What do you guys think of 250s?

[Rhonda66]

I currently have a Ninja 250 - it's my first bike and everyone convinced me it would be the perfect beginner bike - I've loved it so far, problem is is I only have 400 miles on it and I am craving something bigger already - is the 250 a wussy bike? I feel like it putt putts next to my husband's GSXR750. I feel like it accelerates pretty crappy and I have to fight to keep up with the GSXR and when I'm in the lead I feel like he has to really work to go as slow as I am. My husband says it's just cuz my bike's in the break-in period still and I haven't realized the full scope of its capabilities yet. If I was to go on a ride with you guys with bigger bikes (which I think is just about all of you), would I even be able to keep up on a 250?

[SVRACER01]

the 250 can be a capable bike. you just have to learn to ride it.............backwards.
i just mean the more experience on a bike the more comforatable you= go faster. obviously the 250 is not a FAST bike but it can be capable.
my girlfriend has one and i showed her how to do the MSF obtsacle course with her on the back. that bike is a DEFINITE keep your cornerspeed up bike

[unionjackass]

I would stick with the 250. At least see out the season on it. Sure you might not have the outright acceleration or top speed of a middleweight or literbike, but the Ninja 250 will do the job in the corners and you will learn a lot from it.

What's more the 250 is an easy and inexpensive bike to repair if you happen to drop it.

If you put a few thousand on this bike, you will also have a better idea about what kind of machine suits you as your next bike.

As for "is it a wuss bike", who gives a fuck what anyone else thinks. They will learn to respect you and the bike if you ride it well, or they won't, either way who cares. I have been on plenty of rides with guys who kept the pace on conceivably outdated or underpowered bikes.

[Rhonda66]

Originally posted by unionjackass
As for "is it a wuss bike", who gives a fuck what anyone else thinks. They will learn to respect you and the bike if you ride it well, or they won't, either way who cares. I have been on plenty of rides with guys who kept the pace on conceivably outdated or underpowered bikes.

Nah, I don't care what other people think of me on it - I just want to know if it is underpowered or not from other sportbiker's point of view? When going from a stop to a start, I feel like it is so slow accelerating that it can be kinda dangerous with cagers all around you at rush hour.

Your answer is what I expected though - I just need more time and patience with it. I totally love it - it's just the slow acceleration getting to me...I plan to keep it for the season, try out my husband's GSXR when I think it's time and then make some decisions.

[unionjackass]

I've never ridden one, but from what I understand, the EX250 needs revs - give it some and it will accelerate fairly well, in the five seconds to sixty range. Certainly well enough to leave most cars behind.

I understand your question because everyone here has big-capacity bikes.

In Europe many people ride round all year round on much smaller bikes. It is not a bad thing. Any clown can buy a 100+hp bike and ride it fast on the straight bits until it all goes wrong.

[Polonius]

Lady

Please listen to your supporting husband. Get as much experience that you can on that thing. I imagine that you have not even begun to experiment with full throttle and leans that scrape the stirrups and scare you blue when your boot cathes on terra firma.

Your husband is riding a modern rocket. The bike he is riding wasn't even contemplated maybe five years ago for professional racetracks. That bike is in another orbit on a planet in a far, far distant galexy. Besides, I'll bet he loves you enough to slow down and wait anyway. Otherwise, he wouldn't encourage you to continue on the 250. Neither would your friends. Friends like that are rare comodities.

Run that sucker up to a minimum of 5000 or more miles and then along with the advanced rider courses and reading books and articles about safe riding, you could think about going big time.

I started off with a 250 dual sport when I got into the sport. Granted, I am likely to be ancient to you in comparative age and I won't ever begin to write about my mature body. But leaning from mistakes and being capable of standing the bike rignt back up by yourself add alot to experience. And that is what makes the rider. Experience, experience....experience!!!

Anyway, it's your life. I wouldn't want you to be in a rush to have you shorten it beacuse you wanted to ride BIG. And time flies to fast to run up a measly 5000 miles. Your friends are probably willing to wait also.

Think of it this way...If perchance some tragedy ever occurred because you were in such a damn rush to speed, think about what your husband and his next companion rider.

That ought to sober you...

[Honclfibr]

The 250 makes all it's power up at the top end of the rev range, it has a 14k redline, use it all. If you keep the bike above 9k it will sound like an angry bee but will move you along quite nice. I've ridden an EX250 for a few days and though it certainly lacked the snappy acceleration of my zx6r it could get out of it's own way with my 175lb 6'1 frame attached to it. Certainly not "dangerous in traffic" by any stretch of the imagination, I was passing cars on the freeway without any trouble at all.

Another way to squeeze acceleration out of it is to rev it up to 5k and slip the clutch from a stop, it's got a wet clutch, they're designed to slip a bit from a stop, as you get more confident you'll snap the clutch out more and the bike will have more get up and go from the dead stop.

[unionjackass]

Btw, two other things:

1. Did you do the MSF course?

2. One of the problems with motorcycling is that you spend most of the time you're not riding thinking about what else you could be riding, so get used to this feeling

[unionjackass]

>Think of it this way...If perchance
>some tragedy ever occurred because
>you were in such a damn rush to
>speed, think about what your
>husband and his next companion rider.

Er...okay that was a bit weird mate.

I think it is sufficient to say that the 250 can be a pretty quick bike when you use it all, which is good experience. Okay it's not your dream machine but it's probably the right tool for the job now, so just enjoy it and see where this season goes as the miles rack up.

[OreoGaborio]

pfft, don't listen to these guys... get a busa (obviously kidding.... listen to these guys)

how new is the bike?

as long it's past the break-in period (which may be as little as 400 miles, i'm not sure) you can wring that engine out some more. like Darrel (Honclfibr) said, it makes all it's power up top in the rev band... it's got NOTHIN down low in the RPM's.

i bet if you get the RPM's up there, you'll be a little more suprised at what those 250cc's can do

[CBGB]

I have to agree with everybody about the ninja 250.I bought my wife one last year for mothers day and at first thought it was pretty slow when break in like they say to ,but the more she rode it and got some miles on it and started to get the revs up it really is agreat bike .Yes we are looking to get abigger bike for her but if we don't get another one this year it's no big deal it gets every where we go with no problems at . I think the more you learn to use it in the power band the more you'll like it.RIDE SAFE AND ENJOY

[Rhonda66]

Originally posted by unionjackass
Btw, two other things:

1. Did you do the MSF course?

Yup, and passed it (in case you were wondering). Ironstone Ventures in Acton, MA.

2. One of the problems with motorcycling is that you spend most of the time you're not riding thinking about what else you could be riding, so get used to this feeling [/B]

Lol, probably - but not really for me - I do a lot of other stuff like fly and skydive, plus I own a small business so I'm usually pretty busy when I'm not riding - it's when I AM riding that it's bugging me (at least right now anyway...) I had just come back from a ride when I posted the thread...

[Rhonda66]

Originally posted by Honclfibr
The 250 makes all it's power up at the top end of the rev range, it has a 14k redline, use it all. If you keep the bike above 9k it will sound like an angry bee but will move you along quite nice. I've ridden an EX250 for a few days and though it certainly lacked the snappy acceleration of my zx6r it could get out of it's own way with my 175lb 6'1 frame attached to it. Certainly not "dangerous in traffic" by any stretch of the imagination, I was passing cars on the freeway without any trouble at all.

Another way to squeeze acceleration out of it is to rev it up to 5k and slip the clutch from a stop, it's got a wet clutch, they're designed to slip a bit from a stop, as you get more confident you'll snap the clutch out more and the bike will have more get up and go from the dead stop.

This is exactly what I wanted to know and it puts me at ease - thank you!!!

I am getting up to about 6K RPM (owner's manual recommends 4K for the first 500 miles) and it sounds like an angry bee already - I can't imagine getting much more out of it at higher RPMs, but you have answered that question so I just need to get through the break-in and see what it's got.

[OreoGaborio]

there ya go.... get it up & beyond 10k and i'm pretty sure it will LITERALLY put out twice the power. I know my zx6r only puts out about 40hp at 6k rpm's, but peaks at around 96-97hp somewhere around 13-14k rpm's

[Rhonda66]

Originally posted by OreoGaborio
there ya go.... get it up & beyond 10k and i'm pretty sure it will LITERALLY put out twice the power. I know my zx6r only puts out about 40hp at 6k rpm's, but peaks at around 96-97hp somewhere around 13-14k rpm's

Yes, exactly! If I stay under or at 4K RPM as recommended, I only get up to 35mph! I can't even keep up with the traffic at that speed! Which is why I've been pushing it up to 6K already, but really trying to keep it under that through the break-in. The whiney bee sound had me worried that I wouldn't get much more out of it even after the break-in...

[OreoGaborio]

Originally posted by Rhonda66
Yes, exactly! If I stay under or at 4K RPM as recommended, I only get up to 35mph!

35??? how many gears ya got on that thing? 2?

sure you didn't buy a moped? it doesn't have pedals like a bicycle, does it?

[SSearchVT]

Your husband is right. The 250 is a great learner bike!! What you are feeling is a combination of the bike still being broken in, and your comfort level riding a motorcycle. Get some miles on the bike, and then gradually increase the level of your riding. Don't worry about going fast or keeping up right now, keep it safe, and ride your own ride. As for a group ride, just be honest with the people in charge of the ride. If they break it into groups, there is a good chance there is a group of less agressive riders you would feel comfortable with.

[Rhonda66]

Originally posted by OreoGaborio
35??? how many gears ya got on that thing? 2?

sure you didn't buy a moped? it doesn't have pedals like a bicycle, does it?

See, that's what I meant!!!

If I upshift at 4-5K, I end up at 35mph in 5th gear - I am NOT kidding!

[Honclfibr]

Originally posted by Rhonda66
This is exactly what I wanted to know and it puts me at ease - thank you!!!

I am getting up to about 6K RPM (owner's manual recommends 4K for the first 500 miles) and it sounds like an angry bee already - I can't imagine getting much more out of it at higher RPMs, but you have answered that question so I just need to get through the break-in and see what it's got.

Ahh ok, I missed in your first post that you were still breaking it in, that explains why it feels so slow at street speeds. I can tell you that in the 300 or so miles I put on the 250, I spent most of it from 8k to redline, on the onramps it was 14k-shift 14k-shift 14k-shift just to merge with traffic.

Not to worry, once you're through the breakin period you will discover a whole other motorcycle in the top end of your rev range

In fact, if you're past 500 miles at this point I might touchingly suggest cracking the throttle a bit wouldn't hurt at this point, your piston rings should be nicely seated and you should be able to bump up to the double digits rpms when the need to accelerate a bit more strikes you, just bring it down into the midband once you've attained the speed you desire and everything should be top notch, these motorcycle motors aren't nearly as fragile as the manufacturer would have you believe, and that EX engine is mostly bulletproof. Just make sure you use the manufacturers recommended NGK spark plugs when it comes time to change them, that motor does not take kindly to plugs hotter than the proscribed heat range....long story

[benVFR]

If you can go 35mph you're fine.

An SV650 can only go like 55 for the break in period.

Both the 250 and the SV can go well over 100mph once the breakin is over so don't worry about it.

Hell I can only hit 35 in a sprint on my bicycle and I'm perfectly safe after like 15,000 miles of that... and that's with no lights and flashy plastic for visiblility.

Take your time and learn that 250 well, once you're on a fast rider on the 250 you'll be better off when you do eventually get something else.

[Jaynnus]

I had that same bike. And the same concerns.

Keep riding...before you know it you won't be afraid to hit higher RPM's and you will find out that what they say is right....

It can be a fun bike when you get there!!

[unionjackass]

When I was 16 I rode a restricted 50 for a year and that only did 40 in top!

It was still fun but your Ninja will be a lot more fun at 12000rpm, you will feel like Valentino Rossi redlining that bike!

Ironstone and the MSF both good news, do consider the ERC when you have a thousand or two miles down.

[ZX-12R]

Don't sweat the 250's power during break-in. Once that is finished, the bike will come alive. I really enjoy riding the 250 ninja even coming off of the 12r. The 250 is very light and maneuverable and gives you the sensation of pushing it in the corners when you are actually travelling at slightly less illegal speeds than with its bigger brothers.

[Rhonda66]

Thank you everyone! I've cooled my jets - just need to stay patient!

[akira700]

Also as you get more comfortable and start to crank up the RPMs you may find
the noise distracting, making you lose concentration on more important things.

I find if you wear ear plugs, the high revs wont bother you and then you can start exploring how the bike feels when you've got it howling at 8 to 10 grand. Plus dont worry the engine is made to revvy like that.