Why do you ride a Ninja 250

[C-Bass]

Originally Posted by cadd

I ride the ninjette because of its low maintenance, excellent fuel economy (which isn't working out for me with my particular bike) and low insurance premiums.

My first bike (10 yrs ago) was a late 90s 900cc Fireblade. Retarded decision. Rode it for 2 months and sold it back to the previous owner (my buddy). It's just not a good bike to ride in NYC. Never left 2nd gear.

My 2nd bike (9yrs ago) was a 600cc F4. Also not that great for nyc riding. Sold it back to the previous owner (another buddy) after the summer.

The following year, I took the MSF course....but life happened. No time to ride.

Fast forward 10yrs and here I am with the 250. By far the most fun out of the three. It's so much more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow. It's more involving and more technical. With the big bikes, the torque is there, so it doesn't matter what gear I'm in, I'll just twist the throttle and go.

With the 250, it gets more technical and you HAVE to get everything right. If not, you'll bog down the motor and the bike will gently remind you that your technique is a bit off.

Well said!

It's just a fun motorcycle to ride around town! I always wanted one in my collection and at nearly a 40% discount on a new one I just had to go for it.

I'm looking forward to increasing performance with a full system exhaust to start.

[GearMonkey]

Originally Posted by reroka

At a stop light, I riding to work and about 4 20 somethings kids all on 650s and above pointed at me and said I was a Wussy and laughed but place a P where the w is.

Sounds like they're the ones having to prove they're not "wussies".

If 600-1000 bikes are so superior, then why are all these <600cc bikes coming out and selling so well?

I've never felt underpowered during normal street & highway rides. Sure, I get passed on the straightaways on the track but I'm not competing with anyone but myself there.

When I first got the bike all I kept hearing was "why a 250", "It's too small", and "You'll want to upgrade after 6months". Nope nope and more nope. I'm perfectly happy with my bike, it fits my riding style, personality and budget. Ducatis are nice to look at but they don't fit my style, nor could I afford one.

To each their own. Live and let ride!

[jgcable]

Originally Posted by GearMonkey

Sounds like they're the ones having to prove they're not "wussies".

If 600-1000 bikes are so superior, then why are all these <600cc bikes coming out and selling so well?

I've never felt underpowered during normal street & highway rides. Sure, I get passed on the straightaways on the track but I'm not competing with anyone but myself there.

When I first got the bike all I kept hearing was "why a 250", "It's too small", and "You'll want to upgrade after 6months". Nope nope and more nope. I'm perfectly happy with my bike, it fits my riding style, personality and budget. Ducatis are nice to look at but they don't fit my style, nor could I afford one.

To each their own. Live and let ride!

Here is the reality.... probably 90% of Ninja 250 owners trade or sell their bikes after a year and "upgrade" to a 600 or bigger. They do this for several reasons..
#1. Peer pressure. Its the same reason Harley Davidson Sportster owners trade their sporty's in after a year and get big twins. They just get tired of hearing the phrases.. chick bike, your wifes bike, your starter bike etc.....
The sad thing about this is many times that person would have rather kept their 250r or sportster but most people can't afford to have 2 bikes.

#2. They get tired of getting SMOKED by the 600's and up sport bikes. After all... unless you are on the track or in the twisties you have NO CHANCE of keeping up with anything over a 600cc sport bike. I know this first hand. I have owned 600's and litre bikes. You simply CANNOT hang with them unless you are a very experienced rider and you are in the twisties or on the track.

#3. They want to do more 2 up riding. The 250r is not suited for 2 up riding. It can be done but its not very comfortable.

#4. They just feel the need to get a flashier bike. Hey.. the Ninja 250r is a nice looking bike but it is dated looking. You simply can't compare the styling of a pre gen Ninja to one of the new 600's or larger bikes. Try this.. park your 250r next to a Hayabusa or a ZX14R and see how it looks. It looks like a scooter, it performs like a scooter.. it might as well be a scooter. There is simply no comparison.

With that said... the Ninja 250r has a loyal cult following that will never sell their bikes. IMHO.. this constitutes about 10% of the owners out there. The other 90% are selling or trading in their bikes after 1 season which is NOT long enough time in the seat to know what you are doing. That's why so many sport bike riders end up crashing a few times before they get their **** together.

[GearMonkey]

Originally Posted by jgcable

Here is the reality.... probably 90% of Ninja 250 owners trade or sell their bikes after a year and "upgrade" to a 600 or bigger. They do this for several reasons..
#1. Peer pressure. Its the same reason Harley Davidson Sportster owners trade their sporty's in after a year and get big twins. They just get tired of hearing the phrases.. chick bike, your wifes bike, your starter bike etc.....
The sad thing about this is many times that person would have rather kept their 250r or sportster but most people can't afford to have 2 bikes.

#2. They get tired of getting SMOKED by the 600's and up sport bikes. After all... unless you are on the track or in the twisties you have NO CHANCE of keeping up with anything over a 600cc sport bike. I know this first hand. I have owned 600's and litre bikes. You simply CANNOT hang with them unless you are a very experienced rider and you are in the twisties or on the track.

#3. They want to do more 2 up riding. The 250r is not suited for 2 up riding. It can be done but its not very comfortable.

#4. They just feel the need to get a flashier bike. Hey.. the Ninja 250r is a nice looking bike but it is dated looking. You simply can't compare the styling of a pre gen Ninja to one of the new 600's or larger bikes. Try this.. park your 250r next to a Hayabusa or a ZX14R and see how it looks. It looks like a scooter, it performs like a scooter.. it might as well be a scooter. There is simply no comparison.

With that said... the Ninja 250r has a loyal cult following that will never sell their bikes. IMHO.. this constitutes about 10% of the owners out there. The other 90% are selling or trading in their bikes after 1 season which is NOT long enough time in the seat to know what you are doing. That's why so many sport bike riders end up crashing a few times before they get their **** together.

I suppose I'm part of the minority. #1. I love my bike for what it is and don't care what other people think, it's my bike not theirs. #2. That is true, I ride with some 600s and 1000s and get to watch their rear ends disappear in the distance, but that doesn't affect my ride, I'll see them again at the red light. #3. The 250 is underpowered for 2 up, I agree. #4. Looks are subjective. Some like the look of the pregens (not for me). But hey, we've all had that friend who talks about his really hot girlfriend then when you finally meet her you realize your friend needs new glasses, right?

@jgcable, good insight into other riders reasons to move on or poke fun at 250s, but I'm a happy little guppy in this sea of riders.

Viva la minority!!!

[evidens83]

Originally Posted by Insane Pie

This is my first bike, absolutely love it though. A few people have said some negative stuff, but after finding this ninjette community, I love my bike even more.

+1 This bike is just too much fun. Gonna end up giving it to my wife but it will always be my 1st love

[SmithSwede]

I'm 52 years old, been riding 35 years. I've had many, many different bikes over time. Currently have two other bikes besides my 250 (a Guzzi Stone and a BMW F800S). I ride daily, and usually put on about 20,000 a year.

Why do I ride the 250? Mainly because it is about the most FUN bike I've ever experienced. Superb handling and brakes, extremely comfortable for long solo trips, and a very entertaining engine. Incredibly reliable and cheap to operate.

Finally, it teaches you to be a much better rider.

I don't care what anyone else says or thinks about it, because I know what I want and like, and I know the 250 delivers.

[verboten1]

Why do I ride a ninja 250?

Because my wife drove her car and left the bike in the shed? Its way better on the expressway than my klr, way fun aground town and people.givemenfunny looks.I love it

[sonny4472]

I have had many bikes over the years, Mostly 600 sport bikes. I currently own a Buell 1125r. Of all the bikes I've owned, the 250R is by far my favorite.
I get crap from people too, even though I'm a 20+ year riding veteran. I'll tell you though, anyone who has ridden with me in the twisties has to make excuses for why their bigger bike was slower than mine.

[jgcable]

I found you just have to have a thick skin if you are an adult and you ride a 250cc bike on the street.
I have been thinking about it and I can say the single most important reason I enjoy riding this little bike is how much I can utilize the motor while driving on the street and still not be riding over the speed limit. I am not a speeder. I ride with the flow of traffic. In the backroads, I ride at safe speeds. Sometimes that's 20+ mph over the posted limit but as long as I am having fun the speed I am riding is perfect. With this specific bike I can shift and flick the bike around like I am at a closed race track and still maintain a reasonable speed. Try that on anything 600 or over and its just not as fun.
I just wish fellow bikers would just get over the fact that its a 250 and accept that its a motorcycle and that I am having fun on it. The last 250 I had was a 2001. At the same time I owned a 1200cc sportster. Every time I took that 250 out I got crap from just about anybody anywhere that had a bigger bike. The majority of the comments would include "why are you on this bike when you could be on your Harley). Well... I am preparing myself for the same crap once my work in progress 250 is done because I also have a 2006 Harley Davidson Dyna WideGlide custom.

[sonny4472]

+1 with jgcable

[capt_bugaloo]

Does anyone really give you that much crap over riding a small bike?
In 22 years of riding, I can count on maybe two hands the number of times anyone has given me any lip about being on a small bike - and it's usually someone in a car or truck asking me why I don't ride a Harley.

[ninjabrewer]

Cheap, I get 60 MPG, its paid for, and I don't need to compensate for any short comings.

nb

[Falcor]

Don't worry about all the haters, after a few thousand miles you'll have most of the essential skills down and will more than likely out ride all the kids on their super sports because they only know how to ride in a straight line fast.

Starting on a 250 gives you more room for error than most other bikes which makes it great to learn on.

The 250 has plenty of power for the streets and can go fast enough to get your license taken away, so why would anyone REALLY need a faster/bigger bike?

People will judge you mainly because they want their manhood to seem bigger than yours when in reality you're the more mature rider for picking the bike best suited for you. Those guys will most likely have skin rash and their bikes in the junk yard within a year, don't sweat it.

[gantt]

I ride it because its a fun bike. i rode it for eight months while i worked on the 650. I've been painting the wheels on the 250 for two weeks now and its killing me not riding that fun little bike.

[reroka]

I just wNted to ask this question. I ride for a couple of reasons. The first reason, my pt cruiser sucks on gas. Mt pt gets about 20 mpg. The 2nd, I have always wanted one. The CCS do not bother me. I know that a am a rookie on motorcycles. I wanted something wrong like giving to much gas while I am a stop light that I wold get knocked off.

When I decided to buy a motorcycle the sales man tried to sell me a ninja 1000 cc bike. I even told the guy that I ave never rode. The sales man side in a month I would come to his store and trade up. Well after two weeks on ridding I am not sure I want some bigger. This 250 has enough get up and go so if I get in to a bind by speeding up I camn
n. Last week I got he ninja up to 92 mph.

I love this little ninfa. I do not have an ego. So when people ask me why I wasted my monet on a bike that I am just going to give yp in 3 months. I tols the person, it my monet and I only need tp please my self not you.

[N-m]

My other bike is a '95 BMW GS. I wanted my second bike to be about as different as one can get from the GS, with an opportunity for extreme fuel efficiency.

[jgcable]

Originally Posted by reroka

I just wNted to ask this question. I ride for a couple of reasons. The first reason, my pt cruiser sucks on gas. Mt pt gets about 20 mpg. The 2nd, I have always wanted one. The CCS do not bother me. I know that a am a rookie on motorcycles. I wanted something wrong like giving to much gas while I am a stop light that I wold get knocked off.

When I decided to buy a motorcycle the sales man tried to sell me a ninja 1000 cc bike. I even told the guy that I ave never rode. The sales man side in a month I would come to his store and trade up. Well after two weeks on ridding I am not sure I want some bigger. This 250 has enough get up and go so if I get in to a bind by speeding up I camn
n. Last week I got he ninja up to 92 mph.

I love this little ninfa. I do not have an ego. So when people ask me why I wasted my monet on a bike that I am just going to give yp in 3 months. I tols the person, it my monet and I only need tp please my self not you.

I would like to comment.. 92mph is entirely too fast to be riding after only 2 weeks in the saddle.

[NevadaWolf]

I had the sales creep tell me the same thing, "in a few months you'll be back for this 650 or that 1000. Get one of them now and save yourself some cash."

This was after repeatedly saying I only wanted a 250, would only ride a 250, and had a love affair with the 250.

I did save some cash that day.... I walked out of the dealership and went to a private party selling a ultra sweet 250.

[jgcable]

My first bike was a 2001 Ninja 250r. I loved that bike. I learned to ride on it. It did everything great to me. The only thing it didn't do great was command ANY respect from ANY other riders. I think alot of beginner and even experienced riders on this forum are missing the point. Let me see if I can clarify a little. Most people that ride this bike are beginner riders. They lack the skills and the confidence when it comes to motorcycle riding so besides the fact that they are riding one of the smallest street bikes there are, they really have no skills to demonstrate how great these bikes actually are. Couple that with the fact that the Ninja 250r looks like a crotch rocket but in reality... there really isn't much under the fairing and it has the skinny rear tire and we all know how people feel about the size of your rear tire. The widest tire is always the coolest bike! lol... Add this stuff up and you are going to get razzed. Its a fact. Live with it or sell the bike and get something that you won't get razzed about. BUT.. here is something you beginner riders need to realize...I got this from Fast and Furious. Its not how you stand buy your bike.. its how your drive your bike. You aren't getting razzed because your bike is small and underpowered. You are getting razzed because you are a beginner rider and you don't know squat about riding yet. Its kind of an initiation into the world of motorcycle riding. I can prove this. I know a kid who is a hardcore motorcross rider. He is amazing and can do anything on a motorcycle. He can drag his knee on every turn and has complete control over a motorcycle. He rides a 250r that looks like it was dragged out of the lake and nobody would ever say crap to him because nobody can keep up with him on the street or the back roads. He isn't arrogant. He isn't dangerous. He is just one heck of a rider. Its not the bike that earns the respect. Its the rider.

Regarding dealerships talking you up to a bigger bike... they all do it. Every one of them. I do think its more prevalent at the Harley dealership as opposed to the sport bike dealerships. Try it. Go into a Harley dealership interested in a sportster and see how fast it is before you are sitting on a big twin that is double the price of the sportster you are interested in.

[reroka]

I guess it's the job of that sales man to get you to buy something that cost more. The up need to know though that a person new to riding will more than likely kill them self on a big bike. The 250 allows you to learn to ride so it prepares 5 out to go bigger. When I first started to ride and if I had a 650 I bet I would have died.

[capt_bugaloo]

I've been riding street bikes since April 1992. I've owned or rented a lot of bikes in that time, from a Honda 50cc scooter to a Harley Sportster. The last few years I've gravitated to small bikes like the Ninja 250. Where I live and ride, a larger sport bike just isn't very practical. You have to ride about 30 minutes out of town before you can get a large bike out of 3rd gear.

Maybe some 250s like a Virago or a Rebel wouldn't be ideal for the highways here, but the Ninja has more than enough juice to handle the 100 KPH speed limits.

It's also a lot cheaper on insurance and maintenance, so I can keep my Ninja on the road year-round for less money than it costs someone with a large bike to ride for just the summer.

[thisisbenji]

Originally Posted by jgcable

#2. They get tired of getting SMOKED by the 600's and up sport bikes. After all... unless you are on the track or in the twisties you have NO CHANCE of keeping up with anything over a 600cc sport bike. I know this first hand. I have owned 600's and litre bikes. You simply CANNOT hang with them unless you are a very experienced rider and you are in the twisties or on the track.

#3. They want to do more 2 up riding. The 250r is not suited for 2 up riding. It can be done but its not very comfortable.

These are the two reasons I got rid of my 250.

Although I loved it for what it was it just couldn't keep up with my riding buddies. Now we don't ride like lunatics or anything, but here in the midwest it's mostly straights. I would find myself actually going faster on the 250 than my buddies were on their 600s just so that I could catch back up.

Secondly, the passenger seat just wasn't comfortable for my girlfriend so she would never want to go on a ride longer than 30 minutes. Now that I have my FZ6 not only does she not complain about being uncomfortable, but I also feel more confident accelerating and braking in traffic with her on the back.

[jgcable]

Originally Posted by thisisbenji

These are the two reasons I got rid of my 250.

Although I loved it for what it was it just couldn't keep up with my riding buddies. Now we don't ride like lunatics or anything, but here in the midwest it's mostly straights. I would find myself actually going faster on the 250 than my buddies were on their 600s just so that I could catch back up.

Secondly, the passenger seat just wasn't comfortable for my girlfriend so she would never want to go on a ride longer than 30 minutes. Now that I have my FZ6 not only does she not complain about being uncomfortable, but I also feel more confident accelerating and braking in traffic with her on the back.

Gotta love those Fazers.

[Ninjinsky]

Originally Posted by chugs

It's a cheap track bike, easy on tires, and a ton of fun to ride fast.

Are they competitive at 40 bhp? I mean even the RGV of 20 years back was 62 BHP and very agile. Just sayin'

[Ninjinsky]

Because a camera flashed at a clock *** entering a 40 and I spent 2 weeks crapping myself waiting for the license shredder that never came.
(I wasn't really a nutter it was just one of those motorway road works where the left the signs and cameras up even though the cones were off and the road clear)
So, having a few points already, it was to remove temptation

Goodbye Gixer hello pootle mobile, I have grown to like it, especially the 70mpg part.
Next I bought a CX 500 custom for two up and touring and I just adore it

https://www.ninjette.org/forums/atta...1&d=1398878412

but the Little GPX deals with the part of me that is still 16

[sonny4472]

I bought my 250 while I already had a 650R and a ZZR600...
I still have the 250...
20+ years of riding experience taught me that I like cornering more than acceleration. The bike is also very comfy for me and confidence inspiring.
Went for a ride today, took the 250, left the Buell in the garage...