Rider Review: 1989 Kawasaki Ninja 250

It was clean except for some rust on the exhaust headers and some of the coils. The speedometer cable was missing its attachment nut so it wouldn't stay seated in the gauge and the tires were dry rotted. A trip to the dealer replaced both tires and I ordered and installed a new speedometer cable.

Ergonomics:

I am 6'1" and 180lbs. I fold up nicely onto the seat with my knees fitted perfectly against the gas tank. The seating is a little cramped for someone of my height, but the seat is fairly roomy and a little sliding forward or back allows for comfortable seating.

Foot controls are placed perfectly and easy to feel. The seating position is slightly forward but upright. The handlebar height isn't designed for classic sportbike positioning and feels natural. All in all, the bike fits like a glove and has no really bad points in comfort or positioning.

Riding:

I purchased the bike a little over two months before I was scheduled to take the MSF class about three weeks after I got my learner's permit. Two riding friends of mine lived around the corner and one was licensed, I was taught to ride initially by them in a nearby parking lot. My licensed rider transported the bike to and from the lot and we spent several nights there learning basic skills.

My first two months of riding was local neighborhood and commuting to and from work with my riding friends.

Acceleration is smooth and slow. The parallel twin revs up smoothly with no surprises. To get decent acceleration, you can twist the throttle a good amount and the bike will take off. Even then, the rear of the bike settles but you won't find yourself hanging on for dear life like a larger machine. Enough for a adrenaline rush and a taste of what life would be like on its bigger cousins.

The engine likes to be wrung out. The six gears allow you a lot of flexibility in tailoring the performance of the bike to your riding style. For commuters, you can ride the bike all day and never break 7000rpm at 50mph with judicious shifting. Alternately, you can shift up as the bike reaches into the 10-12K rpm range where the bike develops power and keep it there.

Shifting is smooth and the clutch isn't stiff. It isn't uncomfortable to sit at a light for two minutes with the clutch pulled in unlike some other bikes. Shifting is audible with nice loud "snicks" between gear. The bike transitions smoothly from gear to gear with only the slightest roll off the throttle. Finding neutral is easy with the positive neutral finder.

The bike handles like an extension of your body. The bike goes where you point it. It is very easy to turn and the bike flicks around corners effortlessly.

The soft suspension absorbs a lot of the bumps in the road. At low to moderate speeds (up to 55-60mph), the bike is solid and very stable. As you start reaching into Interstate riding speeds, the bikes starts to feel like it is floating. Control is still very positive but the feeling is a little disconcerting.

Wind protection is very good. I only feel wind on my legs on the outside and windscreen protects my arms and upper body completely. At higher speeds, hunkering down into the quiet air bubble behind the windscreen works fine. The wind protection combined with the seating position ensures a comfortable, mostly fatigue free ride.

The front and rear disc brakes provide adequate braking. The rear brake is fairly weak as expected. You have to stomp very hard to get the rear wheel to lock up. The front brake is very responsive and requires only a small amount of pressure to engage. At speed, using both brakes, the bike will come to a stop quickly. The brakes provide good feedback and even in a panic grab, you're not likely to lock up the front wheel. The only real downside to hard braking is the nose dive the bike goes into. It is very easy to compress the front forks to their limits under hard braking.

I put a total of 2200 miles on my Ninja 250 in my first season of riding. Most of that was moderate speed commuting at 50-60mph and running errands at low speed. I've had the bike on the Interstate and it does fine except that its lightness makes it vulnerable to being tossed around by trucks and large vehicles. It also is a little wobbly in a strong wind (18+ mph), but expect that is the case for a lot of bikes. Even if you get knocked around a little, it is very easy to keep control and stay on course.

Cost Of Ownership:

As a 250cc machine, the Ninja is one of the cheapest ways to ride out there.

The bike is very frugal on gas getting 50mpg without touching the reserve in stop-and-go commuting. Highway performance is better but I haven't done any distance riding for longer periods at highway speeds to get a feel for the overall mileage. By all accounts, the Ninja should easily be capable of 60mpg at continuous highway speeds.

Insurance is dirt cheap. I pay $126/yr for full coverage with low deductibles.

Since the Ninja has remained relatively unchanged since 1988, parts are readily available and any Kawasaki dealer can service the bike. Cost of parts is also an advantage. Should you drop the bike, the plastic is inexpensive compared to that for a 600cc machine.

Impressions:

I've had a very positive experience with the Ninja 250R. The bike let you develop your riding skills and it can grow with them. There is no other machine like it in the 250cc class. It can be docile and tame as you start out and then you can start twisting the throttle and pushing it. A beginning rider would be hard pressed to get into trouble on it.

Although the bike is small, it can and does perform very well. Woe to any modified Honda Civic or small Mustang pulling up beside you and challenging you to beat them through the light. It won't be a contest: the Ninja will win.

The bike's only real weakness is its suspension. It is very soft and it can't be adjusted. A heavier rider (such as myself) can easily compress it 50% just by sitting on the bike. The softness can make some corners feel a little uncertain since it dampens out a lot of vibration.

Although maligned as a toy bike, the Ninja is a superb machine for a new rider. Comfortable, nimble, decent performer and cheap to own. Upgrades are available for it and you can do a fair bit to the bike and not come anywhere close to the cost of a larger machine.

I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to ride and wants a sportbike. You can cruise the Ninja at its stated 14K redline and still have a gear or two left to choose from. No other 250cc machine can claim that.

Finally, the "fun factor" of the bike is high. Bigger bikes might provide a bigger rush or better sound, but the "baby" Ninja can do everything the big bikes do and do it as well at a fraction of the cost. In the twisties, the 250 shines. It can and will exceed its 600cc cousins in tight turns and low speed maneuvers and keep you grinning ear to ear as you flick from one turn to the next.

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