Ninja 250R vs Honda Rebel - Which to be the first bike?

[RhadamYgg]

Hey Everyone - hope you are well and having a good weekend.

I had 99% decided that the Honda Rebel would be my first motorcycle - after I complete the MSF course (decided to wait until after I complete the course to buy anything).

I decided to check out the Ninja 250R - because everyone seems to recommend it here and it has two headlights and a fairing. Both contribute to consipuity on the roads.

I don't view motorcycle style as something that would contribute to my decision.

Sorry about the formatting, nothing I did (and I know HTML) worked.
Hopefully all my stats are corect, as well, if not, point it out.

So, my comparison:
Honda Rebel Kawasaki Ninja 250R
Displacement 234 249 Ninja
Horsepower 17 30 Ninja
Transmission 5 speed 6 speed Ninja
Wheelbase 57.1 55.1 Rebel
Fairing No Yes Ninja
Windscreen No Yes Ninja
Tachometer No Yes Ninja
Fuel Gauge No Yes Ninja
Final Drive o-ring chain o-ring chain neutral
Front Suspension 4.6 4.7 neutral
Rear Suspension 2.9 5.1 Ninja
Front Brakes Single disc - twin piston Single disk twin piston neutral
Rear Brakes Drum Single disk twin piston Ninja
Rake 30 26 Rebel - more stable
Trail 4.4 3.2 Rebel - the more trail the more stable a bike feels
Seat Height 26.6 30.5 Rebel
Weight 331 333 Ninja - more horsepower and same weight
Fuel Capacity 2.6 4.8 Ninja - more fuel - can ride longer as long as fuel economy isn't horrible
Wheels Spokes Rims Ninja
Fuel Economy 60 - 85 55 - 75 Rebel - but all these numbers are approximate
Cooling Air Liquid Ninja - liquid cooling means that it is less likely to overheat - in stop and go traffic

Given all the data above, I can't think of a really great reason to buy the Rebel over the Ninja. Except that I do love honda. I have had honda cars for ages - and put hundreds of thousands of miles on them (literally). Reliability is important to me.

However, the Ninja has so many of the things I would want in a bike, I mean I researched converting drum brakes to disc brakes for the rebel - and found nothing on the web. I'm sure it can be done, but how much would it cost? Far more than the difference in the motorcycles costs. I would want a tachometer, but adding it to a motorcycle would incur costs.

Anyway, what do you guys think? Is there some fundamental idea that I'm missing that would make the Rebel a better first motorcycle as opposed to the Ninja 250R?

RhadamYgg

[blues2cruise]

What fits best? Start with that.

[RhadamYgg]

What fits best? Start with that.

I'm working on an opportunity to sit on a Ninja 250R. I've sat on the Rebel, and it is comfortable enough.

I'm 5'9" - 170 lbs, 36 years old.

But I've noticed on Kawasaki's website - the seating position for the Ninja 250R is more standard motorcycle than sport.

RhadamYgg

[Ninja Geoff]

The kawasaki will be more fun in the corners, if that's your thing. Also, the 2008 is a bit different in the style departments than the older ones. But, like was suggested, go with what ever one fits better.

[Johnj]

IMO The Honda is vanilla, a workhorse, built to do a job and do it for a long time. The Ninja looks sportier, has more power (or better gearing), and handles better (might need tweaking). Both are good bikes and do the jobs they were designed to do.

[Flesher]

To be honest you've made it too much of an intellectual exercise, I've ridden a number of motorcycles where the stats said one thing but the bike said another once I was "involved" with it. Don't get me wrong I tend to do what you did, but in the end it will have little to do with what you choose.

As for the two headlights on a bike, consider this; almost all bikes with two headlights only use one at a time (one low beam, the other high). The reason for this is that studies have shown that motorists mistake a motorcycle with both lights on for a larger vehicle that is farther away! The obvious inference is that they are more likely to take some action for which they do not have enough time.

Don't ask me who these people are that see two headlights on a bike this way, I just see a bike with two headlights on, at its actual distance, but I guess we don't all see and perceive in the same way.

[Thumper]

I'm 5'9" - 170 lbs, 36 years old.

What's your inseam? I'm 5'8" with a 32" inseam, and the Rebel felt right at first...but six months later it started to feel very, very small.

Go sit on a Ninja, see if it feels better. Both are good bikes and would be fine, they're reliable, will get you from point A to point B, and will be forgiving of newby mistakes. Get what fits you best, and floats your boat the highest.

[NWTrtle]

Both bike would serve you well. If you have any freeway riding you plan on doing with the bike, the Rebel seems really underpowered at 17 hp. The Ninja should do much better. Also, I have read more from folks talking their Ninja 250's on the freeway than those taking their Rebel's.

Riding position will be different as you already noted. On a small cruiser, you may tend to slouch causing lower back pain (this is something I experienced on my Hyosung 250). On the Ninja, your back will be straighter, but your wrists may feel some strain (at least at first).

It really comes down to sitting on the bikes for a while and trying to get a feel for them. If you already have gear (pants, jacket and boots) I would recommend sitting on the bikes while wearing the gear. They will feel somewhat different fully geared up.

Good luck in your decision process and keep us informed on the choice you make.

[TrueFaith]

I'm 6' tall and 200lbs. While the 2007 Ninja 250 was a little small for me, the new 2008 Ninja with it's bigger frame and tires is perfect. I have been a Yamaha loyalist for years, but they don't sell a bike like the Ninja 250R (in the US.) I have ridden both cruiser and sportbike style 250s and I think you will grow to love the riding position of the Ninja. You will also be pleasantly surprised at how much bigger it is compared to the previous year's model.

[Kibagari]

Largely, it's a matter of personal preference. To a lot of people bike styling is important. The Ninja can do things with its gearing and sport-bike styling that a cruiser can NOT do.

The Ninja will be great in curves and will probably surprise you on the straightaways. The Honda will be great on the straightaways and will probably not surprise you in the curves.

Fairings. They look amazing and are the biggest pain in the world from what I hear. That plastic gets expensive- good luck replacing it if you dump the bike.

Really, it's hard to compare these two bikes side by side because they're two completely different motorcycle styles.

However, I'll throw my 2 cents in with the Ninja crowd. Lovely little bike, keeps its value very well. And the new 2008 model? Drool.