More 2011 Kawasaki's.

[dentheman]

I just went to the Kawa site and noticed they have added several 2011's to their list today. I am particularly interested in the new Ninja 250R, it has the same MSRP as the 2010, but I don't like the colors as much. Any thoughts on getting this bike for a first bike? I am 5' 11" and weigh 235, so I don't know if it will fit well. And I wonder if I would be thought of as the family 'oddball', riding a Ninja at 61 years!!!

[alanmcorcoran]

Den, I don't know for sure, but I always liked this video: (Hope this link works

[youtube:25chljxv]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVxoVEMTXp8[/youtube:25chljxv]

[dentheman]

WOW! Thanks for that video, Alan! It bolsters my confidence in getting a Ninja. I am still thinking of getting a GZ if I can find a good one, or a TU250, or better yet a GS500F. But right now the Ninja is on the top of my short list. But it will be next summer (probably fall) before I get anything. I am keeping my list to bikes weighing less than 400 lbs, except for the GS500 which I would buy in spite of the weight.

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by dentheman

WOW! Thanks for that video, Alan! It bolsters my confidence in getting a Ninja. I am still thinking of getting a GZ if I can find a good one, or a TU250, or better yet a GS500F. But right now the Ninja is on the top of my short list. But it will be next summer (probably fall) before I get anything. I am keeping my list to bikes weighing less than 400 lbs, except for the GS500 which I would buy in spite of the weight.

Don't forget the sort of sporty 500 twin that Kaw makes. New for 2011 is the Ninja 400 too.

[dentheman]

Ninja 400? I'll have to look, but I must say the 250 is in my price range.

[dentheman]

Originally Posted by dentheman

Ninja 400? I'll have to look, but I must say the 250 is in my price range.

The Ninja 400 is not available in the USA.

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by dentheman

The Ninja 400 is not available in the USA.

Just picture the 600/636 Ninja and stuff in a 400 engine. All the nice features but won't go 150 MPH. As for the 250 I would love to ride one in the twisties and have some fun. A 250 or 400 would also be cheaper to insure for most folks too.

[alanmcorcoran]

Originally Posted by dentheman

WOW! Thanks for that video, Alan! It bolsters my confidence in getting a Ninja.

Yeah I kind of wanted to get one too after I watched it. The guy lives around me - I thought about looking him up, but I couldn't really think of a good reason to hunt him down. The ride from CA to Florida was pretty impressive!

I think you'll be happy with a Ninja 250, but I want to tell you that you are probably overly cautious about bike power/weight/etc. I was too. The GZ is a nice bike to learn on and is great bike for local roads/moderate commuting, but if you do any amount of 60mph plus riding, you will soon want something faster. If you are short on cash, and you get into a bike that you feel is underpowered, you'll be stuck with it until you can scrape up another stack of motorcycle money. I would recommend you get a used bike in good condition - you can save a ton on one, and then plan on trading up 6 months later.

[bonehead]

That must have been one helluva ride, great video.

[dentheman]

I suppose the real reason I am so concerned about power and weight is I relate them to cost. I have become quite a penny-pincher as I got older. I paid off my credit cards and other bills and no longer believe in buying on credit unless it is an emergency, so I am saving to pay cash for my motorcycle. I have made a number of trips to dealers and checked the sale ads and the only used bikes for sale around here are BIG, except for one Honda with front and rear drum brakes. I haven't seen any 250 on the showroom floor or the street (maybe a Ninja 250 on the street, I couldn't tell).

So, with my penny-pincher thoughts of paying the least, and lowest maintenance cost, best gas mileage, and ease of riding, I had concentrated on getting the GZ or TU.

But then I started reading up on the little Ninja. MSRP is similar to GZ and TU so it will be cheap to buy and maintenace should be pretty low, maybe a little more than a GZ/TU, but I should be able to do much of it myself. Gas mileage seems to be pretty decent from what I have read, however the high compression ratio suggests that I will need to use higher octane gas (even though the manual says 87), and just about everyone seems to rave about ease and comfort of riding. I also like the liquid cooling, tubeless tires and fairings. But the big plus the Ninja has over the GZ/TU is that it is better suited to high speed hiways and interstates, from what I gather. Not that I plan to do a lot of interstate riding, but you never can tell once I get a bike. (I think it might free me up to do some day touring.)

Powerwise, I would actually go up to a 500cc if I found a good used one. I would certainly like a chance to see and test a nice GS500F. I have also considered the S-40, but I just don't like the looks. I have considered the Korean and Chinese bikes, but have read too much about poor build quality, though I have never looked at one; and their dealers seem to come and go so I'm leary of maintenance support.

So, based on all of the above, the Ninja 250 seems like about the best bike for me AT THIS MOMENT. (A penny-pincher also over-analyzes things.)