what the real deal with 250 vs. 500

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jmillheiser · Sat Mar 04, 2006 2:05 pm

My 500 felt slow for the first time today. Was riding with someone on a road king. Around turns it was fine I could keep up just fine, but I had to get on it pretty hard to keep up accelerating.

1will · #12 Unread post by **1will** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 2:36 pm

right thanks for all the replies.

another question: stuff that can break on these bikes? i'm wondering particularly about the fairing (thingy over the engine right?).

the 500R looks relatively naked (is that the word?) compared to the 250 and gs500E. what kind of difference does this make if you drop the bike? from what i gather, fairing+drop= $$$$

what are the fairings on these bikes made out of anyway?

#13 Unread post by **Sev** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 4:09 pm

Plastic... they break fairly easily on contact with the ground, you can fit frame sliders to prevent most of the damage of a slow speed/stopped drop.

snwbrdr · #14 Unread post by **snwbrdr** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 5:37 pm

When you drop your 250 it will probably scuff up every panel on the side you drop it to. when i dropped mine at about 30mph it scuffed every panel except the seat, took off both signals, and scuffed the pipe, but i am guessing this is typical damage for a sportbike. The ninja 250 is plenty for the highway. To put down the fears somone above mentioned, it is not sluggish even for my 220 pounds. i dont notice anything different from the way it rode 20 pounds ago, so ithink as long as your under about 400lbs it should ride fine. The majority of my miles are highway actually. twice a week i make a highway ride 50 miles each direction. Plus the majority of my work ride is highway. Weather permitting that is. The bike will do at least 110 maybe more. It does beat the majority of cars i have raced, im on campus so there are lots of ricers for me to beat...... A 250 should be perfect for you. Its fast enough to scare the "$41t" out of yourself, but easy enough to learn on. its light and easy to move around. I love the bike i have and think it is the best choice for most beginners. So, moral of the story....dont be afraid to start on a 250.

gitarjunky · Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:37 am

Hey guys. I think I've decided on the Ninja 250 for my first bike as well. When I went to pick up my helmet that came in this weekend, I was looking at them and a salesman offered me 3500 OTD for a 2006 model. Does this sound like a good price? Think I can get him to go lower? I want a good deal, but I used to sell cars for a breif stint and I used to hate those cheap a-holes who wouldn't let you make a dime, so I don't wanna be that guy either. Just a fair price....what do you guys think?

1will · #16 Unread post by **1will** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 10:00 am

gut tells me that if he made a first offer of 3500 you can get him lower.

but from my noobish perspective that sounds like a good otd price.

msrp= 2999
tax
tags
freight
dealer setup
misc dealer bs they try to stick you with

3500?

could be worse i think. i would like to hear from others on this as well.

then again you could buy used and save 1k to 1500 then sell it for what you paid or more. easier said than done if you don't know bikes though.

earwig · #17 Unread post by **earwig** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:22 am

I'd say go with the 500 and just take it slow/easy at first... the 250 is a dog.

#18 Unread post by **cb360** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:08 am

That's not a bad deal. I personally think you can get a lot more for your money going used, but that's just my personal preference. If that was his first offer I believe you'd be successful if you asked him to throw in a helmet or a jacket.