First time Rider with a Kawasaki Ninja 250R (Plymouth, MA)

[jbmass]

Welcome to the forum!

[pk4882]

Jonathan,

Welcome, and stick around! Lots to learn from this gang.

FWIW, Here are my two most important rules for new riders...

The first is all about street-smart self defense, the second one is all about fear and trusting your reflexes and your machine:

#1 - "You are invisible to 50% of vehicles on the road. The other half are deliberately aiming for you!" Learn the "SMIDSY" move, and don't be afraid to lay on your horn.

#2 - "Look where you are going, NOT where you hope you DON'T go!" This is called "target fixation". It is a good thing if your target is an escape route, a bad thing if it is a guard rail!

Finally....

Welcome to a lifelong love! Addiction to our motorsport is expected and encouraged! Just don't O.D.

Oh yeah... you will fall off the bike at some point... be prepared. Harsh, but true. Log enough hours, and you'll have a story to tell the next noob! ATGATT!

PK

[Sirrus]

Words of wisdom, new guy:

Cmutty (pre-teen) will photoshop your face on terrible pictures and keep it online for years.
Oreo will try to seduce you with his goatee.
Chipper wants to ride bitch on your bike with you.
G21forme might start sending PM's asking for topless pictures.
Me? I'm awesome, but don't confuse me with Awesome. He's been #1 internet prick since 2007.

You're welcome.

I'm not that type of guy, but shouldn't it look like this?


Thanks, pk4882.
From the training wheels course (which I would HIGHLY reccomend), family who ride, and common sense, I've come to treat every car like they want to kill me (a little bit of paranoia never hurt anyone).
They taught us about looking where you want to ride at TW, and couldn't stress it enough. It's still something I find myself forgetting todo from time to time, but I'm improving ^_^

[fineout]

Target fixation is a tough thing to get over, but it will come with time and practice.

Welcome Aboard though

[mzdagrl]

Welcome new guy. There's lots to learn here. I began similar to you (no friends on bikes just my now husband) and can't tell you how much I have learned. I even started doing my own maintenance and whatnot.

[Sirrus]

Thanks again everyone!
You guys are great!

[OreoGaborio]

You guys are great!

Know how I know you're lying?

[Karate.Snoopy]

Thanks again everyone!
You guys are great!

Welcome to the forum young blood.
This forum is a great place to start, there are some excellent folks here that will help you along the way with some pestering.
I would also recommend getting your reading glasses on and go through some of the books listed here

Sport Bike Riding Techniques by Nick Ieanatsch
Mastering the Ride by David L Hough.
Twist of the Wrist by Keith Code
Total Control by Lee Parks


Most of these books are also available through your town library, make use of it. I have a copy that I can send you, send me a PM

Oh and most importantly ATTGATT

Good luck mate

[e30addict]

60-65 in 6th gear, keeping it at 10,000rpm. 13,000 is when it starts red-lining.
I'm framiliar with downshifting to get up hills, but you can do that to pass?
.

The 250 is at it's best between 10k and 13k rpm. Don't be afraid to rev the piss out of it and shift often. It loves it. The bike has two distinct characters to it. You can just put around on it while you're learning and it's great at that. Once you start flogging it it becomes a completely different bike. Pretty neat machine actually.

Welcome.

[Marc R]

The 250 is at it's best between 10k and 13k rpm. Don't be afraid to rev the piss out of it and shift often. It loves it...

Added an ex250 to the garage this season, for the family (starting to ride). You don't know what the ex250 is about until you ride it 10k+ RPM. Spend $20 on a book, Riding In the Zone or Total Control. If you get the bigger bike before you learn advanced riding skills, you'll be "careful" with the new power and slower at learning advanced riding skills.

With less than 400 miles experience, my daughter is doing clutch-less upshifts on the ex250.

[rolker]

I started riding on my EX250, my first bike, in 2006. The following year I attended my first track day with it and was hooked and did many more track days on the little 250. As a consequence, my street riding tapered off and I haven't had my 250 in street trim for a few years now. When my track day addiction lead to racing, I had to finally "upgrade" so I got an RS125 race bike, which is smaller than the EX250 (but with more power!).

The EX250 is probably one of the slowest bikes on the track, but it is still very fun to ride because it is relatively light and can carry corner speed. The brakes are also very good allowing you to out-brake many into the corners. Anyone who took my 250 out on the track came back with a huge smile (Except for KB, but it wasn't because he didn't have fun!)

I know you're riding your 250 on the street and I'm talking about the track here, but how can a bike that is fun on the track not be fun on the street?!!

Anyway, many who start on an EX250 eventually "out-grow" it (or so they think) and get something bigger. Myself and a few others on the other hand enjoy the challenge of learning to get the most out of a small bike, and when we do build up enough skills to pass bigger, "faster" bikes, the satisfaction of doing so using skills instead of horsepower is awesome!

Welcome and enjoy your Ninja 250. Remember, if you ever get the urge to try a track day, don't worry about the bike, it will love it!

[j4eric]

this forum sucks....get out while you can....and get a busa.....welcome.

[Kenn157]

Welcome!