Kawasaki Ninja 250r

While power delivery on the Ninja is tolerant, the new 6-speed gearbox is more lenient than Brittany Spears chaperoning a Vegas bachelorette party. Even when we tried to confound the idiot-proof system with some intentionally ludicrous downshifts, the Ninja's transmission handled the extreme gear changes with a nurturing admonishment rather than rear-wheel lockup. The new, more durable clutch delivers seamless engagement - one would have a difficult time conceiving a better transmission to hand over to a green rider.

The often held notion that it is more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow is often scoffed at. But there is truth to the assertion, especially on public roads. Unless you want your license revoked and cut up into a million pieces, the ZX-10R cannot be ridden to its limits anywhere other than the racetrack, and even then, unless your last name is Hacking or Hayden, you ain't getting everything out of the bike. Yet, almost anyone can ride the Ninja 250R to its potential, which makes it an absolute blast.

Handling on the Ninja is quite a revelation. Even though the new model has added a surprising 29 lbs for a claimed dry weight of 333 lbs, the Ninja is still super slender and feels quite light. The last Kawasakis we rode were the ZX-14 and Concours, so believe us when we say the little Ninja is much easier to navigate in the parking lot. For foot-dabbing newbies, the 250 is going to be a treat.


Kawasaki Ninja 250r
Kawasaki Ninja 250r
Kawasaki Ninja 250r
Kawasaki Ninja 250r
Kawasaki Ninja 250r