Kawasaki Ninja 250R - Ridden

Some days are such that you have a world of opportunities in front of you, all you need is to just gather some confidence and try.... try to grab an opportunity. Saturday, 15th of May, 2010 was one such day, when I had a host of opportunities in front of me, and for one I gathered enough confidence and ask Manan (a very generous XBhp member) to allow me to ride his Ebony Black Kawasaki Ninja 250Rand he agreed!! Nothing could have been better. This was the moment and bike I was on the hunt since its release.

Kawasaki Ninja 250R

The bike needs no introduction at all. Probably it's one of the most discussed motorcycle the world over in its segment. It's the best selling Ninja in Kawasaki's history.

Powered by a Liquid Cooled Twin Cylinder Power Plant busting out 33ps of peak bang and pulling torque of 15.2 ft-lb, means that this is a monster when you put things to Indian perspective.

Look and Feel

No image or video over the internet can match the actual looks of the bike in flesh. In flesh, the bike looks huge, very much in lines of its bigger sibling, the ZX-6R. The finishing of the bike is quite immaculate, which means that the bike should be strictly avoided in crampy office parking lot!! The seats are comfy, but would need getting used to for the long rides.

The Rear View Mirrors are quite usable and is very much unlike the Pulsar 220's fairing mount mirrors which are practically not much of use. The Clip-on are just perfect for city riding, neither very high nor very low, just perfect. Even though the seating is forward biased, but with a little used to, you would feel at home. Since I’ve been riding my Pulsar 200 for more than two and half years now, I was already feeling at home with the seating posture

The analog clocks have been heavily criticized, but truly speaking I liked them. It would be fun to watch the speedo needle going bizerk with the twist of the right wrist. Again, the absence of the Fuel gauge did seem to be a bit uncomfortable, but then it’s fine!! Been quite a while since I last rode a fully faired bike in US, so, steering the bike around felt a bit awkward.

Ride

Thumb the starter and the two cylinder engine fires up into a deep bassy idle. The two cylinders firing synchronously can be made out with the engine note. Well a two cylinder engine is supposed to sound like that.

The bike is basically split personality. Below 5K rpms, the bike is a descent school going kid. No rush, no hush, just plain and simple, easily maneuverable ride. But we all know that Kawasaki Ninjas are known for being radically quick, and that’s what happens post 5K rpms. From the cute school boy, the bike suddenly turns into a College rowdy.

I could take the bike max upto 7K rpms, and at that level there is an immense thrust that develops and so does the engine note. The engine note suddenly sounds more in line with the SBKs. Expectants of power wheelie would get disappointed as the bike shows no signs of it.

One thing I noticed particularly and became fond of, is the handling. It’s so so easy to handle the bike, it’s weighing 165kg. I could do a U turn on the bike, without touching the feet down. The low seat height also aids in the overall handling of the bike.

The 290mm Petal Disc with twin caliper piston at front generates some massive breaking power, but it does not scare you. Instead it generates loads and loads of breaking confidence. Same is the 220mm Petal Disc up rear. I should say, it’s easily the best breaking I’ve ever experienced on Indian roads and specially after experiencing the breaking on my Pulsar 200, the breaking on theKawasaki Ninja 250R seemed like heaven.

Well after a very short lived test ride it was time to hand over the bike back to Manan who, very patiently waited for me (it was so nice of him and I’m so very thank full to him). But what a short ride it was….Kawasaki Ninja 250R, every bit of this bike is a winner.

P.S. – Even though Manan clicked some pictures of me riding his Ninja, but I didn’t post them over here as I was not wearing any protective gear.