Small Fortune
SMALL FORTUNE
2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R
GABE ETS-HOKIN
ARE YOU ARE COMMITTED TO THE SPORT OF RIDING A high-performance motorcycle, interested in sharpening your skills with the goal of being the fastest, smoothest rider you can be? Do you believe every rider has something to learn, from rank beginner to the most seasoned expert? If so, consider riding a Ninja 250R.
Seriously. Read on. This little sporting Twin has for years been the best-selling bike in Kawasaki’s U.S. lineup, bucking the trend of the American sportbike-buying public’s desire for the newest and fastest. Its high-tech features weren’t really even high tech the last time we tested it in the mulleted days of 1986. So why has it sold like blast walls in Baghdad year after year virtually unchanged?
Three words: light, fast and cheap, with emphasis on the lattermost quality. If you wanted sportbike looks, near triple-digit speeds, a low seat, light weight and didn’t want to spend more than $3000, for most of the 22 years the Ninja has been around, there have been few other choices.
The 250’s success, in fact, made the decision to heavily rework the bike a tough one for Kawasaki. “There actually wasn’t a good reason to change the 250R,” claimed a spokesman. “It was still selling really well.”
So where to start when making major revisions to a greatselling motorcycle? With new buyers, of course. Kawasaki says these newbies-who make up 62 percent of 250 Ninja owners-are looking for a bargain first. They want a brandnew ride, but they don~t want to make the big financial commitment that a larger model requires. Outright perfor mance? Not nearly as much of a priority, according to Kawi. So when Team Green's engineers sat down to give the 2008 Ninjette its first re-do since David 1-lasseihoff was cool, they aimed to keep the price down while updating the styling. This made us naturally skeptical, because while pictures of the `08 model looked great, we wondered if this was merely a cosmetic makeover.
CYCLE WORLD TEST
"It's not just a re-skinned bike," insisted • Kawasaki The steel-tube chassis is of the same fundamental design as before but benefits from stronger swingarm-pivot plates for the beefier box-section swingarm. Both items increase torsional rigidity and improve handling. Quicker steering is provided by the 26-degree/3.2-inch rake and trail (was 27 degrees/3.3 inches). A new 37mm Showa fork uses stiffer springs and has better damping, while the Uni-Trak rear-suspension linkage mates to a new Kayaha shock that has likewise been treated to a firmer spring and increased damping. The only suspension adjustment is a five-step rear-spring preload collar.
The single 290mm front disc is 30mm larger than the old one (now made in Kawasaki's characteristic petal style) with a two-piston sliding-pin caliper providing bite. At the rear, the same 220mm disc and single-piston caliper are carried over from the previous model. Modern-looking 17-inch wheels (replacing 16-inchers) are shod with Bridgestone BT45 bias-ply tires.
So a thorough redesign of the 62.0 x 41.2mm, 180-degree parallel-Twin was undertaken. In the end, fully 70 percent of engine parts were revised. The dohc cylinder head was redesigned and now features shim-under-bucket valve actuation in place of finger followers with threaded adjusters. Valve stem and head diameters are slightly smaller, which along with smaller ports improves intake velocity at lower rpm. Camshaft profiles are the same as before, but cam timing was changed to emphasize bottom-end and midrange power, improving low-rpm tractability and helping to resist stalling when leaving a stop. The six-speed transmission gets new involute shaft splines for reduced friction and smoother operation, and final-drive gearing is now taller, 14/45 vs. 14/47 previously. The result is liquid, linear power delivery designed to be unintimidating to new riders.
What wasn’t changed (aside from jetting) were the twin Keihin CVK30 carbs; no fuel-injection for you, America! Other markets get EFI-and a little extra power-but according to Kawasaki that would have added $500 to the U.S. model’s $3499 hangtag, pricing many customers out of the market. Five Benjamins may not sound like much, but if you’re under 24, like 23 percent of the 250R’s buyers, that could be the difference between riding a Ninja or riding in the back of mom’s Dodge Caravan.
What you do get for that money is a sharp-looking machine. Every piece of bodywork has been restyled, down to the mirrors and turnsignals. The result is a bargain sportbike that looks every bit as good as something costing three times more. Not that everything was completely modernized: Instruments are analog (with a mechanical tripmeter!) and there is no clock. Kawasaki did add a fuel gauge, but at the expense of the water-temperature needle (there is a coolant-temp warning light).
New riders come in all shapes and sizes but one of the most significant elements of their feeling comfortable and in control is having a low seat height. The new styling dic tated a slightly higher seat than the old model-it's now 30.7 inches above deck instead of 29.3-but it's also narrower, to help keep the very short-of-leg within flat-foot distance of the ground. The bars are mounted on tall risers to place them higher than before, although the rider is still in a slightly for ward lean. As you might expect, above-6-footers are some what cramped by the close-coupled riding position.
The seat is sloped forward a bit much, even for those of us who fit the bike better, and it gets uncomfortable on longer rides. The bike also lacks adjustable levers, though both clutch and brake are close enough to the bars to be operated by smaller hands.
The engine starts eagerly but does require use of the manual choke for a few miles on cold mornings. After that, the engine revs quickly and cleanly to its 13,000-rpm redline. The old bike felt rough and a little raw, but this new motor is much smoother. The transmission has a light and easy feel to it, and pulling away from a stop no longer requires revving to 8000 rpm; just feed in some gas and you’re smoothly on your way.
A look at the dyno chart shows why the new 250R is so much easier to ride. Torque between 4000 and 6000 rpm is increased by as much as 50 percent. And while the 14.1 foot-pound peak may not pull many stumps-or even stubborn weeds-this new engine out-torques the old bike all the way up to 10,500 rpm. On the horsepower front, maximum output of 27 horses occurs at 10,600 rpm, about 1400 revs sooner than with the old engine’s 29 hp. There are no dips or flat spots anywhere in its delivery, so the 250R doesn’t need to be ridden like a 125 GP racer. There’s even power on tap to make passes in top gear at freeway speeds, although the preferred method is to click down a gear, or even two. Top speed of 92 mph is half of what a liter-class machine will do, but it’s plenty fast to stay ahead of traffic and more than fast enough to entertain (or even get you into trouble) on winding roads.
Anyone who has ridden a light, responsive sportbike on a canyon two-laner knows that’s a recipe for moto-bliss. The 250R has that magic. The steering is telepathically quickRoad Test Editor Canet said it “tips in almost to a fault”-but is still neutral and stable. Suspension, although simple and inexpensive, was properly sprung and calibrated for this 150pound tester, and I have yet to hear truly vocal complaints from the more gravity-challenged. Setting the stepped rearspring preload (I found the middle position of five perfect) is easy to do with the included toolkit and has an actual effect on the attitude of the bike.
When the road turns winding, it is surprising how swiftly the little Ninja can be ridden. Cornering clearance is more than adequate, even for staff nutter, Assistant Editor Cernicky, who barely dragged the nubs on the footpeg feelers. “The 250R is just so light and nimble,” he enthused. “Your initial turn-in point and line choice is nowhere nearly as critical as it might be with a lOOOcc bike. It turns so well and is so light
that it’s easy to correct your line in the corner.”
The brakes are surprisingly effective and a big improvement over the old binders, not that you ever want to use them on a sporting run-momentum is everything!
Around town, the 250R feels compact with its weight carried low and beginners should have no trouble operating this machine.
“Nothing is intimidating whatsoever,” said Cernicky. “The way the clutch engages, the way the brakes work and the bike steers, it’s just easy to ride.”
Given some restraint, fuel economy can exceed 50 mpg, which in light of the 4.8-gallon gas capacity makes for excellent cruising range. Ridden with a bit more vigor-frankly necessary in real-world use-around 40 mpg is more likely, which still provides for an easy 200 miles between fill-ups.
The 250’s limitations-and what bike under $5000 doesn’t have them?-are minor compared to its surprising capabilities. In the course of testing, I rode hundreds of miles across Southern California, from mountains to deserts to the traffic-choked coast. Although there were times I wanted more power, I never needed it; the bike’s top speed is in license-suspending territory and I wasn’t ever at the mercy of faster-moving traffic. The 250R feels planted and stable while cruising or cornering, and wind protection is as good as that offered by many larger sportbikes. There are two helmet hooks, a couple of bungee points and even space for a U-lock under the seat. And though the old centerstand didn’t make it onto the new bike, there are spool-ready threaded lugs on the swingarm for a race stand. Not that you can carry one with you...
Like the old bike, the new Ninja 250R is a serious learning tool and a good motorcycle, not just a prop for new riders until they can move up to a “real” bike. Besides, sportbike riding isn’t about wobbling around using 30 percent of a 160-hp superbike’s capabilities, but rather the challenge of exploring the edge of a bike’s performance envelope, a much more attainable thing on a lighter, less-powerful bike.
The Ninja 250 looks good, handles well, has a smooth ride, goes fast enough to be interesting and is priced lower than a freeway-legal scooter. The littlest Ninja presents a great way for the next generation of riders to discover that our sport isn’t all about tireshredding power or glittering chrome bling, but the joy and freedom that a friendly, cheap bike on a stretch of twisty pavement can bring.
EDITORS' NOTES
AS A SALESMAN I SOLD A $24,000 PIECE of blood-red Italian exotica to a novice motorcyclist; that weekend it was back in the shop with low-side scuffing that cost more to repair than the MSRP on a new Ninja 250R. He needed something like the littlest Ninja, but he wanted that 749R. Not even a smooth-talking salesman like yours truly could have talked him out of that purchase.
That's why Kawasaki is to be conmiended for putting big sportbike looks on a beginner-friendly package that is still interesting to more-experienced riders Riding as fast as you can is a large part of what sportbiking is all about, and the little Ninja allows you to do it at a lower, more manageable pace. Even "experienced" riders who have "moved up" to bigger bikes would be doing themselves a favor by strad dling one of these and safely learning sportbike techniques It's a cosmic injustice that a 250 is regarded as a stepping stone to a "real" bike; there are plenty of riders who will never need anything more -Gabe Ets-Hokin Online Editor
As A FORMER NINJA 250R OWNER, I must say I'm a little jealous of today's lucky learners for having such a sporty looking model upon which to develop their skills. Kawasaki has done a nice job with the new bike's appearance, lending it up-to-date Ninja styling wor thy of the family name.
The engine revision is also a hit in my book. The emphasis on lowand
midrange power is a welcome change that has made the bike much more enjoyable to ride around town. I'm par ticularly impressed by how easily it now pulls away from a stop without the need to rev it like a weed eater Once under way, I found enough bottom-end torque to allow rid ing in a casual manner with upshifts made in the middle of its rev range. So why all this talk about short shifts and such? At a glance, the law is liable to mistake this little 250 for one of its larger siblings and high revs can mean only one thing to the ears of the Man.~ -Don Ganet, Road Test Editor
A CONFESSION: I LOVE LITTLE BIKES. I have commuted to work on and done a 50-mile off-road ioop using my 1969 Honda Trail 90. When Derbi was in business in the States, I was the guy on a six-speed, 50cc two-stroke draft ing SUVs on the freeway. One of the greatest riding moments of my life was racing a Honda CB16O at Portland InternationaiRaceway.
Given all that, it is no surprise that I really like the new Ninja 250. What sets this bike apart from other diminutive streetbikes is the rideability. A short first gear allied with the clean fueling and enhanced bottom-end torque means it~s actually possible to leave a stoplight in a mellow fashion. When you want to dust traffic, slip the clutch at 6K or above and run for it. All but the most determined car drivers are left well behind. Cruising on the freeway at 70 mph takes 8000 rpm, but vibration is minimal. Fuel capacity is greater than that of a Ducati 1098. Not only is this little Ninja on the list of likeable small displacement bikes, it tops it.-Mark Hoyer, Executive Editor
NINJA 250R
$3499
