Is the Kawasaki Ninja 250r a good motorcycle?

I have always liked motorcycles and I'm planning on buying a bike. I'm doing some research and im looking for something affordable and something easy to ride since it will be my first. So far the kawasaki ninja looks like a good choice, if any one has any inputs i'd appreciate it.|||The Ninja 250 is probably one of the most underrated motorcycles ever made. I bought my '05 as my first bike over a year ago. I was straight out of the MSF course and was able to learn the basics of riding around town pretty quick. The bike is pretty light, about 350 pounds fully fueled. It is easy to handle at low speeds and park. The engine is flat-out awesome for a 250cc machine. It will do 0-60 faster than most cars and cruise all day long at highway speeds. I get about 55 mpg on average, better than most bikes. I also commuted to work and school a lot on it while still in college. The brakes are pretty good too.





I have answered a lot of questions on here about the 250. Many people think it can't handle the highway, can't keep up with cars from a light, can't do this or that. I can smoke most cars from a light if I want to. I can also ride for hours on the highway and will have to take a break before the bike will. I can keep up with traffic, no problem, without cracking the throttle wide open. Don't let the 250cc displacement fool you, this is a twin-cylinder, 8-valve, liquid cooled engine that performs.





I have really enjoyed this bike. It is a blast on winding roads and will out-handle almost anything else. You can pin the throttle 100% in 2nd gear and you won't think it's a 250...the engine shoots for the redline and the bike hits 60 pretty quick. The bike is also cheap to own and easy to work on. I have adjusted the valves, installed stainless steel brake lines, put in new brake fluid, not much trouble. Check out forums.ninja250.org. They have a huge FAQ section with a TON more info than I can type right now. Definitely do the MSF class first and good luck!|||The Ninja 250 is a great motorcycle. I was service manager at a Kawasaki dealer up until a year ago, and I only saw them in the shop for oil changes and inspections. I've ridden them new and old and they are a blast to ride. Fade0246 has it exactly right and I've been singing the praises of these bikes on here every chance I get, especially as a starter bike. I'm 6'0" and 250 lbs and these bikes haul my fat butt around with NO problem. They will go 100mph and beat 95% of the cars on the road going from zero to 60, and will beat 100% of them on curvy roads. The pistons are the size of a shot glass and the valves aren't much bigger than roofing nails, but this little engine performs like an engine twice its size. I've been looking to buy one cheap that needs work, but I can't find any around here that need work! BTW, my usual ride is a '99 Concours 1000cc 4-cylinder, and the little Ninja is just as much fun to ride. Definitely get a used Ninja 250 for your first bike. I'm not saying this out of any allegiance to Kawasaki or my former employer, since they laid me off, but out of genuine respect for this motorcycle.|||They are good beginners bikes. It is the fastest and most powerful 250 on the market. The only draw down is cold weather startup. It has a compression of 11.3 which makes cold weather starting difficult. The Honda CBR250R is about the same horsepower. But, with a lower compression and fuel injection. If you live somewhere where the weather gets below 60 frequently It would be better to go with the Honda.|||I have had two still have one. Great bikes, almost bullet proof. They are a great learner bike, and keep their value.