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Edit: Nevermind, read the thread and ninja250.org answered my questions. gently caress these 4th gen models look sick. I just need to get another grand to get an 09! MisterFreshman fucked around with this message at 05:28 on Feb 11, 2010 |
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Feb 11, 2010 04:35
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I took the liberty of having Blackstone labs run an oil analysis on a sample of my 250's last oil change. Click here for the full 908x1178 image. Other than above-normal wear numbers for iron, copper and aluminum, things look pretty good. Also, the 'hard use' referred to in the comments is mostly a lot of high-RPM highway miles and hooliganism in below-40-degree weather.
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Feb 11, 2010 06:02
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Does anybody have any idea what style connector is used on the newer Ninja's to connect the wiring harness to the turn signal box? I will get a picture of it later as I am still at work but it is the only part left to fix my bike and I can not for the life of me locate the drat thing.
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Feb 12, 2010 00:24
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Z3n posted:If you figure 300$ for tires, 350$ for transportation, 100$ for a new chain and installation your 1200$ bike just became a 1950$ bike. Awesome points - thanks for the advice. I hadn't thought about any maintenance items. My sister did get back to me and said the tires are the OEMs and need replacing, so I searched CL again and found a local bike around $2,000 that I'm going look at tomorrow. I consider it a major plus that the post has sentences and isn't written in caps. 
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Feb 13, 2010 02:47
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Radnor posted:Awesome points - thanks for the advice. I hadn't thought about any maintenance items. My sister did get back to me and said the tires are the OEMs and need replacing, so I searched CL again and found a local bike around $2,000 that I'm going look at tomorrow. I consider it a major plus that the post has sentences and isn't written in caps. That's a very nice looking 250, almost a little too nice. :paranoid: Of course, that's not the end of the world, and if you ride it for awhile, even if it has a low speed tipover, you should still get the vast majority of your money out of it. Or you can keep it forever.  I'd ask about the valves, too, they should have been done at 6k, I believe.
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Feb 13, 2010 04:03
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Z3n posted:That's a very nice looking 250, almost a little too nice. :paranoid: I took a look at it yesterday and it looks very nice. The only thing he neglected to mention in the ad was that it had been down once already in a parking lot, so it has a small hole by the front right light and some light scratches on the silver fairing's edge. You can sort of see where the hole is in this picture:  Nothing too big, I don't think, but I wonder much would it cost to repair it or if I should just leave it be? He hasn't done any valve adjustments so I'll end up doing that once I get the bike Wednesday.
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Feb 15, 2010 06:45
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Just leave it be, it's fine. Congrats on the bike!
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Feb 15, 2010 07:40
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Arg, parked my ninja at the beach for 15 minutes, came back to discover someone had hit it and chipped a part of my front fender off. I wonder if it would be easy enough to just bondo it back into place... sand and then repaint. Grah! and I was planning to sell it soon to- aesthetics are the best thing about my bike. lousy hit and run BS
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Feb 16, 2010 22:51
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Noob question time. My carbs need a rebuild, the bike is 22 years old, the gaskets are pretty much toast, the little piston thingies are sticking even after putting them in carb cleaner over night. It's easier if I just get new parts, problem is finding them. After looking around for 30 bucks I've found a rebuild kit on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Kawa...161410004r23343 I need two of these correct? Anyone got any links to a place that has a better deal on them?
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Feb 18, 2010 18:46
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I found this at a Rochester bike shop. Its hotness makes my eyeballs boil in their sockets. A week later it was gone, evidently whisked away by lusting forces. 
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Feb 19, 2010 18:11
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the walkin dude posted:I found this at a Rochester bike shop. Its hotness makes my eyeballs boil in their sockets. A week later it was gone, evidently whisked away by lusting forces. My co-workers room mate has this exact bike except it got laid down on the right side. Still sexy 
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Feb 19, 2010 20:05
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The special edition was just paint right? Nothing special about it?
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Feb 19, 2010 20:09
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Correct, just a $100 price difference on the MSRP and a cooler paint job.
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Feb 19, 2010 21:27
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It's back finally. Click here for the full 720x540 image.
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Feb 21, 2010 03:02
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I rode a Ninja 250 for the first time the other day. It was pretty drat  , and quite a bit peppier than I expected. Hopefully its GOON owner will be kind enough to post about it sometime.
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Mar 3, 2010 04:02
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MrKatharsis posted:I rode a Ninja 250 for the first time the other day. It was pretty drat I see what you did there! Once I get some damned mirrors on it I'll take pix and be ridiculous. Speaking of that... I got my 02 ninja for 750 bux. I had to get a rear tire and get the clutch cable fixed, but otherwise it works fine. It has ~12k on it, and the dude was trying to mod it but I guess lost interest, so it's got a (kind of lovely) custom paint job and it has no front fairings. Where would I go to get some mirrors for the handlebars and how do I put them on? I think MrKatharsis wants it more than I do, which is saying a lot.
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Mar 6, 2010 05:25
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The ninja's handlebars are weird and pretty much nothing fits off the shelf that I could find. http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/I_hate_these_mirrors#Bar-end_mirrors I used the suggested Napoleon mirrors. You have to modify them to work by cutting off the part that's supposed to fit inside a hollow handlebar, and then screw them in to the bar ends.
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Mar 6, 2010 15:34
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Has anybody had any first hand experience with the Area P full exhaust kit? http://www.areapnolimits.com/products/Slip-On-Exhaust-Kawasaki-Ninja-250R-2008.php I'm thinking about picking one up along with the dynojet kit.
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Mar 12, 2010 23:26
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I finally got the electrical issue resolved yesterday. I feel like a dunce. The oil light refused to come on and no ignition was possible... since November. The Rochester winter kept me away mostly from the bike except to clean up the chain. Yesterday, in rain, me and a friend AGAIN went over the bike with a multimeter. I lifted up the unbolted gas tank, and looked even closer at one of the connectors. Shock came. Hidden by the electrical tape, a wide connector was separated. I plugged it back in and rushed to put the key in. Lights emerged. Glorious. The offending connector. Devious as gently caress. Hiding for those few months.  Click here for the full 800x600 image.  Click here for the full 600x800 image. As you can see here, the gal is happy as poo poo that her bike is back to electrical life. She cannot wait to ride the thing, after only a couple times riding it. I poured out the stabil-ized old gas, put in new gas, and tried to start up the bike. It struggled to start, and the oil/neutral light started to fade after a dozen cycles. I guess I'll have to bring it into the shop on Tuesday to have them bring it finally back to life (it appears as if it needs carb cleaning too). Low battery, correct?
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Mar 14, 2010 21:28
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Would my Ninja, after being stuck outside in winter under cover, be allright to run? That's my number one question. What should I ask the shop to look for? The chain is allright and rust-free, the brake discs are somewhat rusty, and it's in otherwise good-looking shape.
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Mar 14, 2010 21:42
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the walkin dude posted:Would my Ninja, after being stuck outside in winter under cover, be allright to run? That's my number one question. What should I ask the shop to look for? The chain is allright and rust-free, the brake discs are somewhat rusty, and it's in otherwise good-looking shape. I would change the oil, you said you already changed the stabilized fuel... Other than that, it should be fine. I'd do a quick visual check of everything else, of course: tires, hoses, controls, lights, etc. The carbs may need a cleaning if you just poured sta-bil in the tank and parked it without running it through the carbs for a bit, too. Another thing, when you store it like that for an extended period, get a battery tender and take the battery out of the bike.
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Mar 15, 2010 00:11
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Thanks, I'll be bringing it in to get the carbs cleaned and the cooling system checked out (it keeps on overheating, might be air pockets still in it from a radiator flush).
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Mar 15, 2010 00:36
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Why on earth have these things started costing so much? The only Ninja 250s I can find for sale on my local Craigslist are asking over $3000. I thought these were cheap bikes? Why is someone selling an '08 at "$3500 firm"?! I've started casually looking for a Ninja 250 or similar for my first bike, but not actually buying anything until I've done the MSF (in April) and have made sure that this is something I want to do and am capable of doing safely. However, I thought I would be able to get into the hobby with a firm initial budget of $3000 for the bike, gear, and any initial maintenance that the used bike needs. I was planning to spend about $2200 on the bike and $800 on gear, is this reasonable?
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Mar 23, 2010 17:08
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Weinertron posted:Why on earth have these things started costing so much? The only Ninja 250s I can find for sale on my local Craigslist are asking over $3000. I thought these were cheap bikes? Why is someone selling an '08 at "$3500 firm"?! Yes, it is, and people are retarded. Just give it time, prices will go down.
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Mar 23, 2010 17:29
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Weinertron posted:Why on earth have these things started costing so much? The only Ninja 250s I can find for sale on my local Craigslist are asking over $3000. I thought these were cheap bikes? Why is someone selling an '08 at "$3500 firm"?! Like z3n said: wait it out. There's an SV I've been watching that started at $5000 about 2 months ago. He's now asking $4100. In another month he'll be down to $3700.
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Mar 23, 2010 18:00
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07+'s aren't going to be cheap, ever. There's a huge difference in price between the old and new models. If you want a cheap 250, it's going to be 06 and before. I got my '08 250 salvage, and it was $2500.. Which was high, considering it's salvage, but still much lower than non salvage cheapest of which I saw was 3k+ I passed on several pre 2007's that were anywhere from 1200-2000. There's still a lot in that price range around.
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Mar 23, 2010 18:18
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'08+ 250's were selling for $3500-$4000 here all summer last summer. You won't be able to find an '08+ 250 for anywhere near $2200. In the dead of winter around here they were going for around $2700 with cracked fairings. But now riding season is (nearly) here so prices are going to steadily increase. Side note: http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/mcy/1653494140.html   I so so so want to turn my 250 into a track bike...maybe I'll have the cash by next season. -Inu- fucked around with this message at 18:33 on Mar 23, 2010 |
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Mar 23, 2010 18:31
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-Inu- posted:'08+ 250's were selling for $3500-$4000 here all summer last summer. You won't be able to find an '08+ 250 for anywhere near $2200. I wasn't set on an '08+, but I would have thought that bikes depreciate faster. The MSRP on a brand new '08 250R was $3500, and apparently there hasn't been any depreciation at all. I obviously would have preferred one, I've read that the engine has more low and midrange torque compared to earlier ones. How is fuel economy and reliability between the pre-'08 and '08+? Were there any huge shortcomings that the new generation fixed?
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Mar 23, 2010 18:40
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I'm not sure what their supply is like now, but last season Kawasaki was having problems keeping the new-gen 250's in stock. That's why they literally weren't deprecating at all. Other than looks, they really didn't change much between generations. The new ones have better braking (wave rotors), slightly increased midrange power (but you could just regear an old one if you like, albeit while neutering the topend), 1" bigger rims, and they removed the centerstand which really helps with ground clearance if you're riding aggressively. Pretty much nothing important/major got changed though.
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Mar 23, 2010 18:45
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Weinertron posted:I wasn't set on an '08+, but I would have thought that bikes depreciate faster. The MSRP on a brand new '08 250R was $3500, and apparently there hasn't been any depreciation at all. I obviously would have preferred one, I've read that the engine has more low and midrange torque compared to earlier ones. As long as you keep up on maintenance, and get one that has been taken care of, the classic models were pretty solid. I had mine at nearly WOT for about 2weeks 8 hours a day or so. Needed a new cam chain tensioner (at 22k miles), oil, tires and chain. EDIT: and the old ones look better 
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Mar 23, 2010 18:51
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Ok, today I got my 250 from the shop. Its carbs had been cleaned, one of the jets were clogged. The cooling system had a leak which was fixed, and it runs now without overheating. So I got it back... and was overjoyed. (note that I'm used to my Ninja 500, which is an entirely different bike character, naturally) I was warming up the bike in front of the bike shop, in neutral, and it had been running for a bit. I gave it a bit of gas, and it died. I started it up, and it did the same thing. Its choke was off, it started up fine in neutral with the choke off, but when I gave it gas. Eh. A mechanic came out to help me out and what he did was start it up while giving it an staccato of throttle twists, and it idled fine. When I then tried myself, giving it the throttle, it died. I asked him if there was anything more wrong with the bike, and he said no, it's just me. He played with the idle screw, rising the idle to 2-3k ("It's too much," he said) and then settled at 1k. I'm used to gazing at my Ninja 500's larger RPM gauge, which has clear increments between 0-1-2-so forth, but on the 250, I'm just not used to the gauge. It seems so TINY. Anyway, it warmed up and I scooted away and to my home where I parked it. can anyone explain this? :O with a cold engine, do I have to do what the mechanic did?
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Mar 23, 2010 23:52
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akulol posted:I see what you did there! I rode a Ninja 250 AGAIN today. My feet and hands were buzzing at the end of the ~30 mile trip, but it was a pretty cool little bike. It really makes me want to sell my perpetually broken CB650 and buy a bike that actually works. Beginner bike my rear end, these things rule!
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Mar 24, 2010 02:41
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-Inu- posted:I'm not sure what their supply is like now, but last season Kawasaki was having problems keeping the new-gen 250's in stock. That's why they literally weren't deprecating at all. Other than looks, they really didn't change much between generations. The new ones have better braking (wave rotors), slightly increased midrange power (but you could just regear an old one if you like, albeit while neutering the topend), 1" bigger rims, and they removed the centerstand which really helps with ground clearance if you're riding aggressively. Pretty much nothing important/major got changed though. Don't forget that MSRP went from 3500$ to 4000$ as well. the walkin dude posted:Ok, today I got my 250 from the shop. Its carbs had been cleaned, one of the jets were clogged. The cooling system had a leak which was fixed, and it runs now without overheating. So I got it back... and was overjoyed. Were you smacking the throttle open? Try opening it gently. Also I'd turn the idle up to around 1400-1600 RPM, whatever the book recommends. Adjust it hot and with the choke off, obviously. They're also known for being pretty finicky when cold, they run pretty lean at low RPM to get by emissions.
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Mar 24, 2010 03:50
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-Inu- posted:I'm not sure what their supply is like now, but last season Kawasaki was having problems keeping the new-gen 250's in stock. That's why they literally weren't deprecating at all. Other than looks, they really didn't change much between generations. The new ones have better braking (wave rotors), slightly increased midrange power (but you could just regear an old one if you like, albeit while neutering the topend), 1" bigger rims, and they removed the centerstand which really helps with ground clearance if you're riding aggressively. Pretty much nothing important/major got changed though. I'm pretty sure they did something to the engine to get that increase in midrange power, since Kawasaki's estimated fuel economy numbers went from 70 mpg for the old model down to 60 mpg for the new one, and the actual fuel economy for most people apparently dropped from about 65 mpg to the low 50s. Also the new engine has less peak HP, and uses a shim under bucket valve adjustment system instead of having adjustment screws like the old model (meaning you'll probably need to do fewer actual adjustments, but when you do need to do them it'll be a much greater pain in the rear end). They also took away the coolant temperature gauge in favor of a fuel gauge, and removed the petcock.
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Mar 24, 2010 04:13
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They lost a thousand RPM too.
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Mar 24, 2010 04:15
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Z3n posted:Don't forget that MSRP went from 3500$ to 4000$ as well. I don't think so - I was doing it like I do on my 500, just relaxed twists. I didn't twist quickly. I'll have to experiment with it tomorrow.
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Mar 24, 2010 04:35
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Z3n posted:Don't forget that MSRP went from 3500$ to 4000$ as well. MSRP was $3500 in '08, $4000 in '09, and $4300 in '10. Does this mean that it's going to be a $6000 bike by 2012?
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Mar 24, 2010 06:27
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Weinertron posted:MSRP was $3500 in '08, $4000 in '09, and $4300 in '10. Does this mean that it's going to be a $6000 bike by 2012?
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Mar 24, 2010 12:22
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Endless Mike posted:Maybe they're slowly increasing price so they can finally give us the FI that the rest of the world has. ABS would be nice too.
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Mar 24, 2010 12:57
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Weinertron posted:How is fuel economy and reliability between the pre-'08 and '08+? My '09 250R gets around 60mpg now that it has a few thousand miles on it. Note that I am basically never under 8k RPM, and usually hang out around 10k RPM, in my ~100 mile daily commute. blugu64 posted:EDIT: and the old ones look better That fall crossed some wires in your brain, son. MrKatharsis posted:I rode a Ninja 250 AGAIN today. My feet and hands were buzzing at the end of the ~30 mile trip, but it was a pretty cool little bike. It really makes me want to sell my perpetually broken CB650 and buy a bike that actually works. My hands only felt buzzy for a few days, now they don't buzz at all even after riding all day. Basically, you get used to it.
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Mar 24, 2010 19:59
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