Back in March, we reported that Kawasaki was
looking for video submissions from riders who have had favorable experiences on the little bike that could, the Ninja 250. It turns out that Team Green got a few hundred submissions and has placed the top eight finalists on its website. We spent some time going through them and some are better than others. We especially liked the videos from Emily Cohan and Brandon Zambroski. As you might expect, nimble handling, adequate performance and excellent economy -- around seventy miles per gallon according to one owner's video -- . give the small sportbike a lot of appeal.
The Ninja 250 may be the best motorcycle currently available to begin your riding career on, and as more people become interested in making the switch from four wheels down to two, these types of learner-friendly bikes will become increasingly important. With that in mind, the updates that Big Green has made to its beginner bike, including new seventeen inch wheels, upgraded brakes, and much-improved styling, are very welcome indeed.
[Source:
Kawasaki]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
BrianM 6:45PM (7/10/2008)
Plug for Ninja250.org ~ 3 of the finalists (that we know of) are forum members. It's the one stop shop for all things Ninja 250 and beginning biker on through to people doing multi-thousand mile trips across the country and across North America (yes, we've had a few people ride from Key West, FL to Prudohe Bay, AK, tour through Mexico and one 18y/o kid is currently half-way through a coast to coast to coast trip before starting college). Actually, one of the finalists is also currently riding from Baltimore, MD to somewhere in CA for the second time in 2 years.
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Brent 12:03PM (7/10/2008)
Cool. I am going to buy one next year (if I can find one).
Kevin White 6:48AM (7/11/2008)
I like the new 250 -- the bodywork really looks great, they included a fuel gauge (this is a big plus in getting my girlfriend to buy and learn on this bike), and the larger wheels and better brakes are welcome.
It's not all perfect though; I was hoping for fuel-injection (it's still carburetted), aluminum frame (it's still steel), and radial tires (they're still bias-ply). They also ditched the centerstand, a crucial piece that previously eliminated the need for spools and a Pit-Bull stand for chain maintenance and oil changes.
The bike also has the break-in drawback. You pretty much have to trailer it home if you want to buy new and observe the break-in procedures due to the low torque which necessitates very short gearing which leads to high RPMs on the highway. Break-in can take many hours as well.
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chris 5:37PM (7/16/2008)
My old ER 250 circa 1990still returns 75 mpg average the only problem I have is the carbs icing in winter have kawasaki fixed that one yet .
The ninja has only just been released here in the UK but it is the type of bike that i feel has been missing from the range for to long
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