Kawasaki Ninja 250R

[jstone]

I seen one of these for sale in town for only 2500 bucks. 2007, 1000 miles, looks brand new. So it got me thinking about what a new one costs. I checked the Kawi site and much to my surprise the MSRP on a new '08 is only $3500! So I've read a few hundred reviews and am very seriously considering getting one now. Nobody has very many bad things to say about these bikes, and they look just like a bigger bike, so the curb appeal is great. Anybody know anything about these, have one, have any experiences with one, etc? I plan on getting one in the next few months, if not sooner.

A blue one, my favorite color... I think.



And here is the sanjuro\z50r-blank\burnt_toast version

About the best one I've seen yet.

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

They are the Dios of the tiny supersports. Nobody has bothered with HiPo 250s in this country for years, so Kawasaki has had the market all to itself. The bikes are bulletproof, easily approach 90 +MPH and do it all day long. If you swap in a Dio, even faster...

[Dac]

I have been wanting one for a while.

They are super cheap and good bikes. Best part is, being such a small motor you can keep the RPM's up and have fun without killing yourself. Sure its nots the fastest bike in the world. But IMO its a very reasonable bike.


Look around on craigslist sometime, you can pick them up used for d*** near as cheap as a dio.

[808BMW]

It will beat most cars, gets 50+ mpg, has a comfortable riding position, and I'd assume due to the light weight it should handle pretty well also.

Unfortunately all the squids on sportbikes will laugh at you, as will 95% of the general public. Sure it's more than they can handle at 10/10'ths, but they don't care. If you can deal with being misunderstood by idiots, it's a sensible bike.
I would consider one, but in that size and price range I'd rather build a supermoto, but that's because I'm a reckless hooligan at heart.

[jstone]

Yeah I'm not worried about what people say. I live in a super small town and not very many people have bikes, so people won't say much. At first I thought it would just be a great beginner bike, but the more I read about it, the more I think I could ride it for awhile. I don't need something fast, I just want something to cruise in and save gas.

[maddog]

you can also get a cpi-gtr 50 same size and with a 70cc bore kit,mine does 90mph all day long plus its a very big legal moped.

[slosquirrel]

All I can say is SUPERMOTO!!!

Not that im bias or anything

I've had a few friends with these when they were first starting out on street bikes (but they were the old body style). They are a great bike to learn on, and the new ones look great. But even the modded ones I've ridden have left me a little dissapointed. When they're piped up and tuned out they can make all sorts of noise when you lace into the throttle, but thats about it.

I will say I haven't ridden the newer body style yet, and Im not sure if they changed much. But they are a good starting point, inexpensive, reliable, and you won't be AS likely to kill yourself first time out on it. Not to mention the new ones look 10X better than the old ones!

I love anything with two-wheels and a motor. I do have my supermoto, and just got back from a spin on the V-Strom 1000, but I still love all my 50cc scooters too! So maybe more displacement doesn't mean more enjoyment?

[TURN1]

you can also get a cpi-gtr 50 same size and with a 70cc bore kit,mine does 90mph all day long plus its a very big legal moped.

90mph and 90kph is a big difference

Regarding OP question, the 250r is a great bike in general. Very common bike to see in Honolulu, Hawaii since you don't really need a big bike to get around an island.

Screw what other people think or say. I still ride my 1989 Honda cruiser to work daily.

Good luck with your decision.

Here's my daily driver:

It's the yellow naked cruiser in the pics. I lead every ride. My little old Honda hangs with my friend on the Red Ducati 999, and he's a seasoned track rider. Sometimes I bring my Ducati 998 out to play, but I love spanking liter bikes on my little old Honda cruiser, haha.