What should i look for when buying a used kawasaki ninja 250?

I am looking into buying my first motorcycle, a kawasaki ninja 250. i am looking for a 2000-2007, because they are much cheaper then the 2008 an on. I'm not quite sure what questions to ask when i start looking for a bike. any other advice would be nice. thank you for your time|||Whenever I am looking to buy, I want to see the bike start up COLD. Meaning he didn't ride it anywhere to meet up or started it up before you arrived, you can touch the engine to get an idea. Make sure turn signals work properly. Check the chain to make sure its clean and lubed. Look at the fairings for any scratches caused by drops. Look under the motorcycle for dripping oil. Check the wear on the tires in case pressure is low or if they'll be needing a change soon. Ask how old the battery, tires, and chain is. Why they are selling. Has it been dropped before by them OR ANYONE ELSE (previous owners). I once had a guy tell me it had only been dropped once, but when I was looking over the bike it was clear the bike had been dropped at least once on each side. Ask if he added/removed anything or if its all stock. Asking these questions will give you a better understanding if he's blowing smoke up your a$$. Also if you'll need any up coming maintenance like tires, a battery, chain, etc.





Good luck, wear quality gear, and be safe|||It's a 250, so chances are it was someone else's first bike. With that in mind, certain signs of wear are common.





Expect scratches and even small cracks in the fairings. Check around the turn signals specifically. They tend to 'punch' through the fairing in a tip-over. I would say light scratches are fine,but deeper scratches with long parallel lines indicate that the bike has likely slid at speed, rather than simply fallen over in the garage.





As someone else said, ask the owner to start the bike COLD. Then go through all the electronic functions (turn signals, bright lights, hazards, brake light from front AND rear brake). Assuming the owner won't let you ride the bike, ask him to take it through the gears up and down the street and ride by you engine-braking in each gear. Some Kawasaki transmissions have a tendency to slip out of 2nd gear under acceleration and/or engine braking. I know the 636 was notorious for 2nd gear issues, and the first gen EX500 has some problems with second gear as well. I've not heard similar complaints about the 250, but it's designed very similarly to the EX500, so worth checking.





Bounce the suspension and inspect the tires as well. If hte tires are cracking or have little tread left, count on spending a couple hundred bucks to replace them, and lower your offer accordingly. The suspension on a 250 is going to be pretty soft, because they're not made for large riders - but you don't want one that's sagging like the skin on an old woman's neck.





The oil level should be visible through a sight glass on the right side of the engine. with the bike held level (and not running), the oil should fill the sight glass about half way. When the engine is running, the level will drop; possibly out of the sight all together.|||Look out for any cracks or damage to the frame, make sure the chain runs smoothly and the sprockets haven't been damaged or badly worn.


It's also a good idea to check the electronics on the bike as well as the suspension and mileage.





If you haven't done so, sit on the bike before you consider buying it and if you can take it for a test drive. Make sure it's comfortable for you. When I bought my buy bike, I pictured myself sitting on it non stop for 2 hours. I recommend doing the same. :)





The Kawasaki Ninja 250R is a perfect beginner motorbike, I'm sure you won't regret your choice.





Safe Riding!


xx|||Avoid this bike entirely. They are terribly underpowered, and if you look up the major reason people are selling them, its because they where bored after 3 days. if you want a beginner bike that will last and you wont get bored of after a week under $4000, a ~2003-2004 cbr600rr, R6, gsxr6, or zx6r is the best way to go. Easy to learn on, and will never get boring, and FAR better handling and brakes. There high horsepower may seem daunting at first, but that power really is not available until high RPM's, so as you get better, you can just spin the motor a little faster! Plus you get fuel injection, meaning zero adjustments ever.





BTW, my first bike was a 2006 R6, and my current is a 2007 cbr600rr.. ive driven the 250r and it was like a huge heavy goped....