Kawasaki Ninja Forum banner

Bored of your Baby Ninja?

2151 Views 11 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  spooph
I was talking to a co-worker about me purchasing a ninja 250 and during his advice in helmets, buying used, etc.. He mentioned that I shouldn't spend too much on my first bike because I will get bored and want more power.

I know this may be true for some, so I ask what will it take for you to get bored with your ninja?

:Sent via the NewNinja iPhone App:
1 - 12 of 12 Posts
...so I ask what will it take for you to get bored with your ninja?
I'll get bored with mine when I'll have to pedal that SOB
NefRider said:
I was talking to a co-worker about me purchasing a ninja 250 and during his advice in helmets, buying used, etc.. He mentioned that I shouldn't spend too much on my first bike because I will get bored and want more power.

I know this may be true for some, so I ask what will it take for you to get bored with your ninja?

:Sent via the NewNinja iPhone App:
Yeah. If I ever won some other big cc bike as a prize somehow. Highly unlikely though as I can't win a pile of poop in an outhouse raffle. I'm gonna ride mine till the wheels fall off.... Not literally but you know what I mean.
I get tired of mine here and there mainly bc I usually only get to ride from home to work and back, but there are times when I get to do something more fun and I like the bike again. I've ridden r6's and when I get back on the ninja I almost feel at home bc I know the bike and its characteristics. I do find it lacking in power and I don't like how rough it idles and accelerates, but other than that...I love my bike.
Riders change bikes. Just a fact of life. Sometimes you are bored. Or frustrated. Or like the look, style, or function of a different bike. No matter what you buy, you will likely want to ride something else in a few seasons.

To be bored of a 250 on power alone is, in my opinion, short-sighted. Unless you live in some law-less community, the 250 gives you all the power you need to operate your bike in a spirited manner within (and on occassion, a little bit beyond) the acceptable levels that will allow a rider to not forfiet their licence.

I think it takes a certain kind of rider to appreciate small displacements. Here in Canada, we have a 125cc sportbike from Honda, 250cc sportbikes from Honda and Kawi, the TU250 standard from Suzuki, a 250cc cruiser for all of the big 4 Japanese, and the 400 Ninja too. All are good sellers and popular bikes. But if you buy a smaller cc bike with the thought that you are a moto GP champ and you will be tearing the asphalt apart at the turn of every greenlight, then you are probably riding the wrong bike. Seems the need for huge (and therefore useless excess power) displacements has become a North American demand. It has resulted in the idea that small displacements are in-sufficient and meant for learner bikes only. It is only a few decades ago the a 400 cc bike was a mid-size and a 750 was huge. And today's smaller bikes out perform those low-tech classics by a longshot.

So, bored? Maybe, it happens. But if you are a rider who appreciates the perfomance, style, spirit, fun, and energy of a smaller CC bike, then hell no, you won't get bored.
See less See more
Been riding The Wife's bike while my 650 is up for sale... The smaller bike is just as quick around town, acceptable on the freeway, and much more fun in the curves. ;) I know one 250 owner who's been riding for 40 years, and he feels it's the best bike he's owned.

If your physical size doesn't limit your fitting on the 250, you may have a hard time justifying a larger ride.
The only reason I upgrades to the 650R was purely in regards to having a bike that could carry my wife and I on long trips comfortably and also handle luggage as well. The rear seat on the 250R was not even considered by my wife as being suitable,and I knew the power would suffer under the load of extra luggage.
My wife started riding the 250R and loved it, and never considered upgrading to anything else, but she was not riding it enough to warrant keeping it.
This thread is gold and I completely agree with the consensus. Boar, I think I'm gonna carry your reply around in my pocket for when people give me a hard time (which is all the time)... very well said.
Thanks for the insight and advice. This thread will definitely help others who have questions about the smaller cc class and how it serves a greater purpose on the streets than larger displacement bikes.

:Sent via the NewNinja iPhone App:
I honestly feel more at home and comfortable on a 600cc bike. My legs are a little long for the 250, but not too bad. I also like how smooth the bigger bikes are. I took some turns the other day on my 250 that I took on an R6 and I went faster smoother and more comfortable on the r6 than I was on the ninja. I'm thinking mainly bc of the riding position. This is why I'm going to get some rearsets and clipons to see if that will help me feel more comfortable on the bike.
I think you hit it Navy. It's what feels right. And by "right" I'm not saying feels fastest, or looks coolest, or.....
The only way to survive out there is to ride within your abilities. That goes for what you ride just as much as how you ride.
I question the sanity of new riders who go out and buy a new liter-bike as their first machine.
I also question small-stature, seasoned riders who run liter-bikes because they think more displacement = more funner (sic).
I ride an 1100, and I'm comfortable because I have the size and mental attitude to wrestle with the weight and bulk of an 1100 on the street and keep under control at all times. A 250 feels like a pocket bike under me, and I'm all out of balance.

It's what is the right ride for you. I think a better validation of why you don't want to spend too much on your first bike is: I can almost guarantee you are going to lay the bike down at some point in your first year of riding....we all have.
What would you rather scratch up on your first fall? The used bike that already had a few scars on it, or the brand new one that you just emptied your entire piggy-bank for?

Up to you, but I don't think there is a strong correlation between horsepower and how much you enjoy your first bike.
I also doubt Casey Stoner lies awake at night worrying about any of us....
See less See more
Bored of my 250? Never. Frustrated at time with the lack of power, sometimes. But bored? Nah. I don't think I'll ever sell the 250 anyway... Who would want to buy a 100K ninjette for that matter, eh? (No, not there yet, 42K to go!)
1 - 12 of 12 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top