Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Ninja Geoff wrote: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 wrote:

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 wrote: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 wrote:

RhadamYgg wrote: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.

Kibagari wrote: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.

Shorts wrote:Dude, you're way over thinking this. I applaud you to the degree necessary in the forethought and mature planning in this decision to ride and how to go about it. I think you're at the point where one can safely say ""poo poo" or get off the pot".

If you like the Rebel, get the Rebel. If you like the Ninja, get the Ninja.

RhadamYgg wrote:You know - my wife complains that I sit on the toilet too much too.

RhadamYgg

Shorts wrote:Dude, you're way over thinking this. I applaud you to the degree necessary in the forethought and mature planning in this decision to ride and how to go about it. I think you're at the point where one can safely say ""poo poo" or get off the pot".

If you like the Rebel, get the Rebel. If you like the Ninja, get the Ninja.

RhadamYgg wrote: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?