Cbr 250 Vs Ninja 250

[appropriate]

Somebody must wanna get it onto the track!

Well there is an entire CBR250 racing team doing that. The kawas would wanna be careful though, even the old CBR150 could embarrass them in the low/mid range.

BTW, anyone look at the ninjette from behind and be astounded by the look of that skinny little tyre?

Looks like a little toy thing.

Edited March 14, 2011 by appropriate

[BigBikeBKK]

Somebody must wanna get it onto the track!

BTW, anyone look at the ninjette from behind and be astounded by the look of that skinny little tyre?

Yeah... if you ride a CBR 250 you must spend a lot of time staring at the rear of the Ninjette

[appropriate]

Somebody must wanna get it onto the track!

BTW, anyone look at the ninjette from behind and be astounded by the look of that skinny little tyre?

Yeah... if you ride a CBR 250 you must spend a lot of time staring at the rear of the Ninjette

I always pullover, the view of what looks like a green plastic pregnant woman in my mirrors is just too horrific.

[BigBikeBKK]

Somebody must wanna get it onto the track!

BTW, anyone look at the ninjette from behind and be astounded by the look of that skinny little tyre?

Yeah... if you ride a CBR 250 you must spend a lot of time staring at the rear of the Ninjette

I always pullover, the view of what looks like a green plastic pregnant woman in my mirrors is just too horrific.

Not as bad as an anemic little thumper pretending to be a sport bike though

[appropriate]

That's okay, by time it takes the ninjette to downshift it'll be eating pretend sportsbike smoke.

And God help it if it's 2-up. Being humiliated by a fino can't be much fun.

[skybluestu]

Somebody must wanna get it onto the track!

BTW, anyone look at the ninjette from behind and be astounded by the look of that skinny little tyre?

Yeah... if you ride a CBR 250 you must spend a lot of time staring at the rear of the Ninjette

I always pullover, the view of what looks like a green plastic pregnant woman in my mirrors is just too horrific.

Not as bad as an anemic little thumper pretending to be a sport bike though

So you've ridden one then Tony? What do you think?

[JonnyF]

That's okay, by time it takes the ninjette to downshift it'll be eating pretend sportsbike smoke.

And God help it if it's 2-up. Being humiliated by a fino can't be much fun.

Not everyone finds themselves in the wrong gear regularly. I suggest you learn to read the flow of traffic around you and put yourself in the correct gear well in advance. This will help you in terms of using engine braking as well as accelerating. It applies to all bikes, not just small bikes like the Ninja and that legendary "torque monster", the mighty CBR250.

Bikes are more reliable than they used to be in the 60's and 70's, you won't break it by riding it over 3k rpm (although that extra 20 baht a week for gas can really add up over the decades).

[appropriate]

Not everyone finds themselves in the wrong gear regularly. I suggest you learn to read the flow of traffic around you and put yourself in the correct gear well in advance. This will help you in terms of using engine braking as well as accelerating. It applies to all bikes, not just small bikes like the Ninja and that legendary "torque monster", the mighty CBR250.

I've no problems with the above. Although admittedly, being on a bike that doesn't need to be 10000rpm+ in order to keep up with the scooters does make it more enjoyable.

[BigBikeBKK]

That's okay, by time it takes the ninjette to downshift it'll be eating pretend sportsbike smoke.

Only noobs ride around in the wrong gear...

The little Kwacker's engine is bulletproof- just keep her wound up and let her fly.

Unfortunately the new CB"R"250 is already proving to be somewhat fragile...

Rather shocking for brand H which has had such a good reputation for quality...

Try to keep up with a Ninjette on a CBR 250 thumper and you're likely to blow a piston...

Happy Trails!

Tony

[appropriate]

Only noobs ride around in the wrong gear...

Seems to be a lot of noobs on the ninjas you see. You see them pull back and nothing happens.

[BigBikeBKK]

So you've ridden one then Tony? What do you think?

I took one for a short spin in the 'Kok and as reported it's very easy to ride and a comfortable cheap general purpose bike, but it's also an anemic little thumper pretending to be a sport bike

With the stock exhaust it feels chocked and sounds worse than a PCX...

Such a shame Honda didn't bring the VTR 250 as rumored. The VTR could give the Ninjette some competition at the track. It's going to take major modifications to give the CBR250 a snowball's chance at the podium.

Strip off the silly superfluous fairings and make the CBR 250 into a CB 250 and I think it would sell even better. Losing all that plastic would allow Honda to drop the price even further.

Ride On!

T

[BigBikeBKK]

Only noobs ride around in the wrong gear...

Seems to be a lot of noobs on the ninjas you see. You see them pull back and nothing happens.

Yes, 250cc bikes are excellent beginner bikes. No surprise they are the bike of choice for most noobs.

We were all beginners once- if I had it to do over again I'd have started out on a 250- would probably have saved me from a few crashes in the early years.

But for riders who actually want to improve, they'll outgrow a CBR 250 long before they outgrow a Ninjette...

For folks like you who are content to race scooters off the lights, the CBR250 will no doubt give you years of fun

Enjoy!

T

Edited March 16, 2011 by BigBikeBKK

[skybluestu]

So you've ridden one then Tony? What do you think?

I took one for a short spin in the 'Kok and as reported it's very easy to ride and a comfortable cheap general purpose bike, but it's also an anemic little thumper pretending to be a sport bike

With the stock exhaust it feels chocked and sounds worse than a PCX...

Such a shame Honda didn't bring the VTR 250 as rumored. The VTR could give the Ninjette some competition at the track. It's going to take major modifications to give the CBR250 a snowball's chance at the podium.

Strip off the silly superfluous fairings and make the CBR 250 into a CB 250 and I think it would sell even better. Losing all that plastic would allow Honda to drop the price even further.

Ride On!

T

Tony, how many CBR or Ninja owners will ever race their bike on a track? A tiny %, maybe 1-2%, if that! Maybe, just maybe, the Ninja would lap quicker than a CBR on the track, so what, who cares about the podium?! For an everyday bike for around town, commuting or some fun in the twisties the CBR is as good, if not better, than the baby Ninja. Most reviews so far, apart from one sponsored by Kawasaki, gave their verdict to the CBR, it's selling like hot-cakes in Australia, India, Europe and America (and that's just pre-orders as it's not even released yet) and there's even a waiting list here in Thailand!

Wasn't one of the reasons you changed your er6n for a Versys because it had more usable low-down torque? So what's wrong with the CBR having more usable, low-down torque?!

I'm sure if Honda had released their CBR before the Ninja and you'd previously owned one you'd be harping on about how great the CBR is and knocking the Ninja

[thaicbr]

That's okay, by time it takes the ninjette to downshift it'll be eating pretend sportsbike smoke.

Only noobs ride around in the wrong gear...

The little Kwacker's engine is bulletproof- just keep her wound up and let her fly.

Unfortunately the new CB"R"250 is already proving to be somewhat fragile...

Rather shocking for brand H which has had such a good reputation for quality...

Try to keep up with a Ninjette on a CBR 250 thumper and you're likely to blow a piston...

Happy Trails!

Tony

Na i think this is more down to the shops not putting enough oil in the bikes than a problem with the engines... Still shocking though

[appropriate]

For folks like you who are content to race scooters off the lights, the CBR250 will no doubt give you years of fun

Enjoy!

T

Actually I'm more content when pulling back from cruising speed and something actually happening, without having to downshift coz the bike feels like deadweight.

Edited March 16, 2011 by appropriate

[appropriate]

I'm sure if Honda had released their CBR before the Ninja and you'd previously owned one you'd be harping on about how great the CBR is and knocking the Ninja

Even ninjette owners were forever dissing the baby ninja... until the CBR came out of course.

It's a dog 2-up.

There's no low end grunt.

It's dead before 9000rpm.

Just look at those stone-age instruments.

etc etc.

As soon as the CBR was released these all became irrelevant.

Many had to sell it and upgrade to the 650s as soon as they came out just to feel satisfied.

Edited March 16, 2011 by appropriate

[BigBikeBKK]

So you've ridden one then Tony? What do you think?

I took one for a short spin in the 'Kok and as reported it's very easy to ride and a comfortable cheap general purpose bike, but it's also an anemic little thumper pretending to be a sport bike

With the stock exhaust it feels chocked and sounds worse than a PCX...

Such a shame Honda didn't bring the VTR 250 as rumored. The VTR could give the Ninjette some competition at the track. It's going to take major modifications to give the CBR250 a snowball's chance at the podium.

Strip off the silly superfluous fairings and make the CBR 250 into a CB 250 and I think it would sell even better. Losing all that plastic would allow Honda to drop the price even further.

Ride On!

T

Tony, how many CBR or Ninja owners will ever race their bike on a track? A tiny %, maybe 1-2%, if that! Maybe, just maybe, the Ninja would lap quicker than a CBR on the track, so what, who cares about the podium?! For an everyday bike for around town, commuting or some fun in the twisties the CBR is as good, if not better, than the baby Ninja. Most reviews so far, apart from one sponsored by Kawasaki, gave their verdict to the CBR, it's selling like hot-cakes in Australia, India, Europe and America (and that's just pre-orders as it's not even released yet) and there's even a waiting list here in Thailand!

I agree with you mate. Nothing wrong with the CBR. Just bugs me that they call it a CBR, but that's not a reason to not buy one. Simple fact is the Ninjette and CBR 250 are both good bikes. The CBR is better suited to city riding while the Ninjette will do better on the highway and at the track.

BTW I hope you realize that Appropriate and I are just "taking the piss".

Wasn't one of the reasons you changed your er6n for a Versys because it had more usable low-down torque? So what's wrong with the CBR having more usable, low-down torque?!

No... I still have my ER6n. I got the Versys for touring because it's got a bigger tank, better suspension and a much more comfortable seat. Kawasaki has tuned the engine of the Versys for more torque at the expense of Hp which is one of my only complaints about the Versys... I would gladly trade the torque of the KE650 for the top end of the EX650.

I'm sure if Honda had released their CBR before the Ninja and you'd previously owned one you'd be harping on about how great the CBR is and knocking the Ninja

Mmmm, I might complain about how expensive the Ninjette is in Thailand but I don't think I'd argue that the CBR is a better bike, because in my honest opinion, it's not.

[skybluestu]

So you've ridden one then Tony? What do you think?

I took one for a short spin in the 'Kok and as reported it's very easy to ride and a comfortable cheap general purpose bike, but it's also an anemic little thumper pretending to be a sport bike

With the stock exhaust it feels chocked and sounds worse than a PCX...

Such a shame Honda didn't bring the VTR 250 as rumored. The VTR could give the Ninjette some competition at the track. It's going to take major modifications to give the CBR250 a snowball's chance at the podium.

Strip off the silly superfluous fairings and make the CBR 250 into a CB 250 and I think it would sell even better. Losing all that plastic would allow Honda to drop the price even further.

Ride On!

T

Tony, how many CBR or Ninja owners will ever race their bike on a track? A tiny %, maybe 1-2%, if that! Maybe, just maybe, the Ninja would lap quicker than a CBR on the track, so what, who cares about the podium?! For an everyday bike for around town, commuting or some fun in the twisties the CBR is as good, if not better, than the baby Ninja. Most reviews so far, apart from one sponsored by Kawasaki, gave their verdict to the CBR, it's selling like hot-cakes in Australia, India, Europe and America (and that's just pre-orders as it's not even released yet) and there's even a waiting list here in Thailand!

I agree with you mate. Nothing wrong with the CBR. Just bugs me that they call it a CBR, but that's not a reason to not buy one. Simple fact is the Ninjette and CBR 250 are both good bikes. The CBR is better suited to city riding while the Ninjette will do better on the highway and at the track.

BTW I hope you realize that Appropriate and I are just "taking the piss".

Wasn't one of the reasons you changed your er6n for a Versys because it had more usable low-down torque? So what's wrong with the CBR having more usable, low-down torque?!

No... I still have my ER6n. I got the Versys for touring because it's got a bigger tank, better suspension and a much more comfortable seat. Kawasaki has tuned the engine of the Versys for more torque at the expense of Hp which is one of my only complaints about the Versys... I would gladly trade the torque of the KE650 for the top end of the EX650.

I'm sure if Honda had released their CBR before the Ninja and you'd previously owned one you'd be harping on about how great the CBR is and knocking the Ninja

Mmmm, I might complain about how expensive the Ninjette is in Thailand but I don't think I'd argue that the CBR is a better bike, because in my honest opinion, it's not.

Well there are those that say that calling a 250cc bike a 'Ninja' isn't right either but nobody goes on about that do they. At least Honda dropped one 'r', they knew they couldn't get away with calling it an 'rr'.

And nobody ever goes on about Triumph's bikes having one less cylinder than their competitors but that's all anyone ever mentions when comparing then CBR and Ninja. I think I'd pick the CBR even it was the same price as the Ninja to be honest.

[appropriate]

I would too, due to 90% of my driving being either in/around the city and under 120kph. Am also 2-up with the missus for 20 mins every evening.

If I wasn't living around BKK I'd have gone for the ninja simply as it's a twin.

For me, that's the only advantage the ninja has.

Edited March 17, 2011 by appropriate

[dave_boo]

Tony, how many CBR or Ninja owners will ever race their bike on a track? A tiny %, maybe 1-2%, if that! Maybe, just maybe, the Ninja would lap quicker than a CBR on the track, so what, who cares about the podium?! For an everyday bike for around town, commuting or some fun in the twisties the CBR is as good, if not better, than the baby Ninja. Most reviews so far, apart from one sponsored by Kawasaki, gave their verdict to the CBR, it's selling like hot-cakes in Australia, India, Europe and America (and that's just pre-orders as it's not even released yet) and there's even a waiting list here in Thailand!

I agree with you mate. Nothing wrong with the CBR. Just bugs me that they call it a CBR, but that's not a reason to not buy one. Simple fact is the Ninjette and CBR 250 are both good bikes. The CBR is better suited to city riding while the Ninjette will do better on the highway and at the track.

BTW I hope you realize that Appropriate and I are just "taking the piss".

Wasn't one of the reasons you changed your er6n for a Versys because it had more usable low-down torque? So what's wrong with the CBR having more usable, low-down torque?!

No... I still have my ER6n. I got the Versys for touring because it's got a bigger tank, better suspension and a much more comfortable seat. Kawasaki has tuned the engine of the Versys for more torque at the expense of Hp which is one of my only complaints about the Versys... I would gladly trade the torque of the KE650 for the top end of the EX650.

I'm sure if Honda had released their CBR before the Ninja and you'd previously owned one you'd be harping on about how great the CBR is and knocking the Ninja

Mmmm, I might complain about how expensive the Ninjette is in Thailand but I don't think I'd argue that the CBR is a better bike, because in my honest opinion, it's not.

Well there are those that say that calling a 250cc bike a 'Ninja' isn't right either but nobody goes on about that do they. At least Honda dropped one 'r', they knew they couldn't get away with calling it an 'rr'.

And nobody ever goes on about Triumph's bikes having one less cylinder than their competitors but that's all anyone ever mentions when comparing then CBR and Ninja. I think I'd pick the CBR even it was the same price as the Ninja to be honest.

It's even worst than that.

There was a 'proper' Ninja 250 (Ninja ZX-2R)..at the same time there was a CBR250RR. It also required higher revs than the CBR250RR to produce similar HP and was down on torque (obviously).

But the Kawi fans prefer to ignore that fact and stick to their mantra "they call it a CBR" in order to denigrate the bike. I guess when your prefered company engages in, some would say started, the same practice (Ninja 500?, Ninja 650?) it's ok to use that to justify bias.

There's constant claims that the CBR is somehow not as up to snuff for the track nor the highway and yet no one can provide any semblance of a coherent answer why except for that the Ninja makes more HP at a higher RPM with lower gearing...and yet everyone that has ridden a Ninja will, if honest, admit that you need to drop at least one gear to really get going on the highway (two if you're a fat bastard like me). And what of the track usage? The shootout listed earlier had the CBR pulling ahead of the Ninja (although I did note there seemed to be some discrepancies between numbers posted in LOS and USA).

Don't know why it was not answered, but he got rid of his ER-6F when he got his Versys.

[BigBikeBKK]

Tony, how many CBR or Ninja owners will ever race their bike on a track? A tiny %, maybe 1-2%, if that! Maybe, just maybe, the Ninja would lap quicker than a CBR on the track, so what, who cares about the podium?! For an everyday bike for around town, commuting or some fun in the twisties the CBR is as good, if not better, than the baby Ninja. Most reviews so far, apart from one sponsored by Kawasaki, gave their verdict to the CBR, it's selling like hot-cakes in Australia, India, Europe and America (and that's just pre-orders as it's not even released yet) and there's even a waiting list here in Thailand!

I agree with you mate. Nothing wrong with the CBR. Just bugs me that they call it a CBR, but that's not a reason to not buy one. Simple fact is the Ninjette and CBR 250 are both good bikes. The CBR is better suited to city riding while the Ninjette will do better on the highway and at the track.

BTW I hope you realize that Appropriate and I are just "taking the piss".

Wasn't one of the reasons you changed your er6n for a Versys because it had more usable low-down torque? So what's wrong with the CBR having more usable, low-down torque?!

No... I still have my ER6n. I got the Versys for touring because it's got a bigger tank, better suspension and a much more comfortable seat. Kawasaki has tuned the engine of the Versys for more torque at the expense of Hp which is one of my only complaints about the Versys... I would gladly trade the torque of the KE650 for the top end of the EX650.

I'm sure if Honda had released their CBR before the Ninja and you'd previously owned one you'd be harping on about how great the CBR is and knocking the Ninja

Mmmm, I might complain about how expensive the Ninjette is in Thailand but I don't think I'd argue that the CBR is a better bike, because in my honest opinion, it's not.

Well there are those that say that calling a 250cc bike a 'Ninja' isn't right either but nobody goes on about that do they. At least Honda dropped one 'r', they knew they couldn't get away with calling it an 'rr'.

And nobody ever goes on about Triumph's bikes having one less cylinder than their competitors but that's all anyone ever mentions when comparing then CBR and Ninja. I think I'd pick the CBR even it was the same price as the Ninja to be honest.

It's even worst than that.

There was a 'proper' Ninja 250 (Ninja ZX-2R)..at the same time there was a CBR250RR. It also required higher revs than the CBR250RR to produce similar HP and was down on torque (obviously).

But the Kawi fans prefer to ignore that fact and stick to their mantra "they call it a CBR" in order to denigrate the bike. I guess when your prefered company engages in, some would say started, the same practice (Ninja 500?, Ninja 650?) it's ok to use that to justify bias.

There's constant claims that the CBR is somehow not as up to snuff for the track nor the highway and yet no one can provide any semblance of a coherent answer why except for that the Ninja makes more HP at a higher RPM with lower gearing...and yet everyone that has ridden a Ninja will, if honest, admit that you need to drop at least one gear to really get going on the highway (two if you're a fat bastard like me). And what of the track usage? The shootout listed earlier had the CBR pulling ahead of the Ninja (although I did note there seemed to be some discrepancies between numbers posted in LOS and USA).

Don't know why it was not answered, but he got rid of his ER-6F when he got his Versys.

You really seem to enjoy calling yourself a fat bastard and a cheap charlie...

Well, I've got the PERFECT solution for you that will give you a huge performance gain and won't cost you a cent-

Go on a diet lard butt!

Ride On!

Tony

[snowflake]

I would personally not biy a 250cc bike and expect it to ride like a liter bike.... The name for me is just for advertising... ninja?? Cbr?? Dont make me laugh... They are both slow bikes that require alot of reving to have fun on a track...

I do not have access to a track unless I ride for hours to get to one... 99 percent of my riding will be on a highway or on an urban road and for that the cbr fits nicely...

I could probably have been just as happy on the ninja as I am on the cbr- but how much faster is it? 10kmph?? Is that worth 43500b? And a trip that will take me 2 hours minimum if there is anything wrong with the bike?

For me it came down to the simple fact that the honda costed me 104k... Service 5 min from my place... And a styling I quite like... And that red colour is only beaten byt tonys versys, and as I have said before- I will buy one of them in September...

Real life rideability is important for me- the cbr ticks all boxes for me apart from the cruising at 150kmph and I dont think that the ninja would do that either... (my top speed is 153 so far- but that is not cruising)...

[BigBikeBKK]

I took one for a short spin in the 'Kok and as reported it's very easy to ride and a comfortable cheap general purpose bike, but it's also an anemic little thumper pretending to be a sport bike

With the stock exhaust it feels chocked and sounds worse than a PCX...

Such a shame Honda didn't bring the VTR 250 as rumored. The VTR could give the Ninjette some competition at the track. It's going to take major modifications to give the CBR250 a snowball's chance at the podium.

Strip off the silly superfluous fairings and make the CBR 250 into a CB 250 and I think it would sell even better. Losing all that plastic would allow Honda to drop the price even further.

Ride On!

T

Tony, how many CBR or Ninja owners will ever race their bike on a track? A tiny %, maybe 1-2%, if that! Maybe, just maybe, the Ninja would lap quicker than a CBR on the track, so what, who cares about the podium?! For an everyday bike for around town, commuting or some fun in the twisties the CBR is as good, if not better, than the baby Ninja. Most reviews so far, apart from one sponsored by Kawasaki, gave their verdict to the CBR, it's selling like hot-cakes in Australia, India, Europe and America (and that's just pre-orders as it's not even released yet) and there's even a waiting list here in Thailand!

I agree with you mate. Nothing wrong with the CBR. Just bugs me that they call it a CBR, but that's not a reason to not buy one. Simple fact is the Ninjette and CBR 250 are both good bikes. The CBR is better suited to city riding while the Ninjette will do better on the highway and at the track.

BTW I hope you realize that Appropriate and I are just "taking the piss".

Wasn't one of the reasons you changed your er6n for a Versys because it had more usable low-down torque? So what's wrong with the CBR having more usable, low-down torque?!

No... I still have my ER6n. I got the Versys for touring because it's got a bigger tank, better suspension and a much more comfortable seat. Kawasaki has tuned the engine of the Versys for more torque at the expense of Hp which is one of my only complaints about the Versys... I would gladly trade the torque of the KE650 for the top end of the EX650.

I'm sure if Honda had released their CBR before the Ninja and you'd previously owned one you'd be harping on about how great the CBR is and knocking the Ninja

Mmmm, I might complain about how expensive the Ninjette is in Thailand but I don't think I'd argue that the CBR is a better bike, because in my honest opinion, it's not.

Well there are those that say that calling a 250cc bike a 'Ninja' isn't right either but nobody goes on about that do they. At least Honda dropped one 'r', they knew they couldn't get away with calling it an 'rr'.

And nobody ever goes on about Triumph's bikes having one less cylinder than their competitors but that's all anyone ever mentions when comparing then CBR and Ninja. I think I'd pick the CBR even it was the same price as the Ninja to be honest.

Twins have gobs of torque but weak top end.

Traditional inline 4's (which excludes new cross plane engines) are gutless at low revs and need to be wound up to reach their sweet spot.

Have you ever ridden a triumph triple?

Brilliant engines that give you the torque of a twin and the top end of an inline four.

Simply brilliant!

The new Triumph Tiger 800 looks fantastic. Shame they're asking 740k Baht for it...

[Big Guns]

The 800 Tiger ABS is on the list for my next birthday. The 800 Tiger is 710K and the 800 XC is 740K. Its lower than the Versys which I can't get my feet flat on and hopefully the suspension is better than the er6N which is great around town but longer runs threatens to either throw me out of the saddle or cripple me.

[taichiplanet]

Another choice in the 250 class; Tiger has just brought out the X-Road 250. Special intro price of THB89,000 It at least doesn't pretend to be a sports bike like the CBR250 or Ninja 250!

[BigBikeBKK]

Another choice in the 250 class; Tiger has just brought out the X-Road 250. Special intro price of THB89,000 It at least doesn't pretend to be a sports bike like the CBR250 or Ninja 250!

And it only costs 99k Baht! (89k Baht for first buyer!) Wow- that is a rather amazing price!

[Newguy70]

Another choice in the 250 class; Tiger has just brought out the X-Road 250. Special intro price of THB89,000 It at least doesn't pretend to be a sports bike like the CBR250 or Ninja 250!

Tiger

Option

Sorry I couldn't resist....

Edited April 20, 2011 by Newguy70

[hehehoho]

Good, simple video comparison/head-to-head.

http://www.bikechannel.com/node/4396

[hehehoho]

Twins have gobs of torque

Though less than a single it seems.

Edited April 20, 2011 by hehehoho

[BigBikeBKK]

Twins have gobs of torque

Though less than a single it seems.

You're quoting me out of context- I was comparing twins to triples and inline fours.