Kawasaki Ninja 250

[dave_boo]

I jet about way to much for sure...

The 3.5 rim can take 150's without modding the chain guard, as you can find at kawiforums, some 150's accept 3.5 and actually recommend it. But I believe the best you can get is the 140 BT 090 rear, and stick to 110 BT 090 front. With some patience that is what I will go for.

Cheers Bard

I haven't seen that 150 work with the chain guard; but I'll take your word for it.

[JonnyF]

I finally got round to fitting the seat cowl that came free with the Ninja at the weekend. It's a nice bit of kit, you just bolt the bracket they provide to the bottom of the cowl, put a couple of dampeners on and then it slots on in the same way as the passenger seat does. It clicks in quite nicely and feels quite solid, and in my opinion makes the bike look better. It gives you a little bit more storage as well, not much but maybe something the size of a travel wallet, a couple of DVD cases, that kind of size.

The only fault I can find with it is the material that they use for the triangular section that the base of your spine sits against. I'd have expected it to be the same material as the seat but it's not, and hence it feels a bit cheap. Seeing as they're 75 quid on that website I'd have thought they'd have used the nicer material.

Does anyone know if they sell any of these other accessories (in particular the tank pad) at Kawasaki on Rama 9?

[BigBikeBKK]

Dave and Bard-

Losing the chain guard would not be a big deal- just use a good chain wax that won't fling off.

Maybe even get your bling on with a flashy gold chain like this ER-6

A 150 would certainly LOOK good, but I'd be concerned that a tire that wide might hurt the performance of the bike. I've not had much time to read up on kawiforums.com about it. I think a Battleax 140 will be fine for me.

Here's a not half bad pic from www.Ninja250Thailand.com of a stock Ninja 250R with stock IRC tires getting some good lean.http://www.Ninja250Thailand.com

Happy Trails!

[BigBikeBKK]

Does anyone know if they sell any of these other accessories (in particular the tank pad) at Kawasaki on Rama 9?

Sorry JonnyF,

The Kawasaki Shop in BKK has NO accesories for the Ninja 250R at all.

But you can find tons of kit, a lot of it locally produced, on http://www.ninja250thailand.com

Happy Trails!

[LivinLOS]

Well I finally dropped my my local Kwaker dealership... What a change that was, this place used to be the usual Thai scooter shop, now as well as 10's and 10s of KSR's, they had a full selection (and many in stock) of the KLX, D-Tracker, and 1 only of the Ninja..

Well the Ninja looked good, enough rubber to look stable and very surprising to me was the position.. Very comfortable and even with my long legs almost roomy.. Very much a surprise as it was more roomy than my 400.. If I had a complaint it would be that as it was spacious and upright, being kinda tall I wondered how up and vertical I would be on it, Out of the fairing and into the airstream, and there was also still a kind of 'narrow' small bike feel. Also REALLY appealing to me as a rider of a cheap old bike was that new bike feel, all the switch gear light and fluid.. My clunker has a stiff throttle and snatchy clutch, both of which are OK on an open road but make stop and go town riding less smooth than I would like (and with a revvy low torque engine can make me look more of a putz than I am), that new bike appeal was working on me.

I have to say tho, while the Ninja was appealing the D-Tracker really caught my eye.. Light, good sized, nimble looking... I bet that is a bunch of fun !! The KLX looks great of you get into the dirt much, and if I lived up north, or did that more I am sure it would be a good tool, but the D-Tracker would suit the riding I do much more. He had a test ride bike (for D-Tracker) and was very OK with me taking a ride but I had the GF with me and will have to return for that. I do wonder how much pull a 4 stroke 250 would have, but do want to find out The guy there also said the ER6N (which he called the Ninja ER6 ?!?) will be in probably Dec and 'definitely' before new year.. He thinks with a price tag of 270k.. Also different to elsewhere he said the KLX / D-Tracker and Ninja are all same priced at 149,999 on road, didnt start to push that as I didnt want to get deeply into it and start a haggle I had no intention of going through with.

Was a pleasant surprise to see so many legit bikes all being put into the market..

[BigBikeBKK]

Good On You LivinLOS-

Indeed most folks are pleasantly surprised at the roomy fit of the Ninja 250R. It's a much more comfortable a neutral riding position than the bigger Ninja's.

If you are tall and are looking for more protection from the elements a cheap easy mod you can do is buy an aftermarket windscreen. Zero Gravity for example makes a sport-touring screen for the Ninja 250 that gives you an extra 4 inches over the stock screen.

The D-tracker looks like a very fun bike and has a loyal following. If I lived out in the country I'd definitely consider one.

I am waiting with anticipation the launch date of the Kawasaki ER-6N (Not sure why the dealer called it a Ninja except that the ER-6F is called Ninja 650 in the US...) But my underderstanding is that initially only the ER-6N will be sold in Thailand.

My guy at Kawasaki Big Bike Rama 9 is still saying early '09, but hey, if your guy is right the sooner the better! I was quoted a guesstimate of ~290,000THB a few months ago, but again, if it comes in at ~270,000THB I'll be a happy camper indeed!

The Japanese Big Bike market in Thailand is going to change dramatically in the next couple of years as the JTEPA Free Trade Agreement takes effect and import duties are eliminated. Kawasaki and Yamaha are ahead of the game but Honda has big plans with their huge new Bangkok showroom scheduled to open in eary '09. I've not heard anything from Suzuki yet, but can't imagine they won't get in the game.

Happy Trails!

[LivinLOS]

I was thinking if the 270k - 290k price change is based on any kind of exchange rate thinking ?? After all Euro / Pound were both +20% higher only a month or two ago, maybe somewhere in the price planning chain they have a price to be tied at xxx EUR or xxx GBP ?? Just a random thought..

Wonder if it would put price pressure on the FZ6 ??

[12DrinkMore]

I am waiting with anticipation the launch date of the Kawasaki ER-6N (Not sure why the dealer called it a Ninja except that the ER-6F is called Ninja 650 in the US...) But my underderstanding is that initially only the ER-6N will be sold in Thailand.

The Japanese Big Bike market in Thailand is going to change dramatically in the next couple of years as the JTEPA Free Trade Agreement takes effect and import duties are eliminated. Kawasaki and Yamaha are ahead of the game

Re: ER-6N

This bike was, up until about a month or so ago shown on the Kwacker big bike website. It has since been taken off, so I wouldn't hold your breath on seeing this bike in Thailand any time soon.

As the Ninja 250 is already manufactured in Thailand, I don't see that it falls into the FTA agreement anyway.

Re: Yamaha

What Yamaha models are currently being sold at close to the European/US price levels? They all still seem to have the massive import tax applied to the price.

[LivinLOS]

Re: Yamaha

What Yamaha models are currently being sold at close to the European/US price levels? They all still seem to have the massive import tax applied to the price.

Whats the current MSRP on an FZ6 in the UK ?? Thought 5600 or so GBP ??

OK so at the current 55 or so baht GBP thats only a bit over 300.. But only a month or two back we had pounds at 70.. Brings in a UK price at a hair under 400.. So 10 - 15% price difference back in Aug / Sept.. Currency cross rates all over the map last few weeks.

Someone told me it was going for 415 here (says 447 on the 'big bike price list' will drop into Yammy next time I pass)..

[BigBikeBKK]

As the Ninja 250 is already manufactured in Thailand, I don't see that it falls into the FTA agreement anyway.

Actually, sorry, you're not quite correct there. Yes, the Kawasaki Ninja 250R (and the ER-6N) are manufactured in Thailand, but they are manufactured in bonded industrial zones. In other words, to sell them in Thailand they have to clear Thai customs.

The implementation of the JTEPA Free Trade Agreement will progresses in stages over the next 9 years! One of the first steps was the elimination of duty on motorcycles with displacement of up to 250cc, hence the timing of the release of the Ninja 250R and D-Tracker 250.

The JTEPA FTA will fundamentally change the way Japanese motorcycles are imported, sold and priced in Thailand.

The import duties are being reduced and will continue to be reduced every year for the next 9 years until they reach zero:

Dates are in Green; Duty is in Yellow

Of course the FTA document is HUGE and no doubt there is plenty of fine print. Here's a link to the actual document in English: JTEPA FTA

The basic agreement is over 900 pages long!

If you can read Thai there is a lot of information on the Honda Bigbike Thailand site that explains how the JTEPA FTA will affect the motorcycle business in Thailand going forward: Honda BigBike JTEPA Page

Hope this information is helpful.

Happy Trails!

[12DrinkMore]

Don't quite understand what the word in light blue in the price table means. Must be very important, they've put it in 44 times and then in orange once more for good luck.

[Bard]

Just meet up with one of the GT-Riders from the last Khao Yai trip who is working with me here offshore, he tried your Ninja 250 R BigBikeBKK and he was very impressed how comfortable it was to sit on and how good it handles. His bike is a black Ninja ZX 10-R so you probably remember him, showed me lots of photos from the trip. Looked like you guys had lots of fun, hopefully I can join up for a trip soon.

Cheers Bard

[BigBikeBKK]

555- Wow Bard, you know Neng?! Small world! Super nice guy and hope to ride with him again.

Yeah- I tried his rather abused ZX12R and that thing scared the KEE out of me- such a stretched out riding position and the softest brakes I've ever experienced.

Hope we can all get together soon!

Happy Trails

[thaicbr]

This is for Tony and others who might want to raise the bars. roaring toyz lowing kits...

Black Anodized Contrast Cut Handle Bar Risers fit the new 2008 Ninja 250R with Roaring Toyz engraved. These trick new lowering blocks/handlebar risers allow the front end to be lowered 1". These blocks are a quick simple bolt on and will not only allow you to lower the front end but also raise the handlebars 1" and back 1/2" to allow for more comfort and control. This is a great upgarde for vertically chanllenged riders as well as women riders. Check them out and get your bike the right stance with another high quality part from Roaring Toyz!

[tonybroster]

This is for Tony and others who might want to raise the bars. roaring toyz lowing kits...

Black Anodized Contrast Cut Handle Bar Risers fit the new 2008 Ninja 250R with Roaring Toyz engraved. These trick new lowering blocks/handlebar risers allow the front end to be lowered 1". These blocks are a quick simple bolt on and will not only allow you to lower the front end but also raise the handlebars 1" and back 1/2" to allow for more comfort and control. This is a great upgarde for vertically chanllenged riders as well as women riders. Check them out and get your bike the right stance with another high quality part from Roaring Toyz!

Thanks for that Ninja bar raising info Thaicbr , the raisers look great.

my girl & I had a measuring session today & according to her reading of the tape measure she says I need a total of 3" extra for real comfort !

So nice as they look I still have to sell my new Ninja & take the financial pain or stay with it & take even more pain from my back, ( anyone here want a sensibly priced near brand new Ninja ? )

Tony B.

[thaicbr]

Brand new (70kms on clock) black ninja 250 for sale it already has white plate and green book. its approx 9weeks old with the remainder of 1 years 1st class insurance.... yours for just 130,000 baht ( was 153,000 new) and now would be 163,000 because of the price increase. a fully legal bike.

The owner is selling because he did not test ride it and has found due to very bad back problems he finds it uncomfortable to ride and is looking at getting a bike with a more upright style( he is an older gentleman who has been involved in the rigours of car motorsport for many years, hence the bad back). if interested pm me or contact Tony broster . and snag ya self a bargain... biggrin.gif

[thaicbr]

Tony dont forget they move the bars back 1/2 an inch as well they are 59$, might be worth a try....

[Bard]

555- Wow Bard, you know Neng?! Small world! Super nice guy and hope to ride with him again.

Yeah- I tried his rather abused ZX12R and that thing scared the KEE out of me- such a stretched out riding position and the softest brakes I've ever experienced.

Hope we can all get together soon!

Happy Trails

Yes I know him well, he works on the barge I am on right now here in gulf of Thailand. Very nice guy, he will sell his big Ninja and buy a Honda Goldwing he is keen on...

The bike he has needs a break upgrade for sure

When I get home I'll give you a call, unfortunately I won't make it to the CM ride nor the bike week buuuuuuut hopefully we can meet up somehow on my limited time.

Have fun, Cheers Bard

[tonybroster]

Brand new (70kms on clock) black ninja 250 for sale it already has white plate and green book. its approx 9weeks old with the remainder of 1 years 1st class insurance.... yours for just 130,000 baht ( was 153,000 new) and now would be 163,000 because of the price increase. a fully legal bike.

The owner is selling because he did not test ride it and has found due to very bad back problems he finds it uncomfortable to ride and is looking at getting a bike with a more upright style( he is an older gentleman who has been involved in the rigours of car motorsport for many years, hence the bad back). if interested pm me or contact Tony broster . and snag ya self a bargain... biggrin.gif

Telephone no for the Kawasaki Ninja is 087-1487325 10am morning to ( I stay up late ) 1am morning

Tony.

[tonybroster]

This is for Tony and others who might want to raise the bars. roaring toyz lowing kits...

Black Anodized Contrast Cut Handle Bar Risers fit the new 2008 Ninja 250R with Roaring Toyz engraved. These trick new lowering blocks/handlebar risers allow the front end to be lowered 1". These blocks are a quick simple bolt on and will not only allow you to lower the front end but also raise the handlebars 1" and back 1/2" to allow for more comfort and control. This is a great upgarde for vertically chanllenged riders as well as women riders. Check them out and get your bike the right stance with another high quality part from Roaring Toyz!

Hi Allan, who sells these risers, what price & where is the company please, do you have a web address for them or it it a Thai company ?

Tony B.

[stingray]

This is for Tony and others who might want to raise the bars. roaring toyz lowing kits...

Black Anodized Contrast Cut Handle Bar Risers fit the new 2008 Ninja 250R with Roaring Toyz engraved. These trick new lowering blocks/handlebar risers allow the front end to be lowered 1". These blocks are a quick simple bolt on and will not only allow you to lower the front end but also raise the handlebars 1" and back 1/2" to allow for more comfort and control. This is a great upgarde for vertically chanllenged riders as well as women riders. Check them out and get your bike the right stance with another high quality part from Roaring Toyz!

Hi Allan, who sells these risers, what price & where is the company please, do you have a web address for them or it it a Thai company ?

Tony B.

Hi Tony, you know me, we talked about this bifore. I think any mechanical workshop can manufactor (inexpensive) this kind of spacer for you within a day or two. Or go Soi 17 Pattaya Tai and check with the mechanic how much you could rise it up. The can customize alloy parts i think.

[thaicbr]

Tony. yank company they deliver overseas i think(if not i know some one from kawaforums will get it in and send it to you) $59 and website here

http://www.roaringtoyz.com/K250Mail/NEWK250R.html

at that money gotta be worth a try. get one then get it copied if ya need more rise. ok

Allan

Buy me a few beers i will even come and help ya fit em

[Bard]

Finally Powercommander 3 is available for the Ninja 250 R FI model, it has 3 user settings with stock, medium and race setting just click for what you want on 3 buttons plus it shows fuel air mixture, and best of all you can plug it into the USB port software included for full mapping. Price directly from Powercommander is 349 US$, I will order for myself, if anyone else is interested let me know and we can see if we can save on shipping etc..

So that is the last bit of hardware and I'm into the Dyno Allan found for tune up with my full exhaust and I will see what I can get out of the Ninja without K&N... A dyno from Europe had 41 hp on the rear wheel in a similar setup, but I will check it out to make sure.

[BigBikeBKK]

Wow Bard,

You will have the fastest Ninjette in the Kingdom for sure- I can't wait to see it!

Happy Trails!

[Bard]

Here is another item which might be of interest Zero Gravity screens, I am keen on the double bubble but others might want the touring or the race screen. Would be nice with a bit more wind off the chest...

[JonnyF]

Yeah I'll be really interested with the results of that dyno as well. I'm probably going to do the exhaust first but if you can get 40hp at the rear wheel with the power commander then I'll consider one of those as well - it sounds like a bit of a bargain if you can plug it into a laptop and map it yourself.

I'm starting to get quite attached to the little Ninja, I was thinking it might be a stop gap until the sensibly priced 600's arrived next year but I might just do a few mods and hang onto it for a while.

[INTJ]

Probably like many others I've been following this thread with a great deal of interest.

I was thinking maybe the Ninja is the one for me. I've been round the houses with bikes here, mainly much bigger machines that I know are too dangerous for the roads in Thailand.

Today I was walking along the beach road and spotted a green 250R for rent. The price was 500 per day, 6 days rent gets you one free day. I signed up on the spot, and have just ridden it around 40 km so I'll post some thoughts.

It feels smooth and fairly free from vibration, and one of the first things that struck me is how good the brakes are. However, I was dissapointed with the power. I have ridden a 250 motocross bike and I was hoping the ninja would take off like that, but it doesn't. It is almost quick, but just not quite there with the grin factor. The only time it gives me a bit of a kick is at the redline in first, then a clutchless change up into second. The riding position is OK, but I can see those bar raisers being talked about making a huge difference to the comfort.

Bards mods (fantastic job BTW Bard) are definitely the way forward, as with an extra 30% more power it could be there. There is a big lack in midrange power at higher speeds, this bike has to be ridden hard to make it perform, but of course it is only a 250. The stock tyres are awful and wooden, it doesn't feel happy to go round corners full stop. And who knows why Kawasaki decided a temp gauge is more important than a fuel gauge.

In stock version, I would say this is a fun bike, but not a serious motorcycle, but with those mods it is in with a chance of being a proper tool. The fastest I saw on the speedometer on a flat road was around 140.

All these are first impressions, and I'm planning to ride it as much as possible over the next week, lets see how it goes. At the minute I am still undecided. I definitely like it though.

Cheers

[thaicbr]

INTJ where are you? got a number for the rental shop. does that include insurance if anything goes wrong.

allan

[INTJ]

Hi Allan,

I'm at home

The number of the shop is 081 940 5669

Not sure about insurance etc, don't suppose it has any.

If you're interested you can come to the shop with me next week when I take it back and rent it.

Cheers

[Bard]

INTJ

I'll be home the 24 - 25th you can test mine out if your in the Rayong Pattaya area with the Area-P exhaust and pulled snorkel, I will order the Powercommander by the end of the week to include others who want it at the same time. Will give you a feeling how the bike is with only exhaust and pulled snorkel, when I get the Powercommander let's see how it improves further.

My experience with modding is this;

Pulling the snorkel removes a some of the midrange hole

Area-P changes the bike dramatically, with passenger and me (Total 150 kilo) it pulls good and cruises easily at 140, very nice increase from bottom up, you can drive it to 40 and put it in 6th and leave it there. Before you have to pull out all the gears to reach top, now you can reach top without any problems without pulling out 5th. In stock you have to pull 5th all the way before changing to get to top, as your experienced.

Pretty good summary btw... The tires suck no doubt and I wait impatiently for the BT090's which Allan is in control of