Kawasaki Ninja 250

[Bard]

Hiya,

good news...finally the 150 cc barrier seems to melt. However 250cc is no alternative to me, but I am happy that the choices widens now. Somehow sick of 108 - 135cc choices.

Where is the dealer in Pattaya?

Cheers

Moo9

Hi Moo9

Here is the details;

MITYONT PATTAYA CO,LTD.111/52 Moo.10 Pattayatai Road. Nongprua Banglamung Chonburi 20260(038)425-778, 426-397

Cheers

[moo9]

Hiya,

good news...finally the 150 cc barrier seems to melt. However 250cc is no alternative to me, but I am happy that the choices widens now. Somehow sick of 108 - 135cc choices.

Where is the dealer in Pattaya?

Cheers

Moo9

Hi Moo9

Here is the details;

MITYONT PATTAYA CO,LTD.111/52 Moo.10 Pattayatai Road. Nongprua Banglamung Chonburi 20260(038)425-778, 426-397

Cheers

Thanks...I know Mityon very well, many branches around the area. I'll take a look

[Munchausen]

So I picked up my Ninja yesterday.

The service in the shop was good, they all speak reasonable English, however no English user manual, no full service manual, no helmets, no registration plates yet, but no surprises there really. To give them their credit, they did everything they could to help and they sourced me a brand new helmet. Expect between a 1-1.5 hr processing time.

I rode straight back down to Pattaya on the bike completely ignoring the 4000 rpm break-in limit and for my sins the heavens opened going past Khao Kiow.

If you ride low the bike will get up to 165km/ph no problem and it feels very stable. Pulling away from traffic lights its nice to be able to dust the rest of the rabble.

The Thai spec has a temp guage rather than a fuel guage and an auto choke.

I did over 200km on it yesterday, all I can say is the bike is super fun to ride, it has more than enough power for any situation and its very forgiving. Me so happy!

If you see a green ninja around Pattaya in the next few days, that's me, give me a hoot.

See you on the roads fellas.

Munchausen

Edited August 26, 2008 by Munchausen

[JonnyF]

So I picked up my Ninja yesterday.

The service in the shop was good, they all speak reasonable English, however no English user manual, no full service manual, no helmets, no registration plates yet, but no surprises there really. To give them their credit, they did everything they could to help and they sourced me a brand new helmet. Expect between a 1-1.5 hr processing time.

I rode straight back down to Pattaya on the bike completely ignoring the 4000 rpm break-in limit and for my sins the heavens opened going past Khao Kiow.

If you ride low the bike will get up to 165km/ph no problem and it feels very stable. Pulling away from traffic lights its nice to be able to dust the rest of the rabble.

The Thai spec has a temp guage rather than a fuel guage and an auto choke.

I did over 200km on it yesterday, all I can say is the bike is super fun to ride, it has more than enough power for any situation and its very forgiving. Me so happy!

If you see a green ninja around Pattaya in the next few days, that's me, give me a hoot.

See you on the roads fellas.

Munchausen

There's a few articles on the web suggesting that a hard break in is better for the bike anyway. I can't realistically stick to 4000 rpm here in Bangkok as I'd be run off the road but I'll keep it under 10k for the first few weeks and get the oil and the filter changed well before the suggested 1000 kms.

I was impressed with the service as well, my girlfriend got there before me and paid so all I had to do was sign some documents, I was in and out in 20 minutes. They gave me a tour of the bike and answered all my questions, the guy was very polite and very professional.

[12DrinkMore]

So where are all the photos, as promised?

[Munchausen]

Day 2: I couldn't give a flying crap about the break-in guidelines now actually, I'm having so much fun on this bike...in fact, I defy anyone to adhere to 4000 rpm for longer than 2 minutes, the bike simply begs to be whipped to the max rpm.

Edited August 26, 2008 by Munchausen

[tonybroster]

Happy to report that finally the Kawasaki Big Bike showroom in Bangkok is accepting orders for the new 2008 Ninja 250R.

Also happy to announce that the price is less than the rumored 150,000 - 180,000 price that has been floating around on various forums.

Price before tax and registration is 139,900

7% tax is 9479

Registration is a couple thousand.

Full insurance is available at the showroom.

They will start delivering the new bikes in the next week

Let the good times roll!

Dear Big Bike,

ok, I now believe the 250 ninja is on sale can you help me please with address - Telephone number of the Kawasaki shop that's selling them in BKK so I can go and buy one,

this shop seems to be best kept secret in Thailand, you sound like you know a lot about it will you help me please?

I'm in Pattaya my number is 087-1487325

Regards,

Tony

[Bard]

Day 2: I couldn't give a flying crap about the break-in guidelines now actually, I'm having so much fun on this bike...in fact, I defy anyone to adhere to 4000 rpm for longer than 2 minutes, the bike simply begs to be whipped to the max rpm.

Congratulation with the new bike, Green envy machine...

Actually you break it in exactly the way it's supposed to according to this website http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm they claim you should drive it in as hard as possible, the theory is contraversial, but could make sense...

They do however claim you should use non-synthetic gasoline car oil during the break in, and change it and the filter after 20 miles. I will try it out myself

[Bard]

Dear Big Bike,

ok, I now believe the 250 ninja is on sale can you help me please with address - Telephone number of the Kawasaki shop that's selling them in BKK so I can go and buy one,

this shop seems to be best kept secret in Thailand, you sound like you know a lot about it will you help me please?

I'm in Pattaya my number is 087-1487325

Regards,

Tony

I know you ask Big Bike, however here is the answer for Bangkok

Kawasaki Motors Enterprise (Thailand) Co.,Ltd.

129 Rama 9 Road.

Kwaeng Huay-Kwang

Khet Huay-Kwang

Bangkok 10310 Thailand.

Tel : +66-2247 7935-38

All info is at www.kawasakibigbike.com

Here it is for Pattaya shop

MITYONT PATTAYA CO,LTD

111/52 Moo.10

Pattayatai Road.

Nongprua Banglamung

Chonburi 20260

Tel : 038 425-778, or 038 426-397

Cheers

[BigBikeBKK]

Woo Hoo!

Love my new Ninja 250R!

Picked her up Monday afternoon and made it home in rush hour traffic- that was exciting but not something I'm in a hurry to repeat.

Funny about the manufacturer telling us to break in our bikes gently and not exceed 4000 RPM, because the mechanics at the Kawasaki shop were winding 'em WAY up in the parking lot

Anyway- the new Ninjas come with a 2 year warranty, so what the hel_l, I'm subscribing to the hard break-

in theory and if something gives, well...

Work and rain kept me from riding yesterday, but today I did well over 200Km My a$ is sore!!! I think for distance riding an after market seat may be a good idea.

Anyway- I wanted to find some twisty roads to really get a feel for how the 250R handles, and the only place I could think of that's kind of close is Khao Yao National Park.

I found a nice way to get there:

For folks in Bangkok just take Ramkamhaeng all the way till it ends, then right on Suwintawong (Highway 304), and left when you reach Highway 3481. Good roads all the way!

That Highway 3077 through Khao Yai to Pak Chong is a thing of beauty! Got the tires worn right out to the edges on the twisties and the Baby Ninja handled like a dream. Very light and quick yet stable over bumps and ripples in the pavement.

Since I was riding solo I couldn't get any "action" shots... That'll have to wait until another time.

This is the smallest bike I've ever owned, yet for riding in Thailand the power is adequate. What this bike lacks in horsepower it makes up for in handling and a hard to define "fun factor".

I prefer small windy roads and that's where this bike excels- a very firm suspension gives a good feel of the road. The suspension is adjustable for preload This little engine does best over 6000 RPM. The stock exhaust has a nice little rumble in the lower RPM's.

The seat did a number on my rear, but that's probably because I haven't ridden in a few years. I think I'll get used to it. If not I know there are some aftermarket options.

Riding position is roomy and fairly upright (for a sport bike) with not too much weight on the arms and wrists. Turning is quick and effortless. Light clutch, easy shifting, solid brakes, and killer good looks- I'm a very happy rider!

Anyway- anyone want to get out this weekend and ride? Can't decide where to go- so many choices!

Let the good times roll!

[BigBikeBKK]

Hiya Tony!

Bard gave you the address and phone number. Thanks Bard

Here's a good map:

The Kawasaki shop is on your left as your driving east on Rama 9, about a kilometer after the Ratchadapisek intersection. Hope you can find it! Good luck and happy trails!

[tonybroster]

Dear Big Bike,

ok, I now believe the 250 ninja is on sale can you help me please with address - Telephone number of the Kawasaki shop that's selling them in BKK so I can go and buy one,

this shop seems to be best kept secret in Thailand, you sound like you know a lot about it will you help me please?

I'm in Pattaya my number is 087-1487325

Regards,

Tony

I know you ask Big Bike, however here is the answer for Bangkok

Kawasaki Motors Enterprise (Thailand) Co.,Ltd.

129 Rama 9 Road.

Kwaeng Huay-Kwang

Khet Huay-Kwang

Bangkok 10310 Thailand.

Tel : +66-2247 7935-38

All info is at www.kawasakibigbike.com

Here it is for Pattaya shop

MITYONT PATTAYA CO,LTD

111/52 Moo.10

Pattayatai Road.

Nongprua Banglamung

Chonburi 20260

Tel : 038 425-778, or 038 426-397

Cheers

Hi Bard, You are a star, I just want to say a big thank you for the Ninja Shop information, also another thank you Big Bike Bkk for the info & map etc, as Im living in Pattaya Im going to try my luck with the local Mityont shop here first to see if they can supply a bike locally as its stupid to go to Bkk if pattaya can supply,

Regards Guys, Tony

[Richard-BKK]

So now we have actual customers on the road, how they feel about the power/weight ratio, early comments by some board members said it would not "much" better then a Honda CBR-150R. I think that people who would be interested about hearing about this....

Personally I cannot see nor understand to comparison with a Honda CBR-150R, other then a item you see getting smaller in the rear mirror........

Edited August 27, 2008 by Richard-BKK

[tonybroster]

I figure this. Honda's engineers are a lot smarter than I am. So I wouldn't even think of modifying the engine of a CBR 150 or for that matter an Airblade, Yamaha Nouvo, etc.

There a lots of people much smarter than I also, just don't tell my id that. However, some of those smarter people have decided that rather than tackling ocean going vehicles, which pollute more than traffic vehicles, we'd save the enviroment. Hence we have enviromental controls on our vehicles that limit the power to quite a degree. Remove those restrictions and wam! more power.

I once had a 1992 Mazda Miata with a 1600 cc. engine developing 116 horsepower. So, thinking I needed more performance, I had a Sebring supercharger put on it, over sized wheels and tires to take advantage of the huge increase in horsepower, a header, performance after market exhaust and air intake believed to add still an extra 5 horsepower. When I got done with all that the little 1600 c.c. Mazda engine performed like a V-8. I'd say acceleration went from about 9.3 seconds zero to sixty to around 6.5 to 7 seconds. Top speed went from 118 miles an hour to 139 miles an hour and at this point a rev limiter cut in at around 7200 rpms. THe little car was still accelerating when all of a sudden that rev limiter starved the engine for fuel. And to top it all off, fuel economy didn't suffer one iota and torque had increased so significantly that I now could loaf driving around town in 5th gear at around 30 miles an hour. Man, I had the bomb now. I was so smart. I had even outdone Mazda.

Then I blew the first engine at 139 miles an hour. A new engine cost me more than $2000. So I decided to never take the car above 115 miles an hour. That brought my rpms down from over 7200 to around 6000. I had figured Mazda might have designed this car to hit 7200 to 7500 rpms at peak acceleration for several seconds but not for sustained periods of time. The non supercharged engine simply did not have the power to pull over 6000 rpms in fifth gear. The supercharged engine might have pulled 8000 and God knows how fast that car would have been without that rev limiter on it. Anyway, I blew the 2nd engine and was once again out over 2000 dollars. So now on my third engine, it finally wound up blowing also. At the dealership....(they really loved me at it's service department as the boys got to try all kinds of interesting things out on my car) the last diagnosis was that the engine was burning lean due to the supercharger changing the air fuel mixture.

It sure sounds like the boys trying all kinds of interesting things out on your car forgot that an engine is just a fancy air/fuel pump. Had they corrected that issue from the get go, I wonder what types of problems you would have had. But then again, not every engine is built like a Chevy small block or a Toyota 2j-z! Perhaps Mazada trimmed enough from here and there to keep the engine lighter and cheaper that they engineered in ONLY the power that it was rated for--kinda like BMWs are known for.

For what its worth & without being an AH one thing BMW IS remembered for is as follows,

The last European Formula 2 engines built for BMW by Swiss Heine Mader all used the old road going BMW 2002 4 cylinder block & head castings.

As did all of those fantastic 4 cylinder Formula 1 Grand Prix BMW Turbocharged engines,

BMW sourced the scrap engines from various European car breakers yards & purchased hundreds & hundreds of old 2002 units which were then where possible totally refurbished for the F1 & F2 racing programmes.

As I recall in F1 Grand Prix qualifing form a BMW & with the turbo boost turned up a good 700 plus HP was being produced using exactly the same head & block designed originally for a bit over 100 HP BMW 2002 road car.

Why did BMW chose to use old worn rusty blocks & knackered alloy head castings ?

simple really, all the stresses had already long gone out of the BMW 2002 castings from the thousands of previous heat cycles which makes them perfect when re machined for racing use.

I am very suprised as this means that the unlucky rice burning Mazda engines were just not comparable with BMWs quality & strength or by the sound of it even Fords offerings.

The common early over head valve European Ford Cortina/ Capri etc 711 blocked 1600cc engine ( 1970 ish vintage ) originally produced around 80 to 85 hp in std ex factory road going form.

But with the right parts added, steel rods & crank etc plus being built properly & while retaining the std size of 1600cc they produced from 160 to 175 hp using original cast iron head & block castings, HP was dependant on how much you wished to spend, at 175 hp reliability was known to be reduced.

In 160 ish HP form & if not over revved they would run an entire 18 race circuit season without mishap.

Tony B.

I wound up taking the supercharger off and after that the car was reliable again That is until at 150,000 miles the transmission gave out. Now, the Mazda Miata sportscar has a record of being the most reliable car in the entire Mazda lineup. Miata's very rarely blow a transmission. i figure mine did only because I took a four cylinder engine off and mounted a V-8 instead and that little transmission had never been designed to handle the huge increase in torque of a V-8. (the supercharger did not give me 4 extra cylinders, only the performance).

So, not wanting to buy a new transmission for a 150,000 mile car I sold my Miata and bought a new one, a gorgeous special edition 2002 model with 144 horsepower and a six speed overdrive transmission. Not as fast as the old model with supercharger in place at a zero to sixty time of probably 7.9 seconds it still dramatically outperformed the 9.3 stock times of the old car. I never opened this car up and I think with that six speed overdrive gear this car would have lasted practically forever. It did everything well even delivering 1000 mile cross country miles in a single day at 33 miles per gallon.

Having never driven either the CBR 150 or the Ninja 250, I would think either bike does a splendid job at what it's designed to do, as is. If you think you want more power than the CBR, then the Ninja's the thing. I've probably read at least five reviews on the Ninja 250 R and the consensus of opinion is that the Ninja is really outstanding easily offering the best performance out of all the 250's, that it outhandles larger displacement bikes, is more fun to ride, offers between 50 and 60 miles per gallon, offers great fuel range, will hit something like 100 miles an hour, accelerates briskly enough to handle the traffic on any highway provided one is willing to downshift pretty often, is a terrific looker, and that it is pretty inexpensive. But one of the reviews mentions several small weaknesses. One of them is a certain hiccuping in the carburated American version in certain situations such as driving behind a cavalcade of cars at say around 30 miles an hour when suddenly a hole opens up in that line and one needs to get on the gas, now. There is a momentary problem and hesitation with the fuel delivery in such situations. That review mentions that the European fuel injected version of the 250 R would not have this problem. I personally feel there would be no horsepower gain or very little with the more expensive European fuel injected version (which will be offered in Thailand) over the carburated offering sold in the states.

The Ninja 250 is the best 250 offered in the States; however it's only competitors aren't even in the same class. Trying to say it's better than the 'cruisers' Virago and Nighthawk is really dragging it down. I'm thinking I will probably end up dropping the money on it, however, I need to probably give my old CBR 150R to my brother in law as a graduation present or something before my 'better' half approves of a purchase like this.

[Bard]

So now we have actual customers on the road, how they feel about the power/weight ratio, early comments by some board members said it would not "much" better then a Honda CBR-150R. I think that people who would be interested about hearing about this....

Personally I cannot see nor understand to comparison with a Honda CBR-150R, other then a item you see getting smaller in the rear mirror........

Hehe congratulation with your new bike, I can hardly wait for my little green envy machine to come. Liked your comparison with the CBR 150 good one ...

When I finally get home from this offshore trip I will drive and have fun, I might take you up on a weekend for some driving... Enjoy the bike, Let the good times roll.

Cheers Bard

[12DrinkMore]

Woo Hoo!

Love my new Ninja 250R!

I hate those bikers who blatantly ignore the parking regulations

Nice bike, but I'll be going for the Kwacker green when I get back to Thailand. Your bike (and brain case) must get pretty hot in the sun.

[BigBikeBKK]

Woo Hoo!

Love my new Ninja 250R!

I hate those bikers who blatantly ignore the parking regulations

Nice bike, but I'll be going for the Kwacker green when I get back to Thailand. Your bike (and brain case) must get pretty hot in the sun.

LOL- They have parking regulations in Thailand?! Don't worry, the "Brain Bucket" did sit in the shade for a while before I put it back on.

[dave_boo]

So now we have actual customers on the road, how they feel about the power/weight ratio, early comments by some board members said it would not "much" better then a Honda CBR-150R. I think that people who would be interested about hearing about this....

Personally I cannot see nor understand to comparison with a Honda CBR-150R, other then a item you see getting smaller in the rear mirror........

Click on the picture, watch the video and tell me with a straight face that a CBR 150, while costing 43% as much can not run at least 90% as fast (if not as fast) as a Ninja 250.......

What appears to be a 8 sec 0-100 and a top out of 155+ indicated. But yeah, it will be seen getting smaller. Spending another 20K THB on the CBR 150R and you'd be looking at being on par I'd wager for a much cheaper price (only at 60%).

And not to belabour the point, but your bias is showing.......

Oh, and to the mods, when are we going to be able to embed Youtube videos?

[voracious]

Since the cbr150 came up I was googling it to get a better look at what it looks like. I ran across a youtube ad for one for sale in BKK for $1300USD.

I figured I'd post the link in case it helps someone out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6CZBvCiOlU

I don't have anything to do with the seller. I think if I was going to get one here in the states, I'd go for the Ninja250 (or better for me a Yamaha R6) because the 150 isn't freeway legal here. As it is, I'm just saving my money and figure I'll get one over there after I make the jump in a couple of years.

[dave_boo]

Since the cbr150 came up I was googling it to get a better look at what it looks like. I ran across a youtube ad for one for sale in BKK for $1300USD.

I figured I'd post the link in case it helps someone out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6CZBvCiOlU

I don't have anything to do with the seller. I think if I was going to get one here in the states, I'd go for the Ninja250 (or better for me a Yamaha R6) because the 150 isn't freeway legal here. As it is, I'm just saving my money and figure I'll get one over there after I make the jump in a couple of years.

That's kinda expensive for a 4 year old bike. New ones are mid 60k out the door. Someone should be able to find the same vintage at a better pricepoint in Thailand.

[BigBikeBKK]

Hey now- who started this silly pissing contest between the CBR150 and Ninja250R?

Let's get out on the road and settle this like real men

Let the good times roll!

[PeaceBlondie]

As a CBR150R owner and supporter, I never thought the Ninja 250R would be in the same class. At more than double the price, it should not be. It is in a class by itself.

[NinjaGladiator]

Picked my machine up on 26th, drove 570km back to Udon, didn't miss a beat, the haddling is almost on par with my old zx6r, just minus the power. Sitting at 170 it feels safe on the open roads anymore speed would be a gamble with the untrained drivers of Thailand. The braking is awsome considering there's only a single disk and 4 pot caliper up front, after all it's only 15kg lighter than my last zx6r and I'm carrying an extra 5kg since those days. I'm 82kg and 178cm to get the top end you gotta really tuck in, (the big screen is very warranted). The handle bars are higher than a typical sports bike, but the seat slopes forward forcing you lay down rather than sit up right, this gives your lower arms an upward travel, so there was no tingling in the fingers, surprising as I haven't travelled long distances in 7yrs. Found out I could reg in Udon, went to the dealer here 27th and found out they are having bikes in today, BKK told me it would be a month+. Now I like driving but for 3 days I could have waited, so if you are living north, see your local dealer, the wait may not be that long.

One last interesting piece of info, I asked the dealer how many had gone to date, answer 50+, how many falang? You are the 4th.

[dotcom]

Personally I cannot see nor understand to comparison with a Honda CBR-150R, other then a item you see getting smaller in the rear mirror........

At over twice the price isn't that what you would expect?

Reality check time.

[martynsnowman]

Does anyone know if it's possible to purchase a Kawasaki Ninja 250® in Thailand? I heard that they're now made in Thailand but they don't seem readily available. Are they strictly for export or are they also sold within Thailand? If you can buy them here, what do they cost and how can you get a hold of one?

It would be great to have another option with regard to small sports bikes. Th CBR 150 is a great little bike but I'm sure the Ninja 250 would be significantly quicker. I think these bikes can hit 150-60 fairly easily.

Also, why is it that 250cc (and other bigger bikes) are so rare in Los? I see people riding big bikes very occasionally but I've never seen any bike bigger than 200cc in any shop in my city. If bigger bikes are illegal then how are people getting them and why are they illegal in the first place?

hi ,

glyn who owns hotel (englishmans retreat ) in udon thani bought 1 yesterday , beautiful bike colour black , he bought it in bkk and rode back to udon he said all told with insurance it was 140,000bt.

he regestered it here in udon not bkk so the plates would be o.k .

martyn.

[NinjaGladiator]

Dotcom, and anyone else who keeps harping on about the CBR, you're barking up the wrong tree, you cannot compare these bikes and most definately cannot work the base price for a ninja 250 because of the retail price of a CBR150. We've said it b4, in US. the price is 110k, in UK the price is 210K. The price dif is determined by the government's taxation system not kawasaki. The CBR150 is a steel in my mind at 70-75k, that's because the gov. favours small bikes, do you know a comparison (OK-125cc) of the Yam mio in UK is around 90k? But on another note, and this is only my opinion, at 178cm and 82kg I would look f****** stupid on a CBR150 so they really have never been an option for me, large legal sports bikes are just to expensive (not cos someones asking too much but because of the taxes), so this 250 ninja has been a real gap filler for me, plus the power is sensible enough for these road conditions and my aging joints. Kawasaki has been sensible to mount it on a large frame, men are normally fully grown by 18 so I've never understood y they build small bikes just cos they're marketed at young riders, I know there's the weight to consider but that is minimal these days, with high-strenght, light weight materials available.

So if you love your CBR have no need or interest in the ninja 250, why don't you go to the CBR150 thread and post there lol

[dotcom]

You're talking to the wrong guy. Richard is the man making the claims. He says a Ninja 250 will smoke a CBR150. Is that supposed to be surprising?

If you'll drop it I'll drop it.

You have told me I would need to lean over to drive the bike. Thanks. I won't need to buy one.

I drive a motorcycle but it's not a 150.

Now try & answer my question. Does the whole bike shake at idle like twins of the past?

Modern technology indicates that counterbalancing shafts are possible in 2008. Of course you would need one.

I am not looking to get into any pissing contests. Just looking for information.

[Bard]

Congratulation with your new bike ninjagladiator, looks great! Enjoy your new ride... Long ride though, did you have any issued with the seat (sore butt) as Richard-BKK reported?

Interesting to read about the sales numbers, I talked to Khun Tidavan who confirms it. It appears that the Thai's like the bike enough to pay for it as well as being the major buyers, so everyone who thought that was not the case was wrong. So it seems like a hit for Kawa finally! Hopefully this will encourage more from the other manufacturers as well...

To the pissing contest, <deleted> is this all about? Richard made a comment since Honda owners have been comparing it to there bikes to justify upgrading or not, and the answer made people pissed?

You obviously cannot compare these two bikes, a one cylinder 4 stroke with official 17 hp vs a 2 cyl with 33 hp... Price is a bit more than double, so obviously you get much more of a bike for that, it simply says itself. Just like a new 400 would be impossible to compare with the Ninja. Nobody is saying the Honda is a crap motorbike here at all, it is a lot of motorbike for the money's worth, I personally ordered the Ninja 250 because I simply like it better, it fit's my need better, and I personally feel it was worth the price. BUT that is my objective opinion, others might see it different, and I have full respect for that.

There was no slagging from Richard-BKK just simply stating you cannot compare these bikes (which is true) other that it becomes smaller in the mirror, which is also true as the Ninja is a faster bike as is.

If you buy a new Honda I would congratulate you and hope you enjoyed the ride...

[jackcorbett]

You're talking to the wrong guy. Richard is the man making the claims. He says a Ninja 250 will smoke a CBR150. Is that supposed to be surprising?

If you'll drop it I'll drop it.

You have told me I would need to lean over to drive the bike. Thanks. I won't need to buy one.

I drive a motorcycle but it's not a 150.

Now try & answer my question. Does the whole bike shake at idle like twins of the past?

Modern technology indicates that counterbalancing shafts are possible in 2008. Of course you would need one.

I am not looking to get into any pissing contests. Just looking for information.

I am confused here. Do we mean one needs to lean over to drive the "Ninja 250" or the "CBR 150" or both bikes?

Now, as far as power to weight ratios of these two bikes, I think the CBR is around 253 pounds while the Ninja is around 337 pounds (specifications as given in Wikipedia). As far as horsepower most figures I've seen for the CBR are that it has around 17 horsepower same as for the Phantom. The Ninja produces between say 25 and 36 depending on whose figures you are reading and if the fuel injected European version really has all those extra ponies over the carburated version the American market gets. Okay, I weigh 170 pounds. Put me on a CBR 150 and the total weight of rider plus machine is 423 pounds. Put me on a 337 pound Ninja and the combined weight is 507 pounds. Assuming 17 horsepower for the CBR and 25 for the American spec Ninja and the CBR has a power to weight ratio of 24.88 pounds per horsepower versus 20.28 for the Ninja. Using these figures the Ninja has 22.68 percent less weight per horsepower than the CBR. However, the Thai market will get the fuel injected European version and if this version actually has 36 horsepower we are talking about just 14 pounds per horsepower. This would mean a 77 % performance edge for the Ninja over the CBR. At 36 horsepower this means no contest.

But even at 25 horsepower, 22.68 % increased power to weight for the Ninja is still very noticeable. For instance the first bike I had was a Honda CBR 350 and it was rated at 36 horsepower. Then thinking bigger was better I traded up for the 450 CBR which was rated at 45 horsepower. That's only a 25 % difference but there really was a huge difference when it came to driving both bikes as the 450 seemed much more powerful and was about 10 miles per hour faster on top end. What comes next into play next are how smooth are the two bikes when it comes to engine vibration at the speeds one normally drives, and how upright is the riding position when we compare one to the other, and lastly how comfortable is the seating position when we judge one against the other

[LivinLOS]

Now, as far as power to weight ratios of these two bikes, I think the CBR is around 253 pounds while the Ninja is around 337 pounds (specifications as given in Wikipedia). As far as horsepower most figures I've seen for the CBR are that it has around 17 horsepower same as for the Phantom. The Ninja produces between say 25 and 36 depending on whose figures you are reading and if the fuel injected European version really has all those extra ponies over the carburated version the American market gets. Okay, I weigh 170 pounds. Put me on a CBR 150 and the total weight of rider plus machine is 423 pounds. Put me on a 337 pound Ninja and the combined weight is 507 pounds. Assuming 17 horsepower for the CBR and 25 for the American spec Ninja and the CBR has a power to weight ratio of 24.88 pounds per horsepower versus 20.28 for the Ninja. Using these figures the Ninja has 22.68 percent less weight per horsepower than the CBR. However, the Thai market will get the fuel injected European version and if this version actually has 36 horsepower we are talking about just 14 pounds per horsepower. This would mean a 77 % performance edge for the Ninja over the CBR. At 36 horsepower this means no contest.

Exactly what I have been meaning to point out..

If they were making an upright naked, like a FZ250 style.. At that price.. with warranty etc I would be all over it..

As a bigger guy at over 100kg and near 6 4 a CBR150 just doesnt really suit.. Even the 250 here looks a bit narrow and cramped for me. I can handle the legs being tight on the bike as long as I can have my back straight and not be all on my hands.

Great to hear they are selling well tho.. Only more fuel to other manufacturers.