List the modifications on this bike
Just an add-on to what I wrote before - this bike takes awhile to warm up when you first start it. You have to stay by the bike, constantly adjusting the choke up and down because she won't stay at a normal idle. The other thing I noticed was after the bike had about 10000 miles on it, starting it was a real problem if you hadn't ridden it for awhile. When the starter button was pushed, it sounding like the battery was going dead. Sometimes it would take 20 minutes of trying, and you had to be careful of 1) not flooding the engine and 2) not burning out the starter. Eventually the bike would start, every time, but it's something that definitely didn't seem normal.
Feel, Strength
List the modifications on this bike
One last thing about this Ninja, the gas mileage is incredible - 50 mpg and up, even if you always ride at high revs (you need to on this bike). You get a 4.8 gal tank as well, which gives you a 200 mile range for like, $5-6 bucks. Buying gas is a joke.
Feel, Strength
List the modifications on this bike
any flat spots etc.
Feel, Strength
Stage 3 Dyno Jet, Full Akropolvic System, Racing Raer Shock, Carbon Fibre Frame Guards, Cardon Tank Guard, Rear Hugger, Stearing Damper, uprated fork springs
This was probably the best bike I ever owned. It was fast, infact it was bloody fast I hit 165mph on this bike. Had massive power from as low as 2000rpm and then just pulled right through to the red line.
Brakes were okay but needed a good tug.
Brilliant. Race track handling. All the weight was over the front wheel, I could undertake, or overtake, anything on the ZXR.
A really great bike. Looked great in Kawasaki racing colours(green,white,blue)and sounded fantastic.If you want a bike that is straight off the track&stands out from the crowd, then buy a ZXR750.This bike was cooler than a snowman's dick!
non yet will be adding a header system and slip on then see where it goes from there.
no real power to speak of after all it is a beginners bike. however that said it's a blast to ride. i am going to try and see what kind of power this bike is capable of by trying out different things to see what can be done to give it more power.
the brakes are good however the pads tend to wear out quickly so you need to keep an eye on them. especially the front pads.
handling is where this bike really shines. it is just so easy to flick around in curves and corners. it's a blast. where it lacks in power it makes up for in the handling. i managed to keep up with a pack of 600's on twisty mountain roads fairly easily. it's the straighaways where they will leave you.
overall this is a fun bike to ride even for people that are accomplished riders. if your worried that you will be looked down on because it's a 250 never fear because most people won't know what it is. even people that have been around bikes all their lives will have a hard time distinguishing it from a 500 or 600. it's so easy to ride no wonder it makes a great beginner's bike.
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Below about 4000 is a bit flat, then jumps noticably in pulling power. Relatively smooth throughout excepting the above.
Good for a cruiser...nice feel though the back brake (drum) is either on or off - not much middle ground.
Reasonable keeping in mind this is a heavy 250cc cruiser style. Wide bars give good leverage to see you through twisties.
Great starter bike - something with a lot more appeal than say a CB250. Gets the looks at the lights, reliable and a nice note from the air cooled V-twin.
List the modifications on this bike: Yoshimura Pipe, Stage III Jet Kit, K&N Filters, purple wind screen, shortened faux carbon fiber smoked turn indicators f/r, braided steen brake cables
any flat spots etc.: Bought the bike for $900 (w/ the mods) from a kid that was getting divorced in 1998. With the mods no flat spots; a little soft in the lower rev ranges, strong from 6-9k, come ALIVE (for a 250) from 10k to redline. Still, with the mods, feels about as fast as my '89 Honda VTR250
Feel, Strength: Good feel from the front and a little grabby until you get used to it. Good feel from the rear, but long pedal travel. Stength from the front is so good, I rarely use the rears to stop. Mostly used the rears to slow slightly in traffic.
More stable in high speed sweepers than you would expect from a little bike. Living in the FL panhandle ans south GA, I haven't really been in tight twisties, but I speculate that it should do well.
The seating position is more like an upright standard than a full-tilt sportbike. Power is progressive (vs. Honda swering-machine linear). The seat will leave you saddle sore after an hour, but it is a commuter, not a sport tourer. This is a bike that I'd definately recommend to any beginner or short person. It is more entertaining than the mini cruisers and the 250 Nighthawk; you won't get bored w/ it as quickly. Its a excellent commuter as well. For those returning to motorcycling after a long absence (as I was), this will be satisfactory, although a EX500/500 Ninja, Suzuki GS500, or even a SV650 would be a wiser choice (more "power"). I still hung w/ a heavily juiced 1200 Sportster, so you will get out of your own way. Excellent little machine overall. Don't laugh at the 250 class too hard...
muzzy exhaust, jet kit
very nice, for a 250, its what i learned on, i got a bad jet, and it sputters at times, but it can be tweaked for cold/hot....
could stop faster, only on disc in front, rear tire locks cuz the bike aint to heavy, but you can compensate
really nice on the cornering
for a first bike it kicked ass, i can wait to get my hands on more power though
muzzy exhaust, jet kit
very nice, for a 250, its what i learned on, i got a bad jet, and it sputters at times
could stop faster, only one disc in front, rear tire locks cuz the bike aint to heavy, but you can compensate
really nice on the cornering
for a first bike it kicked ass, i can wait to get my hands on more power though
I have a full muzzy headers and exhaust, with a k&n filter and I have dropped a tooth in the front.
Once I put a K&N filter on it it took out almost all burps except under 4grand.
The rear breaks suck and when I get on the front to try an indo the tire slides;I have a donlop 207 on front and rear.
Like a charm.
The bike is way to front heavy,but rales through the turns.
DID bolt-on exhaust can
Very reliable carbs compared to my previous GPX 250. No problems running in the rain as before but will only push start if stalled when wet(???). Good power comes in above 7000.. much better over 10-12000 right up till around 17500, just remember the ear plugs
Good brakes although they require all four fingers to haul the show up. Stoppies are indeed possible with warm tyres.
fantastic steering lock for negotiating gridlock. Excellent manners in corners which is helped by the low but sporty riding position. Tends to hurt the wrists after a while but I normally have so much fun through the corners that i don't notice. Fully adjustable factory suspension is a plus for trackdays and hard thrashing.
A very capable machine in the right hands. Has the potential to embarrass riders on much larger bikes through the twisties and looks fantastic all the while. Looks a lot larger cc rating than it is and I often have comments about 'where's that mint 400 you used to ride'. Older riders have even thought it was a 900!
pipe
very powerfull cannot fualt it at all
good brakes all round
good but sometimes doesnt want to go into corners like id like it to
very good reliable bike to start off with as i have done.fairly comfy but gives u sore arms and wrists after a long period of time. im 6 ft 4 inch
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i think ninja 250s have more power than people give them credit for.
really good brakes
turns extremly good.
a ninja 250 is a great bike period begginer or not.
List the modifications on this bike Custom Under tail kit.
good torque for a 250
braking is good
good on the corners
We have 2 for sale Ready for bigger bikes. Email to ladyviolin@hotmail.com or call 812-829-3305
Custom Under tail kit.
good torque for a 250
braking is good
good on the corners
We have 2 for sale Ready for bigger bikes. Email to ladyviolin@hotmail.com or call 812-829-3305
Custom Under tail kit.
good torque for a 250
braking is good
good on the corners
We have 2 for sale Ready for bigger bikes. Email to ladyviolin@hotmail.com or call 812-829-3305
Drag bars, rear fender eliminator, aftermarket signals, custom paint.
flat from about 3500 to 4500rpm, but at 5500 it picks up. 6000rpm is the wheelie zone, and it has great linear power up through the sweet spot at 7500rpm. Clean power through till 12000rpm.
Soft, but expected as the shocks and brakes are not top of the line. It grabs the 300mm disks well enough, but could be better
Flicks well in the twists. It was good with the stock riser bars, but the aftermarket drag bars make a nice subtle difference in the weight distribution over the front wheel.
Great intermediate bike. Plenty of power to get into trouble with, but inspiring enough to let you grow with the machine. I would imagine I ride at about 75% of the bikes capabilities which is a comfy zone for me. If I was pushing 90% of what the bike could handle, eventually I would push it too far. On the other hand, if the bike was too much, and I had to keep it back to 50% all the time, I would eventually hurt myself as I know I would still push it beyond my limits. Price point and value for the power make this a great alla round machine. Plus, people LOVE to stare and chat about this looker. Nothing else like teh Z series right now. Hot bike.
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Not much power until you reach about 7000 revs, but then you are riding a 250.
Pretty good, though the back wheel continually locks and can screw you up in an emergency stop.
Beautiful, even a beginner can corner like a master....very agile bike and responsive to your controls.
The GPX was my first.....goes well on freeways as well as inner city roads. Can get a bit sore after about 1-2 hours of riding. Definately recommend this bike over other 250s as a first bike....has just enough power to give you a kick but is still highly agile to allow you to learn how to manouvre. Also, no one knows you are riding a 250 anyway cause there is no 250 stickers on the bike....Handy.
Apico motocross bar, aftermarket blinkers, z1000 wind screen, register plate attachment changed, leovince slipon.
Nice basic 750cc inline four. Lump in 5500rpm and not much power under 6000rpm but after that the fun starts.
Good feel and powerful enough to easily do some endos and stoppies. Maybe the soft front suspension takes a bit of their best touch away...
Excellent. No matter if you drive it hard on some nice small road, do some stunts or even go for a longer trip. Everything suits this lovely bike.
I just love this bike, the looks, the feel and the power.
List the modifications on this bike none yet the first mod that im going to do is a muzzy 2 into 1 echaust.........but thats all
any flat spots etc. there is nothing wrong with the 250 ninja, execpt its verry cold blooded......and takes a wile to wornm up... over all this bike is great and people shouldnt be saying its only a 250.....it might be a 250 but what other bike red lines at 14x10 RPM.?????
Feel, Strength the feel of the bike is good and has fairly good stoping power!
handeling is very good.......but is hard to get use to at first if u are use to a bigger bike.
over all the 250 ninja is the best street bike that kawasaki has put out and i dont know why all the other street bike manifactors doenst makea 250 crotch rocket!!!!!!
No Mod's
Not very powerful, however as stated, thats not why you buy one.
Brakes very well, no problem so far.
Better than anyone elses
The Ninja 250 is in all aspects a GREAT BIKE!! I've own big 750 touring bikes and dirt track racing bikes. I'm happier with the Ninja 250 for several reasons. The weight of mine is only 270 pounds, makes it so easy to carry to the mountains, beach, etc, it will even fit on some bike mounts for cars. Gas mileage is from 50 to 75 MPG, even mopeds have a hard time getting that kind of gas mileage. Handles like a dream, try laying a 750 over on its side at 90MPR in the mountains, they would be find what was left of you at the bottom of the mountain....lol.. THE ONLY PROBLEM is seat is awful, and I haven't had any luck in finding a(Saddle Style) replacement for it. I talked to CORBIN.com about making me one. They said they could and would, all i had to do was bring it in. Considing I live on the East coast, and they are based in Cali..... THATS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN :( IF ANYONE KNOWS OF A GOOD REPLACEMENT SEAT, PLEASE LET ME KNOW at Admin@OpticSignals.com
Got my Suzuki ZX9-R 2000 a few month ago .. absolutely love it. First of all it's very elegant, sexy bike from every side, not like the new 2004-2005 models UGLYL ! everything runs well even though it's 4 yrs old now. WIth a little maintenance it'll run forether :)
any flat spots etc. good power for 900cc. not good below 3k rpm, but ref it up and it becomes very sensitive .. niiiiiiiiiice
good solid breaking. don't break with both breaks at high speeds, the rear slides to the right. so I only use front breaks, works well.
rock solid. I feel very safe on it. It's very easy to ride, very fast, steady at any speed. but then I hardly go above 80.
2 complains: 1) no fuel meter. I have to use my trip meter to see how much fuel I have left (about 100 miles to a tank) which not so bad. 2) I'm rather tall guy (6'1") so the foot peg location is a bit close. I tried to find different foot peg mounts or fit extended foot pegs to allow more room for my legs but that was not successful so ... :(
Bike is completely stock.
The EX 250 is obviously is not comparable to other sport bikes because of it displacement. However, it is surprisingly upbeat for its size. The bike will out perform most sports cars 0-60. It power band is betwean seven and eleven thousand RPMs. Top spead is around 105 mph.
The breaks are mushy and hard breaking will produce a noticable nose dive.
The bike feels like your favorite pair of old jeans. Cornering is effortless and can easily keep up with any sport bike through the twisties.
Over all this is great bike for a beginner or seasoned rider who desires economy.
This year Kawasaki has hit the nail on the head with manufacturing a sportbike that go rid of the excess weight a kept that arm pulling engine. The bike is much smaller as you probably already read, and inspires confidence. Before, with its predecessor, the zx9, you had much more difficulty trying to compensate for the bikes extra lbs. when it came time to try and through it around. The zx10r pulls through every gear and wants to wheelie. Shifting is smooth and the fuel injection is beautiful. I would love to know what other zx10r riders have experienced.
bike is fuel injected. Power is abundant and constant.
Breaking is strong.
Handling is much improved due to weight reduction and improved calipers. Bike wants you to toss it side to side.
Kawasaki has made a production bike that can go from the shop floor,(production), right to the track and do battle.
full titanium muzzy, carbon fiber fenders, fender elim. k&n braided lines
any flat spots etc. only at 2000 rpm
Feel, Strength good power, control
feels very stable at speed, kinda heavey
torquey,fast, fun, good sound from muzzy!!!!!
full titanium muzzy, carbon fiber fenders, fender elim. k&n braided lines
any flat spots etc. only at 2000 rpm
Feel, Strength good power, control
feels very stable at speed, kinda heavey
torquey,fast, fun, good sound from muzzy!!!!!
johnson race can!
Well basically there is no power to comment on until you get to about 9000rpm and then she screams, but what do you expect for a inline four with 400cc. I don't know why people slate carbs because they do the job and never let you down. Ok you never get the right fuel/air ratio with carbs, but they just keep on going. The carburetion on the zxr is not perfect, but it's far from rubbish.
Brakes. The brakes are a bit big for the little zxr, which isn't a bad thing because they stop the bike well, but they don't have much feel. They feel firm, but don't give much feeling back to the rider when hard braking, but it doesn't help having perelli gts tyres on because there crap!
What can i say about the handling. The whole point of owning a 400 hundred is the handing and i can safely say there's tonnes of that! The bike just flicks from one side to the other with out any effort and it feels so stable round corners at high speeds or low, but you have to have good quality tyres on like 208's or 207's.
If you can withstand the back and wrist acke and always changing gear like all 400 and 600 then you'll be rewarded with a well planted, great handling bike that you have to rev the tits off it to do anything. Great bike. The only problem that i have got with the zxr is reliabilty. They are renownd for plasticine camshafts and rattlely camchains, which aren't good at all. Also i have experienced with my zxr is that one of my valve guides had snap off, which i realised when it was buring oil and rattley. But nothing like a few hours on me knees and a bit of engineering work didn't fix plus the �100 worth of gaskets and seals i used when putting it back together. So in conclusion don't buy a zxr for realiability because you won't get it, but do buy it for hours of fun getting your knee down round roundabouts!
None.
Very good power-curve, but my bike is still in break-in, so I don't get over 3000rpm much yet.
Very good for a bike this size.
The bike takes the corners well. The stock rear shocks could some extra air when riding two-up.
Do NOT buy one of these bikes (Suzuki 1600 Marauder or Boulevard M95, or Kawasaki Mean Streak - they are all the same mechanically), unless you ride one first. I bought a new 2004 1600 Marauder in April 2005 and the engine "knocking" has been getting steadily louder. In addition, the driveline has excessive "play" in it (i.e. feels like a chain-driven bike with about 4" of loose chain). I've discussed the defects with the dealer (Liberty Cycle in Liberty, MO) on three separate visits and they are telling me that these engineering "defects" are normal for this bike. While I'm not an engineer, I have a had time believing that any motor that emits sounds like it's being repeatedly hit with a hammer has a trouble-free life in store. Needless to say, I'm going to take a financial beating and trade this thing in for a Honda VTX as soon as possible. Good luck.
i am looking for a 250 ninja. i live in huston, tx. email me if you have one for sale. thank you. marcusof05@yahoo.com
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All stock
No flat spots. Power is good from 2,000 and up and really takes off after 8,000 rpms.
Braking is good.
Handling is very good but could be inproved with better tires.
This is a great bike and I believe the steel frame contributes to some of the good feel to this bike. The riding position is a little more upright but is perferct for longer, more comfortable rides. The stock tires are very slippery when wet or cold. I am going to try putting on Metzelers ME330/550 combo to see if that helps. I commute daily on this bike around 60 miles a day. This bike is wonderful.
Kawasaki EX 250 / Ninja 250 Engine and exhaust remain stock, upgrades include: Cut off rear fender, intergrated rear turn signals in unused lenses, installed Flush mounted front turn signals, installed Day Time Running Light Circuits to from turn sigs, replaced front 15T sprocket w/16T
This Bike can be riden slow like a scooter to run local errands etc. ( bought from a 60 yr old man that used it to go to the grocery store from a campground) , or you can wind it up and flog the crap out of it if you want. rev limiter kicks in @ 14,200 rpm!
Could be a little more firm feeling but more than enough , the bike only weighs 300 lbs
Super easy, and sticks pretty good in the corners if you push it , you can actually stay with if not ahead of the bigger cc bikes in the turns.
overall this is a fun bike to ride even for people that are accomplished riders. if your worried that you will be looked down on because it's a 250 never fear because most people won't know what it is. even people that have been around bikes all their lives will have a hard time distinguishing it from a 500 or 600. it's so easy to ride no wonder it makes a great beginner's bike. For all the EX250 info check out ninja250.com
No modifications - it's a starter bike.
Power is a non-issue; there IS none. But that's not why you buy the Ninja 250. The tranny is smooth in every gear, all the way to the 14k rev limiter. You have to row up and down the gears pretty much all the time, or just stay in 5th or 6th when you're cruising, but it's a good way to learn your gears. The bike begs to be revved, though, and screams beautifully above 12k rpm, which I believe is where peak horsepower is. Even though the bike has no power, that's just in comparison to the other sportbikes you'll be running with. You'll always be the last one in the pack, dog, but if you instead concentrate on techniques like braking, throttle control, leaning, etc., you'll be better off. These things are loads more important than top end speed or doing stunts. And the payoff will be knowing how to handle your next bike without killing yourself or trashing your investment. Having said that, I can tell you I rode the Ninja all over Florida's highways and never ever had a problem keeping up with traffic. The bike can go 100 mph easy so what's the problem? I even had semi's and dump trucks get out of my way sometimes (but maybe they just didn't want my family suing their company after they squashed me - the bike is like, way tiny.
Good. Always reliable, always true, even on panic stops. Keep an eye on the pads 'cause they wear out quickly. Also, be careful in turns. Minimum brakes if anything. One time when I used too much front brake going in on a left hander, the front end washed out and I got slammed onto the pavement. My fault. Also, don't try doing stoppies on this bike, 'cause you've only got one disc to work with. You'll look stupid.
This is where the Ninja shines. If I remember correctly it's only got a 16" wheel, so she turns real quick. As you build your skills you'll be amazed that, at least in this instance, you can mix it up with the bigger bikes. It also handles great in the wet.
I totally recommend the Ninja 250 to anyone wanting to get into sportbikes but has no experience. Looking cool on a 600 doesn't mean squat when the situation turns to shit and you don't know what to do. Don't worry, no one except your buds will know you're on a 250. Kawasaki saves you the embarrassment by not putting any stickers on the bike that give away the engine size. Not only that, but of the hundreds of people I met that commented (all positive) on the bike at filling stations and store parking lots, no one, for real, no one ever guessed it was a 250. You can even learn how to do beginner wheelies, too, but because you've got no power, the only way you can really do one is from a standing stop. The back tire will leave a little patch and you can launch a pretty good 'un, just to learn how it's done. Only don't feather the clutch; once you've wound up the revs, completely dump it and up she'll go. Now for the bad and scary truths about the Ninja. One, the bike weighs all of 140kg, or 304 pounds. You'd think 50-60 pounds lighter than a middleweight wouldn't mean much, but trust me, it does. When the winds pick up before a storm, you'll be blown all over the road, totally at the mercy of Mother Nature. You really have to be careful; the bike can move several feet off line in the blink of an eye. What you learn to do is lean the bike into the wind, but if the gusts are strong enough even that won't work, and you wind up changing lanes unintentionally. This also applies when overtaking semi trailer trucks or having them overtake you - the wind gusts are wicked and you better have a good grip on the bike. The Ninja is really best suited for inner city commuting, not interstate travel. The other major disadvantage with this bike is it's miniscule size, compared to everything else out there, i.e., SUVs and the like. You're just not going to be seen out there. Until you ride a 600 or higher cc bike you won't understand this, but after you do graduate to something bigger, everytime you look at a Ninja afterwards you say to yourself, "Damn, that fucker's tiny!!" But it's still a great starter bike. Having said all that,
List the modifications on this bike: None.... yet... the bike is awsome just the way it is... awsome controlling, good traction mine cost $5500 and i feel it is worth it
perfect power, not too little and not too much
excellent brakes
perfect easy handling
worth buying, even for beginners