S
sportrider
recently I have spent some quality time on a 07 Ninja 250R. over the last week I've logged over 600 miles of commuting and a little taking the scenic way around. here is a short summary of my experiences and opinions. coming off an FZ6, the littlest Ninja in the Kawasucky lineup is definitely not going to hold any land speed records. but that is not what this bike was designed for. this is an entry level sportbike. the speedo is very optimistic like most bikes, I passed one of those radar speed limit signs at a speedo indicated 105MPH and the sign showed me at 93MPH. I find it easily will out accelerate traffic stop light to stop light. also it is surprisingly smooth at high speed, not talking stability here but riding for an hour at 95MPH (indicated) I never once got "numb hand" the motor seems to be well balanced. the brakes took a little getting used to, initially they feel weak and soggy, but once they are warmed up they provide more then ample stopping power for the bike, though they lack the feel I'm used to. riding in high winds can be a little bit interesting, the bike requires more force on the bars to keep it tracking straight in 30-40MPH gusts, and riding up into the bad air behind a high profile vehicle causes a lot of buffering with both the bike and helmet unless you are in a full tuck. aside from that the ninja is quite an effective tool for lane splitting. I squeezed into places that would have been a mirror folder on the FZ6. on this bike momentum is key, despite is 13000RPM red line the usable power band is 9500-12000, earlier then that you'll be looking for a downshift, higher then that there's nothing left to give. I managed to get a race in with a Honda shadow "ace" 750. it was a pretty close run. the twin pulled me a bit out of the hole, but once the duce and a half found its powerband I passed him and was faster on top. not bad for a 500cc disadvantage. all in all I'd say most people don't need anything more then the power this bike puts out. if you are new to riding, or just want an economical bike that is a blast to ride, you really should look into the Ninja 250. you can't go wrong with it. if more manufacturers would step up and make machines like this I think more people would ride bikes that are right for them.