March 31st, 2018, 10:53 PM | #1 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Ryan
Location: San Francisco
Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250, '11 Street Triple R Posts: 337
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First. Not first
Welp.
Came home with a 2018 Ninja 400 today. It's gonna take me a while to stop saying "Ninja 250" when referring to it. Ten years ago, I bought a new 2008 Ninja 250. It was my first bike, and I stubbornly hung onto it while feeling some peer pressure to get a bigger bike. I rode the 250 to Big Sur, Los Angeles, Crater Lake, Seattle, Yosemite, Death Valley, Zion, and Grand Canyon. When I finally sold the bike -- some 60k miles later -- it was to buy another 250, the Yamaha WR250R. The WR was totaled about a year and a half ago, and I've been getting by with a temperamental Street Triple. I've missed having a small bike, for a number of reasons. I miss the bulletproof reliability, and the ease through San Francisco traffic, but mostly I miss having a bike I can wring out. The Street Triple has 3x the power of my earlier 250s, but I've never been as fast on it. More importantly, I haven't had as much fun on it. When I had the 250, I'd often think to myself that if the bike made 40hp I'd never need another bike. Enter the Ninja 400. It's the bike I wanted my 250 to be. Same weight. (Minus one gallon of gas.) More power. Fuel injection. Stiffer suspension. (It's a bit bouncy over rough stuff.) So I got it. Picked up the 400 today from a dealer in Petaluma -- their price is better than the shop in the city, and it came with a free ride down the coast. They told me I'm the first to buy a Ninja 400 from them. I had my pick of four -- one KRT, one orange, one black with ABS, and one blue without. If you've seen my 250, the decision shouldn't be a surprise. About me:
Impressions after 80 miles of coast home on the Ninja 400:
Alright, now for the engine.
I got the bike home with 80 miles on the odo (up from 0), parked it next to my Street Triple. Feels good to have a small bike in the garage again. Of the small bikes I've owned -- Ninja 250, Suzuki DR350, Yamaha WR250R -- the Ninja 400 is the first that both satisfies the small-bike itch and doesn't leave me daydreaming "what if...more?" I'm looking forward to fully breaking in the motor so I can rip on it guilt-free. (*The only time in 60k miles the 250 didn't have enough power was crossing the state of Arizona on a 70mph highway with massive headwinds. I was being passed by semis. I blame my sail-like saddlebags.)
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The Sunday Best | Current mileage: 50,000 Last futzed with by Angel-be-Good; April 1st, 2018 at 07:12 AM. |
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March 31st, 2018, 11:40 PM | #2 |
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.
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April 1st, 2018, 03:14 AM | #3 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Roger
Location: Mitchell, South Dakota
Join Date: Apr 2014 Motorcycle(s): 1978 Z1R, 1999 EX250 Posts: A lot.
MOTY - 2018, MOTM - Oct '16
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Nice looking bike, and a nice writeup, thanks.
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April 1st, 2018, 03:58 AM | #4 |
"a legend in my own mind"
Name: maverick9611
Location: Augusta,Georgia
Join Date: May 2017 Motorcycle(s): 2015 moto guzzi norge,2020 aprilia dorsoduro, 2014 yamaha fjr, 85 yamaha fj 1100 Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Feb '18
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great write up. I've been to the same kawi shop when i lived in novato. they are great!
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April 1st, 2018, 04:38 AM | #5 |
Cat herder
Name: Gort
Location: A secret lair which, being secret, has an undisclosed location
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I am NOT an adrenaline junkie, I'm a skill junkie. - csmith12 Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est. Heri historia. Cras mysterium. Hodie donum est. Carpe diem. |
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April 1st, 2018, 04:58 AM | #6 |
"a legend in my own mind"
Name: maverick9611
Location: Augusta,Georgia
Join Date: May 2017 Motorcycle(s): 2015 moto guzzi norge,2020 aprilia dorsoduro, 2014 yamaha fjr, 85 yamaha fj 1100 Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Feb '18
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how was the the out the door price?(if u don't mind sharing)
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"trying not to get old" |
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April 1st, 2018, 07:01 AM | #7 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Ryan
Location: San Francisco
Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250, '11 Street Triple R Posts: 337
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Not bad. I went to another dealer in the city before, they quoted me ~ $6,800. This place in Petaluma wanted $6,000. Easy choice.
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April 1st, 2018, 07:13 AM | #8 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Rick
Location: Alexandria, Louisiana
Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 05 Blue Ninja 250 Posts: Too much.
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Awesome write up ! Thanks, got me thinking now.
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April 1st, 2018, 10:13 AM | #9 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Tom
Location: Northern Virginia
Join Date: Jul 2015 Motorcycle(s): 2001 Ninja 250, 2019 Harley Ultra Classic, 2001 Suzuki SV650 Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Jan '16
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You #1
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April 1st, 2018, 03:04 PM | #10 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Kerry
Location: Ventura, CA
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Nice! I was just in a shop here looking at 400s. Thanks for the pics and the write-up!
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April 1st, 2018, 04:57 PM | #11 |
sammich maker
Name: snot
Location: West Ohio - in the kitchen
Join Date: Feb 2012 Motorcycle(s): 2013 white 300, 09 KLX 250 SF, 09 thunder blue 250(traded) Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Apr '15
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April 2nd, 2018, 10:13 PM | #12 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Ryan
Location: San Francisco
Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250, '11 Street Triple R Posts: 337
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A few more impressions:
I did some more searching on the Ninja 400, looks like in Japan they're also selling a Ninja 250 with the exact same bodywork (and apparently 36hp?!). From what I can tell, the blue color I got is available only on the 250 in Japan. Black is available only on the 400. Happy to answer any questions anyone has about the bike.
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The Sunday Best | Current mileage: 50,000 |
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April 3rd, 2018, 04:03 AM | #13 | |
Cat herder
Name: Gort
Location: A secret lair which, being secret, has an undisclosed location
Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): Aprilia RS660 Posts: A lot.
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Quote:
Ride faster.
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I am NOT an adrenaline junkie, I'm a skill junkie. - csmith12 Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est. Heri historia. Cras mysterium. Hodie donum est. Carpe diem. |
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April 3rd, 2018, 06:50 AM | #14 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: AKA JacRyann
Location: Mesa, AZ
Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): CB125T CBR250R-MC19 CBR250RR-MC22 NSR350R-MC21 VF500F CBR600RR SFV650 VFR750F R1M ST1300PA Valkyrie-F6C Posts: A lot.
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Awesome review!
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April 3rd, 2018, 06:58 AM | #15 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Ryan
Location: San Francisco
Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250, '11 Street Triple R Posts: 337
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Only if you insist
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April 3rd, 2018, 07:17 AM | #16 |
Cat herder
Name: Gort
Location: A secret lair which, being secret, has an undisclosed location
Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): Aprilia RS660 Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 6
MOTM - Jul '18, Nov '16, Aug '14, May '13
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The party starts at 9,000 rpm, brother.
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I am NOT an adrenaline junkie, I'm a skill junkie. - csmith12 Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est. Heri historia. Cras mysterium. Hodie donum est. Carpe diem. |
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April 3rd, 2018, 09:51 AM | #17 |
Fighting Texas Aggie '05
Name: Neil
Location: Hutto, TX
Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): '07 ZX6R, '08 Versys, '09 250R Track, '93 F2/F3 Track Posts: A lot.
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Yep.....I'm jealous. I want one now. In blue. Thanks......
LOL congrats
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April 3rd, 2018, 10:09 AM | #18 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: AKA JacRyann
Location: Mesa, AZ
Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): CB125T CBR250R-MC19 CBR250RR-MC22 NSR350R-MC21 VF500F CBR600RR SFV650 VFR750F R1M ST1300PA Valkyrie-F6C Posts: A lot.
MOTY - 2018, MOTM - Nov '17
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What's top-speed on that sucker? About 115mph???
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April 3rd, 2018, 10:36 AM | #19 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Ryan
Location: San Francisco
Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250, '11 Street Triple R Posts: 337
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I have not reached it, but I've seen some people on YouTube claim it's about 110mph.
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April 4th, 2018, 07:16 AM | #20 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Ryan
Location: San Francisco
Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250, '11 Street Triple R Posts: 337
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The Sunday Best | Current mileage: 50,000 |
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April 4th, 2018, 07:29 AM | #21 |
Cat herder
Name: Gort
Location: A secret lair which, being secret, has an undisclosed location
Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): Aprilia RS660 Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 6
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Definitely the fastest color.
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I am NOT an adrenaline junkie, I'm a skill junkie. - csmith12 Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est. Heri historia. Cras mysterium. Hodie donum est. Carpe diem. |
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April 18th, 2018, 03:49 AM | #22 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Patrick
Location: NC
Join Date: Nov 2015 Motorcycle(s): DR350, Ninja 250 Posts: 69
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I too own a Ninja 250. Started on one many years ago, had a few bikes in between (SV650, VFR800, XR250L, DR350), and purchased Ninja another three or so years ago. Currently have the DR and Ninja in the garage. Rode the latter 8000 miles around the entire country last summer. It would have been nice to have the extra power of the 400 while fighting head winds in South Dakota, but it was otherwise remarkably competent the entire trip.
I've seen your posts (and blog) before; I could have sworn you posted over on BARF for a while. Regardless, I'm glad to see you have another blue Ninja in the garage. Seems fitting. |
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April 20th, 2018, 09:05 AM | #23 | |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Ryan
Location: San Francisco
Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250, '11 Street Triple R Posts: 337
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Quote:
Yeah, I used to be pretty active on BARF ✌️
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The Sunday Best | Current mileage: 50,000 |
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