have freepoay. Test for wobbling clunks when pushing forwards and backwards and applying front brake
- wheel-bearings, grab top of wheel at tyre and shove sideways back & forth. Should have bike securely up on stands when doing this to remove weight from bearings


These bikes are pretty bulletproof. Takes lots of abuse without too many issues
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Old July 12th, 2020, 05:31 PM   #3
Gearbox Paul
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Thanks for the reply. I am in Canada. In this area, I believe the 08-12 model year bikes were carburated unfortunately. So yes, that opens up more issues with old fuel, dirty carbs, etc. especially for a bike that has been sitting around for a while.

Glad to hear your comment about the bike being bullet-proof. Coming from a CBR 125 that is pretty well indestructible, I am hoping the same reliability in the Ninja.

Paul
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Old July 12th, 2020, 10:36 PM   #4
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MOTY - 2018, MOTM - Nov '17
Ah yes, 08-12 FI 250s would be in European and Asian markets then.

In which case, add to top of your list carbs, petcock and tank inspection. If it’s been sitting for more than 3-months, count on full carb refurb. Not just to clear clogs (spray carb-cleaners no longer work), but also plan on replacing all rubber hoses, seals and O-rings in petcock and carbs simply due to age. Luckily for you, ducatiman, the god of carbs, is located near you in NY. Does very comprehensive refurb & restoration work on carbs & petcock with extremely reasonable rates and quick turn-around.

Also this model has “positive neutral finder” feature that makes it easy to put into neutral at stop. Lots of people get mixed up and think transmission is broken because it won’t shift out of neutral into 2nd gear. Some people have even removed engine and split cases and pulled apart transmission to fix. But this is “feature” and bike is working as intended. It wont go into 2nd-gear unless rear-wheel is spinning.

I’ve owned all variety of bikes and have found that Honda and Kawasaki makes the most-reliable and durable bikes. They can take A LOT of neglect and abuse and keep on going. If they’re well-maintained, they last forever!
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Old July 13th, 2020, 07:20 AM   #5
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I'd add these checks:
  • Brake light: depress Front Brake Lever(check), depress Rear Brake(check) and depress BOTH (check)
  • Check the color of the brake fluid (dark = old = needs changing)
  • Check for leaks at Fork seals
  • Take a picture of the DOT code on tires to determine age
  • Ask seller to prep for a cold start for you: don't start it before you arrive. You can lightly touch the exhaust to see if it was warm before you start it up.

The engine should be silky smooth when you rev it: it is even for my 2008.
Driving in town should be great because the suspension is nimble and under 60MPH is a perfect bike. Merging into freeway/highway takes a little more revving, though.
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Old July 14th, 2020, 11:37 PM   #6
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These 08 Ninjas are pretty much bullet proof everywhere. Aside from the common stuff like checking:Brakes, Age of tires, Suspension and Fork seals.

I would focus on the idle when the bike gets to operating temps. Make sure it idles right because the valves maybe out of spec if not a vacuum leak or out of sync. Most 250s for sale out there can't get their idles dialed in, at least the ones I was checking out to buy. My Ninja idles right but that's because I replaced all the vacuum hoses with OEM and paid $450 for a valve adjustment & carb sync.
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Old July 15th, 2020, 06:24 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BoBO View Post
These 08 Ninjas are pretty much bullet proof everywhere. Aside from the common stuff like checking:Brakes, Age of tires, Suspension and Fork seals.

I would focus on the idle when the bike gets to operating temps. Make sure it idles right because the valves maybe out of spec if not a vacuum leak or out of sync. Most 250s for sale out there can't get their idles dialed in, at least the ones I was checking out to buy. My Ninja idles right but that's because I replaced all the vacuum hoses with OEM and paid $450 for a valve adjustment & carb sync.
Yup, I agree.
If the idle RPM is jumpy, it's a clear sign vacuum is leaky. This can be the case for such an old vehicle and, as with most older vehicles, the rubbers are the ones that go first.
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Old July 15th, 2020, 07:37 PM   #8
Gearbox Paul
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Thanks for all you replies. That's good information to have when checking a new bike.
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Old July 25th, 2020, 02:10 PM   #9
Gearbox Paul
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I've now joined the Ninja community. Just purchased a 2010 Ninja 250R. It has a Yoshimura TRC slip on exhaust, frame sliders, some after market flush mount front turn signals and rest is all stock as far as I can tell. It runs beautifully so hopefully it is mechanically sound. Having said that, the bike looks like it needs some TLC so I'm not confident that the maintenance schedule was religiously followed.

Evidently the bike has been dropped multiple times by previous owners on both sides and the fairings have many scuffs and one has a few cracks. I'm confident I can repair the fairing cracks and scuffs. Not perfectly, but better than it is now.

But my first priority is to purchase on insert kit for that slip on exhaust. It sounds great but is way too loud (my neighbors will hate me, and I'm quite sure that it's illegal in my part of the world). The flush mount signals are also illegal here so those will have to go as well. Then I'll tackle the fairing repairs.

I got the bike for cheap (I think) and I'm pleased with it so far. Hopefully I don't find too many surprises when I remove all the fairings and thoroughly inspect the bike.

So I'm glad to have joined your community and I'll surely reach out for help going forward.
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Old July 25th, 2020, 02:22 PM   #10
arthury
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Congrats! Welcome to the world of 250R.

I would highly suggest getting the electronic version of the Service Manual so that you have a reference to go to for the maintenance you plan to do.

I also find this Channel quite useful although he is a little wordy at times.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5B...tzz8V5QkrKCdhg

If you have not bought the back and front stands, please consider getting them. They are invaluable for any servicing work. Besides, they can also be a good wintering stand. As many would recommend, PitBull is a trustworthy brand. Buy it directly from them.
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Old July 25th, 2020, 07:42 PM   #11
DannoXYZ
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MOTY - 2018, MOTM - Nov '17
Woohoo!!! Congrats on joining the family!!!

I've got set of factory turn-signals if you want to trade.
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Old July 26th, 2020, 06:36 PM   #12
Gearbox Paul
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Thanks guys. Looking forward to learning from this forum.
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