Best Mods/Parts for the Ninja 250R
What mods or Parts are the best ones for the Ninja 250R? Which should I do First?
… Seems to be the first question to pop into mind for every new boy and girl as they wait for Kawasanta to bring them their shiny new 2009 Ninja 250R? (Or wait for a 2008 to show up on a dealers lot)
Granted this topic is completely objective.. The best mods are the ones you’re happy with — But to help steer you in the right direction, I’ll throw my $.02 into the ring, and feel free to do so yourself in the comments.
#1: Good Riding Gear - There are lots of new riders on this bike, so I know many of you will be starting from scratch… Spend your money on gear! Good gear will last you a long time, and save your butt when you need it the most! DO NOT SKIMP ON GEAR TO SAVE MONEY FOR PARTS!
#2: Needle Shim / Jet Kit - These bikes tend to be a bit anemic. Adding a jet kit or shimming your needles will give you the most bang for your buck of any ‘performance’ mod. (Unless you’re one of those lucky Bastards in AU, UK, Indo, Japan, etc. that has fuel injection…)
#3: Stainless Braided Brake Lines - The stock lines are just Squishy and don’t give much feedback… This is a decent 100$ mod that will get you lots of bang for your buck… Just make sure if you don’t know what you’re doing you get some help… Brakes are well.. You know.. Kinda important.
#4: Fender Eliminator - Sorry to everyone that lives in an area where these are illegal.. But the rear fender is horrible.. Chop that crap off, or find an aftermarket part.
#5: Rear Seat Cowl - This is both for aesthetics and safety. Two up on the 250R is a bit shady to me. I think it brings a lot of people out of their comfort zone for riding, and also the additional weight brings the 250R close to the limits of safe riding. The Seat cowl looks great, and makes 2 up riding a non issue.
#6: Exhaust - I know most people will put this as #1 or #2 on their list. But, it’s just one of those parts that too many people just slap on without thinking much about it. You can do all of the above for the same price or less than a slip-on can… Much more bang for the buck, and IMHO worth waiting on.
#7: Windscreen - Again, mostly aesthetics, but the windscreens like the double bubble does help quite a bit with wind management on this bike giving it some more stability on the Highway and allowing for some color to return to your knuckles.
#8: Frame Sliders - Cheap insurance for both new riders, and vets a like. Body panels and parts are still hard to come by for the Ninja 250R. So anything you can save with 100$ set of sliders will save you lots of time, money, and frustration in the long run.
#9: Sprockets - Swapping out your sprockets by this point can help lower your rotating mass, and also up your gearing a little bit to take advantage of the power you found from the jet kit and exhaust.. Some people also claim to see increases in MPG (for you Highway kiddies) — but the jury is still out on that one.
#10: Everything Else - Have fun with this bike. There are more and more parts coming onto the market, plus lots of “universal” parts like tank pads, grips, pegs, etc. that will bolt right up..
Use your imagination, and remember — it’s your bike, not mine, or anyone else’s do what you want with it.. (As long as you follow #1.. 
)
Greg Said,
September 9, 2008 @ 5:01 pm
Your just about right on w/ my thinking with the exception that I think anything aesthetic should come last. Purely my opinion. Gear, jet , exhaust, then seat cowl and such. Nice write up.
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Mr. 2Fiddy Reply:
September 9th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
I put the seat cowl in there as 50% Aesthetic and 50% Safety.. Ever since I saw a guy with a girl on the back of a 250R last week (Both.. *cough* not afraid of Sizzler… If you know what I mean) — 2 up riding on this bike just seems like a bad idea for most of the owners… The bike had little, if any, suspension left in it in the rear, and it was topped out in the front… Just a scary sight…
To me, it just discourages people from having to make that decision. But other than that, you are correct — It is mostly an aesthetic upgrade for people.
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Rei Reply:
September 9th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
I’ve been riding 2 up on the 250 rather often since I got it…. I have had no issues whatsoever.~
If anything….I would think riding 2 up would help the rider become more conscious about riding smoothly.
Well… I make sure my girlfriend have proper gear on, or at least a denim jacket with jeans.
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BG Reply:
September 10th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
For all new riders reading this: don’t forget that you have an adjuster on your rear suspension… I did and was bottoming it out on my first week of riding… gave it a few clicks and it’s soooo much better now. I’m sure anyone riding 2-up will want to make a significant adjustment - if you’re scratching your head with a big question mark floating over you, refer to the Owners Manual.
BG
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omg huh? Said,
September 9, 2008 @ 6:17 pm
“Unless you’re one of those lucky Bastards in AU, UK, Indo, Japan, etc. that has fuel injection”
huh? we dont get injection in aus
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Mr. 2Fiddy Reply:
September 9th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Really? Well in that case I like y’all even better now… Might even add you as a category after all!
(Just stop sending me hate mail!!!!)
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Nevar Reply:
September 10th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Hate mail is like breathing for us Aussies.
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Dougie Said,
September 9, 2008 @ 7:19 pm
So, for suggestion #6, what are you personal recommendations for a pipe? There are now quite a few options out there and with no prior bike exhaust experience and none around to compare too what are your thoughts?
I like the size of the HR1, but at 430 I’m sure i can get more performance from another pipe!
Jardine for 280 on ebay…….IDK
Two Brothers
Area P….
Too many options
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chase50 Reply:
September 9th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
I’ve bought the HR1 for my bike and I love it! It only gives you about 2hp, but the back pressure adjustment comes in handy for when you dont want the blaring sound on those long rides (believe me, it gets annoying). When its open it sounds like a true race bike, but when its closed it returns to the sound of the stock pipe. The thing only weighs about 3 pounds so you lose some weight in the back since the stock pipe weighs about 15 pounds. It comes in a small variety of colors to choose from for the canister and tip (red, blue, black, green, white, or platinum). The best thing I like about it is that you dont need a jet kit in order to run it fully open. Hope this helped you out a bit.
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Brett Said,
September 9, 2008 @ 7:28 pm
Thanks for this one! I had been wondering where to start with my 2fiddy and here this post is! I’m going to get the jet kit, ss brake kit and a slip on pipe in that order.
The fender eliminator and seat cowl will be next later on.
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Jon-Mark Said,
September 10, 2008 @ 2:37 am
I’ve been riding 2 up on this bike since I got it as well, and I still find it easier to handle with a 2nd person than by myself on most 600 cc’s. To be fair though, my girlfriend and I are a combined 240lbs, but I am glad I’ve got the seat there, and so is she. What exactly are sprockets? And as for the Jet kit, is there a brand/model you would recommend, and is this DIY friendly?
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RegPaq Reply:
September 11th, 2008 at 1:41 am
Jetting your bike isn’t really DIY friendly for first timers, because they have to be tuned. Its a trial and error process that will take some time. But there is always a first time right?
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Dougie Said,
September 10, 2008 @ 12:14 pm
a sprocket is the little (in front) and large (in the rear) disk with teeth that the chain feeds onto linking engine RPMs to the rear wheel
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Jim Richardson Said,
September 11, 2008 @ 9:22 pm
Dude you need to add tires to that BT090’s! It has been the best mod I have done to my bike. I would put it at #1!!!!
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Jay in Calgary Said,
November 23, 2008 @ 12:11 am
Please don’t spread rumors based on what you feel versus what is reality. The Ninja 250 is a perfectly fine bike for riding two up. Then again since it seems the majority of peeps are absurdly overweight, maybe that’s the reason why dude above claims the bike isn’t good for this. Don’t be discouraged riding two up. Not something I’d recommend a brand new rider do as it makes riding harder, but for veterans out there - take your gal out for a spin on the thing. Bike is perfectly fine riding double. And I have mine set to the second softest mode (out of 5 choices) and our combined weight is about 260 lbs.
Oh and I would put a fender eliminator kit as no.1. That atrocity makes the bike look like a scooter. Targa makes the best kit around and I just got mine (still to install).
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teejaaay. Said,
March 6, 2009 @ 4:48 am
BEST LINE EVER SPOKEN:
Two up on the 250R is a bit shady to me.
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Scott Said,
January 25, 2010 @ 1:57 am
If the 250 runs too lean, requiring a carb mod to run more rich, then why can’t you just run with the choke open a bit?
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Jones Said,
September 7, 2011 @ 4:19 pm
I do like the list, but i would have to put a K&N air filter somewhere in there either before the exhaust or the jet kit.
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