Photoshoot of the Week: October 7th -13th 2019 – Kawasaki Ninja 250R & Nastya

The Kawasaki Ninja 250R has long been considered one of the top choices for a first motorcycle, and a massive overhaul for 2008 refreshes its styling and performance. Boasting plenty of improvements inside and out, the Ninja 250R seeks to combine sportbike styling with the approachability of a beginner motorcycle.
Something that makes this motorcycle really fun is its 14,000 rpm redline; it’s a real screamer when you take it on the highway! The ninja really loves being wound up to 9,000 rpms, and at around 10,000 you can really feel it start to grip the asphalt. Even though this motorcycle is fully faired (meaning it is covered by plastic sides to protect agains the wind), the motorcycle is so light that you will get blown around quite a bit at 65mph, and even more at 80 mph or 90 mph. This isn’t entirely a bad thing, it just takes a little getting used to.
This motorcycle is great for the shorter rider. If you are only a few inches over 5 foot then you will think this motorcycle is a godsend compared to other 600cc bikes. Even if you are shorter than that I’m sure that if you shave the seat down a little you would be very comfortable on it. On the other hand I personally know of a few 250 riders that are around 5’9”-6’3” and they have never had any problems with this bike. (Usually these are the tall skinny type of guys so if you are more than 250 lbs I would probably recommend going for the Suzuki GS500 or the Kawasaki Ninja 500, which have a little more horsepower).
Finally the best thing about the Ninja 250, in my opinion, is how inexpensive it is to own and maintain. There is a myth that motorcycles are much cheaper to ride than buying a car. This may be true for the initial purchase (with the average 600cc motorcycle being less than $10,000 and your average car being over $15,000) but once you add in tires, maintenance, motorcycle gear, insurance etc., the price of riding a motorcycle quickly climbs to much more than a car.
The type of motorcycles that started this myth were most likely bikes just like the Ninja 250. Not only is it cheap to buy (at around $3,000 brand new), but it also gets as much as 60 miles to the gallon! The reliability of the Ninja is simply fantastic and will continue to run tens of thousands of miles with just oil changes and new tires. Even if you do run into some trouble, the Ninja 250 has had few mechanical adjustments since the late 80’s; which means that parts for this motorcycle are EVERYWHERE! So if you want one of the cheapest forms of transportation that can take you on surface streets and freeways, then the Kawasaki Ninja 250R fits the bill!