Kawasaki Ninja 250 Reviews

Nothing has gone wrong yet, but the break-in-procedure of the engine is still going on...

I have hit a false neutral between the 5th and 6th gear, on average once every 50 km, roughly. This seems to have improved after an oil change at the first, 1000 km, service.

It is very fun to ride, nimble, and surprisingly fast taking the limited engine size into account. Up till now I have an average of about 64 miles per gallon, on my daily 80 kilometres commute (0-10 degrees C), in mid-Norway.

I'm very impressed with this bike, so far, even though I have previously owned big bikes, including a Kawasaki ZX 11.

Nothing so far... (in 3500 KM).

I bought a new Kawasaki Ninja 250r in April 2008. I have had it one year now and think it’s a great bike.

Description: Liquid-cooled four-stroke twin cylinder, 249cc. The 2008 models come in red, green or black (the US also got blue). Six-speed transmission, chain drive, cast wheels with bias-ply tires, and a single disc brake on both the front wheel and the back.

The seat is about 30 inches high, with a large 15 liter, maybe 28 HP, 16 ft-lbs of torque, and seems to get decent mileage - about 55 mpg. Although the top speed is about 150 KPH, that's really pushing the little engine. It feels much more at ease at about 100 KPH or so. It makes for a nice little backroad cruiser, although I don’t know if I’d want to ride it all day on a busy American Interstate.

Pricing:

Inexpensive: In April 2008 I bought mine new with zero mileage for $4249 CND - about $4000 US at that time. I used to ride a Kawasaki EX-500 (Ninja) sportbike. The 500 was a pretty good bike, and this 250 reminds me a lot of that Kawasaki. The little Ninja looks nice if you like sportbikes. I like the solid red color, and I also like the lack of goofy racer-boy graphics.

It's fairly light (about 355 pounds with a full tank of gas) and easy to steer. The handling feels very similar to my old Kawasaki 500. The brakes are very good, and stop the bike very smoothly without any drama. It starts easily with the choke on. After just a few seconds the choke can be eased off and the bike will run fine. The clutch is very nice; it has a wide gradient of 'grab' and is great. The transmission is typical for a Kawasaki, it feels a bit notchy but is easy to flick through the gears..

It's not startling fast, but I can race away from a stop faster than most cars. I find that in 6th gear the engine is running about 7000 RPM at 100 KPH. The redline starts at 13500 RPM.

The mirrors are typical for a sportbike; they have a narrow angle of view, so you get a really good look at your shoulders…

So far I've only rode the bike for about four or five hours in one sitting, but the front seat is okay. The passenger seat is small and I suspect isn't as comfortable. At 5' 8" I find the seating position, foot pegs, and handlebars to be well-placed for me.

No problems to report.

A quick preface to this review: I am 6'1" (185 cm) and 220 lbs (100 kg) without riding gear. This is my 8th motorcycle, and previous bikes ranged from 650cc to 1100cc, BMWs, Kawasakis, Moto Guzzi, Honda. I have been riding since 1999, every day from 2003 to 2006.

The Ninja 250 has ended up being essentially my perfect bike. I had to make a few changes to accommodate my comparatively heavy weight: I replaced the fork springs, added a Gold Valve Emulator, and replaced the front brake line with a stainless steel braided line. I replaced the rear shock with a Hagon unit, with a spring correctly sized for my weight. I replaced the tires with Bridgestone BT45s (although this modification should be done by everyone -- the stock Dunlops are terrible).

The bike does everything I want it to. I can ride on the freeway (getting up to about 80 mph before I have to worry about whether I have enough power available), on long trips, through the canyons, and around town. I get between 48 and 70 MPG. I can out-accelerate any traffic I need to. I took it on the track and spanked a couple of SV650 riders, who later commented that, as previous Ninja 250 owners, they'd had no idea it was capable of such performance.

This bike, however, is definitely not for everyone. It doesn't have the kind of mind-blowing power a CBR or SV will give you. It doesn't do well with a passenger. It will not get appreciative catcalls from hot women (unless they just like the fact that you're on two wheels).

What it does do is deliver enough speed and acceleration to get you a speeding ticket in any jurisdiction, while cornering precisely and easily (it only weighs 304 lbs dry, after all), and returning fantastic gas mileage. It doesn't require excessive maintenance, although it's not as maintenance free as some bikes. It uses cheap tires, and doesn't tear through them. With a few inexpensive modifications to suspension and brakes, it becomes a perfect motorcycle.

And it does all this at a new price of US$2999. Used models in this year should be available in a safe, rideable state from $1700 to $2500 depending on condition (as of 2009). My current insurance cost is $17/month for very good coverage.

I recommend this bike to anyone who wants a motorcycle that can do it all on the pavement, and who doesn't have something to prove.