Kawasaki Ninja 250R
Your basic 13,000-rpm sporting proposition
Kawasaki's Ninja 250 has been a top choice for beginners and conscientious riders alike since its 1988 debut. Since then, the Ninja has enjoyed steady sales, routinely ending up atop Kawasaki's charts while remaining essentially unchanged for 20 years. This just in: People buy the little Ninja for the same reasons today as they did in 1988. It's cheap, accommodating in every sense of the word and easy on the eyes. It's even easier to look at after the '08 total makeover.
As if you could miss the svelte silhouette, a new R suffix underscores the Ninjette's sporting intent. Over 70 percent of the machine has been modified or updated, bringing the venerable quarter-liter twin out of the big-hair era with sleek sportbike style. The aggressively aerodynamic fairing's resemblance to the ZX-6/10R is purely intentional. Glossy six-spoke wheels, a single upswept muffler and trick petal rotors recreate the look of larger, faster weaponry without giving away the $3499 bottom line.
Though it putters along obediently...
Though it putters along obediently when you need it, the Ninjette's reason for being begins just to the left of 10,000 rpm. Impersonate John Hopkins for $3499 and never dip below 50 mpg? Can't beat it with a stick.
Beneath the slinky green skin is a modestly updated version of Kawasaki's original 249cc parallel-twin that can travel 275 miles on a 4.8-gallon fill-up. Performance, in case you were worried, is still part of the deal. Recontoured cams, a redesigned combustion chamber and refined intake/exhaust porting boost low-end and midrange power. That boost hastens progress towards the upper-right quadrant of the tachometer, a.k.a. The Fun Zone.
Festivities commence just above 9000 rpm and wind down right at the 13,000-rpm redline. Any/all sporting acceleration lives between those two numbers. Still, our not-so-gentle wrists squeezed about 55 miles out of every precious gallon in the city, despite abusing the clutch at regular intervals to maintain the requisite five-digit revs. While acceleration can't rearrange vital organs like the bigger Ninjas, there's more than enough to keep the infidels in that 7200-pound Excursion wondering about the shrieking green blur that just blew past another gas station. Keep those revs up and it's entertaining in the twisty bits as well.
The handlebar-mounted choke lever requires careful manipulation to coax the grumpy 30mm Keihin carburetors into coming up with a combustible mixture on cool mornings. Once warm, the Ninja purrs contentedly at idle. Throttle response is crisp and predictable, though revs build slowly through the lower half of the range. Spartan yet functional instruments reflect the low price and entry-level status. There's no clock, but everything else you need to know is right there. Large analog gauges display rpm, speed and fuel level while a mechanical odometer rolls up the mileage. Control effort is light enough to accommodate small hands and modest grip strength. The six-speed gearbox is as beginner friendly as they come, and part of that personality comes from Kawasaki's positive neutral finder that makes slipping it out of gear a snap.
In a parking lot or at speed, the bike handles predictably, with a narrow profile great for cutting through traffic and a lithe, responsive manner worthy of the Ninja name. Though it's the heavyweight of this group at 377 pounds wet, the little Ninja's low 30.5-inch seat height and nicely centralized mass make for agile handling. Out on the highway the Ninja holds its own quite nicely. The tiny twin whirs along smoothly in the fast lane, though high-frequency vibes get a bit tiresome beyond 10,000 rpm. There's room behind that nicely shaped tank to get out of the wind en route to an indicated 100 mph on the only bike here capable of triple-digit travel.
When it's time to slow down, the two-piston Tokico caliper and 290mm petal rotor scrub off speed well enough, but squeeze hard. Lever effort is higher than we'd like. Decent feel from the front brake and both tires can be attributed to the new Ninja's firmer-though sadly nonadjustable-37mm Kayaba fork and more rigid steel frame. Though price-point suspension trades high-speed precision for broadband compliance, everyone but A-group track-day types will love it. Same goes for the bias-ply rubber: Once you're tired of either or both, the aftermarket is full of more capable replacements.
Maybe you're not quite ready for adrenal-emptying acceleration. Maybe you're ready to trade all that in on a sportbike that's less financially invasive, performs well, runs reliably and sips fuel like the proverbial mouse. Either way, scale your expectations to match the minimum Ninja's and that payoff you see at the pump is just the beginning.
 |  The two-piston caliper and...  The two-piston caliper and 290mm rotor are effective enough, if a bit lacking in power and feel at speed. |  Analog speedo and tach are...  Analog speedo and tach are easy to read, and the fuel gauge is nice, but a clock would be nicer. |
Off The Record
Ari Henning
Going into this little foray, I was leaning toward the Ninja 250 as my favorite. I'd ridden one at a Kawasaki track day at Infineon Raceway and it had me grinning ear to ear as I chased Sport Rider's Troy Siahaan around the course. On the street it's a different story, its engine better suited to a constant velocity than stop-and-go traffic.
For the mean streets of L.A., the DR-Z is where it's at. The combination of size, weight, power, brakes, handling and suspension make it one of the most entertaining streetbikes I've ridden. It brings out my inner hooligan-a personality obsessed with monos, slides and stoppies. With an entire stable of brand-new bikes at my disposal, the fact that I've stuck with the DR-Z for the past two weeks says a lot.
Age: 23 Height: 5' 10" Weight: 165 lbs. Inseam: 33 in.