Kawasaki 250R Ninja (2008-current)

After I had my Er6F (unrestricted as I'm an old fogey) for 2 years and 32000 miles I thought I would try to save money by going downsize. In particular since I ride very slowly by bike standards I thought I could save substantially on petrol and tyre costs without suffering from lower performance. The good news is that I am saving - getting over 74mpg even when I thrash it and the current tyres are showing no wear after 2000 miles but I am suffering for that. I wasn't able to test ride one but had a 250 as a teenager so thought it should be okay - after all my GSX250 was fast in my memories and it only had 27bhp... I really hadn't realised how slow these bikes are - You can keep up with normal cars driven fairly quickly if you are busy up to 70 or so but acceleration tails off quite quickly above 60 and although 80+ is possible its not very nice. What I'm trying to say is that if you don't need to ride a restricted bike don't - Its not very nice and even if you don't go flat out every-where you would use and enjoy the extra torque of an unrestricted bike every time you took it out. The bike is much faster than a 125 (For comparison I would estimate that the CBR125 works about as hard at 65 as the 250 does at 80) but its just not in the same league as a 600... The engine though is the only negative thing about the bike. I happen to love the way it looks even if its a bit small, its handling is really secure and safe and its brakes are also much better than the ER. The secure way it goes around roundabouts and bends even on damp roads is really confidence boosting - it makes the ER feel vague - its just a shame the engine is so weak. The tyres have been commented about before and they are good for wear but not good in the wet - the rear is prone to skid in the wet if you use the brakes hard - The letgo is just too quick although since the bike is so well balanced it's not a major stress to me and I will replace the tyres when they are worn. Two last cautions about this bike: 1. No real bikers ever nod at me anymore - its very lonely saving money... 2. My insurance company is quoting me at group 12 which makes it more expensive than the ER6 - Need to change insurers at the end of the year!

I've waited a while before posting my comment on this bike so that I've got a sufficient amount of experience to base any opinions on. I bought my 250R brand new back in April of this year (2009). Since then I've done almost 3000 miles on it over 7 months. Most of this is for commuting in and out of central London although I have also taken the bike across Surrey, Berkshire and Kent over the weekends. Having ridden 125s previously this bike is a great way of stepping up. I passed my restricted A2 license in Dec 2008. As someone else has said - its bang on the 33bhp limit so there's no need to consider any restricter kit as would be the case for a bigger bike which is very convenient. The riding position is quite high for a racer but that's a good thing since most new riders will want to have the ability to look up and over cars and other vehicles. The narrow profile makes it excellent for filtering through traffic - I generally find myself coping through traffic far more easily than 500/600cc bikes around me. The engine revs very smoothly and is generally forgiving although one is aware that there's a fair amount of poke should it be needed. Its great for city riding and commuting where you're never really going to need top end speed. The motorway is the only time I feel the bike is lacking to the point that I'm wishing I was on something bigger. Mechanically, the bike has never given me any troubles. The IRC tyres could be better however I wouldn't consider changing them unless you're intending to take the bike onto a track. Otherwise, just wait for them to wear themselves out and replace then. This is great bike to start on and the inexpensive running costs and high residual value mean you can't go wrong. Definitely recommended - I may even keep this bike when I upgrade to something bigger in a couple of years.

This bike is amazing i love it! its good fun to ride and great to throw around bends. I dont think the tyres are bad reguardless of what others say..as i can grin the pegs along the floor and the bike still grips and grips! only thing is i wish it had a bit more power...im on a restricted licence but i would love a little more power...(even if i cant) overall an amazing motorcycle!

This bike is amazing i love it! its good fun to ride and great to throw around bends. I dont think the tyres are bad reguardless of what others say..as i can grin the pegs along the floor and the bike still grips and grips! only thing is i wish it had a bit more power...im on a restricted licence but i would love a little more power...(even if i cant) overall an amazing motorcycle!

Hi, done over 400miles now, soon be due 1st service, will be changing the tyres then, as others have said the tyres give you no feed back at all, otherwise just love this little bike, in town its spot on for nipping in & out off traffic, very good tank range got 180miles before low fuel light came on.

Picked up bike this morning, impossible to keep it under 4000rpm, dealer told me it would be ok to just keep my speed down, and not to over rev it, kept it under 6000rpm most of time, tyres feel ok but only rode it in the dry, after 1st day clocked up 107miles, will know more once i,ve done a few more miles, but so far so good.

forgot to add comment about the tyres, they are IRC Roadwinners which come as stock, suggest Bridgestone Battlax BT45's, as the IRC do feel wooden.

With an A2 license its perfect for 2 years for the 33bhp restriction, have been good to follow the break in rules of 4,000 rpm for the 1st 500 miles. I have had the 1st service and now up to 6,000 rpm which has given me up to 65mph till i have done 1000 miles, then i can open her up. It does feel and sound that you are going faster though which adds to the adrenaline. The only complaint is the (R) rear view mirror which does not give a clear back view. Next bike in 2years will be the ER 6F.

Well after waiting since early May for one of these to turn up I finally paid the balance and got the keys from Metropolis in Vauxhall. First impressions; It's very green! Second; god it's tiny. Third; seats a bit hard. Having spent the last twenty two odd years on bigger bikes, VFR750/800's mostly, this is really a toy to play with. It's a stage of life thing I guess. I saw it at last years show in Docklands and I was thinking of getting a "back up" scooter but just couldn't bring myself to do it. This seemed to fit the bill. Right, so, leg over and here we go. Did I mention it's tiny? I come in at 5'6" plus change, so it's a mind thing because it's not really that small even if it's the first bike I've had where I could have both feet flat on the ground at the same time. Need to get my brain around the new scale of things. On goes the engine first time with a little throttle, all well and good, slip the clutch and up the revs.... hang on where's the bite? More revs... nope... okay 6000 finally gets me going! Hmm this is going to be interesting since the manual states "Don't go over 4000 for the first 600 miles".(?). If anyone who is not a member of the clergy manages 600 miles on one of these without going over 4000 revs I will be amazed. Those 6000 revs in first will get you to a grand old speed of around 15 MPH. So no wheelies away from the lights until it's run in I guess. It becomes very obvious as I run around the one way system that the Ninja needs lot's of gear-changing and revs to keep up in the traffic. Here's the a problem, every single car driver seems to expect me to be able to do 0-60 in a gnat's tadgers. Isn't going to happen. The mirrors make everything behind me look like its on my arse... oh! they are!! The mirrors are very nice and give a good view of the traffic bearing down on me as I work my way up the Embankment into Central London. I've read most of the reviews and they all condemn the Thai tyres fitted to the Ninja. I don't think they are as bad as they believe, but then I remember the JapLop tyres that I had on my 250 Superdream back in the mists of time. They were crap even in the dry! These tyres are Ok for around town and straight line work but you will not be getting your knee down with them. Not unless you want it followed by the rest of your body and the bike! Maybe I'll get them changed at the first service. Despite what this may read like, this bike is fun. After about five miles I've got the hang of pulling away from the lights without being run over by the car behind; Lots of revs, only stay in first for as long as it takes you to get your foot under the gear shift, then second very briefly then into third as quickly as you can. Once this thing has all it's revs available it will be even more fun. I find myself grinning like a loon going across Blackfrairs bridge. Did I mention that this is fun? I get more comments in 30 minutes than I have on any other bike. Unusually they are all polite! "Is that an import?", "Is that an R6 ?", (Err no!). Generally it seems to turn the heads of all the scooter boys. Well good, maybe it will encourage them off of their scooters onto a "real" bike. Equally the "Big Boys" give me a sideways glance as they zip past me at what seems like insane speeds. Is that me on the VFR? The brakes are very good. More than enough to pull a stoppy if that is you thing. The tyres are relatively narrow so it feels a little twitchy over the London tarmac but not dangerously so. The engine is very revvy and has a nice whine to it at 6000 that has me grinning again. You can see this 4000 has gone out of the window can't you? The finish on the bike looks good, although there are a few missing paint flakes around the footrest hangers by the time I finish my first day out. The exhaust can is very chrome and sets the look of the bike off nicely. However the downpipes look like something that should be hanging out off of a gas boiler! They are not going to last. 22mm mild steel I would say. Let's hope the aftermarket comes out with something to match the standard pipe in a better finish. Dog leg(ish) levers are an easy reach even for small fingers. The clutch action is easy and light but I did manage to get the brake lever all the way to the grip on a couple of occasions before I adjusted my brain to the force actually needed. This bike is quite light after all. By the end of the day I've put in 80 odd miles, not a lot I know but I was working as well. I could have doubled that without a doubt and no aching back or numb fingers. The riding position is quite upright for a "sports" bike but I think if you're over 6" you might have a different opinion. All in a very enjoyable first day out. Remember A: it's a 250 not a 600. B: It's fun just like biking is supposed to be.

Brilliant Bike. Just past 3500 miles and no problems yet. Really comfortable. I do 40 miles a day, 6 days a week and I can do that on £13 worth of fuel. Exellent bike for new lisence holders.