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I talked to a guy the other day who said he would not step onto any bike smaller than 600cc's simply because they were "underpowered." He went on to explain that if there was a situation where he needed to accelerate rapidly (crazed drive behind him who can't slow down fast enough or something) that a 250 bike simply could not do this.

What do you all think about that claim? How quickly does a Ninja 250 accelerate? What type of top speed would it hit? Is it too small to handle these "oh crap" situations?

If you talk to enough guys you'll eventually hear everything. If you've never rode a bike before, or just sparingly, you'll find the ninja 250's acceleration plenty exciting. It's a good beginner's bike. Even small bikes accelerate faster than most cars up to certain speeds. That said, there's plenty of guys who'd agree with what you heard. It all depends on personal preference, experience, the kind of riding you plan on doing, etc. The incident you cited, while I'm sure it's happened sometime somewhere, isn't a common one. Noobs wrecking their new race bike in a single vehicle accident is a far more common mishap than getting hit from behind on a bike.

I've never, ever ran into a situation where more power would have gotten me out of trouble on a motorcycle. Even a 250 has more get up and go power than your average commuter car and you won't have a problem outrunning one of those H2s.

It's BS. The guy you talked to is probaby worried about his masculinity and has to have a big bike to make up for something.

Thanks for killing the myth for me. That was one of the biggest things holding me back from considering a ninja 250 (which is much more in the price range I'm looking at right now).

cb360 wrote:The incident you cited, while I'm sure it's happened sometime somewhere, isn't a common one. Noobs wrecking their new race bike in a single vehicle accident is a far more common mishap than getting hit from behind on a bike.

Precisely.

There are resources out there for the Ninja 250. You probably talk to the guys that actually ride them and see what they think. I will also state "on the record" that a Ninja 250 will be able to accelerate fast enough to avoid the car in that situation.

That guy didn't know what he was talking about. Has he ever ridden a 250 to be able to say what they are like? Probably not. He's just parroting what someone told him however long ago.

This is why I came to the new rider forum. Might as well enter the buying process with the right state of mind and as few myths as possible

I ride a Rebel 250, and I can tell you that riding in the city is great. Gas mileage, low weight, great manueverability. Definately not underpowered.

The freeway is another story. It will maintain speeds up to about 75mph, but if there is a headwind, that will go down. This doesn't leave any throttle for passing. I am very glad I went with a 250 to learn on, but you will probably outgrow it quickly.

But yeah, the guy is full of it. Like the other posters stated, his theory is false.

DJGroove wrote:I ride a Rebel 250, and I can tell you that riding in the city is great. Gas mileage, low weight, great manueverability. Definately not underpowered.

The freeway is another story. It will maintain speeds up to about 75mph, but if there is a headwind, that will go down. This doesn't leave any throttle for passing. I am very glad I went with a 250 to learn on, but you will probably outgrow it quickly.

But yeah, the guy is full of it. Like the other posters stated, his theory is false.

ive done 120 on my 250

I'm not trying to scare you into buying a 250. You should get all the info you can, weigh the advice, get some training, sit on a bunch of bikes and then make the most informed choice you can about the best bike for you at this point in your life. I just wanted to weigh in about the specific reason cited in your question because I didn't really think that was a valid reason to do anything really. Hell, if you translate that logic to cars we'd all be driving Porsches with railroad crossties strapped to the rear bumper. 250cc Rebels and Ninjas etc. are great starter bikes for a ton of people... and some people who have been riding for decades are still happy riding smaller bikes, including most of europe and lots Asia and other regions. But there are some larger bikes that can be considered viable, safe starter bikes as well. You don't HAVE to get a 250. Keep looking and reading and make the best choice for you... not necessarily for your perfect bike, but for your perfect FIRST bike. You'll have to get a bunch of miles/seasons on your bike before you know what you really like - or at least that's the way it works for most folks.

if there was a situation where he needed to accelerate rapidly (crazed drive behind him who can't slow down fast enough or something) that a 250 bike simply could not do this.

Any bike can get out of the way if you see someone comming up behind you. If you need to accalerate to avoid someone in front of you, your probably driving to fast to begin with.