We did love the old Ninja 250R and for good reasons, but there is no doubt it looked too bland.
Here is a comparison of both the bikes.
Looks:
If we were to rate the looks of the new bike on a scale of 10, we would definately give it a 10. And 5 for the old one! That lovely fairing from the bigger Ninja 650R, good looking upswept exhaust, pillion seat cover, petal discs, awesome alloys, everything lends it own bit to make this 250R look the best in its class but a HUGE margain!
Engine:
We also know the engine has been retuned a bit, and although detailed technical specifications have yet to be announced, but the new machine’s power is expected to be in the region of 45bhp – with the firm saying owners will be surprised by power at high revs. The old one did top the 100mph (160 km/h) mark and this one will atleast do 110 mph (176 km/h).
Acceleration wise, the old Ninja 250R shamed quite a few sports car, with a 0-60mph (96km/h) timing of 5.75 secs and a 14.6 sec quater mile timing. We can only expect the new one to do this better.
To support the above fact, we have come to know that dual overhead camshafts have been revised and a new 2-into-1 exhaust system is in place for more low and mid-range torque from the dual-carbureted 249cc DOHC parallel twin-cylinder engine. Add in refined intake and exhaust ports for improved off-idle response and smooth power delivery. Also, reduced engine noise via an automatically adjusting cam chain tensioner.
As of now, we dont have pictures of how the new Ninja 250R's instrumentation will look like. Stay tuned for more!
A hike of $500 for this? Its peanuts!
6 comments:
loving the site... nice work...
I am so pumped to buy one of these bikes
The new ninja looks better, but the other specs are not superior. Much more difficult mandatory valve adjustments, less fuel efficiency on average, slower 0-60 and 2 recalls on the first run of production bikes. (air box and front brake line.)
You can get an '07 new and cheaper and for my money it's goin to last a lot longer. Give these a few years and they will catch up after some refinment.
No doubt the new Ninja 250r looks great. I owned a 05 Ninja 250, my daughter is now riding. I won a 1000 mile race on it in 06. The bike would get 40 mpg at 100 mph and run 200 miles before a fill up. I only made 5 gas stops in 1046 miles and in 15 hours and 4 minutes...it was a blast to ride. I'm a 6'3" 250lb man and I found it comfortable. It topped out at an indicated 106 with me on it and 123 with my 111 pound daughter.
The new Ninja is 50 lbs heaver redlines at 13,000 vs 14,500. New cam profile which robs top end but adds low-midrange power,10 hp down according to reviews. Buzzy on top where the old one was glass smooth, with a cramped high foot pegs.
Kawasaki couldn't you have just changed the plastic and wheels? Give me the old Jap spec 250R They imported here for only one year...Yeah the 43hp and 325 lbs RIPPER!
I was at a bike show last weekend and ran into a guy who has 3 of them..well had 3 now 2. He said he only owned the '08 for about 2 weeks and got rid of it because it was heavier, missing the center stand, and about 10 MPH slower on top end.
He is keeping his 2 older versions.
And looks are subjective. Personally between the 2, I like the 3rd option better..the ZZR version.
No. the changes are NOT merely cosmetic. Here's part of a review. Suggest you Google 2008 Ninja 250 to find out more.
New for 2008 is a large speedo right in the center, with a tach to the left and new gas gauge to the right. Apparently a gas gauge is important to Ninja 250 owners, so now they have a big juicy one. At first I thought I would miss the center tach, as my last experience with the previous model was thumb-wrestling riders at a Kawasaki-sponsored trackday to see who would get to ride the screamin' little 250s. Keeping an eye on revs is crucial when trying to ride as fast as you can on the track, not so for street riding, which is the most common use of the 250. Big speedo, good. Gas gauge, better.
Most new riders needn't be concerned with engine temps, but running out of petrol might freak them out! Kawi did away with the temp gauge in favor of a very practical fuel gauge.
Most new riders needn't be concerned with engine temps, but running out of petrol might freak them out! Kawi did away with the temp gauge in favor of a very practical fuel gauge.
The quarter-liter Ninja turns quickly and with seemingly little effort, making it loads of fun through tight twisty canyons.
The quarter-liter Ninja turns quickly and with seemingly little effort, making it loads of fun through tight twisty canyons.
There are so many improvements to the 2008 250R it gets difficult to focus on what might be the one best change-up, but perhaps the most important upgrade is the move up to 17-inch wheels. I never had much trouble finding 16-inch rubber for the old bike because I knew where to look, but my test group seemed to agree that the new six-spoke wheels, wider rims and more accessible modern tire selection was at the top of the list, with an A+ for more neutral handling at low and high speeds. The new and larger 290mm front and 220mm rear petal-style rotors with dual-piston calipers give the ’08 250 much improved and noticeably more sportbike-like stopping power.
For me the most notable improvement is the suspension. I’ve put plenty of miles on the previous model and the ride always had an uncertain soft feeling. A 37mm Showa (36mm on previous model) front fork and a new Kayaba rear shock with five-way adjustable pre-load make for a stiffer and more precise, crisp ride. Surely adding to this stability is the improved chassis with diamond-type frame. The 26-degree rake angle is 1 degree steeper than the old 250, so the quarter-liter Ninja turns quickly and with seemingly little effort, making it loads of fun through tight twisty canyons.
Rounding out all of the improvements that make this little Ninja feel like a big bike is the newly engineered 249cc parallel-Twin motor. Although it’s based on the previous engine, Kawi says 70% of it has been re-designed, including new cams and a revised cylinder head, to result in a claimed 30% bump in mid-range power. Dual Keihin carburetors were fitted instead of a fuel-injection system. Fuel injection, although standard on the European models, would have pushed the sales price above the $4000 threshold where the American market allegedly draws the line.
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