1st impressions

[mikromo]

Picked up my 2010 Mon. night, rode it home in a rainstorm 25 miles so I really didn't have real test until today. It's my day off, so after going over tire pressures, fluid levels, etc. I took off for my 40 mile loop. Bear in mind that my normal daily riders are a Honda VFR 800 Interceptor, and my big brute.... a Kawasaki ZRX1200R. So, 1st thing I notice is the light weight, and rather diminutive size. Didn't need to be warmed up nearly as much as it did when I picked it up, must have needed to be ridden. 2nd, Wow, 1st gear is very short, and I felt the need to shift up not long after she started rolling. I was pleasantly suprised at the midrange from 5000 rpm on up, so you can actualy ride this thing without having to rev it to the moon every shift. However, to move along smartly, reving it to at least 10,000 rpm was best. What fun! to ride this thing at or near full tilt is a blast. I was constantly suprised to go WFO from the get go, feel like I was on a racetrack, look down, and I'm hitting maybe 65mph...ha ha. If I rode either of my other scoots like this, I'd be dead or in jail, rev my VFR to redline in 3rd and you are well over 100mph. Twist the throttle WO on my ZRX, and it's like being launched into space, she won't stop pulling 'til north of 150mph. But, this 250....I forgot how much fun it was to ride a tiddler. Heck, I grew up riding 50's to 90's and we had a ball with those things, riding like crazy people and NEVER getting pulled over. As a matter of fact, in 1968 I bought a Yamaha "Twin Jet" 180 2 stroke 2 cylinder streetbike, and was convinced that I had finaly graduated to a "big" bike. So much so that I rode it from Jax Beach FL, to Leesburg, VA and back on my 1st ever over the road M/C ride. This little Ninja brings back some fond memories. I may have to keep this one in the stable......we'll see

[nightrider]

That is why even after over 50 thousand miles I'll be keeping mine forever.

[Alex]

[rasta]

Yeah, my only complaint with our Ninjettes is how quickly you have to chop thru the gears to get up to speed.

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by mikromo

Picked up my 2010 Mon. night, rode it home in a rainstorm 25 miles so I really didn't have real test until today. It's my day off, so after going over tire pressures, fluid levels, etc. I took off for my 40 mile loop. Bear in mind that my normal daily riders are a Honda VFR 800 Interceptor, and my big brute.... a Kawasaki ZRX1200R. So, 1st thing I notice is the light weight, and rather diminutive size. Didn't need to be warmed up nearly as much as it did when I picked it up, must have needed to be ridden. 2nd, Wow, 1st gear is very short, and I felt the need to shift up not long after she started rolling. I was pleasantly suprised at the midrange from 5000 rpm on up, so you can actualy ride this thing without having to rev it to the moon every shift. However, to move along smartly, reving it to at least 10,000 rpm was best. What fun! to ride this thing at or near full tilt is a blast. I was constantly suprised to go WFO from the get go, feel like I was on a racetrack, look down, and I'm hitting maybe 65mph...ha ha. If I rode either of my other scoots like this, I'd be dead or in jail, rev my VFR to redline in 3rd and you are well over 100mph. Twist the throttle WO on my ZRX, and it's like being launched into space, she won't stop pulling 'til north of 150mph. But, this 250....I forgot how much fun it was to ride a tiddler. Heck, I grew up riding 50's to 90's and we had a ball with those things, riding like crazy people and NEVER getting pulled over. As a matter of fact, in 1968 I bought a Yamaha "Twin Jet" 180 2 stroke 2 cylinder streetbike, and was convinced that I had finaly graduated to a "big" bike. So much so that I rode it from Jax Beach FL, to Leesburg, VA and back on my 1st ever over the road M/C ride. This little Ninja brings back some fond memories. I may have to keep this one in the stable......we'll see

Steady there Eddie!

[mikromo]

Just got back from a different loop, this one with lots more curves. When I got this bike there was an 1" of the outside of the tire that was never ridden on (chicken strips).....not anymore, maybe 1/8th of an inch now. This thing is a blast in the turns, had to re evaluate my braking points, as in don't need to brake much, unlike my big bikes, plus I can whack it WO from the apex out with little to no drama. Amazing how much fun can be had without breaking the law (by much). I did hold it WFO on a long straight after hitting 12,000 rpms through 4th at least, saw just under 100 before I let off. Before anyone gives me grief for riding like a hooligan, I've been riding and racing bikes for 49 years, and have no fear, or bad habits at speed. Remember, this bike has an inoperative rear brake (master cylinder is off, but I have it), the single disc up front is plenty powerful enough, 1st job is fix the rear brake though (I almost never use rear brakes). I need to stop grinning and leave this thing alone, or I'm going to want to keep it (the wife would be STEAMED). I buy and sell and keep the profits for wrenching on my other bikes. Right now I'm in the midst of restoring a 1970 Moto Guzzi 750 Ambassador, a real gem. Just a paint job and reassembly away from done. Who knows, I may sell the Guzz and keep the ninjette!

[250rr]

Originally Posted by mikromo

(I almost never use rear brakes)