It's here, it's here!

[dave_a]

New ninja 250 is now here and at a stunning price, but you will all have to get in line behind me

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-137236010.htm

:clap::clap:

[Romeo]

It's mutton dressed as lamb from what everyone is saying. "Mutton" being the trusty old GPX model, the "lamb" being the new bodywork.

Still, I wouldn't mind having a look at that price. 6HP more than the GT250R and it's a brand new bike, sif I'd pay $6k for a 18 year old ZXR/CBR/FZR. Especially now that I'm riding and looking to move up in about 6-12 months.

Maybe...


Kawasaki Ninja 250 promo


Oh, and 30% more torque in the midrange aswell as increased peak HP from the GPX. Apparently the designers have "completely redeveloped the bike from the GPX base - such as petal disc brakes!". So, it's completely changed, totally overhauled, but only a tiny bit.

[skidMark]

It's mutton dressed as lamb from what everyone is saying. "Mutton" being the trusty old GPX model, the "lamb" being the new bodywork.

Still, I wouldn't mind having a look at that price. 6HP more than the GT250R and it's a brand new bike, sif I'd pay $6k for a 18 year old ZXR/CBR/FZR. Especially now that I'm riding and looking to move up in about 6-12 months.


Oh, and 30% more torque in the midrange aswell as increased peak HP from the GPX. Apparently the designers have "completely redeveloped the bike from the GPX base - such as petal disc brakes!". So, it's completely changed, totally overhauled, but only a tiny bit.


The brake discs are still utter shit. not even floating just a solid lunk of metal disc.

i'm kawasaki loyal to the core, it's a nicely built bike, but still very basic, and is just a dolly'd up gpx.

think of it this way.....

you meet a girl on the town. shes all dollyd up pretty.

you take her home, you ride her hard all night....

you wake up next to her and her make up is horrible.

you ride her again for comparion to see whats changed.

she rides the same.

just not as dolly'd up.

comprende?

anyways.

ive made a big long write up here.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?p=1390994#post1390994

[ital916]

Oi....stop destroying other peoples nice threads bout the new kawa lol :bash:...go back to whence you came skiddy :laugh:

[ital916]

:laugh:I reckon the new ninja 250r will be a nice bike, light nimble and enough torque for a noob, but then like i've been trying to drill into skiddy all morning test ride one before judgement. Oh and skiddy you sure that was a girl you took home?

[bane]

you would think this will halve Hyosung 250 sales.

Not saying it's a better bike (although youd hope being a Kawasaki it had more consistent build quality than the Hyo), but people will rather have the Kwaka badge than the Hyo.

[skelstar]

At least a year and a bit ago Kawasaki NZ were bringing the Hyobags in.

[Kittyhawk]

NAWW its soo small and cute You could have that between a minimoto and zx10 and itd still look dinky...

This is far cheaper than that old 1990 something one which was advertised at Red Baron for 8k or so! and this is brand new!!

Is it fuel injected??

Seems like the Hyosungs had the monopoly for a wee while now, Im glad theres a new inline4 on the market again...Not everyone is suited to a V twin 250. And the design of turning lock with the width of the petrol tank is horrible, you cant turn sharp without hititng the tank!

Question is...how many are likely to buy one and bin it in the first 6 months...if they have increased all the performance quirks etc, then it could be too much power for a newbie to properly handle it..or ride it to its full potential.

Will this model blow up at 150km/hr??? might have to take one for a test drive :lol:

[skelstar]

Umm... isn't it a parallel twin?

[scott411]

Umm... isn't it a parallel twin?

yes it is,

[kiwifruit]

hmmm, tempting

[NZsarge]

Umm... isn't it a parallel twin?


yes it is,

Best slap a warmed up RZ350 motor in it then :2thumbsup :dodge:

[blue eyed savage]

a little birdy told me the the old one goes harder

[blue eyed savage]

whats with the 12,000rpm red line. i thort the old one i road was like 18,000 or something? its all the new hippy restions on emisions and shit like that.
go the dirty old carb.
ps how can i get over 50bhp out of my old bandit (1999). and dont say put a turbo on it.

[MGST]

Sure as hell looks like a sweet ride for a newbie, going by the pics. Who really cares what it goes like, as long as it goes? For a newbie pootling back and forward to work / Uni / the girlfriends, it'll be primo. Is that the same price as Hyo 250R ( $6995) or only the naked Hyo? Still, you'd take the Kawasaki on the premise that ( hopefully ) it is built a little better.

[TOTO]

I'm gonna test ride one on friday, will let you know how they go. Mt eden motorcycles gave me a call today that they will have a demo ready tomorrow.

[breakaway]

Looks like a nice alternative to the CBR125R that I wanted to buy so badly.


Is it fuel injected??

No :\

[ital916]

And it comes in green.....greeeeeeeeeeeeeen!

[ital916]

I would test ride one but then betty would get jealous and decide to break on me more lol

[dave_a]

I went and checked it out today more than happy with it :2thumbsup

photos dont do it justice

[dave_a]

and niether do skidmarks comments :2guns:

[breakaway]

I went and checked it out today more than happy with it :2thumbsup

photos dont do it justice

Review? How does it ride? How is it power wise?

[jcupit69]

Just from looking at the specs etc they dont look like they'll have any where near the performance of the older zxrs (like the c model). Its such a shame about the emissions laws, ruined the high performance 250 market. Handeling and position and stuff will have to save it cus it will have less performance than the older ones, purely through the limits the emission laws now impose.
They look dam nice, a duel front disc would look much meaner though.
It'll be interesting to see how it does compared to the hyo, cus the hyos are selling like mad, and its better to compare the new ninja with the only other sports 250 in production rather than going back to the crazy days of 2 strokes and 18000rpm reving engines.
N ya, dont knock it till you try it, but sadly i dont have high hopes from seeing the specs and i really wanted to.

Any one with a hyo want to go test ride one let us know how they compare????

[Iain]

Ill probably give the Ninja 250 a go. Although Ill have to take the car instead of my Hyo so they dont think Im just going for a joy ride. I got my 07 GT250r four months ago and really enjoy it. Would have been nice to have another option at the time however. I cant see myself wanting to get rid of it for the Ninja as Im already looking forward to getting on a 600... After reading this review it will have to be the CBR600rr: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Article_Page.aspx?ArticleID=4514

[chazza404]

Went and checked one out today at Motorad in welly, is a nice looking bike and if i tested it and was happy with the handling i'd probably buy it however i am unfortunately too tall for it and am too big for it, when i talked to someone from Motorad earlier in the day he had suggested that it was for the 5ft 6" mark and under so looks like ill be getting a hyosung :P

Still dave_a said it was fine and hes 5ft 9", worth a look to see a cool looking bike.

[TOTO]

Ok , So off i went to test ride the new ninja. It looks even more beautiful than in the photos. GREEN. very nice. The riding position is very comfourtable on your back and wrists but if you prefer the sport bike position like I do , then this one feels a bit weird and unnatural. Gears felt short, not sure at what speed I had to swith from first to second but it felt short. All otrher gears felt like they were pretty similar. I got to top gear on the motorway - 100kmph at 7000 rpm, and had another 4000rpm to red line. MAny people stared at it because the green colour is so awsome and attracts the eye. I wasn't very conficent with the tires because they look 3/4 the size of the ones on my hyosung and therefore not so confidence inpiring. It is not a big bike it is about the same size of the GPX250 but the plastics on the side make it look a bot more bulky - But hyosung is bigger. All in all a good bike but I'm definately not gonna give up my hyosung for this little Kawi, regardles of how beautiful the plastic is. I asked for the best trade in price on my GT250R and they offeredme $4500 trade in on my hyo - which didn't feel enough:oi-grr:, so if you want to give up your bike to get the new baby Ninja I would recomment you use trade-me.
I'm gonna stick to Jessica for the next 1 year and then I'll go for the big sister(ZX6R) of the NINJA250.

If someone has impressions of their test ride I'll be glad to read them.
Test rode at Red Baron , thanks to Max.

P.S. i didnt feel those extra 6hp over the hyosung.

[Trouser]

Oh, and 30% more torque in the midrange aswell as increased peak HP from the GPX.

Hmmmm. Don't think so.

Straight from the kawasaki website.

new
32 PS @ 11.000 rpm
21.7 N-m @ 10,000 rpm
Bright green. Modern styling. Tree hugging.

old
38 PS @ 12,500 rpm
24.5 N-m @ 9,000 rpm
More revs. More compression. Less weight.

[dave_a]

my one turns up next monday :niceone:

[Taz]

Saw one ride past me in Waiuku yesterday arvo. Looks good and sounds good too.

[FilthyLuka]

Hmmmm. Don't think so.

Straight from the kawasaki website.

new
32 PS @ 11.000 rpm
21.7 N-m @ 10,000 rpm
Bright green. Modern styling. Tree hugging.

old
38 PS @ 12,500 rpm
24.5 N-m @ 9,000 rpm
More revs. More compression. Less weight.


tear out the emisions crap and watch that number rise

[dave_a]

Tell me more Do I just gut the muffler?:banana:

[FilthyLuka]

Tell me more Do I just gut the muffler?:banana:

talk to Mr. Yoshimura. Buy a TRS slip on for the bastage. Jet the carbs. K&N filter.

Done

dyno charts show increased performance over all the previous GPX's with just a pipe, so do the above, and she'll keep ya well entertained :done:

or just gut the pipe, throw on a velocity stack and jet the carbs, thats what i'd do, be careful bout riding in the rain though, water might find its way in. Might pay to invest in some wire mesh of some persuasion, wasp in the cylinder, mmmm.

[discotex]

Ill probably give the Ninja 250 a go. Although Ill have to take the car instead of my Hyo so they dont think Im just going for a joy ride. I got my 07 GT250r four months ago and really enjoy it. Would have been nice to have another option at the time however. I cant see myself wanting to get rid of it for the Ninja as Im already looking forward to getting on a 600... After reading this review it will have to be the CBR600rr: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Article_Page.aspx?ArticleID=4514

Trust me you won't be disappointed if you get a 07-08 CBR600RR. Still worth riding the other supersports for comparison though.

[Iain]

Trust me you won't be disappointed if you get a 07-08 CBR600RR. Still worth riding the other supersports for comparison though.

After reading all the reviews Im quite confident that Id be happy just buying the CBR without comparison come full license time approaching soon. But you are right, give em all a go. Does your CBR feel like a small bike? - I guess that depends on your size doesnt it.

Thank you.

Iain

[discotex]

After reading all the reviews Im quite confident that Id be happy just buying the CBR without comparison come full license time approaching soon. But you are right, give em all a go. Does your CBR feel like a small bike? - I guess that depends on your size doesnt it.

Thank you.

Iain

I'm just shy of 6' and 75kg. Yeah it feels small but not cramped like my ZXR did. Still feels like a grown up bike but not like you're riding a whale. The riding position is very streetable (although not quite as much as the GSX-R600) if you're used to sprotsbikes. The ZX-6 and R6 are a bit more unforgiving in traffic.

Funniest thing is when it's parked next to a Hyosung GT250R. The Hyo looks like the bigger bike :laugh:

[Iain]

well Im 6ft but have a few more kgs on ya... :crazy: Im happy with the size of my GT250r. Looking forward to a 600 and the engineering that goes along with it.

Thanks for the comments.

Iain