Ninja 250R (2008 - present) review
Although most power-hungry bike journalists would have you believe that motorcycling is all about top speed and how quickly you can get there, the rest of us know it’s more about isolated moments of pure fun when it all comes together through a given section of road. And in oh-so many ways, Kawasaki’s new Ninja 250R delivers just that. This small green thing made me wish I was 19 years-old, made me want to take a step back and learn to ride all over again. Except this time on a bike that could easily be mistaken (by the casual eye) for its sleek and powerful bigger brothers.
Although most power-hungry bike journalists would have you believe that motorcycling is all about top speed and how quickly you can get there, the rest of us know it’s more about isolated moments of pure fun when it all comes together through a given section of road. And in oh-so many ways, Kawasaki’s new Ninja 250R delivers just that. This small green thing made me wish I was 19 years-old, made me want to take a step back and learn to ride all over again. Except this time on a bike that could easily be mistaken (by the casual eye) for its sleek and powerful bigger brothers. God I’d look cool, meet all the wrong kinds of people and have a brilliant summer.
Kawasaki have packaged the 250R well: a small, lively engine with supersport looks, it packs a stylish punch. In 2007 there were 8,000 250cc sales in the EU, and with indications from previous-generation 250cc models being that 60% would be first-time buyers and 30% of them would be female riders, much work has been done to ensure the Ninja is rider-friendly and fun to use.
Although most power-hungry bike journalists would have you believe that motorcycling is all about top speed and how quickly you can get there, the rest of us know it’s more about isolated moments of pure fun when it all comes together through a given section of road. And in oh-so many ways, Kawasaki’s new Ninja 250R delivers just that. This small green thing made me wish I was 19 years-old, made me want to take a step back and learn to ride all over again. Except this time on a bike that could easily be mistaken (by the casual eye) for its sleek and powerful bigger brothers. God I’d look cool, meet all the wrong kinds of people and have a brilliant summer.
Kawasaki have packaged the 250R well: a small, lively engine with supersport looks, it packs a stylish punch. In 2007 there were 8,000 250cc sales in the EU, and with indications from previous-generation 250cc models being that 60% would be first-time buyers and 30% of them would be female riders, much work has been done to ensure the Ninja is rider-friendly and fun to use.
