Ninja250 and MSF

motogp08

motogp08

Registered
Hey everyone, i'm getting a 250ninja sometime close to February. I was wondering tho, what i should be looking for when i go and get it. Is there anything specific that i should be watching for?

Also, i'll be taking the MSF course. I'd like to know a little about some of the things i'll be required to do on the bike. I have my dirtbike here at home and want to start practicing some of the drills ahead of time, so that i'll have an edge during the course.

Just for curiosity, does anyone else here have a 250ninja? How do you like it? Is it dependable? How's the power for this size of engine? Is repair hard/expensive?

I'd like answers to this stuff so that i can get a head-start on getting my FIRST streetbike. I'm kinda nervous, and don't want anything going wrong. So i'm doing a little preventative maintenance and asking you guys first.
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Also, i'm thinking about a 200-400 dollar lean-to shed for my 250, "would this be okay?" I don't want to spend too much for a shed, but will definitelly consider something NICE that will benefit the bike.

Any and ALL help is greatly appreciated!
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I'ne never heard of any problems with the baby Ninja. I started my street riding career on an 89 EX500. I've never had the chance to ride a 250, but have sat on a few. As for the power, it will get you around but it's pretty much just a good learning bike. You won't have it for long till you're looking for something bigger. On the upside, they seem to hold there value pretty well and with people always looking for starter bikes, they seem to seel pretty easy. As for the test part of the question. If you can handle the dirtbike, the 250 shouldn't be any problems. You're looking at 1st to 2nd gear only. Some 1st gear slolums, slow controled braking, If you can ride the bike around the yard/field, loop around a couple of tree's shift up and back down, stop on a specific spot like a rock or stick or something and not put your feet on the ground (except for the stopping part)..........You're good to go.
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Insurance should be cheaper on the little 250 also, and you can easily remove the bodywork for practice manuevers if you have any fear of dumping it. Get comfortable then put it back together..........Lot's cheaper that way.
 
moto you'll do fine going from a dirt bike to the 250.get comfy with the bike before your test.just remember the street is alot differant than the dirt.
 
I'd say you've already put a foot in the right direction... MSF is a great way to start your street riding days out! Pretty sure you'll learn more in that class then you could in two years on the street. Best of all just remember the old Honda saying "Stupid Hurts"... Thats something you should avoid by taking this class. Looking forward to riding with you this summer my Kansas Cousin
 
I rode my wife's 2007 Ninja 250 for 2 weeks while my Busa was being put together after my "fall."

I feel that not only is it a near perfect starter bike but is very fun to ride. I almost (ALMOST) regretted having to stop riding it when the Busa got fixed. It has enough power to learn on but not much more. It is a very high revving bike but that can present some problems:

Downside:
If you follow the break-in procedure you will not be able to take it over 4000rpm for the first 500 miles. This is about 40 mph. So for 500 miles you can't take it above 40 miles per hour. 500 miles doesn't seem like much but it takes forever at 40mph. (12 1/2 hours of riding flat out at 40mph.)
Even then you are not supposed to take it over 6000rpm for the next 500 after that.
The problem lies in the fact that the power from this bike comes at 6000rpm and above, mostly 8k actually. So for the first 1000 miles, or 20 hours of riding, you will not experience any power whatsoever.

Starting it is sometimes a pain. The choke and carb combo on this bike leave much to be desired. I can't speak for the 2008's.
Also riding in wind you REALLY get pushed around due to the lighter weight.

Upside:
The throttle is very forgiving. To get up to traffic speeds I pretty much rip it wide open when taking off without any issues. Corners and twisties are a piece of cake as it is very light. This makes it easy to learn.

Resale value seems good, although I think when the wife upgrades I am going to keep this one;)

50+ miles per gallon.

Inexpensive. This is almost a "throwaway" bike. With the use I have gotten out of it I wouldn't feel cheated if it melted into a puddle right now. Well worth the money for an entry level bike.

This bike is durable. It has been dropped twice and high-sided once. An accident that put her in the hospital for broken ribs only munched up the fairing, no repair work needed.

If and when you graduate to a larger motorcycle, 600, 1k, Busa, you will need to relearn a bit. Even riding her bike for 2 weeks I had to relearn not to rip the throttle as the Busa throttle is SO sensitive compared to the Ninja. Also the weight and turning capabilities I had to get used to again. The sheer size and weight difference is huge.

If I can think of anything else I will post it:)

I recommend the Ninja 250 highly as a starter bike. She was chomping at the bit to get a black 600 but ended up being extremely happy she bought the 250.
 
Practicing for the MSF course CAN BE a double edge sword. If you practice something incorrectly, then the instructors have to break that bad habit, and then re-teach the skill correctly. With you having dirt bike experience it will help.

Check and see if you can use your bike in the course. If it is a used bike you want to make sure it has a very good battery and show up with a full tank of gas. (you will stop and start the engine many times without it getting a full recharge"¦.it will also use much more goss in the class than you expect.) Taking the class on your bike preps you for "your bike"￾ and you don't have to transition from another bike. The only disadvantage is a possible drop in some of the exercises. That should not be a problem since you have some dirt bike experience. You are actually going to get a little bored the first few exercises, so be patient. The speed will pick up toward the end of the first day!

Here is a link to some tips
http://msf-usa.org/downloads/Riding_Tips.pdf


Make sure you are comfortable and have you gear broken in. Wear those boots if they are new.

Here is a link to the course material. You might want to browse through it.

http://msf-usa.org/CurriculumMaterials/BRC_Handbook_Vs71_noprint.pdf


The 250 Ninja is a pretty good little bike. Like most sport bikes the biggest downside to newer riders is potential damage to plastic if it is dropped.

Keeping it out of the elements would be a good thing. A shed is much better than leaving it out in the open to rain, snow, sun, and thieving eyes.


There is some other material you might want to look through if you have time.

http://msf-usa.org/index_n....Library
 
I'm thinking if you ride dirt bikes, you might want to start with a Ninja 500. You'll be bored on the 250 in no time.

As for the MSF course.. They will teach you from the ground up. Literally. You start by sitting on the bike and pushing it. Then in first. Then stopping.. If you know how to ride dirt..I'd just wait for the course. They will teach you the correct ways to ride street. You'll learn how to use the throttle, the clutch, your brakes, corner, stop, emergency stop, run over stuff safely. It's very simple, if you listen to them. I had a great time when I went. And even learned something new, even tho I rode when I was younger.

Good luck and have fun!
 
Very good advice from Professor and LadyHawk... We went in knowing nothing at all about riding and after the 2 day novice course, we had our certification. MSF has the best instructors and the stuff you'll learn will last a lifetime.

Good luck to you but most of all - have fun!
 
Get one of those hand exercise things at a sporting goods store and work on that clutch hand a bit. You'll be using it quite a bit in the class.

hand_exerciser_hand-grip.jpg
 
I too started on a Ninja 250.  Like said above by a few people, its a great starter bike and i did like mine but i got bored with it real quick.  I bought it brand new and only had it for 4 months before i sold it.  I put 4000 miles on it in that time and it was over winter!  If i had it to do over again, i would probably go with a 500cc bike.  It, in my opinion is a great starter bike and has enough power that you wont be looking to sell it in the first few months of ownership.  Here was my 250 and the bike i replaced it with 4 months later...

MVC-055F.jpg
 
http://www.ama-cycle.org/roadride/NewRider/BAmsf1.asp

Thats a pretty good summation of what you'll do in the bacis rider course.

As for the ninja 250....I'm getting one for my wife by the spring. it's a good bike thats very unintimidating and forgiving. However, it is also a bike you'll probably outgrow quickly. The design has been essentially the same for YEARS, and parts should be interchangeable, so there will be excellent parts availability.

That being said, I think i agree with everyone else in that if you have riding experience on dirtbikes, you may want to start with something bigger. The same goes for practicing beforehand. DONT DO THIS! You're going to the class to learn the basics. don't make the instructors job harder by going there with built in bad habits developed already. The class is designed for someone who has never even sat on a motorcycle before, so you'll spend most of your time pretty far ahead of the curve.
 
What Spike said is right on. My wife has a Ninja 250 and it is a blast to ride. It's high revving engine is reliable and a lot of fun to wind up. She hasn't put too many miles on it in the 2 years she's had it. I've probably put more on it than she has. It is fun to ride it sometimes, even owning a Busa. I would definitely recommend the 250. If you are interested in upgrading sometime, I do have a Black 2006 Ninja 650R that I am selling.
 
EVERY SINGLE PERSON SHOULD START RIDING A NINJA 250. We wouldn't have nearly as many accidents if everyone did this. I learned on one, even though I wanted a bigger bike. I listened to my friends and bought one, even though I didn't want one. I know I am a much better rider for it now, and I can get the most out of my busa because of it. I bought it at the end of the season, and rode it for 9 months, then sold it in the middle of summer for $400 more than I bought it for!!!!
My progression thus far:
Ninja 250
Yammy R6
Gixxer 750
Busa (Current)

My girlfriend has one, and I still sneak it out for fun every once in a while.
 
250 is a great bike that is reliable.. ex- girlfriend started on one and moved on to a 05-r6 in a year.. they can be a pain starting and getting warmed up though.. have seen people fight this issue at the start of a ride for like 10min but once its warmed up it is fine..
 
I'm planning on picking up an 08 250 when I sell the house. I'll have room for two more bikes in the trailer, and the 250 will be one on them.
 
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