Great for beginners and experienced riders as well.
Written: Mar 19 '01
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Pros: Excellent, lightweight, manageable!
Cons: Soft suspension
The Bottom Line: Bottom line: Beginners will love it, confidence inspiring. Experienced riders will love honing their skill on it.
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| nukleon's Full Review: 2000 Kawasaki Ninja 250R |
'Get a real bike'.
'The Ninja 250 will get eaten alive on the freeway'.
'It's a chick bike'.
'You will outgrow it in a few months'.
Ah yes, such were the inane comments about the smallest member of the Ninja family while I was laboring over which motorcycle would be my first. After test driving the Buell Blast and with exhaustive research of the GS500, SV650 and others, the baby Ninja is a real bike, for both genders, and even an experienced rider will have loads of fun on it.
And as for getting eaten alive on the freeway? They'd have to catch me first.
Basically for around $3299 you get one of the smallest freeway legal bikes around, with little if any competition in it's class. Who else makes a little 250, available in the U.S. which looks and performs like the Ninja 250? I bought mine, a used 1999 model in BLACK (yes!) for $2300, and it still under extended warranty. I found it in San Diego and I live in Orange County, so for those who don't know, that's a long drive (over 100 miles) for your maiden voyage.
After wrapping up the deal I rode the lil' Ninja 250 home, with brother in tow in my small SUV. After getting used to the clutch feel and practicing some throttle control (necessary on the lil' Ninja coz of some low speed drive lash) I got to the freeway for the long trek. It was comfortable (I am 5'3"), and it is certainly light and flickable. It corners like it is on rails as well! Just tuck and lean a bit and it sticks like glue to any line you pick, and I had no trouble keeping up with and reeling in traffic if I goosed the throttle a bit. The 4.8 gallon tank gives this little bike a HUGE range that other motorcyclists can only dream about, and throw in some 60-70 MPG (depending on how you ride) and you get your money's worth, especially with the gas prices as they are now.
Although I have put 1400 miles on mine, I still love it (read, I have not outgrown it). This bike is excellent for any beginner since it doesn't demand such restraint as one would need for a faster bike. You can really get to know the bike and test it's limits, and YOUR limits as you hone your skills. Often, it is called a 'chick' bike coz it is light and manageable. At 304 lb.s (dry) and with a 29.5 inch seat height, it is good for short people in general, especially short beginners. An experienced, tho short rider could probably handle a bigger bike, no problem, but the combination of vertical challenge and a tall bike does not make a good combo when starting out!
I am of course, a short male who wouldn't even begin to attempt riding a YZF-R6 (or equivalent) as my first bike, with some 32 odd inches of Mt. Everest as a saddle, and more weight\power. Of course, taller riders with sloppy amounts of inseam forget this problem as they are flatfooting dirt bikes, which to me would require a small ladder, a rope and perhaps the odd pickaxe. I am 5'3", and I can sit on the baby Ninja and duck-walk it all over the place. It is also easy to push around the lot or garage, and tho I don't flatfoot it, I am close enough to be very confident on it.
I also have zero trouble putting it on the centerstand, which many bikes don't have, and a centerstand will save you headaches when lubing the chain or performing other maintenance. The fact that this little bike has a centerstand at all just adds more value to it.
With a 14,000 RPM redline, you might guess that the Ninja is a rev-demon. It is...keep the engine zipping and you'll be rewarded with power at the ready, and the engine loves to rev. In fact it seems much more settled and happy whilst screaming away at 8K and above. Get used to it, coz 65 MPH will see you at around 8-9K RPM in sixth gear, but you do come to understand that this is *normal* for this hardworking Ninja.
Basically, the Ninja excels and is peerless in its class. It is good for any beginner, is great for short people who don't want to have to one-foot (or NO-foot!) a taller bike at stops or who just want to feel more confident, and is good for riders with less upper body strength than your average track star. It's reliable, corners like it is on rails and has sufficient top speed to break laws in 50 states and various provinces, districts and asundried zones.
It'll pull away from all but the fastest cars and is narrow enough to split lanes with aplomb (but only if it is legal!) Also at my short stature, the ergos are quite to my liking, with loads of ground clearance for when I eventually dive into turns like the Roberts-Mamola-Hayden track star that I...uh wait..I digress.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 2300
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1999
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Epinions.com ID:
nukleon
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Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 2 members
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