Is Yamaha working on a Ninja Killer for the US? Actually, would it really be a Ninja Killer? I personally would welcome some compition from rival manufactures to help fuel the aftermarket for the quater Liter bike market..

I will admit that if the Yamaha YZF-R250 comes to the US looking like the R125 above, it’ll be a very attractive bike to compete with the Ninja 250R… Wonder if Yamaha can match the price / performance of the Ninja… I guess only time will tell, but Yamaha, Suzuki, KTM, etc. would have to be high on glue not to intorduce some comptition..

This is Brilliant… Take a stock Bike sit it next to a modded bike (In this case a Ninja 250R with a Yoshimura Slip On) — And then take a video of the difference… Mad props.. I wish all exhaust videos were like this…

The big trend here in the Ninja 250R world is Mod First — Sprocket later… Most guys are finding that after adding exhaust, intake, and jetting that the bike is under geared for the new available power. In stock skin, the 2008 Ninja 250R is a gear ratio of 3.21 or 14/45 (14 Tooth Front / Counter shaft sprocket — 45 Tooth Rear / sprocket) and the most common mod now is to replace the front sprocket with a 15 tooth for 15/45 setup or a gear ratio of 3.00 (7% increase in gearing).

As of now the JT Sprocket from Dennis Kirk is the most popular (In fact it’s now sold out) — However after some research I have found a bunch of alternatives. It seems that the late model EX250 and EX500 sprockets fit the 2008, and manufactures are just now updating their fitment lists. So, If you have a favorite sprocket manufacture — Email them for fitment and availability.. And if you have any luck leave us a comment and I’ll try to keep the list updated.

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There is a great conversation going over at Kawiforums about the use of Magnets to help trigger stop lights.

The issue is that Motorcycles, Scooters, Bicycles, and some small vehicles (Scion’s, Yaris’s, Fit’s) don’t contain enough metal to trigger the induction loops that tells the stoplights that there is a vehicle there waiting to turn. ( ‘Induction loop’ is just a fancy term for metal detector. ) This becomes a major issue if you do lots of night riding, or riding in low traffic areas. As there is typically no one else in the turn lane to assist with triggering the light.

So the solution? Simply Magnets. In fact there are a ton of products out there that are really no more than rare earth magnets with fancy cases or adhesives on them. But you can do this yourself for less than 10$ at your local big-box store (Home Depot, Lowes, or ugg — Walmart)

1. 3M Acrylic Automotive tape (Which every man should have a roll of in his garage)
2. 2 Neodymium rare earth Magnets.
3. Plasti-Dip (Something else every man should have in his garage..)

Just attach the Magnets with opposing poles to the bottom of your frame or swing arm, and enjoy. Remember though, magnets do rust. So, if you do ride in the occasionl inclement weather, dip the magnets in a thin coating of the Plasti-Dip to help protect them from the elements.

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Every day is an adventure for me when I ride my Ninja 250R… And It leads to some great conversations… I figured I’d share some of my personal ones– and if you have any good ones, post them in the comments below:

Them: “Hey man, what alarm system is that? I love how it beeps whenever people get close to it..”
Me: “Oh it comes that way from the factory..”

Them: “What is that? A 900?”
Me: “No.”
Them: “A 600???”
Me: “Nope. A 250..”
Them: “Huh? A What? Really? Huh… You sure?”

Them (On a ZX-10R) : “I’m so confused… It looks like my bike… But sounds like a Harley humped a lawnmower..”

Them: “What type of bike did you get.. Some sort of crotch rocket?”
Me: “Sorta — It’s kinda more like a crotch bottle rocket…”

If you have any more, please share!

As of now, there is still not a Ninja specific bolt on / snap in flush mount kit for the 250R. However, the motorcycle aftermarket is pretty damn vast and has lots of parts available — Just sometimes needs someone to take the plunge and try a few things out to see what works.. That’s why people like Malaquite over at KawiForums just freaking rock — because they are willing to be the guinea pig, and then post how they did it.

These flush mounts are manufactured by Lockhart Phillips (Part number #122-9737). They can be found Here for only $18.

These look really nice for < $20.. And only require some slight modifications to the light (Not the Bike) to work. Also, be aware that you do need to clip some wires to get this to work.. So Make sure you solder and shrink wrap like good little kiddies to keep these guys nice and weather proof.. [ Editor Note: Wire Crimps and electrical tape are the spawn of the Devil. Man up and do it right!! If you don’t know how to solder There are some really good resources out there to help you learn! This is a talent everyone should have.. ]

[Pictures/Information republished with permission from Malaquite — Orginal Post Link ]

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Looking to do some painting on your Ninja 250R? Or do you just need some touch up paint for a cracked faring or from some love bug destruction… Have no fear, Color Rite has you covered. They offer all the colors for a stock bike (Including Wheels and Frame) and have them available in sizes ranging from a touch-up pen to a full quart.

Take note tho… All of us crazy cats with Candy Plasma Blue -or- Passion red need a base coat as well to get the match done right. So if you plan on painting your chain guard or some of the plastic insets — make sure you do it right and get both colors to match.

Manufacture: Color Rite
Products: Link
Price: $15-$150

The orginal post I did about the OEM Seat Cowl replacement from Kawasaki has some less than stellar things to say about it. One of my main complains (and that of many people) is that it just didn’t want to Stay on, or properly click into the lock.

Well, after having it on the bike for almost a month now, I think it is only fair to do a follow-up to say that it has now “Broken in”. Taking the seat cowl off and on is a snap and the fitment is pretty damn near close to perfect — And it takes the same amount of pressure to get the replacement cowl on as it does the stocker.

So, before you go and shave the stoppers down, just give it some time to compress them down into the proper fitment.

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It seems that they just can’t make and import these bikes fast enough. Despite the increasing amount of Used Ninja 250R’s showing up on Craigslist and eBay, people are still lining up to get on waiting lists — and I’m even now hearing rumors of people getting fed up and putting deposits on 09’s… WOW!

Color Popularity:

First off. After doing some major Search Engine voo-doo I tested to see what colors are most frequently talked about for 250R’s. They are (in order):

1. Black
2. Blue
3. Red
4. Green

So if you must _have one now_ perhaps trying to look for one of the less popular colors, or even ‘First Available’ — I have Blue because I walked into the dealer, they had a blue, and I said ‘I’ll take it!’… Worst case scenario, painting this bike is pretty straight forward - 5 pieces of body work, and the tank.

Price:

I have read 100’s of OTD pricing threads on Ninja Forums, and for the 2008 this is what you should shoot for:

[ OTD means “Out the Door”: It includes Bike, Tax, Tag, Title, Assembly / Shipping, Dealers Fees. ]

Great: < $4,000 USD.
Good: $4,000 - $4,200 USD.
Okay: $4,200 - $4,500 USD.
Poor: > $4,500 USD.

Be weary when people quote OTD prices online. Some states don’t have sales Tax (Like Oregon), or high registration fees. So prices can vary $200-$300.

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I’m getting the feeling that someone over at Roaring Toyz has a Ninja 250R and is short — because these guys are doing a decent job of pumping out some neat parts for the Bike…

Just noticed today is that they added some Handle Bar Risers and Lowering blocks to their site. And for about $60 — not a bad deal for a nicely done piece…

Part description from the site:

Black Anodized Contrast Cut Handle Bar Risers fit the new 2008 Ninja 250R with Roaring Toyz engraved. These trick new lowering blocks/handlebar risers allow the front end to be lowered 1″. These blocks are a quick simple bolt on and will not only allow you to lower the front end but also raise the handlebars 1″ and back 1/2″ to allow for more comfort and control. This is a great upgrade for vertically challenged riders as well as women riders. Check them out and get your bike the right stance with another high quality part from Roaring Toyz!

Manufacture: Roaring Toyz
Part Link: Here
Price: $59.95