So tell me about the Ninja 250 Ex.

[DivideOverflow]

It will out-accellerate a Ford Mach 1 and a Ferrari Testarossa. Check it out:
http://www.albeedigital.com/supercoupe/ ... times.html
http://www.ninja250.info/newbies/ninja2 ... /specs.htm

Uhhh... I hate to burst your bubble. Maybe you read that wrong.
1985 Ferrari Testarossa 5.3 13.6
1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 5.7 13.9
1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 428ci 5.7 14.3 (C&D Nov '68)
2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1 (5 Speed) 4.7 13.2 (MT Feb '05)


Ninja 250:
0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) 5.75 sec
1/4 Mile 14.6 sec @ 88 mph
And this is with a 120 lb rider. A 180 lb rider will get closer to a 6.5 sec 0-60 and a 15.5 sec quarter.

The ninja doesn't beat any of those cars. It MIGHT get to 30mph a little quicker if the rider is good, just because of the lower weight. However, do not try and fool people into thinking this bike can compete with supercars. It cannot.

The ninja 250 is the honda civic of the motorcycle world. Cheap, reliable, easy to learn on, good gas mileage, and some people choose them over faster vehicles. But I get a little peeved when I see people trying to tout the ninja 250 as some sport-car killer!

It is what it is. A great beginner or commuter bike. A ferarri killer, it is not.

[bluemonkie99]

I've really want to get a used 250 for myself!! I haven't been riding in over 6 months...since passing the MSF course, and before then it was sporadic for about a year. My '85 magna has had constant problems since we got it, and while my boyfriend promised to fix it, injury prevented him from doing so.

A 250 sounds perfect, and after reading everything posted in this thread, i think this would be such a great bike for me. (DivideOverflow - I'm also a Honda Civic fan ) i hesitate because i had to buy a car in October (to replace my wrecked Civic...) and i don't really want to have multiple vehicle payments at this point. at the same time, a 250 wouldn't add much to my monthly bills...i just can't rationlize buying a bike when i'm not sure riding a motorcycle is for me.

with the weather being so gorgeous, i really want to get out there.
maybe one day i'll go for it....

[tortus]

Ok, here's a question.

My local's craigslist has about 10 250Rs for sale. Almost all of them have basically no miles on them. From 200 to 2000ish miles. Prices range from $1000 to $2300. Is there something I should watch out for if I were to grab a 250? Why sell a bike with so few miles on it? One had 25k miles on it, that was more in line with what I was expecting.

[IcyHound]

People sell bikes for many reasons. Many want to get a bigger bike to hang out with their friends. Many people feel they 'outgrow' the 250 very quickly because it is such a forging bike that lets you work with it.

Also, many people don't ride much. Some don't find it interesting, the list goes on and on. Ask them why they are selling it, many will say they are getting something bigger. What they do not realize is when you are getting comfortable with a bike is when you are starting to get into a deeper learning curve to become IMO a real motorcycles.

Ask them why they are getting rid of the bike. That should provide interesting insite.

[Dragonhawk]

Uhhh... I hate to burst your bubble. Maybe you read that wrong.
1985 Ferrari Testarossa 5.3 13.6
1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 5.7 13.9
1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 428ci 5.7 14.3 (C&D Nov '68)
2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1 (5 Speed) 4.7 13.2 (MT Feb '05)

Ninja 250:
0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) 5.75 sec
1/4 Mile 14.6 sec @ 88 mph
And this is with a 120 lb rider. A 180 lb rider will get closer to a 6.5 sec 0-60 and a 15.5 sec quarter.

You are correct. I read the Mustang wrong. It's 0.05 seconds faster ... Not that 5/100 of a second really make any difference.
1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 428ci 5.7 14.3
Ninja 250 5.75 14.6

I was right about the 0-60 time on the Ferrari.
1989 Ferrari Testarossa 6.2 14.2
Ninja 250 5.75 14.6

But I get a little peeved when I see people trying to tout the ninja 250 as some sport-car killer!

Peeved? Why? Who cares? They're just cars and motorcycles. Not like they are something worth getting upset about.

[DivideOverflow]

Well, it always seems like people are trying to talk new riders into getting the bike based on the assumption that it is still faster than all the fast cars! The new riders go in with different expectations, and then ditch the bike in a few weeks because it wasn't what they thought it was.

Think of it in the reverse sense. What if we were to get a bunch of members on here saying that R6s and Gixxers are great beginner bikes, that they are slow, have good powerbands for people learning. It obviously isn't true, to us... but new riders don't know that.

Same thing with this "comparison". Even with the 89 Testarossa, the ninja *might* be quicker from a dig to 60mph if you weigh 120 lbs, but after that, all manner of vehicles will pass you... including econo boxes like civics, tauruses, etc. Why is this important? It is important because many new riders will assume because "It will out-accellerate a Ford Mach 1 and a Ferrari Testarossa.", that it can actually get out of its own way on the highway. Which, sadly, isn't very true. You get up to highway speeds, and it can't out accelerate much of anything, let alone high-displacement sportscars... and ESPECIALLY if the rider weighs more than 120.

That is why it gets good 0-60 time, but all of those cars have a faster quarter mile. The car is still speeding up after 60mph, and the little ninja is tapering off. It is a slow road from 65mph to top speed of 105... I only saw 90mph due to my weight. Like most other Americans, I don't weight 120, and the "optimal" performance numbers will never be achieved. Whereas, in a car, the driver's weight barely makes a difference to the performance of the vehicle (unless there are 4 people in the car).

I just hate giving people the wrong impression about something. My post is nothing against the Ninja 250. My roommate's girlfriend has one, they are great bikes, I've ridden it several times. My roommate even rode the bike back 200 miles on the highway from Tampa and said it did great. However, you have to operate it with the knowledge that at 80mph on the freeway, when crazy drivers are flying past you on both sides, you have to slow down, not speed up, to get out of their way.

[bluemonkie99]

But can the 250 handle highways reasonably well? I'm wouldn;t need something that will outrace sport cars, but I don't want to avoid highways because I can't keep up a reasonable speed. I haven't been on any interstates where i live (Northern VA/DC), only in Charlottesville, where drivers have better manners.

I too am above 120 (boyfriend recently called me porky...) and now i'm a little worried that maybe a 250 isn't the bike for me. then i was sent this article on the 250: http://motorcycles.about.com/od/roadtes ... s_sm_5.htm

I too have been looking at a lot of the 250s on Craigslist. Many that are 2002 and newer seem to be over $2000. is this a good deal? Where would you guys recommend buying a used one? Craigslist? any of the various used shops. i don't know enough about bikes to make a well-informed decision. i'm likely to be sidetracked by a pretty color.

[gsJack]

I suggest a Ninja 500 or a GS500 for new riders who are leaning towards a sportbike rather than a cruiser type. Only suggest a 250cc for very short people.

A EX/GS500 will go anywhere and do anything, a good all around bike for almost any purpose. Just a few decades ago real riders rode all over this country on bikes like the old Triumphs.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/ ... vsT120.jpg

I put my last 120k miles on a couple of GS500s and had a ball doing it and I weigh 240-250#. Have ridden with all types bikes and riders. To me the fun of riding is mostly in the twisties and not on the dragstrips or freeways. A more powerful bike can make up for a lack of riding skills and permit catching up on the straights.

Absolutely nothing wrong with a more powerful bike if you want and can afford one, I'm just saying you really don't need one except for image reasons.

(ducking, waiting for expected incoming:-)

[DivideOverflow]

I suggest a Ninja 500 or a GS500 for new riders who are leaning towards a sportbike rather than a cruiser type. Only suggest a 250cc for very short people.

A EX/GS500 will go anywhere and do anything, a good all around bike for almost any purpose. Just a few decades ago real riders rode all over this country on bikes like the old Triumphs.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/ ... vsT120.jpg

I put my last 120k miles on a couple of GS500s and had a ball doing it and I weigh 240-250#. Have ridden with all types bikes and riders. To me the fun of riding is mostly in the twisties and not on the dragstrips or freeways. A more powerful bike can make up for a lack of riding skills and permit catching up on the straights.

Absolutely nothing wrong with a more powerful bike if you want and can afford one, I'm just saying you really don't need one except for image reasons.

(ducking, waiting for expected incoming:-)

+1 GS500 is a great choice.

The ninja 250 will do highway speeds just fine, but I would be more comfortable at 70mph on a 500 than a 250. They give a little more wiggle room, and they will cruise at a lower rpm.

[HarleyW]

What about a Ducati Monster 640? Are those any good for a beginner.