My new to me toy
 

This is my new to me toy, I couldn't pass up the deal. It's a 1999 Ninja 250, a friend at work was hurting for money and I got it for $800. I need tires for it if anyone has a set 110/90/16 front and 130/80/16 rear.
http://i526.photobucket.com/albums/c...ic031309_3.jpg
http://i526.photobucket.com/albums/c...ic031309_2.jpg
http://i526.photobucket.com/albums/c...ic031309_1.jpg

Wow good deal!

Great deal 8O seat needs some help but that is nothing. I have wanted to try one of those out for a long time. 100mph on a 250 just seems like a lotta fun. 800 bucks plus a couple hundred bucks for tires, Pretty good deal.

It seems like it's geared low to me. It runs about 5500 rpm at 55 mph, but I geuss with a redline at 14500 that's normal. It seems to pull all the way through the rpm range though, unlike my lifan.

Congratulations! I would love to get a similar deal on a good, used Ninja 250!

Spud :)

You'll get used to it, It is meant to rev super high. If You almost redline it You will love it. Heard that they are VERY hard to kill so make her scream.

It's been wet here every since I brought it home, so the back tries to pass the front if you get too high in the rpms. I'll have to wait till the weather changes before I can really see what it will do. I don't know if I will keep it or not, I've been getting offers from friends that are getting better and better. The latest was $1100, I'm not trying to sell it, but if someone brings $1300 it's gone.

The ones I have seen used have never been below 1700.00, So at 1300.00 it should sell quickly......But I think You will like it. Depends what You are into.

Well I finally got to stretch it out a little today, it got up to 57 degrees and cloudy skys. I took it on the freeway and ran it up to 100. I got off at the next exit and the clutch cable broke. Luckily it broke at the lever and I limped it to a friends house and soldered it back to the keeper, but it's too short for the adjuster so I'll have to have a new cable.

Well other than the bad luck, Did it seem like fun?

That thing got to 100 quick. When you are going through the gears hard, each gear doesn't drop below 8000rpm when you shift. It seems to me like it would help it alot to go 2 or 3 teeth smaller on the rear sprocket. I'm not planning that though. It is a fun bike, I wish it had better tires because I'm afraid of getting into the corners too hot. I rode the Lifan today too, wooooorlds apart. I still think I could maneuver the Lifan better than the Ninja, espescially around town.

Yah I can understand the in town riding.

Bought a clutch cable NOS off ebay for 20.82 shipping included. Seems like a good deal to me.

The largest motorcycle I ever owned was a 1979 Honda Hawk II with a 400cc engine. The top speed I ever reached on it was 96 mph, and I had to really wind out the engine to get there. :wink:

Your 250cc Ninja sounds like a very nice little motorcycle. :)

Spud :)

My 750 virago would only do about 85-90. Those 400 hondas are great bikes too. My buddy has a cm400.

I looked at specs that said the bikes top speed was 105, I still had alot of throttle and rpm left when I let out of it at 100. It was pulling about 10000rpm. It also said it does 0-60 in 5.7 seconds. That I believe. I would say the top end is around 115-120. I had a Virago 250 that said "route 66" on the tank, it would run 94mph wide open. Of course, that was 13 yrs. and about 45 lbs. ago. I think wieght has something to do with it. That little virago probably wouldn't do 80 with me on it now. The fastest bike I've ever had was a 1985 nighthawk 750. I never topped it out, and don't know it's real 0-60 time because the front tire wouldn't stay on the ground.

I have ridden a CBR600 And a Katana 600, Both are AWESOME bikes CBR is better :wink: But the Ninja gets me thinking because it goes JUST fast enough, It is dagnerous but not as dangerous. That's why I like them they are fast dependable and alright in the syle dept, The new 250R's look awesome. It is a great commute bike that can handle highway speed with ease and can take the corners better than a DS bike.

My sentiments, exactly. :)

Before I bought my Zongshen Sierra 200GY-2, I seriously considered getting a Kawasaki Ninja 650R. However, a good friend encouraged me to consider buying a dual sport motorcycle. I ended up buying my Zongshen, and I am very pleased with it. Indeed, I have now become a very big fan of small displacement motorcycles. Therefore, I am now ready to fully appreciate the Kawasaki Ninja 250R. :)

I truly wish the Honda CBR 125R was available in The United States. I encourage others to check out the following thread over at thriftyriders.com:

http://www.thriftyriders.com/viewtop...=29&p=108#p108

Spud :)

I think my next purchase in 2011 will be a 250r.

Yes, it really is a great little sport bike. I really enjoyed watching the video link you provided:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4dhIaMY2Pw

I am sorry that Kawasaki increased the MSRP by $500 to $3,999 for the 2009 models. However, you can still find the 2008 models for $3,499. :)

http://www.cycletrader.com/find/sear...SC/Radius-any/

Spud :)

It's worth it to search craigslist too! There's a bunch of them in my area.

http://chattanooga.craigslist.org/mcy/1078721598.html

http://chattanooga.craigslist.org/mcy/1076188390.html

http://chattanooga.craigslist.org/mcy/1072694299.html

http://chattanooga.craigslist.org/mcy/1070567687.html

Thanks for the tip, Seventy-Six. :) I just love how the new riders discard their "learner bikes" for bigger machines. This phenomenon should yield some really good deals on mint, slightly used, 2008 Nina 250s. :D

I frequently widen my search radius out to 600 miles when I am searching Craigslist. You wouldn't believe the price some of the Californians are asking for a used, 2008 Ninja. You can buy a new one for less. :roll:

Spud :)

I look at cycle trader simply to see bikes, But I would never buy a bike from anyone posting on there, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY overpriced. Craigslist rocks and just knowing people who have bikes helps because they always know where to find a deal. I got my bike with a value of 1900 for 1200 and could have probably talked him down to a grand. Cycle traders people usually post full Blue book dealer price plus some. As for a Ninja You're right wait a year and the guys who are looking to move up in cc will sell theres cheap. Sadly that is the life of a ninja fun at first but a down payment later....At least for the ones who can never go fast enough :lol: .

Yes, I agree with you regarding Cycletrader and Craigslist. I would not buy a used bike from a poster on Cycletrader. However, you can frequently find some great deals on new bikes and atvs from the dealerships. :wink:

Spud :)

Check out the Megelli's from QLink.
http://www.qlinkmotor.com/products/gallery.php?pid=95

I contacted the dealer closest to Nashville. He hopes to have them in June.
Definitely gonna take a look. My son wants a "street bike, not a motocrosser like yours". He likes the looks of the 250r
I can't get him converted to the dual-sport side.

Bill

The Megilli 250R looks very nice. :) If I were you, I would definitely also check them out. :) However, I am disappointed that the MSRP for the Megilli is $3,499. At that price I would prefer a new, 2008 Kawasaki 250R. Even the 2009 Kawasaki 250R is only $500 more than the Megilli. If you are interested, check out this thread on the Honda CBR 125R over at thriftyriders.com:

http://thriftyriders.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=29

One Canadian vendor is selling new, leftover, 2007 Honda CBR 125R motorcycles for $2,047 USD (U. S. Dollars)! Although it has only a 125cc engine, Canadian riders report that the Honda should reach 70-75 mph, almost as fast as the Megilli 250R.

http://www.cbr125r.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=2423

Also, the Honda will get 94 mpg and cost very little to insure. You will never need to worry about getting replacement parts for a Honda, and its resale value should remain strong. :)

Please don’t get me wrong. I am not trying to bash the Megilli 250R; it looks like a very nice motorcycle. I would certainly love to look one over and take it for a test ride. However, I don’t understand why the price is so high relative to a Honda or Kawasaki. :?

Spud :)

I really like this too!

I'm a little late to the thread, but congrats on the new ride and super-sweet deal! :)


Sorry for the barrage of questions, but...

How many miles are on her?
What rear tire is on there now? The front looks like my Perelli Sport Demon, from what I could see...which is a good tire, IMO.
Have you looked over the FAQ section at the 250 Riders Club site?
Do you know what sprockets are on the bike? Are they stock?

A lot of people swap out the front sprocket before the rear, which is not as easy to spot. I think the stock gearing is 14/45. I have a new set of 15/44 sprockets (and a chain) for mine that I have not yet put on, so my bike has stock gearing and generally runs 6500 rpms at 55mph. And it stays in that range of 1000 over....7500 at 65mph, 8500 at 75mph. Not exact, but pretty close most of the time. If yours is not close to that, I'd guess that you don't have the stock gearing.

Are you addicted to it yet? :D

What tires are you looking to put on? I have a new BT45 ready to replace my Sport Demon rear. I ordered the Perelli's online, but the BT I ordered through a local guy for less than $80, and paid him another $10 to mount it on a spare wheel. He has a tire machine in his garage. 8)

I also ordered the sprocket and chain from him at the same time and saved about $70 overall, compared to online pricing. I guess my point is to not rule out a local independant, and to try to get to know as many local riders as possible.


If you have any questions, need anything or want to hook up for a ride, just hit me up. :)

Edit: I forgot to mention that most speedo's are off by a liitle...maybe 3-5%.Generally...100 on the speedo is really only about 95mph. Just a reminder. :)

It's got 15,000 miles on it, but doesn't smoke or rattle. I haven't counted the teeth on the sprocket yet, but I'm certain they're stock. I haven't even bothered to look at the brand of tires on it, I just know they're so old that they are hard now(might be spoiled by the Avons on my gy-5). Here's the tires I have my eye on.

http://www.americanmototire.com/cata...oducts_id=1802

http://www.americanmototire.com/cata...oducts_id=1110

By the way, I am a little addicted to it. It's nice to have enough power to not have to constantly check your mirrors like when I ride the lifan.

You're probably right about the sprockets being stock, since it only has 15k. I'm closing in on 17k and haven't changed mine out yet. On the other hand, some guys don't wait to change the front sprocket since it's cheap and easy. You'll know when you look. :)

Those tires are certainly priced right. I'd be a bit concerned about losing that savings in shipping, however...based on my order from them for new Duro tires for my Lifan.

My stock rear Dunlop lasted just over 7k miles. The Perelli is nearing 10k now, but it started getting squared off a few 1000 miles ago. And that is why I went with the Bridgestone BT45 for the next rear. It has a dual compound with the center being harder, and should prevent that squared effect, or at least postpone it for a while.

The stock Dunlop front last me about 10.5k miles, and the Perelli replacement is still looking great after 6k miles. I'm not sure what I'll replace that with when it wears out, but I should have plenty of time to think about that.


15k on these bikes is not much at all. Many riders get into the 30k - 50k range and at least one guy is well over 100k. Mine is a 07 with almost 17k and I know of at least 2 other riders on 07's with more than that. Basically, just change the oil every 3k and check/adjust the valves every 6k and it'll likely run as long as you need. :)


Addiction without shame. Isn't it wonderful?

Spud,
No problem. I fully agree about the pricing. I'm "hopeful" that maybe the "recommended" price will be just that and I might find it lower (or one will come up "barely used, I'm getting something bigger").

I do like the looks of the little Honda. The trouble there would be getting one into the states??

We'll probably wind up with a used Ninja 250, to be honest, which falls right into this thread :wink:
Bill

Yes, I would do exactly the same thing. :lol: I would certainly enjoy examining the motorcycle, and, if possible, taking it for a test ride. I would also hope that the vendor was selling the bike for less than the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP). ;)
Yes, that is the real problem. I doubt that Honda will introduce the CBR 125R for sale in the United States. It appears that Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha are content to surrender the entry market to the Kawasaki Ninja 250R. :roll:
Yes, if I decide to purchase a street bike it will also most likely be the Nina 250R. It’s a great little bike. It’s competitively priced, and it outperforms the competition. :)

Spud :)